An Investigation of User Experience Design for Learning (UXDL) Principles in Online Learning

The aim of this study was to qualitatively examine undergraduate learners’ perspectives of online learning through a cross-disciplinary lens of user experience design and pedagogy. The results of this research contribute to the ongoing development, validation, and operationalization of an open source User Experience Design for Learning (UXDL) design framework. To this end, we asked learners at the University of Waterloo to report on their prior and current experiences with online learning (i.e., what they like, dislike, hope, and expect) using a survey. We conducted follow-up qualitative interviews to better understand learners’ experiences with online learning. To address the question of how the UXDL principles impact learners, we conducted user research sessions and observed learners as they interacted with lessons designed using the UXDL principles.