One emerging aspect of graphic design is the use of the visual tools to represent vast quantities of data. As desktop computers and cloud services become more powerful,they are better able to crunch and represent numbers than is humanly possible. Tufte’s famous work ‘The Visual Design of Quantitative Information‘  shows many of the principles these programs use to visualize data. One such service that’s being talked about recently is visual.ly a site that promises to take your data and provide a push-button approach to to help you visualize it. This kind of tool can be very useful or instructional designers, who I foresee will have to deal with large, even gigantic quantities of data (requiring succinct communication) as the norm. Another aspect is the learning that is made possible through the ability to view relationships/patterns/threads in the data, leading to insights that would otherwise not be possible.

Right now, the visual.ly website offers a funny way to visualize your persona based on your twitter profile (you need to be a twitter user). You might want to try it. As for what’s to come in the future, we’ll just have to wait and see what they come up with.

If you’re a K12 educator, you’ve probably heard about this one by now. IDEO has broken design thinking down into five elegant steps and describe them as:

1. Discovery – I have a challenge. How do I approach it?
2. Interpretation – I learned something. How do I interpret it?
3. Ideation – I see an opportunity. What do I create?
4. Experimentation – I have an idea. How do I build it?
5. Evolution – I tried something new. How do I evolve it?

If you haven’t already, head on over there , register and download the PDF. Valuable and practical ideas on design await.

1. Digital natives are loners and socially incompetent (geeks, nerds, etc). – Kids today may seem like loners, but they are most certainly not. What’s different about their social interaction now is who they interact with, what they share and communicate about, and how they do it. They interact now with the world at large, and not the small neighborhood worlds we grew up in. Their nearest friend isn’t on the next block, it could be in another state or country even.
You’d be mistaken to think that kids today are less willing to negotiate their requirements for daily living by interacting with peers, family and society in general. They do all this very well, building elaborate social structures with varying levels of trust. While doing so, they also understand that social interactions are governed to a large extent by rules that are in place to ease social friction and to accomplish communication goals. Socially incompetent they are not, however, it must be said that digital technology is rapidly becoming the agent for mediation.

2. Digital natives lead sedentary lifestyles; most are couch potatoes. – This is definitely not true; while we must admit that a growing proportion of these natives come from sedentary lifestyles with little exercise and unhealthy diets, it’s important to know that these same individuals are the ones who adopted ‘dance dance revolution’ and the ‘wii’ without respect to their focus on physical activities. While these kids are using technology to enhance virtuality, it doesn’t mean they want to step away from the physical reality of the world.

3. Digital natives are not in touch with the real world/reality. – I differ in opinion quite strongly about this; digital natives are very much in touch with the world. The issue is that we don’t recognize that world as they do. Digital natives flit between reality and virtuality quite effortlessly. The real and the digital world have merged into one for these individuals. The boundaries of the world for the digital natives are very different from the Boomers, Gen Xers or Gen Yers. Oftentimes, these vastly enlarged boundaries mean that digital natives might ignore individuals physically present in a shared environment and be interacting with someone halfway across the world using technology. They are in touch with reality alright, it’s just not the reality we recognized as such couple of generations ago.

4. Digital natives have short attention spans. – haven’t we heard this one before? From my rather limited experience in raising my six-year old, I would say this is completely wrong. Children if interested and motivated will stick to task for hours, days and weeks. I’ve noticed this with my kid; he loves to play LocoRoco on the PSP; if he comes across what at time is an insurmountable challenge in the game, he will try again and again, with concentrated efforts to get it to work. In some situations, he has gone to the extent of not only mastering the game mechanic but also ‘geeking out’ to maximizing possible game returns with that mechanic. This is not possible unless you pay attention for sustained periods of time. It’s true that they do many things at the same time and constantly switch their attention from task to task. It’s quite common to see older kids these days, using the phone on one hand, tapping away at a computer on another while conducting a conversation with a third person, all this without losing track of individual activities.

5. Digital natives are, in a sense, illiterate. – There is a bit of truth in this myth, but only if you look at it with boomer or genX eyes. Digital natives may not be the best spellers, or may not write the best letters or essays, does that make them illiterate? No, because while they may not write and spell well, they are using technology tools to help accomplish what ‘spelling and syntax’ did for previous generations. These kids will send texts, use email, poke friends on Facebook, tweet, share pictures/videos, even conduct entire relationships online. We need to carefully ask, what does it really mean to be ‘literate’ in a digital world? I think kids comfortable with using technology effectively are the ‘literate’ of this generation.

Image: arztsamui / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently I put up a graphic on our website that condenses our philosophy into a simple representation. Take a look, it’s quite self-explanatory. You can find out more about Upside’s learning design here.

