Online instructional design basics

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Online instructional design basics
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Outline of talk 40 minutes

• Planning
• Big picture - scoping document
• Details - Storyboard

• Learning principles
• Using activities and interactions to promote
  higher order thinking
• Using strengths of multimedia
• Contextualising learning
• Ways to increase engagement
• Timely feedback
• Common problems with online learning
• Use of text
• Use of appropriate media
• Useability issues (Loading, orientation/
  navigation)
• Accessibility

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2005 2006 Industry e-learning demonstrations

• 2005
• New to e-learning
• Lots of induction training
• Largely text with simple click and reveal
  interactions
• Practical exercises downloaded on Word documents
• Many very successful in introducing e-learning to
  industry
• SunWater
• Water Industry Operations Recognition and
  Learning program.
• Very successful at SunWater and in promoting
  e-learning in the industry

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2005 Demonstrations
SunWaters 2005 demonstration
Rollovers to reveal more information
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2005 Demonstrations
SunWaters 2005 demonstration
Minimal interaction and feedback
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2005 2006 Demonstrations

• 2006
• Improvements in terms of
• Interactivity
• Diverse types of activities
• Thought into design
• Use of feedback
• Better navigation and orientation tools

Energy Australia
City of Mandurah
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2006 - Energy Australia

• Polarity Testing
• Good use of multimedia
• Highly contextualised to workplace

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Learning Principles
Blooms taxonomy and e-learning
Info in different formats to be compiled eg. into
a plan
(Synthesis)

Diversity
Scenarios for problem solving
Compliance
OHS
Quiz
(Comprehension)
Drag and drop
Induction
Rollovers
Blooms diagram (Anderson Krathwohl, 2001)
downloaded from Wikipedia modified by Lisa
Wait, FLT Project.
(Knowledge)
Click and read
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Learning Principles
Blooms taxonomy and e-learning

• Application
• Choosing, demonstrating, interpreting,
  practicing, solving, writing

• Scenario based activities
• Can use all previous tools, but can also move
  into more complex activities
• Consider using higher order skills for learning
  that requires memorisation

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Learning Principles
Blooms taxonomy and e-learning

• Analysis
• Appraising, categorising, comparing, examining
• Synthesis
• Arranging, composing, constructing, preparing,
  writing
• Evaluation
• Appraising, arguing, judging, predicting,
  evaluating

• Games
• Inquiry based learning activities
• Self reflection exercises and tools

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Learning Principles
Higher order thinking - Games

• Quoting skills for the hospitality industry
• Thinking levels- analysis and synthesis
• Good example of low literacy but higher order
  thinking

Flexible Learning Toolboxes The Quoting Game
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Learning Principles
Higher order thinking - Inquiry based learning
activities

• Cold Case Who killed Juanita Neilson
• Examine evidence and draw conclusions
• Analysis, synthesis and evaluation

National Museum of Australia
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Learning Principles
Higher order thinking - Self reflection tools
and exercises

• Self-reflection tool
• Reflection tool
• Feeds into portfolio and course
• Analysis and evaluation

Australian Sports Commission
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Learning Principles
ASC self-reflection tool
Australian Sports Commission
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Learning Principles
Higher order thinking - Application and analysis

• Teaches skill for employment consultants
• Analysis and application
• Good example of practical case study
• Interactive but not expensive or complicated
• Plan, Do, Debrief

Flexible Learning Toolboxes
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Multimedia strengths
Using STRENGTHS of multimedia

• Minimise text and use interactions, images,
  animations, videos, scenarios to illustrate
  concepts
• Use best media for audience and job not tools
  and media for the sake of them
• Take advantage of engagement techniques (humour,
  avatars, hands-on demonstrations, contextualised
  learning, non-linear interfaces)
• Use feedback and scaffolding techniques
• Take advantages of technology for easy updating

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Contextualising learning
Multimedia strengths

• Making the learning specific to workplace
• Taking a skill and putting it into a context to
  increase engagement

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Multimedia strengths
Contextualising for workplace

• Royal Perth Hospital Demonstration (2005)
• Multiple perspectives on health and safety
• Observing examples then applying to workplace
• Task to complete in workplace

Royal Perth Hospital
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Multimedia strengths
Contextualising for individual

• Australian Sports Commission
• Applying reflection activities to life choices

Australian Sports Commission
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Multimedia strengths
Contextualising skill for engagement


Flexible Learning Toolboxes
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Multimedia strengths
User engagement

• Humour
• Avatars
• Interaction
• Various media
• Avatars
• Direction
• Feedback/scaffolding
• Online trainers (identify with them)
• Personalises the learning

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Avatars /Humour
Multimedia strengths
User engagement

• North Coast Area Health Service Demonstration
  (2006)

• Television news metaphor
• Zero Tolerance to Violence (ZTV)
• Expert Avatars
• Direction to users
• Humour

