How to Create the Best e-Learning Courses from User Testing

User testing is a great method for improving your Lectora® course during the design phase—it tells you what works and what doesn’t. Because user testing provides first-hand data from real people, it’s a valuable practice for creating a successful e-Learning course.In Edward J. Skawinski’s session at the 2013 Lectora User Conference, “A Blueprint for Testing the Usability of Your Lectora Course,” attendees learned how to get the best feedback through user testing.

Skawinski recommends testing for the following 5 parts of usability:

• Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
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Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
• Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency?
• Errors: How many errors do users make? How severe are these errors? And how easily can they recover from the errors?
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Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

Use these questions to test early and often. Frequent user testing makes future design decisions more efficient, and you’ll avoid re-dos of your entire course. In the end, your finished e-Learning course will be more successful and user-friendly.

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