My Journey Through Instructional Design

Layout and Style

The Impact of Visual Layout Factors on Performance in Web Pages: A Cross-Language Study

The first article that I read, called ” The Impact of Visual Layout Factors on Performance in Web Pages: A Cross-Language Study,” examined the correlation between visual layout and website performance. Factors such as screen organization, alignment, consistency of location of elements on a page, and content density were all important factors that contributed to overall performance and optimized search time. The visual layout of a website has been “accepted as a determinant factor in performance” (Parush, et al., p. 142), and the use of an underlying grid is found to be critical to good web design. This study evaluated the use of grouping, alignment, density, and quantity of links, as four visual factors in the web layout, in order to determine their impact on performance. The study determined that the main factors affecting performance were the number of links on a page as well as good alignment.

Although this article was from 2005, it provided important information that is relevant to web layout and style today. The author examines that web design differs from GUI design because there have been very few scientific studies done for GUI interface design. In this study, the use of the four visual factors was examined in order to create 16 unique experimental conditions. The study was conducted in both English and Hebrew, with 71 participants and on 10 different computers, in order to verify if international sites can retain the same layout, or if this requires a separate version adapted to a specific region of the world (p. 155). The study revealed that the basic layout in international sites can be kept when there is a change in reading direction from right to left, instead of left to right, but other elements, such as language, graphics, and location-dependent items such as currency or date formats, may have additional impacts on the visual layout (p. 155). This study reflects that web layout is much more dynamic and variable than GUI’s and that a good designer should understand the technical, aesthetic, and cultural needs of their client, in order to provide relevant web design.

Investigating Effects of Typographic Variables on Webpage Reading Through Eye Movements

This article addresses the wide variety of styles and formatting in web technology today, and how this plethora of options can help contribute to poor design choices. The intentional use of good typographic elements has the ability to increase reading performance and improve eye movement in both child and adult participants, as well as improving accessibility for those with dyslexia. Visuo-typographic factors such as font type, size, and spatial distribution can improve readability in digital text, for users of all ages, and reading levels. In this study, 85 Italian native speakers, including children, adults, and some with dyslexia, had their eye movements tracked and recorded as they silently read texts within 50 different webpages (Scaltritti, et al., 2019). This research found multiple typographic elements that exhibited significant effects on eye movement and fixation across each age group and reading level (p. 6). The results of this study showed that larger bodies of text will result in skimming through the material, and that design should facilitate a less cluttered reading space. Line spacing yielded inconsistent results and should be used with caution. There were variable outcomes by age group, and by line distance which were both beneficial and detrimental. Other factors such as column width, font style, and luminance contrast were also studied but further investigations are needed for conclusive results.

I have studied graphic design, and understand many of the guidelines of typography, but I found this article interesting, in that many of the elements that are successful in print do not translate equally in a digital context. Using negative space around a body of copy allows space for the eye to move through the lines of text. Tracking, kerning, and alignment are all factors in the creation of negative space on a page. Font selections can be used as a tool to help facilitate and guide the eye down the line of the page as well, through the use of serif fonts that help simulate a visual line on the page. But reading a novel versus reading a webpage, serve two different functions and must be treated according to the purpose it was intended for. In the context of webpage layout, information must be organized logically, and not overcrowded on the page, in order to retain the viewers interest. The designer must consider all of these elements in the context of code across numerous platforms, numerous user needs, and numerous display sizes. All of these elements add more complexity to the fluid environment of webpage design.

References

Parush, A., Shwarts, Y., Shtub, A., & Chandra, M. J. (2005). The Impact of Visual Layout Factors on Performance in Web Pages: A Cross-Language Study. Human Factors, 47(1), 141–157. https://doi.org/10.1518/0018720053653785 (Links to an external site.)

Scaltritti, M., Miniukovich, A., Venuti, P., Job, R., De Angeli, A., & Sulpizio, S. (2019). Investigating effects of typographic variables on webpage reading through eye movements. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 9, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49051-x

Copyright and Web Content

Content distribution and copyright authentication based on combined indexing and watermarking

This paper explored the topic of copyright issues on digital content. The paper is from 2012, but even then, it recognized the widespread distribution of multimedia content across the internet. The authors propose a content distribution and copyright authentication system based on media index and watermarking techniques, as a method of digital content protection (Lian et al., 2012). Methods such as invisible watermarking, can embed ownership information into digital content, as a method of tracing and authentication, when it is used for the purpose of illegal redistribution. Another method of detection, called digital fingerprinting, can be used to embed customer information into the multimedia content, when used illegally (Lian et al.,2012). This method produces a unique version of the digital asset, which can be used to trace the origins of the illegal redistributor. This paper examines numerous methods to embed watermarks, copyright authentication, and digital fingerprinting into digital media, in order to protect against illegal usage of digital property.

