Chapter 4: Page Design
Again, this chapter is extremely helpful in assisting to create page layouts. It gives many examples of things to consider when you are organizing your items on your web pages. Like the past few readings, these are links that I can keep to use in the future for perfecting web designs. I just wish there were examples given of bad page layouts!
Friday, May 04, 2007
Web Style Design: Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Site Design
When developing a website, so much has to be taken into consideration. Assessing the user’s needs is probably the most important idea that was mentioned in this reading. Chunking is also a great way to give viewers a lot of information about several things all at once, giving them the opportunity to obtain more information if they’d like to. Site diagrams are also useful for organizing ideas that you would like to include in your website.
The site design themes were also an extremely helpful tool to assist in creating websites for different settings. Before taking classes, it never occurred to me that some designs are more conducive than others depending on your target audience. I always assumed you picked out a color scheme that wouldn’t make people sick, and just starting placing things on the page. Again, this is another website that I can use as a resource when creating websites to educate and fit the needs of my target audience.
When developing a website, so much has to be taken into consideration. Assessing the user’s needs is probably the most important idea that was mentioned in this reading. Chunking is also a great way to give viewers a lot of information about several things all at once, giving them the opportunity to obtain more information if they’d like to. Site diagrams are also useful for organizing ideas that you would like to include in your website.
The site design themes were also an extremely helpful tool to assist in creating websites for different settings. Before taking classes, it never occurred to me that some designs are more conducive than others depending on your target audience. I always assumed you picked out a color scheme that wouldn’t make people sick, and just starting placing things on the page. Again, this is another website that I can use as a resource when creating websites to educate and fit the needs of my target audience.
Anchored Instruction: Why We Need It and How Technology Can Help
Anchored instruction is the key to making interesting and meaningful. Lefrancois’ story is an example of why it is important to make material relatable so that students can connect what they are learning to real-life situations. As I stated in my example of knowledge-centered environments, math is so much easier to learn when you know how it can be applied. When learning geometry, students should be given building dimensions so they can understand why geometry is needed. They should know how math impacts engineers and the other career paths that can be taken by mastering certain subjects. When there is a sale in a store, a light should go on in students’ minds so they will think, “here’s my chance to apply turning decimals into percents.”
Teaching students to think is also a concept that should not be over-looked by teachers. I envision that teaching students to think is similar to teaching them common sense. I’m sure it’s probably easier than it seems, but I know it requires a great deal of creativity. There were many different examples given of excellent lessons that demonstrate the importance of anchored instruction. The Raiders of the Lost Ark lesson shows how practical application of knowledge makes learning more meaningful. I would like to keep this article to use it as a tool if I am ever in the classroom again and need to develop meaningful lessons.
Teaching students to think is also a concept that should not be over-looked by teachers. I envision that teaching students to think is similar to teaching them common sense. I’m sure it’s probably easier than it seems, but I know it requires a great deal of creativity. There were many different examples given of excellent lessons that demonstrate the importance of anchored instruction. The Raiders of the Lost Ark lesson shows how practical application of knowledge makes learning more meaningful. I would like to keep this article to use it as a tool if I am ever in the classroom again and need to develop meaningful lessons.
Technology to Support Learning
The article is similar to many others that I have read. I agree that technology can enhance learning achievement but only if it is used effectively. Using technology to create an active environment in which students can solve problems is a good idea, but verbal communication could just as easily be used for some of the activities demonstrated in this reading. Classtalk, for example is not being used effectively in my opinion. Large group lectures are by far the most boring in any classroom. Giving a student a hand-held electronic device is a way to insure that they will not be paying attention in class. The reading states that using this sort of device to take attendance is ineffective in this type of environment, but I think attendance is probably the only way a device as such could be used in a large classroom setting without posing a distraction. This is the reason the graphing calculators are always taken from students after they’re no longer being used in class. It’s the reason art supplies and music instruments are put away at the end of these class. They all give students something else to focus on other than listening to the teacher.
