The objective of this discussion is to understand the importance of User experience and share the best practices, success stories, industry use cases/examples of User experience
Building upon the fantastic insights we gathered from our chat last week on the learner experience, let’s take the next natural step into the broader world of user experience (UX). While our previous discussion mainly focused on how learners engage with e-learning content, this week, we aim to explore the bigger picture – user experience – which covers every interaction users have within digital environments.
Now, learner experience is a vital part of e-learning, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. When we talk about user experience, we’re diving into the complete encounter users have with digital platforms, apps, websites, and systems. This includes everything from how easy it is to navigate and the overall design to how accessible it is and whether users walk away satisfied.
Our aim for this week’s chat is to understand why user experience matters, share the best tricks of the trade, and discuss how a smooth UX can really make a difference in the effectiveness of e-learning and other digital interfaces.
We’ve seen a lot of wisdom and experience in this group, so I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this!!
Violet Parker Paul Wilson Greg Stager Lieve Weymeis Edu_fusion CrimsonR looking forward to your thoughts and insights.
When learning something new – there is a bit of cognitive expense depending on the complexity of the content. If I have to waste a bunch of cognitive energy trying to figure out how to navigate or interact in some other way to do something, I will become frustrated because that energy should be directed to the content.
Here is where I will suggest another book. “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug. While the text is geared at web usability, one can use a great deal of the ideas presented in the book to eLearning courses as well. One example that stands out is word choice and icons. On a website suppose you are looking for work. You might find a link called “Jobs” or one called “Careers” or one called “Employment Opportunities” or one called “Join Our Team”… etc – shall I go on…?
The point Krug makes in the book is that as designers/developers we shouldn’t make folks think about what something does. It should be obvious and it should be consistent. We should consider using known standards for wording and for icons. We all recognize the icons for Home or Search – why not use them?
Think about the eLearning courses you’ve built and about those you have taken yourself, as a student. Can you think about some areas that could sew confusion? Is the navigation the same across all slides or does your button to go to the next slide located in a new spot all the time? How is that button labeled? Next – Continue – Forward? Is it labeled at all? Just an arrow, a chevron, or a triangle? Do you have some navigation built into the course for some slides but force learners to figure out that they have to use the playbar to advance on other slides?
I cannot end without also mentioning testing. If we build something – of course it makes sense to us – but we need feedback to ensure that others think it makes sense too. Have individuals who have never seen the course before go through it. If possible try to arrange it so that you can actually watch them go through it for the first time. Identify those areas where they seem to struggle, clicking all over, getting stuck, etc. Ask them to think out loud for you. You will find that you can learn a great deal more from this than simply waiting for an email response with some feedback. Especially if that feedback is really lame like “Looks good to me!” Testing, Testing, Testing. I cannot stress that enough. I want brutal honesty but you must learn not to take some things personally. You also will come to recognize what is feedback worth acting on and that which is not.
Wow !! thank you Greg. I think you hit the nail on the head. Top 2 things from what you have said, that we all should remember are:
1. One example that stands out is word choice and icons. On a website suppose you are looking for work. You might find a link called “Jobs” or one called “Careers” or one called “Employment Opportunities” or one called “Join Our Team”… –> choice of words that can make or break an “experience”
2. Think about the eLearning courses you’ve built and about those you have taken yourself, as a student. Can you think about some areas that could sew confusion? –> Empathizing/ putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. This is bound to create a positive moment of truth !!
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