I found this article to be fascinating, and it felt like it was just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. I am certain that technology has surpassed the research conducted in this paper from 2012, but it certainly opened my eyes to the need for copyright protection of digital assets. I have considered this in terms of photography and graphic design, but I had not considered the need of protection over instructional design content yet. The authors of this paper conducted research into the performance of watermarking algorithms for authentication. The experiments examined rotation, scaling, ratio, sharing, cropping, sharpening, filtering, translation, and several other aspects in connection to the original content, using different watermarking schemes for detection. I plan to look further into current methods of authentication and protection, in order to find out today’s best methods of copyright protection over web content.

Reference:

Lian, S., Chen, X., & Wang, J. (2012). Content distribution and copyright authentication based on combined indexing and watermarking. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 57(1), 49-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-010-0521-3 (Links to an external site.)

Article 2:

Web accessibility and technology protection measures: Harmonizing the rights of persons with cognitive disabilities and copyright protections on the web

This journal article examines the barriers created and issues faced by individuals with certain cognitive disabilities, in relation to international law and policy that promotes the use of technological protection measures (TPM) as a means of protecting copyrighted digital content on the web. In 2008, the United Nations convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) established the obligation for full and equal access to the web for persons with disabilities (Giannoumi et al., (2017). However, using TPM may create barriers that restrict full and equal accessibility to web content for persons with cognitive disabilities, due to the on-screen changes required for their individual needs. By studying quantitative and qualitative data and analyses surrounding policy and social regulations the authors explore the multidimensional relationship and applies it to the experiences of those with cognitive disabilities (Giannoumi et al., (2017). Research has indicated that copyright law and policy favors content creators, who establish the authority to use their work and how it can be used, and TPM limits the ability to convert digital media to accessible formats. Conflict has arisen as intersections between regulatory committees focused on the use of TPM and web accessibility for those with disabilities, where rights and obligations stand in the way of one another.

I found that this article offered a very important perspective, and one that I hadn’t considered previously. I have a fair amount of understanding about copyright law in digital content, but the conflicting views outlined in this study shined a light on two important and opposing facets of policy and law. The authors of digital content must have protection over their products, but when that protection becomes a violation of someone’s rights and accessibility, then we must find ways to remove these barriers. We must consider technology that incorporates assistive technologies in the design, to allow access for all, without altering the original content. The author goes on to suggest that persons with disabilities should be involved in the design and implementation of laws promoting TPM, so that we ensure accessibility for all.

Reference:

Giannoumi, G. A., Land, M., Beyene, W. M., & Blanck, P. (2017). Web accessibility and technology protection measures: Harmonizing the rights of persons with cognitive disabilities and copyright protections on the web. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 11(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2017-1-5

Web Accessibility

The Relationship Between Web Content and Web Accessibility at Universities: The Influence of Social and Cultural Factors.

This article examined the question of whether universities from varied cultures rank differently in regards to web accessibility (WA) and the quality of web content. Since universities are responsible for providing higher quality web content, this study was used to examine whether universities also take into account web accessibility as a means of providing ease of access to this higher quality content. At the time of this article, it was reported that approximately 15% of the world’s population, or just over a billion people, live with some form of disability. Which adds value to this study and illuminates the importance of accessibility on the web. Interestingly, this article explains that many European countries haven’t been faced with lawsuits yet, for lack of WA, and therefore have failed to be motivated to make changes. This study uses a qualitative and quantitative approach to examine the results. The results of this study were interesting, and found that universities in Anglo-Saxon and Nordic countries are committed to WA, regardless of the level of quality of the web content, and those in Germanic countries ranked the highest. The exception was in developed Latin countries, which found that the lack of regulations corresponded with a lack of WA. The author believes that enforcement measures, such as sanctions, should be imposed in order to send a clear message to the disabled groups in those areas,which would help provide a means of adding pressure to regulatory bodies which implement enforcement measures of WA.