Using technology for scaffolding is an excellent idea in professional education environments. Medical institutes that allow students to shadow medical staff are a great way for students to get hands-on experience while completing required coursework at the same time. Scaffolding is also extremely effective when showing students (at any grade level) how to use a computer or demonstrating how certain computer software is used.
Teacher Learning: The reason technology may be so intimidating for teachers is that there is a potential for students to know more than they will. I too am guilty of not introducing certain technologies in the classroom for this reason. I remember feeling that I could not learn from my teachers if I “thought” I knew more than them. There is a way for teachers to effectively learn technology while showing students how to use it at the same time. I was a student at the University of West Georgia briefly where I took an introductory technology course. The professor introduced the many ways to use Microsoft Office and I became a master at using a lot of the tools in Power Point and other Office products. Later in the semester, she introduced Macromedia Flash and told us that she too was just learning to use it. She thoroughly taught us what she knew and demonstrated ways in which we could test our knowledge by adjusting the frames within the software. She encouraged us to experiment while using Flash so she could learn more about it. As students, we were able to learn so much more than we may have under normal circumstances. We were given the opportunity to share some of the things we learn with the professor and each other at the same time. As a result, she was able to share even more with the classes she taught after ours.
Using technology for scaffolding is an excellent idea in professional education environments. Medical institutes that allow students to shadow medical staff are a great way for students to get hands-on experience while completing required coursework at the same time. Scaffolding is also extremely effective when showing students (at any grade level) how to use a computer or demonstrating how certain computer software is used.
Teacher Learning: The reason technology may be so intimidating for teachers is that there is a potential for students to know more than they will. I too am guilty of not introducing certain technologies in the classroom for this reason. I remember feeling that I could not learn from my teachers if I “thought” I knew more than them. There is a way for teachers to effectively learn technology while showing students how to use it at the same time. I was a student at the University of West Georgia briefly where I took an introductory technology course. The professor introduced the many ways to use Microsoft Office and I became a master at using a lot of the tools in Power Point and other Office products. Later in the semester, she introduced Macromedia Flash and told us that she too was just learning to use it. She thoroughly taught us what she knew and demonstrated ways in which we could test our knowledge by adjusting the frames within the software. She encouraged us to experiment while using Flash so she could learn more about it. As students, we were able to learn so much more than we may have under normal circumstances. We were given the opportunity to share some of the things we learn with the professor and each other at the same time. As a result, she was able to share even more with the classes she taught after ours.
The Design of Learning Environments
Changes in Educational Goals: This section brought to light the changing expectations of students in academic environments. The claims of schools “getting worse” is actually an opinion that I shared, not necessarily due to the direction of the teaching or curriculum but because of other instances occurring in schools such as violence, in-appropriate relationships between students and teachers and corruption in the administration. When evaluating practices in the classroom itself, more is expected of students now than ever and the fact that students are capable of meeting and/or exceeding these expectations in many cases is an indication that improvements are taking place in classrooms however, there is room for progression in the educational system overall.
Learner-Centered Environments: I think all classrooms should encompass some form of learner-centered environments. If students do not feel that teachers care enough to relate to them, they will not learn. Although I don’t think that teachers can completely structure classrooms as learner-centered environments (unless they are extremely small classes or special education) it’s important to become acquainted with students so that lessons can be planned accordingly.
Knowledge Centered Environments: This may be one of the most important learning environments because the ultimate goal of any classroom setting is for learning to take place. When planning instruction, it is also essential to make sure students see the correlation between what is being taught and how it can be applied in the real world. I remember frequently asking my math teachers how some forms of algebra and trigonometry could be applied in the real world and neither of them could answer. Since those teachers were not able to bridge the gap I was never fully able to grasp all of those concepts or why they were important to know. Not knowing how to apply concepts can result in rote learning taking place in the classroom.