It was quite amazing to see Furrowed brows, a disinclination for conversation, intolerance for interruptions, and a general reluctance to stop playing at the end of the day; they were engrossed in the game-play. When they did manage to quit playing the game, what most of them did first was to compare notes on how we dealt with the challenges in the environment.

Image Source: Age of Empires (Microsoft Game Studios)

For some of us, this was a first experience with AoE; for others, it was a revisit after a similar training activity about a year back. Whatever the level of exposure, each experienced same experience – total engagement.

In our weekly instructional design team meetings the following week, we discussed our impressions, and what makes AOE offer such meaningful interaction and engagement.

Here’s a recap:

1. Good storytelling grips you – from the moment the game starts with a cinematic, to the way the story is woven into the game itself.

2. Visuals – good quality visuals that are appropriate and relevant to the context enhance the story.

3. Exploration – the ability to explore the environment, and the variables in it, the relationships that govern them and discover how your actions change the variables and the relationships adds a crucial element of surprise.

4. Cues – their placement and type, both are important. There were both audio and visual cues.

5. Challenge – the key engagement factor. What held us was the way the difficulty levels built up in stages.

6. Feedback and audio instructions – integrated into the environment, and present at critical moments: when we did something right or wrong, or when we needed to take a decision, or when something in the environment was about to change. Additionally, the tone of the feedback was subtle, whether it was giving encouragement, correction, or hints.

While AOE isn’t about learning, there’s much to be said for the absence of studied moments of practice, supported by an excessively jubilant ‘You’re right!’ or an apologetic ‘Not quite.

7. Transitions – when we advanced to a new age, and new elements were introduced, the transition was very subtle – it didn’t disrupt our familiarity with the environment in any way.

There were some revelations:

As learners trying to understand the mechanics of the game and its engagement (what makes it gamey), we realized that we’d picked up so much about it, without being told what we should look for.  This is in spite of the fact that most of the ID team aren’t really gamers, or expect to be applying game design in the design assignments right away, so you could probably discount that inherent motivation. In the words of one of my team-members “…we learned far more than what we’d absorb through structured training, because the principles are being understood and learning through game instances and our own reaction to them.”

At the second level, we looked at the design of interaction itself:

1. What most of us in the eLearning domain call ‘interaction’ are user-controlled onscreen elements to reveal or move around content (like a drag-and-drop). What a game designer would call an ‘interaction’ is the interface between an individual and an environment. So the team decided to call the former ‘interactivities’ and the latter ‘interactions’ for our own reference.

2. Looking at their purpose, we also realized that standard eLearning interactivities are methods of presenting content, and therefore should be looked at as media design elements. Interaction, on the other hand, is used to create an environment with rules, allow the user to interact with it, and the freedom to manipulate its elements.

3. Considering learning outcomes, interactivities are used for direct presentation of content where the outcome is knowledge and comprehension. But when you need to teach how to apply principles, and the application environment needs to vary, an interaction is recommended.

Our storyboards and design documents need to be an extension of this intent. Design documentation may not be about solving problems, but it can help avoid them by providing an elegant way to document design intent.

There are some guidelines that I have formed over the years with my experience and now I attempt to conform to those when creating e-learning storyboards

A storyboard can be viewed as a communication schema. It communicates the arrangement of things in the final developed product. When communicating an arrangement of things, level of detail starts to matter. The level of detail in a storyboard depends on two factors:

- Who is it meant for?
- What is the intent you need to communicate?

You need to have a fair idea of how you are going to create, before you actually create.

What are the important elements in a storyboard? I’ve represented the ones I find important in the graphic. While displaying the important elements, it’s important to note there are multiple inter-linkages amongst these elements.

Refer to Component Display Theory (M.D. Merrill)

I tend to follow this type model when I’m creating a storyboard using a design document as a base.

1. Work on a paper pencil visualization
2. Create a structure based on the design
3. Add fact/concept/principle presentation and provide instances
4. Add graphics / interactions to step 3
5. Review for language guidelines

I’d typically follow by using a media design checklist to ensure conformance to multimedia design principles. And while I’m at it, I would also like to share some of the guidelines for storyboard reviewing. Typically, the ratio between authoring and review should be 60:40. Review appropriateness of the design based on the structure. The important things to review in a storyboard will remain the same as the important things in storyboard creation.

“’What is the use of a book’, thought Alice, ‘without pictures or  conversations?’”

Most of us agree that the use of images and graphics in e-learning help the learners make visual associations. However the images or graphics need to be relevant to the content being presented. They need to support the text and be used, not for diversion, but a clear instructional purpose.

Even a relevant image or graphic can hinder learning if the page isn’t designed properly. ‘Some Best Practices’ can contribute to developing a better learning experience.

