A Critical Analysis of Spectrum’s Visual and Functional Design in Malaysian Higher Education

Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are central to higher education, yet their effectiveness depends on design as much as functionality. At the University of Malaya (UM), SPeCTRUM, a Moodle-based LMS, underpins blended and online learning but remains underexplored from a design perspective. This study critically evaluates SPeCTRUM V3 through Nielsen usability heuristics, cognitive load theory, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected from 20 participants, including 5 lecturers and 15 postgraduate students via interviews and focus group discussion (FGD), institutional documentation, and researcher observations. The absence of undergraduate participants who are typically more mobile dependent is acknowledged as a limitation, affecting representativeness. Thematic analysis revealed that while SPeCTRUM reliably supports grading and content delivery, weaknesses persist in navigation, visual aesthetics, and mobile responsiveness. Over two-thirds of participants reported navigation inefficiencies, and many mobile-dependent learners found multimedia integration unreliable, raising equity concerns. Benchmarking against Canvas, Blackboard Ultra, and Moodle highlighted deficits in accessibility and learner-centred design. Findings indicate that stability alone cannot compensate for poor usability and design misalignments that increase cognitive load and limit pedagogical flexibility. Immediate interventions should focus on streamlined navigation and mobile optimisation, while longer-term strategies should embed UDL principles and strengthen collaborative learning tools. By explicitly connecting these findings to Malaysia’s e-Learning Policy 2.0, the study underscores the policy imperative of inclusivity and mobile optimisation.