Community Centered Environments: I think that community-centered environments and learner-centered environments go hand-in-hand. Activities that occur within a school community certainly affect a student’s ability to learn. If students live in an environment with single, working mothers who may have multiple jobs, this may mean they have no supervision after-school. In some cases, during the course of the day, the only learning that will take place for these students is in the classroom. Teachers must take into account that students are not responsible for themselves if there is no parent present, or if an elderly grandmother cares for a child after school and can not see to it that homework is completed. A friend of mine taught at an inner city middle school in Los Angeles, CA where gang violence was extremely prevalent. One of her students was a member of a gang and was killed during that school year. Communities with violence definitely have an impact on students’ focus and their ability to learn. I once taught a class where almost all of the dialogue of one student was from songs, television shows or movies. It was clear that the bulk of his time was spent in front of the television. Although he was entertaining, he was often unengaged unless the lessons were centered around media. Teachers in these types of environment must adapt accordingly so lessons fit with these types of communities and classroom learning is more meaningful than ever.
Learner-Centered Environments: I think all classrooms should encompass some form of learner-centered environments. If students do not feel that teachers care enough to relate to them, they will not learn. Although I don’t think that teachers can completely structure classrooms as learner-centered environments (unless they are extremely small classes or special education) it’s important to become acquainted with students so that lessons can be planned accordingly.
Knowledge Centered Environments: This may be one of the most important learning environments because the ultimate goal of any classroom setting is for learning to take place. When planning instruction, it is also essential to make sure students see the correlation between what is being taught and how it can be applied in the real world. I remember frequently asking my math teachers how some forms of algebra and trigonometry could be applied in the real world and neither of them could answer. Since those teachers were not able to bridge the gap I was never fully able to grasp all of those concepts or why they were important to know. Not knowing how to apply concepts can result in rote learning taking place in the classroom.
Community Centered Environments: I think that community-centered environments and learner-centered environments go hand-in-hand. Activities that occur within a school community certainly affect a student’s ability to learn. If students live in an environment with single, working mothers who may have multiple jobs, this may mean they have no supervision after-school. In some cases, during the course of the day, the only learning that will take place for these students is in the classroom. Teachers must take into account that students are not responsible for themselves if there is no parent present, or if an elderly grandmother cares for a child after school and can not see to it that homework is completed. A friend of mine taught at an inner city middle school in Los Angeles, CA where gang violence was extremely prevalent. One of her students was a member of a gang and was killed during that school year. Communities with violence definitely have an impact on students’ focus and their ability to learn. I once taught a class where almost all of the dialogue of one student was from songs, television shows or movies. It was clear that the bulk of his time was spent in front of the television. Although he was entertaining, he was often unengaged unless the lessons were centered around media. Teachers in these types of environment must adapt accordingly so lessons fit with these types of communities and classroom learning is more meaningful than ever.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
A History of Instructional Design and Technology: Part II: A History of Instructional Design
Programmed instruction has become evident in standards and benchmarks used for lesson and curriculum planning for education today. These components make it easier for educators to follow and divide lessons into sections that are chronological and more easily understood by students and teachers.
Gagne's theory that subordinate skills must be obtained to master superordinate skills seems obvious, but not always so in the field of education. Since educators are always held accountable for information that students may not know, a lack of subordinate skills in certain subjects (such as math) may be the reason that students are missing fundamental knowledge that should allow them to build on what they know. For example, if a student has not learned math facts, he or she will not be able to do long division. Unfortunately, teachers are held accountable for what students don't know when there is no way to verify what they have been taught in the first place.
Summative and formative assessments are extremely important in the instructional design process. The problem in education seems to be that the people conducting them don't appear to have backgrounds in the field of education. I could go on for days, but clearly no formative evaluation was conducted before implementing NCLB, nor were they conducted prior to developing the Praxis series exams. It doesn't seem that the U.S. educational system will function properly until these assessment systems are improved.
I learned a lot from this reading. It never occured to me that instructional design was used by the military. Some other points that were reiterated in this reading were rapid prototyping (which I never knew the term for), authentic learning and distance learning; all of which were interesting to read again.
