February 1997 — Features

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Design Standards for Visual Elements and Interactivity for Courseware

  • Limit highlighting or boldfacing to 10% of the screen display.
  • Reserve italics for titles or headings.
  • Use reverse video or blinking with discretion. Text to be read should never "blink."
  • Make use of mixed type sizes or fonts to contrast screen components.
  • Use no more than one attention-getting technique per screen display. Keep in mind that overly saturating the screen reduces the effectiveness of the attention-getting technique.
  • Verify the appropriateness of the colors used for text under simulated presentation conditions. The clarity of text colors will vary depending on such factors as the screen background colors, room lighting and the proximity of students to the screen.

Interactivity Considerations

In developing interactivity options, an ICW developer must ensure that the learner is in control of the learning environment. The following are considerations in interactivity design:

  • Break the content down into small units. Build in questions with positive and negative feedback. Allow the learner an opportunity to review sections and don't forget to provide a summary of the material for that unit of instruction. By alternately and randomly moving from content to practice to summary, one keeps the learner from becoming annoyed or bored and helps to facilitate learning.
  • Provide opportunity for interaction every 3-5 screens, or every minute or two to avoid building an overpriced, electronic "page turner."
  • Questions asked should follow content just presented. The questions should be based upon previously acquired knowledge. Jumping right into the next content area without this opportunity is monotonous to the learner.
  • Questions should provide an occasion to utilize what students have learned rather than just memorizing and reciting answers.
  • Questions should be used often. They sustain learners' attention by keeping them involved in the learning process.
  • Consider designs where the learner is not presented with information in a linear format, rather, he or she "discovers" information through active exploration. With some tasks, such as problem solving, learning through discovery promotes understanding and retention because new knowledge is linked to existing knowledge.

Final Thoughts

Researchers have shown that the design of the human-computer interface can make a substantial difference in learning time, performance speed, error rates and user satisfaction. They have also proven that media can teach content at least as effectively as traditional instruction. Moreover, well-designed media can help learners to gain more than from traditional instruction.[1]