Canvas Basics: A UX Investigation of Novice Learners and Their Learnability of a New Authoring Software

This article reports on usability testing of the Canvas learning management system (LMS) by ninety-seven kindergarten through post-secondary, public and private educators across North Carolina. The article will reference research by Rosenzweig and others to understand the impact of user experience (UX) on teachers' ability to learn features and to create content in the Canvas learning management system (LMS). The author co-facilitated a Canvas Basics course sixteen times for educators new to the software. This article explores the implications of the information gleaned as these educators built content and interacted with the Canvas e-learning software. The training was offered through a state-wide initiative by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), an entity charged with (among other roles) supporting the professional learning of educators, specifically focusing on digital learning competencies for classroom teachers, a professional growth requirement for renewing teacher licenses in 2019 and beyond.