1. Don’t Distract
   We usually have a tendency to use visual eye candy that conveys little or no new information. Graphics are unnecessary if the text itself prompts the formation of mental images. If they are not relevant to the text, graphics become distracting. For graphics to aid the text, the text must be understandable independently. Graphics should then provide a clear representation of the content to be remembered, without extraneous information.This principle is supported by Paivio’s Dual Coding Theory. The dual coding theory, a theory of cognition, was first advanced by Allan Paivio of the University of Western Ontario. The theory postulates that the human cognition consists of two subsystems that process knowledge simultaneously, one processing the verbal objects and one dealing with visual objects. The two systems have different functions; the verbal subsystem processes and stores linguistic information whereas the visual subsystem processes and stores images and pictorial information. While the two subsystems can be activated independently, the interrelations and connections of the two systems allow the dual coding of information.
2. Proximity
   Just like proximity creates a bond between people; it can also create a bond between the various elements on a single page. How close together or far apart elements are placed suggests a relationship (or lack of) between otherwise distinct parts. It’s something to keep in mind while designing the page layouts and interaction.
3. Alignment
   How you align text and graphics on a page and in relation to each other can make your layout easier or more difficult to read, foster familiarity, or even provide an element of excitement.
4. Consistency
   Repeating design elements and consistent use of type and graphics styles within a course shows a learner where to go and helps them navigate the course.
   • Ensure that page numbers appear in the same location from page to page.
   • Ensure that major and minor headlines are consistent in size, style, and placement.
   • Use a consistent graphic or illustration style throughout the course.
5. White Space
   Designs that try to cram too much text and graphics onto the page are uncomfortable and may be impossible to read. White space gives your design breathing room.
   • Keep enough space between paragraphs of text.
   • Make sure that text does not run into frames or graphics.
   • Keep a generous margin.

This is what comes to my mind, mostly common sense media design. Have suggestions? Add a comment.

In eLearning, usability is simply about designing interfaces to the content that learners find convenient and practical to use.

The courseware we design need to be logical, intuitive, and clear to the learners who take the course. We often spend a lot of time and efforts in trying to make our courses look pretty. What we need to remind ourselves is that ‘Eye Candy’ does not translate into a better learning experience; it might even detract from the intended outcomes of the program.

One of my team-members Aneesh, chose to describe it:
Alice went down a rabbit-hole and found herself in ‘Blunderland’. Blunderland was a beautiful place with amazing illustrations, delicious interactions and eye candy trees. Alice loved it. However, in just a few minutes, Alice felt something amiss. There were no signs to tell her where she was, and there was no rabbit, caterpillar or lizard to guide her. Blunderland certainly looked wonderful, but Alice felt trapped. All she wanted was to get out of Blunderland as soon as possible.

Here’s some food for thought — Do learners taking a course which scores high on aesthetics but low on usability, find themselves in the same predicament as Alice in Blunderland? As instructional designers, we should spend a little more time thinking about basic usability — we won’t regret it.

Some pointers to prevent your course from turning into ‘Blunderland’

1. Tell learners where they are —
   You can use multiple techniques to highlight the learner’s location in the course. Some techniques include:
   • Designating a page “title” that appears in the Title bar
   • Having a “Banner” at the top of the page
   • Having a different color on the navigation bar that designates the current page
   • Having a separate heading for the screen.

   You can also use a visual map, progress/status bar and page numbers to do this.

2. Clearly tell users how to move forward and backward —
   Use text to tell learners where they are and how to move back and forward.
3. Tell users how to “get there” from “here”—
   Use visible links showing the learner where to go. These links can be at the top, bottom, or side of the page.
4. Clearly set the signpost on the page —
   Some of the more common elements of navigation (“back”, “next,” “forward”) provide very little context – forward to what? As a learner, if I’m being given an instruction, I want to know a bit more about the outcome should I follow the instruction.

   Perhaps a more useful approach is a “button bar.” This provides not only the physical “button” to move forward and backward within a section, but also a textual reference saying where the user is now. If visual buttons are used, then they must have textual rollover tooltips.

Media design needs to be consistent and aesthetically pleasing, to orient the learners and gain their attention. However, quite often we go into over-drive and end up creating the instructional equivalent of ‘Eye-Candy’; definitely looks good but quite unfortunately — lacks substance.

As a learner, I need to understand the information that is presented; or else that information is of no use to me. The content that I see in front of my eyes needs to be converted from data into knowledge. Media design needs to focus on this critical transformation of information.

This post focuses on some basic design principles — specifically pertaining to the presentation of information, detailing what it takes to design a better learning experience.