So, what is web accessibility? It is a set of procedures used to overcome barriers which limit access to any web user, due to a disability, through methods which assist with perceiving, understanding, navigating, contributing, and interacting with the web. This is important because it increases the number of people, and the method of engagement, which provides added service and equality for students pursuing higher education. Web accessibility removes the digital divide, and helps to ensure that web content is available to people with disabilities or in certain situations that require assistance. WA is an important method of removing prejudices against users, and providing open access for all internet users.

Lorca, P., Andrés, J. D., & Martínez, A. B. (2018). The Relationship Between Web Content and Web Accessibility at Universities: The Influence of Social and Cultural Factors. Social Science Computer Review, 36(3), 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439317710435 (Links to an external site.)

Danger, danger! Evaluating the accessibility of Web-based emergency alert sign-ups in the northeastern United States

This article discusses some of the ways in which web accessibility has failed those with disabilities. In particular, this article addresses the fact that people with disabilities need access to emergency related information, and are often asked to register on a web page that is not web accessible, in order to receive emergency notification via text or email. Oftentimes, government and emergency respondents don’t even consider those with disabilities when planning for technology that is used during emergency planning. Another shortcoming discussed in this article, which has now been corrected, was the fact that even FEMA failed to provide web accessibility on their homepage,for blind citizens, who use screen reader technology. Although there is a plethora of information available for web developers to explain how to make websites accessible, numerous studies have reported shortcomings by U.S. federal government sites. The Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibit discrimination against those with disabilities, however, violations continue to persist.

Here are a few ideas for evaluating the accessibility of a website. In regards to emergency planning and management, accessibility becomes quite urgent. GIS mapping should include the locations of people with disabilities, as well as disability related barriers, in order to serve this population properly. As noted in the article summary, the link to the sign-up page should be accessible, as well as descriptions on the page, forms that must be submitted through the page, and navigation buttons. If a site includes a CAPTCHA, there should be an audio version, to ensure that doesn’t become a barrier for the disabled. Research included in this study indicated that CAPTCHAs were proprietary for use with the Everbridge system, and presented many challenges in regards to web accessibility. For the blind or visually impaired audience, that requires text to speech through a screen reader, there are additional obstacles. The default on most screen readers is to read the ‘general notification’ notices. Instead of defaulting to emergency notifications, screen readers read the alternate text labeled “receive community notifications.” This poor design creates a less accessible environment.

Wentz, B., Lazar, J., Stein, M., Gbenro, O., Holandez, E., & Ramsey, A. (2014). Danger, danger! evaluating the accessibility of web-based emergency alert sign-ups in the northeastern United states. Government Information Quarterly, 31(3), 488-497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2014.02.010 (Links to an external site.)

Week 7-LTEC 5510 Project Reflection

This project is keeping me on my toes! I feel as if I’m waking up, and going to bed every night, brainstorming about my project, and how I should incorporate the vast amounts of information into my course. I’ve started keeping a bullet journal, where I’m keeping ideas and concepts that I hear through the week, on television, or that I’ve come across while doing research online. I have a paper journal for written notes, I have multiple Google documents where I’m organizing a framework for the course, and I have bookmarked information that I’m circling back to online. This project has consumed me, from a standpoint of spending as much time conceptualizing it in my mind, as I have spent inputting information into the Canvas LMS. I have been pleased with Canvas so far, and haven’t found many limitations that caused me to change my original design approach. I can honestly say that I’m not working at the pace that I committed to in my timeline of my design document, due to these mental processes of getting my headspace “ready” before I begin inputting information online. Time management is something that I need to work on, in order to stay on pace for the remainder of this semester. This week, we conducted our second peer reviews of our project, and I find myself anticipating feedback from our peer reviews. I have made small revisions along the way, based upon peer feedback, but most of those are grammatical in nature. I’ve been meticulously completing each module as I work towards completing this project, and so the number of revisions needed has been drastically reduced. I really like this process, and feel that my peers have offered me essential perspective and wonderful recommendations to help round out my project in full. All in all, the feedback that I’ve received has been so positive and uplifting, and I find myself reassured, week to week, that my topic is one of value and interest. This gives me hope in my future as an instructional designer. It’s difficult to identify as an educator, when you don’t have a background in teaching, but through these peer reviews, I can see that I’m pre-emptively addressing questions and concerns that others with teaching experience share with me. While this isn’t my first instructional module that I’ve created, I feel that I’m learning so much through the process of building this large of a course. I have felt challenged, but have seen growth. I have felt uncertain, but have sought out answers. I have reached beyond my comfort levels, and I have received a great reaction in response. It’s been a wonderful wall to climb over so far, and I find myself feeling proud, focused, and motivated to maintain quality, and see it through to the end.

