The usability testing process for our Canvas-based LMS, designed to guide students in developing their own ePortfolios after an in-person introduction, offered valuable insights from a diverse range of educational professionals. The perspectives of a high school counselor, a veteran fifth-grade science teacher, and a college health and science professor helped refine both the accessibility and pedagogical alignment of the course. The three people I test my 11-12th grade Wix ePortfolio Canvas course are a high school counselor, a retired 5th grade science teacher with 25 years of experience, and a health professor who worked at the high school level, region 11 for TEA, and as a professor of health sciences.

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High School Counselor's Insight:
The high school counselor emphasized the importance of clearly communicating the "why" behind the ePortfolio process for students. She noted that the LMS did a good job outlining the benefits of ePortfolios, but suggested integrating student testimonials or short video reflections to further motivate students. She also stressed the value of ePortfolios for post-secondary planning and encouraged more direct prompts that tie portfolio content to career readiness, scholarship applications, and personal growth.

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Veteran 5th-Grade Science Teacher's Insight:
With 25 years of experience, the elementary teacher highlighted the need for age-appropriate scaffolding and visual guidance. She appreciated the interactive elements and clean layout but recommended chunking content into smaller, more digestible pieces with consistent icons or color-coding for navigation. She also pointed out the importance of modeling expectations using exemplars and checklists, especially for younger or less tech-confident learners. Her feedback prompted us to add more guided templates and visual supports.

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College Health & Science Professor's Insight:
The college professor brought a higher education perspective, focusing on academic rigor and digital literacy. He was impressed by the LMS’s alignment with reflective practice and lifelong learning goals. However, he suggested enhancing the reflection prompts with deeper metacognitive questions and embedding rubrics that assess both content and presentation. He also emphasized ensuring the platform teaches students how to curate—not just collect—evidence of learning, a skill essential for success in college and beyond.

 

Conclusion:
These three perspectives provided a well-rounded view of the LMS's strengths and areas for improvement. Collectively, they reinforced the need for clear purpose, age-appropriate support, and academic depth. As a result of their feedback, we implemented revisions such as adding sample student portfolios, integrating tiered reflection questions, simplifying module layouts, and expanding the resources tied to future-readiness. These changes have made the LMS more engaging, effective, and meaningful for a wide range of student learners.

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