Usability Evaluation of an LMS-Notion Integrated Badge-Based Learning System

Abstract

This study evaluates the perceived usability of a badge dashboard implemented as a two-platform architecture in an undergraduate microprocessors course. Digital badges are increasingly adopted in higher education as mechanisms for representing competencies and motivating learner progress. However, less attention has been given to the usability of the dashboard interfaces through which students access and interpret badge-related information, particularly when these systems span multiple platforms. A single-cohort post-use usability evaluation was conducted following one academic semester during which 52 students interacted with a digital badge catalog and leaderboard embedded into the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) via Notion pages. The study focused specifically on the usability of the integrated Blackboard-Notion badge dashboard through which students accessed badge-related information, rather than on the educational effectiveness of badges or gamification itself. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) on a screened sample of 47 respondents (N = 47). The system achieved a mean SUS score of 60.11, corresponding to an “OK” adjective rating within the marginal acceptability range. Item-level patterns revealed relatively strong learnability and a low perceived need for technical assistance, indicating that the system supports independent operation without substantial onboarding. In contrast, ratings for overall usage preference, confidence, ease of use, and perceived integration were more inconsistent; suggesting that while the workflow is learnable, it is not consistently experienced as seamless. This pattern is consistent with the interaction costs that arise when an institutional LMS embeds a third-party interface with distinct conventions, creating navigational friction that can undermine perceived coherence even when individual components function adequately. Exploratory subgroup analyses found no statistically significant differences in usability by gender or prior badge-system familiarity, and no significant association between academic performance and SUS scores. These findings highlight opportunities to improve the perceived integration and information architecture of multi-platform badge dashboards while demonstrating that such systems can remain learnable in authentic LMS settings.