LTEC 5510 Project Reflection Week 6

This is the close of week 6, and I’m realizing what a monumental project 45 hours of instructional design will be! My project titled “Self-care and self-regulation for metacognitive development in high school students” is officially underway. This week I began uploading my course curriculum for module 1 of 8, and although I’m not as far along as I had planned to have been by this time, I am feeling proud of the work that I have completed thus far. From my initial peer review, Dr. Kaplan-Rakowski recommended the use of an attention grab at the beginning of my course, since it’s targeting a high school audience. I was able to create an opening video utilizing footage of various emotional states that can get in the way of metacognitive development, that I believe does a great job of setting the students into an emotional space where they will find it easier to connect to the curriculum. My biggest challenge so far has been the process of time management. I have not had any problems finding research material to utilize for my course development.On the contrary, I’ve found so much data on this topic that it’s become more time consuming to organize, as I’ve been working through the development of my curriculum for each learning module. I plan on investing a minimum of 2-3 hours per week night, after work, during the coming weeks, in order to meet my deadlines proposed in my design document, for the 1/4 and 1/2 milestones which are quickly approaching. Over the past few weeks, I’ve worked through some of my preliminary questions and been able to solve some for myself. Initially, I felt very unsure about which LMS platform I would use to develop this course, but with some investigation, I found that Canvas is free for teachers, and I’ve been able to move forward fairly seamlessly since then. Although I’ve become familiar with the student facing side of Canvas, I have not been on the design side of this LMS. I have found it to be fairly straightforward, and user friendly so far. I feel certain that there will be some settings that require further investigation, as I prepare to eventually publish my site, but I do feel that this appears to be a robust LMS, with many features available for assessment and class engagement. My first round of peer reviews, based upon my design document, provided me with so much positive feedback! I feel a responsibility to this project, and the need to create a course that lives up to the expectations set in place through my design document. I feel quite excited about this project, and I’m looking forward to developing more modules in the coming weeks.

Empathic Instructional Design

This week, I conducted some research on the empathic instructional design model. An instructional design model is the systematic process of creating and organizing the instructional experiences for specific learning outcomes. An instructional design model will have roots in a guided learning theory, which provides a foundation for HOW the learner will engage with the course curriculum and the process of learning. Since my project is centered upon the topic of self-care and self-regulation for metacognitive development, I wanted to determine if this approach might be a better suited design model for my project to be built upon. Empathy is a part of our everyday lives, and it’s more complex than sympathy, it is the ability to comprehend and articulate the experiences, world views, wants, needs, ideas, and emotions of other people. As a designer, we must consider the vast array of circumstances that learners are facing in their pursuit of online education. There are numerous benefits of adding empathic value within the context of training and education. Research on human behavior has shown that empathy precedes understanding and learning, and our ability to understand, relate, and communicate our thoughts, feelings, and emotions, is vital to the learning process.

Research by Napoli & Bonifas (2011) supports the development of empathic self-care for creating a mindful classroom for social work students. “Teaching social work students to become mindful can improve self-care and is also the first step towards developing empathy”(Napoli & Bonifas, 2011). Using mindful practice enhances skills associated with tuning into a clients needs, acting with awareness, observation, accepting without judgement and the ability to be descriptive. A separate research study, conducted by Hartman et. al (2017) utilized this design model by viewing school through the eyes of the students, in order for school leadership to gain deeper insight into the experience. An empathic design approach to school reform establishes a stronger foundation for change, versus an atmosphere focused solely upon evaluation and accountability. In this scenario, leaders ask the following types of questions to seek methods of reform: “how might we better implement cross-disciplinary concepts to avoid teaching and learning in isolation?” This shifting paradigm views students as the catalyst for transformation in learning environments.

