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Introduction

This case study describes the intrinsic performance-centered design for a "Learning Management System" (LMS) carried out by Duane Degler and Lisa Battle of IPGems for KnowledgePlanet's KP2000 LMS application.

Learning management has always proved challenging to large organizations. Over the years, Learning Management Systems have been designed to try and help learners and training managers cope with everything from individual class registration to complete annual performance development planning and goal-setting.

KnowledgePlanet's customers are large organizations with tens of thousands of "learners" (users who perform tasks in the application to manage their personal learning activities), who navigate among thousands of courses, assessments, curricula and competencies that are available from a learning catalog. The learners and managers are typically asked to use the application with little or no initial training, given the distributed nature of the workforce internationally and the fact that an LMS is not a "core" application for most employees.

When KnowledgePlanet decided to undertake a redesign of the latest generation product, the reasons for the redesign included:

• The application had grown up over many years with significant increases in complexity, without reshaping the overall design of the interface and support - this led to the creation of a number of different styles of interaction.
• Customers wanted the application to be more consistent and more understandable.
• KnowledgePlanet wanted to update the overall look-and-feel of the web application, to reflect changes in web design.
• Different customers use the product differently and customize the product differently, requiring greater flexibility for implementation.
• The application needed to be more self-sufficient to reduce implementation/training and better support infrequent users.

The performance-centered design project encompassed the redesign of the "Learner" interface, which includes what is used by the learner, mentors/managers, and people who have to approve learning activities. The performance-centered design included:

• New To Do list, menus and navigation structure based around user tasks (a range of new starting points with information that is more directly relevant to the user).
• Embedded instructions and context-specific help system that can be customized and extended by each customer.
• Improved consistency of buttons, hyperlinks, and messaging.
• More effective design of graphics and layout to make configuration easier.

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KP2000: Learner Interface Redesign

introduction     the users     prior state     solution     attributes

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