HCI Guidelines for Online Learning Environments

1. HCI for on-line Learning Alan Dix Lancaster University www.hcibook.com/alan

2. what I’ll talk about • what is HCI • some issues and guidelines • top down analysis of e-learning • from economics down

3. what isHuman–Computer Interaction? • not just the screen design! • every aspect that affects the user

4. broader HCI issues • stakeholders • user’s model of systems • task analysis • organisation

5. Internet and CSCW (computer-supported cooperative work) • value • lots of decision points • marketing • what you say matters • community

6. … but details matter tooexample – colours • styles • cold north west - drab, low contrast • hot south east - bright, movement • human eye • contrast not colour • distractions

7. good use of colour • using conventions (red for alarms etc.) • ‘branding’ parts of an interface • occasional emphasis • redundant coding • i.e. in addition to other means • e.g. web link colours - also underlined • for diagrams, etc.

8. baduseofcolour • overuse - withoutverygood reason (e.g. kids’ site) • colour blindness • poor use of contrast • do adjust your set! • adjust your monitor to greys only • can you still read your screen?

9. four rules of navigation • knowing where you’ve been • or what you’ve done • knowing where you are • knowing what you can do • knowing where you are going • or what will happen

10. navigation and e-learning • ? where you are going when you haven’t learnt it yet! • history is complicated • overviews and maps • breaking rules for pedagogy • suspense – don’t say what’s coming • control – only progress when allowed

11. the golden rule of design understand your materials …, people, machines, learning models

12. physical things • directness of effect • push and it moves • locality of effect • here and now • visibility of state • small number of relevant parameters

13. what’s special about computers? • complexity of effect • computation • non locality of effect • in space – networks • in time – memory • hidden state • large number of invisible variables

14. understanding the media • time • network delays, initialisation, layout time • space • screen size, fonts and spacing, precise location • colour • ‘safe’ 216 ... • interaction • standard navigation ++

15. design of pages content rich heavy text v.s image rich CD ROM style or ... the quick and the dead

16. interactions • internet delay experiment • fast (1 s) and slow (5 s) delays • menu-based information system • perfomance: time & accuracy • post test questions

17. interactions • internet delay experiment • fast (1 s) and slow (5 s) delays, menu-based information system, perfomance: time & accuracy, post test questions • results • longer delays  slower performance • longer delays  better memory why?

18. interactions • internet delay experiment • longer delays slower performance • longer delays better memory • why? • reading during gaps – interstitial learning • high cost of failure – more concentration – more ‘processing’

19. education top down

20. what is the core business of an educational institution? • Education • teaching and learning  e-learning • Validated certificates • e-exams, e-assessment ?

21. economics of education Professor Alan’s formula! Student–Staff Ratio  Student Contact Hours = Class Size  Staff Contact Hours

22. e-learning? Effective Class Size = Students per Cohort  Nos. of Cohorts in Course Lifetime Preparation Hours per Delivery Hour (relative to normal delivery)

23. user interfaces • development • choice of content, design of materials • management • monitoring progress, marks, etc. • the oldest IT systems in education! • learning • student and staff together

24. IT in learning? • information • communication • c.f. Ann Light • simulation • as tool • Note taking etc, e.g. classroom 2000 • as actor (teacher, assistant) • Elisa, student models

25. information • paper • narrative & sequential • web • episodic & non-linear • knowledge is non-linear … • … but much of memory is(e.g. bus tours)

26. communication • who: • student–teacher, student–student • how: • public or private • issues • timeliness, notification, belonging • efficiency? • email vs. FAQ … process

27. communicationthink about dynamics • process matters • email => FAQ … more efficient? • lost sense of community • start-up • good when everyone uses it? • zero point value • freshness • bulletin board or web pages • need constant change or notification

28. simulation • faster than life • economic models • more accessible than life • virtual landscapes • more flexible than life • physics and ARK • biased and correlated coins

29. as tool – eClass Georgia Tech, Atlanta http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fce/c2000/

30. lecture using liveboard - electronic whiteboard

31. ‘write’ on electronic slides

32. later … student’s replay slides, audio and video

33. eClass - lessons • low intrusion (during lecture) • no interpretation • indexing (c.f. video)

34. as teacher • early detection • e.g. spelling checking • N.B. no learning of bad habits • low judgement