Useability - where is it?

[klp29]

Hi there!

I just bought the JoomlaLMS and set it up at our website.

It's a super system - it's relativly easy to setup and I soon found out how to set up my first quiz.

I really look forward to using it for real, but I'm sorry to say, though, that I'm a little confused about the useability-side.

When the users enter the system, they're presented with a LOT of information that they have absolutely no clue about what to use for.

We want this to be a quiz-based website, where users get a diploma for taking the quizzes. We're not a teaching-website, no homework, no chats, no gradebooks etc.

There's a huge menu with 23 icons, drop-downs etc. and to be honest, I don't think that the typical USER would find it easy to get going with the system. My first 3 testusers has not been able to find out how to enter my first quiz - which should be the absolute most simple task for them to do. If users cannot figure out how to enter, how would we ever catch their interest?

Perhaps I set it up wrong? Can I turn off all the things I don't need?

I need my users to go "Oh, a new quiz - I'll take that", click + enter quiz and then they're doing the quiz. Very simple.

[den]

There's a huge menu with 23 icons, drop-downs etc. and to be honest, I don't think that the typical USER would find it easy to get going with the system. My first 3 testusers has not been able to find out how to enter my first quiz - which should be the absolute most simple task for them to do. If users cannot figure out how to enter, how would we ever catch their interest?

You can disable unnecessary menu items under the course 'Settings' or under the JoomlaLMS configuration -> menu manager.
Also under the JoomlaLMS configuration -> Appearance you can disable courses selectbox (which is shown under the icons menu).

Even more you can disable icons menu at all, add topics to the course home page and put all your quizzes straight to the topic at the course homepage.

Even even more.... If CB (CommunityBuilder) component is installed on your site you can configure 'Autoenrollment' plugin for it (which is provided together with JoomlaLMS). Users will be enrolled into your course automatically after registration on the site. So, instead of placing link to the JoomlaLMS component and providing instructions how to enroll into the course you can provide link straight to the course homepage (for registered users).

[CRMAS]

I understand what klp29 means... I think the system is great, but even though I work in IT and have experience of Joomla, I still find LMS fairly confusing, mostly the sequence of steps you need to do to get everything set up... do you have a "10 steps to create a course" one pager, instead of loads of FAQ etc to read? I think the most confusing thing is the sequence and relationships between each area, what needs to come first etc.

example:

1. add Course
1.2. add 'Topics' (lessons)
1.3 add 'Elements' to Topics (documents, learning paths etc)


2. add learning paths
2.1 add chapters to learning paths
2.2 add 'Items' to chapters (documents, VDO, images, quizzes etc)

.... this might help lay teachers who will likely be non technical / famililiar with this sort of set up.

[Su_]

CRMAS,
Thanks o lot for the useful suggestion - currently we have quite helpful flash tutorials http://www.joomlalms.com/tutorials/, but definitely making a brief one-piece guide for how to create a full course will be very useful as well - I guess we'll make such thing in about a month.

[andreas]

You are right - this is a complex piece of software! In fact, it may be far too complex for your needs - at the moment. This may change as you "grow" with the tool. But in general - there always is the tension between more features and usability.

Here is a basic suggestion of how to look at the concept:

The logging in is similar to that of a university:
You register for the university (Joomla) and then for a course (in JoomlaLMS)... Once the principle is clear, it isn't all that complicated for users.

The LMS style:
You have a large buffet of learning opportunities and tools. The student will find the buffet in the top menu. You decide which parts he/she can see (as Den pointed out) and use... At them moment it's only quizzes (if that was all you needed, you could have found other -i.e simpler tools).
The same type of menu is available for the teacher - fairly easy to use in comparison to other tools (e.g. Moodle....) because all options are lined out in the same place at the top right hand corner.

Now.... as for the administrator, I would expect him to be able to handle the more complicated issues in the backen

So take courage. It will be easier than it looks at first. Especially when you take Den's advice to reduce the menu options as needed!

[bscunningham]

I'm going to agree with Andrea's comments by saying what he said slightly differently. There is always a trade off between ease of set up and the granularity\flexibility of configuration. Unless of course you are Steve Jobs and can do Apple magic by giving both power users and old ladies what they want....but that a different story.

At first I found setup just as confusing. With time I have grown to appreciate flexibility and now find admin fairly logical.

[brains]

I've had 10 year kids using it with no problem (school environment).

[totem]

I am currently going through the demo quiz and it strikes me how page navigation is so much work!

After reading a page's content, I have to scroll back up to the page top to click on the Next link. Wouldn't the logical place for the Next link be at the bottom of the page? Or better, have all 3 links (Prev, Next, Contents) at both top and bottom.

Also, why not utilize keyboard shortcuts with Accesskeys? If I could just type Alt-N on the keyboard instead clicking the link, I would do it.

I agree with previous posts on this thread that page layout and page tools are not as user-friendly as they could be. As a litmus test of usability, you shouldn't have to write a paragraph of written directions telling people to click on the OK button then on the this link or the other. If the page is well-designed, the tasks of the page should be self-evident.

[andreas]

@totem

I like your concrete suggestions of short cuts - though, believe me, many users would not understand how to use them. I also agree that the quizz tool can be perceived as a little bit of an overkill when it comes to navigation.

However, on a more general level, let me just comment as to the overall issue: In any CMS (LMS basically is a tool within Joomla CMS) there are two places for improvement: in the structural level (Joomla, JoomlaLMS) and in the content level (YOU) - which, even though it is "content", also has a form.

Any web designer will emphasize that content on the internet needs to be short. Avoid scrolling as much as possible, use smaller units of content that fit the screen of your layout.

While this cannot be completely achieved in all cases, it is a general direction which helps avoid some of the problems discussed.

By the way, using short units (no-scroll bits) of content makes a lot of sense educationally as well! It is easier to remember and gets a greater sense of interaction (more clicks - because there are more pages). And this is even true for quizzes.

The problem with the navigation is: Some of the navigation depends on your template and Joomla, some navigation is JoomlaLMS specific, and some may be specific to your content. If you are unhappy with any of the "given" navigation points, it is possible to decrease their use (explained above how to turn off navigation icons in J!LMS) and implement your own navigation in your content.

Meanwhile.... we need to work on the best compromise possible - which is quite a challenge in a standardized "one size fits all" tool like a CMS or LMS