Gagne's theory that subordinate skills must be obtained to master superordinate skills seems obvious, but not always so in the field of education. Since educators are always held accountable for information that students may not know, a lack of subordinate skills in certain subjects (such as math) may be the reason that students are missing fundamental knowledge that should allow them to build on what they know. For example, if a student has not learned math facts, he or she will not be able to do long division. Unfortunately, teachers are held accountable for what students don't know when there is no way to verify what they have been taught in the first place.
Summative and formative assessments are extremely important in the instructional design process. The problem in education seems to be that the people conducting them don't appear to have backgrounds in the field of education. I could go on for days, but clearly no formative evaluation was conducted before implementing NCLB, nor were they conducted prior to developing the Praxis series exams. It doesn't seem that the U.S. educational system will function properly until these assessment systems are improved.
I learned a lot from this reading. It never occured to me that instructional design was used by the military. Some other points that were reiterated in this reading were rapid prototyping (which I never knew the term for), authentic learning and distance learning; all of which were interesting to read again.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Emotional Design
Although I’ve never given it much thought, attractive things do work better. Possibly because attractive technology (hardware) gives off a “new” impression, and new means updated and better to a consumer. Bank of America has new, attractive ATMs that no longer require envelopes for a deposit. You can insert cash and it counts the bills. If you deposit a check or money order, you receive a printout of it on your receipt. In addition to this, new ATMs give off the impression of being safer. If it’s new, it’s obviously being monitored which means you’ll be safer visiting at night, thus inviting customers to use it.
I don’t necessarily understand the correlation between the 3 levels of processing and design. I do understand how focus and creativity relate to design for obvious reasons. My understanding is that the mood someone is in affects his or her ability to be open-minded and creative. So if users are feeling good, they will be able to navigate through a system better than they would if they were upset or unfocused.
I think that trying understanding the user’s frame of mind makes the process of design more complex. I think it’s more important to focus on the frame of mind you want your users to be in when considering the design process. For example, if you are creating an automated claims reporting system for consumers who have just been in a car accident, it should be one with an empathic tone that calms customers. If you are developing an online report card system for teachers, again you want to make them feel comfortable using so it won’t cause further anxiety for users who are not accustomed to using technology. So it’s important to take emotions into consideration when designing, but I think focusing on the outcome you want would be just as effective.
I don’t necessarily understand the correlation between the 3 levels of processing and design. I do understand how focus and creativity relate to design for obvious reasons. My understanding is that the mood someone is in affects his or her ability to be open-minded and creative. So if users are feeling good, they will be able to navigate through a system better than they would if they were upset or unfocused.
I think that trying understanding the user’s frame of mind makes the process of design more complex. I think it’s more important to focus on the frame of mind you want your users to be in when considering the design process. For example, if you are creating an automated claims reporting system for consumers who have just been in a car accident, it should be one with an empathic tone that calms customers. If you are developing an online report card system for teachers, again you want to make them feel comfortable using so it won’t cause further anxiety for users who are not accustomed to using technology. So it’s important to take emotions into consideration when designing, but I think focusing on the outcome you want would be just as effective.
Recipe for a Successful Website
The ingredients of a website are extremely helpful and important. Once again, I would have liked to see how to create these ingredients. I do think the components given are exactly what is needed for creating a website, but if doing it was as easy as these steps make it seem, there would be much better websites in circulation.
Information Interaction Design: A Unified Field Theory of Design
This reading makes the process of multimedia design seem so simple. I do agree that the process of creating is roughly the same in any medium. However, I wish there was more information given on how to create new ways of organizing, presenting and developing new ways to do so.
User-Centered Design
This reading was quite interesting. The evaluation of Mac computers was very accurate. Since consumers have become so accustomed to using PCs, Macs are now foreign to most people. PC users often require a tutorial for simple navigation through basic Mac screens. This proves that simplifying the interface makes it harder for users who have already mastered using a computer the difficult way. So, which way is best?
