HCI for on-line Learning Alan Dix Lancaster University www.hcibook.com/alan
Mar 26, 2015
HCI for on-line Learning
Alan Dix
Lancaster University
www.hcibook.com/alan
what I’ll talk about
• what is HCI– some issues and guidelines
• top down analysis of e-learning– from economics down
what isHuman–Computer
Interaction?
• not just the screen design!
• every aspect that affects the user
broader HCI issues
• stakeholders• user’s model of systems• task analysis• organisation
Internet and CSCW (computer-supported cooperative
work)
• value– lots of decision points
• marketing– what you say matters
• community
… but details matter tooexample – colours
• styles– cold north west - drab, low contrast– hot south east - bright, movement
• human eye– contrast not colour– distractions
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.
bad use of colour
• over use - without very good 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?
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
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
the golden rule of design
understand your materials
…, people, machines, learning models
physical things
• directness of effect– push and it moves
• locality of effect– here and now
• visibility of state– small number of relevant parameters
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
understanding the media
• time• network delays, initialisation, layout time
• space• screen size, fonts and spacing, precise location
• colour• ‘safe’ 216 ...
• interaction• standard navigation ++
design of pages
content rich heavy text v.simage rich CD ROM style
or ...
the quick and the dead
interactions
• internet delay experiment– fast (1 s) and slow (5 s) delays– menu-based information system– perfomance: time & accuracy– post test questions
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?
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’
education top down
what is the core business of an educational
institution?
• Education teaching and learning e-learning
• Validated certificates e-exams, e-assessment ?
economics of education
Professor Alan’s formula!
Student–Staff Ratio Student Contact Hours
= Class Size Staff Contact Hours
e-learning?
Effective Class Size =
Students per Cohort Nos. of Cohorts in Course Lifetime
Preparation Hours per Delivery Hour (relative to normal delivery)
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
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
information
• paper– narrative & sequential
• web– episodic & non-linear
• knowledge is non-linear …• … but much of memory is
(e.g. bus tours)
communication
• who:• student–teacher, student–student
• how:• public or private
• issues • timeliness, notification, belonging
• efficiency?• email vs. FAQ … process
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
simulation
• faster than life• economic models
• more accessible than life• virtual landscapes
• more flexible than life• physics and ARK• biased and correlated coins
as tool – eClass
Georgia Tech, Atlanta
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fce/c2000/
lecture using liveboard - electronic whiteboard
‘write’ on electronic slides
later … student’s replay slides, audio and video
eClass - lessons
• low intrusion (during lecture)
• no interpretation
• indexing (c.f. video)
as teacher
• early detection– e.g. spelling checking– N.B. no learning of bad habits
• low judgement