I am
designing a hybrid online course while also deciding which color to have my kitchen
cabinets painted. In both regard I am feeling inadequate in my abilities to
create things that are attractive and pleasing to the eye. Luckily, the
painting company I hired has offered a consultation with an interior designer.
As for the online course I am referring to Interface Design for Learning
by Dorian Peters and The Online Teaching Survival Guide by Boettcher and
Conrad. Since aesthetics isn't always a strength of mine I will take all the
help I can get.
They way
information is presented and the design/ layout of online learning influences
me as a learner so I can only assume it affects my students. Peters in Interface
Design for Learning has a whole chapter devoted to the aesthetics. (Pg.
75-115) He even states, “The relationship between interface attractiveness and
improved usability is known as the aesthetics-usability
effect” (pg. 77) Yes, there is a term for what I am trying to achieve!
I am
designing an online course for 4th grade students. I am trying to
keep each screen simple enough for the students to focus on the core content
but interesting enough to stay engaged. I am trying to employ color as it, “has
shown to help learners understand and remember, to increase engagement, and
enhance effectiveness of visuals” but it also can, “depress learning when
overused” (Peters, pg. 82) I am also trying to organize the material on the
page so that there is a hierarchy to the learning and the students don’t get distracted
by superfluous information, while giving credit to the correct sources. This is
more of a delicate balance then what I have previously thought.
While
looking for various games to add to my online course I have found quite a few
educational game sites that have felt aesthetically overwhelming. Some sites
presented a great quantity of information about how to play the game and others
had so many visuals that I had a hard time distinguishing a course of action. I
am wondering if this is the way gaming sites are constructed or do I feel this
way because I am not 10 years old. Are kids able to take in a rapid amount of
visuals these days that I am not accustomed to? Is this a strategy I am not
understanding that I should be incorporating into my course?