1. Organize the information on the page clearly and in a logical flow —
   The purpose of instructional design is not to just present information, but to assist the learner in understanding the information presented. It is in this context that we can emulate the ‘chunking’ strategy used in printed text.
   Printed text has an advantage over electronic text because the information is presented in a linear way and can be broken into easily recognizable “chunks”. The students can control the pace at which they learn these chunks.
   In a textbook, chapters, pages, sections, headings, even paragraphs all “chunk” information in ways to help students comprehend and learn. There’s also the advantage of a physical break, since pages have to be turned.
2. Place adequate amount of information on the screen —
   The first question that would come to anyone’s mind — What is an “adequate” amount of information?
   An “adequate” amount of information could be one piece of content of a particular type, and associated pieces – e.g. a concept and its features.
   Studies indicate that scrolling should be minimized. As a learner, I’m willing to scroll for a known purpose, such as coming to the end of a clearly defined section. However, I fail to comprehend the content if I’m confronted with a single screen of endlessly scrolling data, even if it is broken into headings.
   Without “chunking” of information, the learners become overloaded with information and comprehension drops.
3. Use shorter lines of text —
   Reading information from a computer screen can be as much as 30% slower than from a printed page. That’s why you should ideally break text segments into smaller parts when you intend to display text on-screen. Use less text than in print counterparts. A “chunked” layout delays fatigue and increases comprehension.
   Another important factor that comes into play is “Brevity”. The writing style that you use needs to clear and concise.
4. Place the important information at the top —
   Follow the journalism model of the “inverted pyramid”, by placing important information at the top of the page. To do this, it may sometimes be necessary to put the leader or connector at the end of the previous page.
5. Appropriately use white space to increase the page’s visual appeal —
   Use white space to divide the “chunked” portions of the screen so that they are more easily read.

This is what comes to my mind. Add a comment if you have suggestions

Not much to say – make the time to watch the videos. They are filled with fascinating insights about the design of the user experience, from the very people who are at the forefront of UX. They’re fairly long videos at times.

The three that I really liked were:

NYC IxDA – Tap is the New Click – Dan Saffer from Interaction Design Association on Vimeo.

UX Week 2008 | Rachel Hinman | Adaptive Path from Adaptive Path on Vimeo.

1. e-Learning and the Science of Instruction by Ruth Colvin Clark & Richard E. Mayer
2. Making Sense of Online Learning : A Guide for Beginners and the Truly Skepticalby Patti Shank & Amy Sitze
3. The Online Learning Idea Book: 95 Proven Ways to Enhance Technology-Based and Blended Learning edited by Patti Shank
4. The E-Learning Handbook: Past Promises, Present Challenges by Saul Carliner & Patti Shank
5. Designing Successful e-Learning by Michael Allen
6. Evidence-Based Training Methods by Ruth Clark
7. Preparing Instructional Objectives : A Critical Tool in the Development of Effective Instruction by Robert F. Mager
8. Instructional Design Strategies and Tactics by Cynthia B. Leshin, Joellyn Pollock, and Charles M. Reigeluth
9. ISD: From the Ground Up : A No-Nonsense Approach to Instructional Design by Chuck Hodell
10. The Art of Facilitation by Dale Hunter and Anne Bailey and Bill Taylor
11. The Systematic Design of Instruction by Walter Dick, Lou Carey, James O. Carey
12. Instructional Design by Tillman J. Ragan & Patricia L. Smith
13. eLearning by Design by William Horton
14. Graphics for Learning: Proven Guidelines for Planning, Designing, and Evaluating Visuals in Training Materials by Ruth C. Clark and Chopeta Lyons
15. Guide to eLearning by Micheal Allen
16. Creative Training Techniques Handbook: Tips, Tactics, and How-To’s for Delivering Effective Training by Robert Pike
17. Made to Stick by the Heath brothers
18. Designing Effective Instruction by Gary R. Morrison, Steven M. Ross, and Jerrold E. Kemp
19. The Principles of Instructional Design by Gagne et al
20. e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning by Ruth C. Clark, Richard E. Mayer
21. Train for Results by Catherine Mattiske
22. First Principles of Instruction by M David Merrill

Having mentioned Web 3.0 often in the past, I continue my research into it. Last evening, this particular slide share presentation about Web 3.0 and beyond popped into my inbox. Steve Wheeler at the University of Plymouth put it together.

Interesting to see that in the world of Web 3.0 , eLearning will actually transform from a content delivery and tracking mechanism. The rapid development of ontologies and taxonomies, the emergence of artificial intelligence allowing digital agents and assistance, and powerful mobile computing will probably mean the death of the LMS as we know it.

On the other hand, the proportion of content consumers to creators, which is currently heavily skewed towards consumption will even out with increasing number of creators. While it may seem unlikely at this time, I can envisage a future where ‘courseware’ as we know it won’t really exist. Instead, intelligent agents will gather and aggregate information from repositories and present those appropriately at the time of need.

It was also nice to see that some of the technologies that we’ve been experimenting with – like Augmented Reality and Virtuality – feature in the presentation. Take a look, great infographics and clear presentation.