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