North Coast Area Health Service
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Timely feedback
Multimedia strengths

• Feedback - Showing right and wrong answers
• Scaffolding building on existing knowledge
• Scaffolding direction away from wrong answers

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Employment Consultants Skills
Multimedia strengths
Feedback

• More information in response to wrong answers

Flexible Learning Toolboxes
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National Museum of Australia Cold Case
Multimedia strengths
Feedback

• Directing away from wrong answer
• Confirming logic of answer(not necessarily
  answer)

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Feedback
Multimedia strengths
Demonstrations of learning

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Multimedia pitfalls
Common problems with multimedia

• Online book difficult to read
• Use of text on screen
• Loading issues
• Orientation and navigation issues
• Accessibility
• Choosing inappropriate media

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Multimedia pitfalls
Use of text

• Minimise text (chunking, popups, click and
  reveal)
• use space around text
• use animated diagrams or activities instead
• drill down for more detail

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Multimedia pitfalls
Use of text
Australian Sports Commission Coaching course

• Quick tips
• Dig deeper

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Multimedia pitfalls
Use of text
Australian Sports Commission Coaching course
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Multimedia pitfalls
City of Mandurah Demonstration (2006) Hygiene
for food handlers

• Lines of text should be short
• Font should be good size
• Design to differentiate text and graphics.

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Using appropriate media
Multimedia pitfalls

• Consider what type of medium to use and when
• Consider appropriateness of media for
• audience
• technology (user environment)
• download times
• For Example the Industry 2005 Demonstration Fire
  Up

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Multimedia pitfalls
Useability

• Useability How easy, intuitive the course is to
  use
• Orientation
• Navigation
• Adult learners need to know where they are, where
  they are going and how long it will take to get
  there.
• Should never be lost give a good indication
  where to go next
• Should be able to replay animations and videos
• Should have control (dont move on to another
  section automatically)
• Should always be able to go back (and work on
  other screens saved)
• Dont violate standards except for good reason
• Interface design is very important

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Orientation
Multimedia pitfalls

• Breadcrumbs
• Section navigation (always in same place)
• Next and Back buttons
• Progression indicator
• Further information in popups

Flexible Learning Toolboxes
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Orientation National Museum of Australia
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Useability Loading
Multimedia pitfalls

• Loading time taken is extremely important
• Loading bars gives learners an indication that
  something is coming
• Consider
• Pre-loaders
• Staged loading (Make sure this is covered in
  Scoping document as retro-fitting is sometimes
  very difficult. )
• Activities to be completed while loading
• Optimising video and audio

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Accessibility
Multimedia pitfalls

• Accessibility Equity of access for disabled
  users, low-literacy or ESL users etc
• Disabilities W3C standards
• Build for audience - dont restrict yourself
  unless you need to.
• Sometimes better to just provide an HTML site
  with compliance, eg text equivalent for each
  non-text element (screen readers)
• Device independence all interactions should
  function with keyboard (can be restrictive)
• Simple ways to ensure good accessibility
• Text equivalent for audio
• If text and audio on screen at some time should
  be the same
• Reversibility (especially audio, animations and
  videos) need to hear/see again
• Colour blindness check graphics on Vischeck
• Change of state for roll-overs
• Find the Culprit

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Checklist for scoping document
Planning

• Instructional approach
• Types of user activities
• Design brief Animation expectations
• Target audience - Accessibility expectations
• Other broad expectations around navigation,
  orientation, media
• Structure If you want content to be easily
  updated and by whom
• Login and tracking requirements
• Security requirements
• User operating environment
• Loading time expectations

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Planning
Checklist for Storyboard

• Flow chart to show navigation pathways
• Screen elements on each screen (important to
  think carefully about this before graphic design
  begins)
• Functions of each element
• Script
• Media for inclusion

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Storyboard - Flowchart
Planning

• Screen sequences
• Orientation aspects

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Screen elements
Planning

• Will all interactions fit on screen?
• Navigation elements
• Design elements

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Planning
Screen elements

The Learning Federation
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Planning
Screen elements

• This one was very difficult to design
• Text had to be certain size
• Putting elements on in approx right size was
  vital to making it work

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Planning
Screen elements

The Learning Federation
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Planning
Storyboard

• Unique ID for testing
• Tab order (keyboard accessibility)
• Functions of each button
• Script
• Audio

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Planning
Storyboard

• Simpler design for PDA
• Screen number to ref flow chart
• Script
• Functions

National Museum of Australia
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End

• Planning
• Big picture - scoping document
• Details - Storyboard

• Learning principles
• Using activities and interactions to promote
  higher order thinking
• Using strengths of multimedia
• Contextualising learning
• Ways to increase engagement
• Timely feedback
• Common problems with online learning
• Use of text
• Use of appropriate media
• Useability issues (Loading, orientation/
  navigation)
• Accessibility