Comparison of the usability of learning management systems by faculty members from computer education and instructional technology and other departments

This study was conducted to compare the usability of common learning management systems by faculty members in the department of computer education and instructional technology and in other departments. The study was conducted using a sequential mixed explanatory model. The sample included faculty members in computer education and instructional technology departments and other departments in various universities. There were 167 faculty members and 8 were interviewed. The extent to which they found the system during distance education usable was examined with the System Usability Scale adapted into Turkish by Çağıltay. Qualitative data were used to investigate the ease of learning the basic functions of the systems, efficiency, errors and how to overcome them, and satisfaction. According to the mean usability scores, Google Classroom was more usable while Microsoft Teams was less usable than the others. The strengths and weaknesses of the systems in terms of usability were also analyzed. In addition, the extent to which faculty members in computer education and instructional technology and instructors in other departments found the systems usable was compared. For Google Classroom, there was a significant difference in favor of computer education and instructional technology faculty members; for Microsoft Teams, there was no significant difference. The qualitative findings showed that Google Classroom has a simple interface, quick, easy to learn, but has shortcomings such as lack of live lectures and evaluation. For Microsoft Teams, it is easy to learn, quick, the effort is worth the time, but it is complex, and there are deficiencies in some add-ons. Results can contribute to the developments in the field of online education, to reveal the usability of common learning management systems and whether it differs for faculty members, to determine the improvement that may be necessary in learning management systems and to the efficiency of online education.