I wholeheartedly agreed with the section on manuals. They almost never seem to convey what they should. I purchased Dreamweaver for Dummies and it did make me feel like the dummy. Instead of walking you through the steps of creating a design, the book would read, “click here to create a style.” It would be nice to get an explanation of what a style sheet is and its purpose before knowing how to create one. I had used Dreamweaver before and I was completely lost while trying to create the graphics in the manual. There is absolutely no way a person who had never used the program before would learn how simply by reading this book. The “Help” menu built into Dreamweaver is even more difficult to follow than Dreamweaver for Dummies.
As stated, automation is extremely risky. One example of this was Y2K, then again recently when the time for daylight savings changed in the spring. So many things can potentially go wrong when computers are down. Although these devices are convenient, they can become a crutch if we become solely dependent on them.
It is important as well to make technical upgrades simple. I feel that Windows has done a great job of this. I went from using Windows 95, 98, ME, XP and now Vista. I learned to use each operating system simply by clicking on the same areas and finding what new information was available. As the reading states, I am the queen of forming my own explanations for the way things work (I too thought the wall mount on my stereo was an antenna), so if Windows developed a system that was easy for me to follow, they’ve definitely attained their goal of simplicity.
I wholeheartedly agreed with the section on manuals. They almost never seem to convey what they should. I purchased Dreamweaver for Dummies and it did make me feel like the dummy. Instead of walking you through the steps of creating a design, the book would read, “click here to create a style.” It would be nice to get an explanation of what a style sheet is and its purpose before knowing how to create one. I had used Dreamweaver before and I was completely lost while trying to create the graphics in the manual. There is absolutely no way a person who had never used the program before would learn how simply by reading this book. The “Help” menu built into Dreamweaver is even more difficult to follow than Dreamweaver for Dummies.
As stated, automation is extremely risky. One example of this was Y2K, then again recently when the time for daylight savings changed in the spring. So many things can potentially go wrong when computers are down. Although these devices are convenient, they can become a crutch if we become solely dependent on them.
It is important as well to make technical upgrades simple. I feel that Windows has done a great job of this. I went from using Windows 95, 98, ME, XP and now Vista. I learned to use each operating system simply by clicking on the same areas and finding what new information was available. As the reading states, I am the queen of forming my own explanations for the way things work (I too thought the wall mount on my stereo was an antenna), so if Windows developed a system that was easy for me to follow, they’ve definitely attained their goal of simplicity.
Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning
Wow! Cognitive load. Again. I think I’ve seen this same reading every semester since I got to NYU so I’ll keep it brief. Cognitive load is interesting because when individuals are creating multimedia presentations, it’s not something that is usually considered.
When I was first introduced to cognitive load I immediately began to think of a website I had visited for a university I was interested in attending. There was so much disorganized information and animation on the homepage and all of the pages thereafter that I would click right off every time I pulled it up. I decided one time that I would finally force myself to navigate through the pages to get the admission requirements. After clicking through a few screens, I eventually gave up and ultimately never managed to obtain the info and of course never attended the college.
Cognitive load is very easy to unintentionally create. I can think of several Power Point presentations with animations and graphics that weren’t timed correctly – or movie subtitles that were out of sync with the action on the screen. I can only imagine the amount of times people have experienced cognitive load because of my presentations! These instances are all examples of why it’s important to teach educators about cognitive load in undergrad before we are even allowed touch multimedia presentation software.
When I was first introduced to cognitive load I immediately began to think of a website I had visited for a university I was interested in attending. There was so much disorganized information and animation on the homepage and all of the pages thereafter that I would click right off every time I pulled it up. I decided one time that I would finally force myself to navigate through the pages to get the admission requirements. After clicking through a few screens, I eventually gave up and ultimately never managed to obtain the info and of course never attended the college.
