Usability of Course Management Systems by Students

Industry experts estimate that 90 % of higher education institutions use course management systems (CMS) to assist in delivering content to students, either as supplements to courses delivered face-to-face or as an entire course offered online (Green, 2006). A key factor in students and instructors adopting the technology is the ease-of-use of the course management system. Our study conducted usability testing on three CMS: WebCT, Sakai and Moodle. Usability was measured from the perspective of a student using the system for the first time. Results identified problems with navigation, both placement and naming issues, and non-standard interface behaviors