Investigating the pedagogical impact of E-learning management systems (system design and user interface):an empirical study of two third level university institutions

The main problem this study addresses involves a lack of knowledge about precisely how much of an impact the design and user interface of learning management systems (LMSs) like Blackboard or Sulis may have on the pedagogical performance of staff members at two Third Level Institutions regarding teaching methods used. The independent variables in the study include the system design and user interface of the system while the dependent variable is the teaching methods used by instructors. The study aims to answer the following questions:  How do lecturers critically view the LMS system design?  How do lecturers critically view the LMS system user interface?  How does the current LMS help lecturers to employ a variety of teaching methods? Interviews are the most popular way to collect information about human-computer interactions. The researcher believed that interviews would not provide enough information to answer the research question and used Mixed Methodology Research techniques. The researcher conducted interviews with 15 teachers from the two targeted Institutions. The study also received 248 teacher responses to the questionnaires distributed online. Using the data gathered from interviews and surveys, the study obtained enough evidence to properly discuss and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the system design and user interface of each LMS on the teaching methods used. The findings show that LMS designs can greatly impact upon the effectiveness of the system. The data collected by the study provide significant evidence of how system differences can impact and leave a lasting influence upon the user experience. The final conclusions argue that the Blackboard system used at one Institutions – The University of Najran – contributed effectively to the education process of both learning and teaching, while the Sulis system – used at The University of Limerick – was significantly less effective in this domain.