Literature Review

Resources database
LEAP 15: Learning and Development in Blended Mode

Publication date: 1 Feb 2004
Resource type: Case Study
Download publication: ELN065 (Rich Text Format (RTF))

Resource description:
This case study demonstrates how a module was run on a blended basis to allow a wider range of students to follow the elective module.

Author(s):
Sue Greener, University of Brighton

Project area(s):

* e-Learning (Primary)

I believe this is a good reference.

Experience-Enabling Design: An approach to elearning design
May 28, 2004

L. Ravi Krishnan (ravikl-at-trina.biz), Trina Systems, India
Venkatesh Rajamanickam (venkat-at-sp.edu.sg), Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore

Abstract
This paper draws inspiration from diverse media to understand what constitutes experience. In doing so, it seeks directions for building experience into design of elearning products.

By exploring other media, one discovers that building experiences is not about doing complex things. It is about doing simple things that will impact the eventual experience.Experience is the point of emotional engagement with the consumer. Today, experience drives consumption of both products and services. Products and services--irrespective of what segment they operate in--sell experiences rather than features. To achieve this, the scope of design has to extend beyond functionality, to satisfy the experiential need.

For example, a logically well-laid building plan might fulfill a functional need but not necessarily the experiential need. The functional needs could be space, plumbing, electrical etc., and the experiential need could be privacy, character of a space, mood it evokes, ambience etc. For elearning to fit into today's consumption, its design too needs to be crafted for experience.The paper contends that thinking only about the functional aspects of elearning hampers our experience outlook. It identifies strategies to overcome this conflict and to successfully engage today's learners. Through a range of examples from diverse areas such as print, documentation, presentation, and elearning, the paper illustrates how deliberate attempt to think beyond mere functionality, makes an obvious difference to the experience of the output. The cues from these examples provide directions to build elearning products that are functionally sound and experientially engaging.

Keywords: Layout thinking, experience design, elearning.

---

I believe this is an interesting article at elearningPost on experience design and how it is related to layout etc. Must find time to read this.

The term “pedagogical usability” has been used to denote whether tools, content, interface and the tasks of the web-based learning environments support various learners to learn in various learning contexts according to selected pedagogical objectives. Specific usability issues that impact on learning materials include:

• Any problems with use or navigation will prevent the student from employing the learning materials effectively.


• Using the materials effectively may be an essential component of a student course.


• The interface needs to support effective engagement with the learning materials over extended periods of time, some of which may be at home.

There may be a need for two different interfaces, one for the instructor to add material, and another for the student to view and interact with it.
This results in the following additional HCI guidelines (to appear in section 18 of the guidelines):

1. Support interruptions in workflow (e.g. to answer the phone, check on the kids)
[D1]

2. Organise pages into a main entrance, main work pages and other auxiliary resources


3. Arrange information in chunks surrounded by some space


4. Ensure course pages can be printed


5. Arrange information in a non-threatening manner so that users are not overwhelmed


6. Use a fixed screen layout so that navigation information is at the same place on each screen


7. Use location indicators and progress reports to let users know where they are, where they need to go, and how long it will take them to get there (e.g. how many questions in this section)

This is abstracted from an appendix of a JISC document (original web link here) which I downloaded. The pedagogical usability and its application to learning materials will be useful if it is to be used for the field of my research. I should probably blog this as literature review and my musings as well. :-)