Better LMS UX: Qualitative Insights for Course Design

The Faculty Focus article by Dr. Mark Savignano and Dr. Scott Page (published August 10, 2026) found that a redesigned D2L shell significantly improved student navigation and satisfaction compared with a default layout (Faculty Focus).

• 65% of surveyed students preferred the redesigned KSP 330 layout versus KSP 202, according to Drs. Savignano and Page in their August 10, 2026 Faculty Focus article.
• KSP 330 received an average satisfaction rating of 4.7 out of 5 in the authors' August 10, 2026 report, indicating strong usability gains.
• The redesigned shell scored a comparative 4.43 against other D2L shells at Minnesota State University, Mankato in the August 10, 2026 study.
• The authors summarize the goal as “Designing Online Courses Students Can Actually Navigate, ” a direct framing from Dr. Mark Savignano and Dr. Scott Page (Faculty Focus, August 10, 2026).

The Faculty Focus study compared two D2L course shells, KSP 202 (default layout) and KSP 330 (HTML-templated redesign), using mixed qualitative and quantitative surveys (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

The Faculty Focus article reports that instructors used default D2L features in KSP 202 and HTML templates plus accordion and breadcrumb navigation in KSP 330, and that researchers collected open-ended responses in KSP 202 and Likert-scale ratings in KSP 330 (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

The Faculty Focus article notes the study’s design permitted both nuanced student voice (open text) and comparable satisfaction metrics (Likert), enabling triangulation of student experience and measurable usability scores (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

The Faculty Focus article shows students reported less cognitive load and more efficient task completion when the course used a structured weekly layout, accordion sections, and breadcrumb navigation (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

The Faculty Focus authors summarize UX in the study concisely: "UX includes users’ perceptions and responses to a system, " a definition they use to frame student feedback (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

The Faculty Focus study includes student comments praising embedded submission links and visual checklists as concrete features that supported time management and navigation (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

Instructional designers should prioritize clear information scent and persistent navigation, because the Faculty Focus study found structured weekly templates reduced student confusion (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

Design decision: use accordion content and breadcrumb trails to keep students oriented without forcing page loads, because the Faculty Focus article reports these elements helped students keep their place in the workflow (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

Operational decision: pilot an HTML-templated shell with 10–20 students, then collect both open-ended feedback and Likert ratings, because the Faculty Focus authors used mixed methods to reveal both sentiment and measurable differences (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

The Faculty Focus study by Dr. Mark Savignano and Dr. Scott Page (published August 10, 2026) shows that modest UX investments in an LMS can produce measurable gains in student navigation and satisfaction.

Course teams should replicate the study’s mixed-methods approach: deploy a templated shell, collect Likert scores and open text, then iterate on navigation based on student voice (Drs. Savignano and Page, August 10, 2026).

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