Cognitive load is very easy to unintentionally create. I can think of several Power Point presentations with animations and graphics that weren’t timed correctly – or movie subtitles that were out of sync with the action on the screen. I can only imagine the amount of times people have experienced cognitive load because of my presentations! These instances are all examples of why it’s important to teach educators about cognitive load in undergrad before we are even allowed touch multimedia presentation software.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Design Issues for Learning Environments
I found this article to be quite interesting. The beginning questions whether skills should be taught in school that can now be completed on a computer. I do feel that this is a valid point but I don't feel that computers should take the place of critical thinking.
The learning goal that stands out the most is cognitive vs. physical fidelity. I believe that simulated environments are an excellent teaching strategy that keep the students engaged, but I also agree that it doesn't necessarily show them how to apply what they've learned. Students may not be able to make correlations in real life situations when simulated environments are used.
When comparing fun learning to serious learning, I found that the comparisons were very accurate. As I student, I remember playing around the world with math facts. Although I enjoyed the game, the only reason I did so well was because I already knew my math facts. This game only increased the speed of blurting out facts, but never helped students memorize them. I do agree that serious learning is more effective because students can be engaged in learning that will still be enjoyable for them and while learning at the same time.
Of the teaching strategies, I think that coaching is most effective because it touches on all the strategies at once. I don't necessarily agree that students don't like to reflect on their performance because I do believe that in many cases, students are interested in improving. So the reflection perspective is a bit skewed.
The learning goal that stands out the most is cognitive vs. physical fidelity. I believe that simulated environments are an excellent teaching strategy that keep the students engaged, but I also agree that it doesn't necessarily show them how to apply what they've learned. Students may not be able to make correlations in real life situations when simulated environments are used.
When comparing fun learning to serious learning, I found that the comparisons were very accurate. As I student, I remember playing around the world with math facts. Although I enjoyed the game, the only reason I did so well was because I already knew my math facts. This game only increased the speed of blurting out facts, but never helped students memorize them. I do agree that serious learning is more effective because students can be engaged in learning that will still be enjoyable for them and while learning at the same time.
Of the teaching strategies, I think that coaching is most effective because it touches on all the strategies at once. I don't necessarily agree that students don't like to reflect on their performance because I do believe that in many cases, students are interested in improving. So the reflection perspective is a bit skewed.
Technology Applications in Education
This article appears to be one that I've read several times before. I do see the validity in each learning theory and I think that the theories can be applied differently for the subject areas which are being taught. For example, the constructivist approach to learning can be effectively applied during reading comprehension, just as rote learning strategies can be applied effectively in math when memorizing formulas and multiplication facts.
The curriculum centered approach is an excellent strategy to reach learners since it focuses on the needs of the learner. I do think it would be difficult for a classroom teacher in a public school setting to use the approach to target individual learners. To me, this strategy would be best if applied in a Montessori learning atmosphere or perhaps a self-contained special education classroom setting where there are few students.
I do agree with the reading that radical constructivim is difficult to apply or assess. For example, in Beverly Cleary novels, Ramona Quimby interprets everything literally. Her teacher asked her to sit in her seat for the present, so Ramona sat in her seat all day without moving because she thought she would receive a present at the end of the day. Although her interpretation of the word present was correct, it did not apply in that situation. It is impossible for teachers to ascertain what students will learn in social settings or if students will learn in the same way so it would be difficult to use a radical approach in a regular classroom setting.
The curriculum centered approach is an excellent strategy to reach learners since it focuses on the needs of the learner. I do think it would be difficult for a classroom teacher in a public school setting to use the approach to target individual learners. To me, this strategy would be best if applied in a Montessori learning atmosphere or perhaps a self-contained special education classroom setting where there are few students.
I do agree with the reading that radical constructivim is difficult to apply or assess. For example, in Beverly Cleary novels, Ramona Quimby interprets everything literally. Her teacher asked her to sit in her seat for the present, so Ramona sat in her seat all day without moving because she thought she would receive a present at the end of the day. Although her interpretation of the word present was correct, it did not apply in that situation. It is impossible for teachers to ascertain what students will learn in social settings or if students will learn in the same way so it would be difficult to use a radical approach in a regular classroom setting.
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