Planning & Conducting Usability Testing:

I had four different people who are at different levels on their careers review my course and provide valuable feedback using the course evaluation. There backgrounds consist of an adult college student, a senior director, a lady exploring career options, and my classmate.

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Navigation Expectations:

1. The participants were asked and expected to…

2. Navigate the syllabus, getting started, and week 1

3. Open and complete the assignments in week 1

4. Open and complete the course evaluation

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They were able to share their feedback through the course evaluation, as well as through phone calls and text messages. This provided me with sufficient insight to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments. Due to their busy schedules and privacy preferences, they did not record their sessions.

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Feedback

As previously mentioned, my two participants are at different stages in their professional journeys, one is a soon-to-be college graduate preparing to enter her desired career field, while the other is a Senior Director at a healthcare company. I intentionally selected them to gain perspectives from both ends of the career spectrum: someone just starting out and someone involved in hiring decisions. This allowed me to evaluate whether the course content is both practical and relevant across varying professional experiences.

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Roses (Worked well)

• Expectations and overview of the course were clear and organized well

• The modules were in order connecting to the course objectives

• Examples of assignments

• Content is powerful & valuable

Bud (Improvement)

• Not all the YouTube links worked well

• Be more specific with discussion board expectations, more specific the introduction assignment

• Too many advertisements on YouTube video

• Create a conclusion or closing module

 

After participants gave their feedback and provided recommendations, the following improvements have been made:

• Linked the YouTube video differently

• Added a more in-depth expectation for the introductions

• Added a what to expect and what is next for videos and readings

 

Alignment Impact:

This process encouraged me to reflect more deeply on how the readings and videos are integrated into my courses. While I initially included them primarily as supplemental review materials, I realized the importance of clearly articulating why each resource is essential to the learning experience. Moving forward, I plan to be more intentional in aligning readings and videos with specific learning objectives, ensuring that learners understand their relevance and how each supports their overall mastery of the content.

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Learner Support:

To enhance learner support, I will continue to provide direct communication through email, where students can expect a response within 24 business hours. Additionally, I plan to include short video tutorials that guide learners through basic Canvas navigation. These videos will serve as an extra layer of support, helping students feel more confident and independent as they move through the course.

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Reflection:

Overall, this process deepened my appreciation for the importance of usability testing. It revealed that while some course elements may seem effective from my perspective, feedback from others provides valuable insight into areas that can be refined. Hearing participants’ perspectives helped me recognize blind spots and strengthen the learner experience. Their feedback confirmed that my course layout, navigation, and engagement strategies were well-structured and user-friendly. This validation increased my confidence in designing future courses and reinforced the importance of testing and refining before full implementation.