The foundation of empathic design relies upon observations and interpretations of learners unarticulated needs, which can lead to breakthrough designs. The five essential steps of this model include: Observation, Data Collection, Reflection and Analysis, Brainstorming, and Prototyping. At the center of empathic design is the ability to establish and facilitate traction in a learning environment, in order to establish a healthy relationship with the audience. It’s imperative to determine what the client values and how the design can satisfy that need. This design model encourages complete transparency between the client, designer, SME, and learner, in order to cultivate an atmosphere of vulnerability.

In terms of content design, empathic learning models should seek out opportunities for interactions and application which occur in real world settings. The design should capture learners goals, needs, circumstances, influences, and consider limitations and even distractions which may impact learning outcomes through emotional response. Empathic design should cultivate connection, while evaluating a learners day to day circumstances, and take that into consideration within the context of a learning environment. It’s been said that “design is about realizing problems and providing insightful solutions” (Gustafson, 2013). Adaptive learning and the notion of adaptive design can be applied to the empathic instructional model through contemporary technology driven training. Research has shown that learners conveyed higher levels of interest in tasks when computer technology simulated realistically empathetic reactions which accurately expressed care about the learners affective state, rather than reactionary responses which were lacking interest in the well being of the learner.

In my prior designs, I have focused primarily on the ADDIE model as well as Gagne’s 9 Events. My research into the empathic instructional design model differed from these models in that the students provide the insight into the learning needs, versus a SME providing insight into the content that students should learn. The empathic design is a reflective and internalized learning process, which will differ by each learner. Empathy demands time, attentiveness, and perspective to fully comprehend and act upon the learner’s true environment. The empathic model is a bit more challenging to fully implement in an e-learning environment, I do believe that this could be a valuable model for my project to be built from. There may be restrictions due to technology, which requires a hybrid approach. But in context with self-care and metacognitive development, I believe that it’s imperative to develop empathic skills for others, and for better understanding ourselves.

Hartman, R. J., Johnston, E., & Hill, M. (2017). Empathetic Design: A Sustainable Approach to School Change. Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education, 8(2), 38-56. https://doi.org/10.1515/dcse-2017-0014

Napoli, M., & Bonifas, R. (2011) From Theory Toward Empathic Self-Care: Creating a Mindful Classroom for Social Work Students. Social Work Education, 30(6), 635-649. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2011.586560

LTEC 5510 Initial Peer Review Reflection

I blame it on COVID-brain, but I found myself really struggling to lock down a course topic for this project. I ran through several ideas that I have a personal interest in, but none of them felt like the right topic for this instructional module. I thought back through all of my classes that I’ve taken for this program so far, and I stopped on my chosen topic, “Self-Care and Self-Regulation for Metacognitive Development in High School Students.” As I began curating the research material for this project, I found myself getting more and more excited about the course I will design this semester, but I still found myself feeling uncertain about how this topic would be perceived by others.

To my surprise, the peer review process has completely eliminated any uncertainties that I had. I have received some of the most positive feedback on my design document, which has encouraged and motivated me even more. I am currently waiting on one of my secondary reviewers to provide me with feedback, but my primary reviewer and one of my secondary reviewers, have both offered me a great balance to build from. This process is a great way to “get out of your own head space” and see the project through another set of eyes. The value of clarity, description, and a keen eye for detail are critical to the development process, because this document serves as the “contract” that the designer has with the client moving forward. This document becomes the road map for the success of the project, and so allowing for the peer review process allows as many perspectives to help bridge those gaps where clarity or consistency may be lacking.

My biggest takeaways from this process is that I must learn to trust my instincts in this field, more than I currently do. There were many aspects to my project that were discussed by my peers, as either formatting styles that I included which they really liked, or my approach to the development of the course brought my peer reviewers a new perspective on how that step in the design can be delivered. I feel that the preliminary research that I did during the design, helped me introduce important and relevant groundwork which added depth to the design as well, which appeared to be very well received. Also, from a constructive standpoint, both of my peer reviewers provided a great eye for detail on grammatical errors and formatting that I will revise in order to polish the document further. I found this process to be extremely helpful, and it’s honestly helped motivate me to create an even stronger project this semester!

On the other side of this process, I also served as peer reviewer for 3 of my classmates. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to take that intimate glimpse into each of their projects, which they trusted me with. I feel that this early development period of a course, when the foundation is being established for goals, objectives, and activities is a critical time, and I consider it a privilege to help my classmates develop the strongest version of the course that they can create. I received some genuine appreciation for my comments and insight offered in return, which makes me feel that I was able to provide value that aligned with their vision of the course. I look forward to the next step in the course development process, and feel that the peer review is a critical step in the success of any project that has the potential to impact numerous people with varying perspectives, such as e-learning. We don’t want our designs to be the thing that holds people back from learning.

Week 1 Reflections

I found the reading this week to be quite interesting and diverse, and it promoted excitement within me, about incorporating these principles and frameworks into my future designs. In the article from class, titled “Problem Based Learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework” the author details the framework of problem based learning environments. This constructivist model provides a method of connecting theory and practice, and allows the learner to construct knowledge within the context where the knowledge would be applied. This article showed how this environment is conducive for medical students learning how to diagnose a patient. Problem based learning environments are designed to stimulate and engage the learner in problem solving behavior, which in turn, helps them retain knowledge for much longer than traditional classes. These learning environments can teach solutions to complex topics, where research is required in order to synthesize facts and find solutions.

In the reading selection from a class peer, I chose to read “Blended learning models for introductory programming courses: A systematic review.” This article reviewed the challenges faced in teaching first year programming students in blended learning environments. This article examines various formats for blending learning environments including the flipped model, mixed model, flex model, supplemental model, and the online-practice model. The research concluded that different subject matter, such as programming, can provide performance enhancement when applied to the correct learning needs. The author points out that “online resources have no value unless students use them” (Alammary, 2019), but caution should be used to ensure that the technology maximizes the benefits of the course delivery method, and enhances the problem-solving skills.

And the third article that I read this week was “The design space for solving instructional-design problems.” I found this article interesting due to its ability to articulate the importance of integrating rules and theories into instructional design, in order to improve the science behind the instruction. This article focused on the constructivist approach of discovery learning, and the importance of developing problem solving skills within online learning environments, as a key method of encoding new information for deeper learning. Instructional designers must be committed to improving the science behind our designs, and upholding our community peers to a higher standard of practice, to ensure continual improvements in learning outcomes.

In reading these three articles about problem based learning, I can see these examples as methods of learning that I thrive in as well. I do see the importance of modifying the delivery of differing curriculum for different learning outcomes. I would like to know more about designing for blended learning environments vs. online asynchronous learning.

References

Alammary, A. (2019). Blended learning models for introductory programming courses: A systematic review. PloS One, 14(9), https://doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0221765

Dijkstra, S. (2001). The design space for solving instructional-design problems. Instructional Science. 29(4-5), 275-290. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011939724818

Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational Technology, 35, 31–38.

How important is evaluation to the instructional design process and why?

While each step of the ADDIE framework is critical to the process of delivering an instructional design module, the evaluation process provides continuous feedback and helps determine the merit and effectiveness of the entire design. ISD models, such as ADDIE, are often thought of as a linear process, but the evaluation process is actually quite dynamic, with each step of the framework overlapping an evaluative perspective. The process of asking questions which ensure that learner or business goals are being met, is a critical part of the evaluation process within each step of the analysis, development, design and implementation. An evaluation that is conducted throughout the design project is referred to as a formative evaluation, which serves as a tool for designers to assess deficiencies in learning, so that the design can be modified to make corrections to improve the quality of the program. While designers lead from formative evaluations, it is within the final evaluation step, where we can really ascertain the impact on learning outcomes and measure for changed behaviors in learning outcomes. The final evaluation of the project is called the summative evaluation, which is focused on the outcome of the overall project. Designers should engage with facilitators as well as learners, in order to better understand the impacts of the design for all user levels. Early in the project, the framework takes shape within the design document. In this document the designer determines who the stakeholders and learners are, and determine what learning outcomes are needed or expected through this project. At the conclusion of a project, we have the opportunity to look comparatively at the changes in outcomes between old processes and the new design, or we can evaluate the learning outcomes for a first time program against other similar programs, in order to better understand any shortcomings or changes that may be needed for improvement in the future. While designers should always consider a qualitative and quantitative approach to measuring learning outcomes from assessments, it is also imperative to account for improved motivation and performance, because they are predictive measures for success.

Discussion Topic: Seamless online/blended/MOOCs/ learning

submit a forum post with ideas on how these technologies can be used for educational purposes.

Flickr: As a former Photography student myself, I see educational value in using a photo sharing platform, such as Flickr, to help students,and emerging artists, with organization and publication of their work. This platform provides a space for students to showcase a digital portfolio of their work, which opens opportunities for fine arts courses to move to a blended learning environment to help improve accessibility for more students who might not have the available time for traditional face-to-face learning. In my current job, I work in Environmental Science, where our students are classifying and identifying different species of plants and animals in their classes. Flickr could be incorporated into an online discussion forum where photos and identifications of their research could be shared with all students in the class. It could also be used as a method of collaboration and group projects, where research could be collectively shared between students on a specific topic of interest, in a similar format as Pinterest.

Canva: This platform is a creative tool to encourage design thinking, which is especially important for visual learners. This tool encourages problem solving and collaboration. Teachers can use this platform to design their own lesson plans, lecture slides, collaborate with other teachers, or find inspiration from other educators. Students can utilize this platform for a number of beneficial methods as well. Canva helps students create learning portfolios, which helps them become more aware of their own learning process, and build design skills. This platform is also interactive and collaborative for group projects, where students can interact with each other, and provide feedback and idea sharing within a group, which is an essential component of the learning process.

YouTube: This social media and educational video sharing platform is one of the most popular sites on the internet today. YouTube contains educational, political, entertainment, how-to, tutorial, and many other types of videos, which has information for all types of learners. Videos are an essential component to multimedia learning, in order to build visual representations for new ideas and concepts. This technology helps address accessibility issues for disabled students, or those with temporal constraints, where learners can access content on any device and at any time of day or night. Some schools create YouTube channels which ensure the content is relevant to the curriculum, and also keeps students engaged with the events happening on campus. This method of content dissemination ensures that proper videos reach the target student population.

Apple iTunes: iTunesU is a dedicated free section of Apple based m-learning tools that provide K-gray educational content for both students and educators. This platform allows teachers to build lessons, grade assignments, host class discussions, or provide one on one questions and feedback. Audio and Video files are available from universities, museums, and public media, as a valuable learning resource, free of charge.

What are the benefits, risks, and potentials of seamless learning, which may include online, hybrid, flipped, MOOCs, game-based, virtual-reality, augmented-reality, or mixed-reality-based learning?

The articles provided for this week’s discussion forum incited many valuable perspectives on the topic of online technologies used in education. One of my biggest takeaways from the reading was the complexity of the learning process, and that it’s not a “one size fits all” scenario. There are many formats of learning that are designed to fit specific learning styles for each unique learner. Seamless learning occurs when collective and self-directed efforts, over a period of time and various learning environments, produce continuous learning in and out of the formal classroom. In addition to learning styles, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or reading, there are also psychological preferences of introverted and extroverted attitudes about learning. The role of technology in online learning, is to provide a space where learning can occur for any student. Studies have shown a wide range of responses in students perceptions of online learning environments and it appears that the psychological attitude is a large contributor towards a students experience. While some students appreciate online discussions where they can think through and thoughtfully curate their responses, some students need to receive visual cues and body language in order to feel engaged in dialog. These technologies help bridge that gap in online learning, by providing the proper blend of engagement, collaboration, simulation, and stimulation to learning environments. The benefits to this technology includes accessibility on a global scale. Virtual reality has the ability to overcome cost and distance barriers and provide a learning environment that can mimic time travel, in order to learn about ancient history, while building empathy and experience through the simulation of being in a virtual space. Although this technology is still evolving, high immersion experiences such as this can result in the risk of simulation sickness. At the other end of this spectrum is the introverted thinker, who prefers multiple perspectives and the opportunity to clarify thoughts. This learner could excel in a MOOC course, where engagement between numerous students was encouraged, and there were many opportunities for expanding ideas.

Lin, L., Cranton, P., & Bridglall, B. (2005). Psychological type and asynchronous written dialogue in adult learning. Teachers College Record, 107(8), 1788-1813. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2005.00542.x

Lin, L., & Cranton, P. (2015). Informal and self-directed learning in the age of massive open online courses (MOOCs). In Measuring and Analyzing Informal Learning in the Digital Age (pp. 91-104). IGI Global.