Message DesignGuidelines for message design principals

that should be incorporated in instructional development

Target Audience: Teachers in a public school

Key Concepts

Messages: In a traditional sense, are any pattern of signs used for communication between sender and receiver.

(Anglin, 1992)

Key Concepts

Message Design: This is one of the steps in instructional design that outlines and accounts for specific structure, details, and physical form of the

message.

(Anglin, 1992)

Key PrincipalsMessage design for instruction: deals with external

factors that can facilitate learning.

Text Design: Think about proportion, sequence, emphasis, unity, balance, page size, consistency,

typefaces, sizes, spacing

(Reilly and Roach, 1986; Hartely, 1985).

Key Principals

Computer display: Think about format, paging, ease of use,

interaction......

........ Avoid scrolling, require minimum

keystrokes, mask pauses, minimize time to generate title

pages. (Merill, 1982)

Key ConceptsMessage Design for learning: deals with strategies which activate internal factors.

These factors will help the learner relate new information to old

information.Generative strategies: Consider using

paraphrases, analogies, inferences, images, creative interpretations, diagrams, mnemonics. (Goetz, 1983; Jonassen, 1985;

Divesta, 1989).

HALT and lets talk about this

Lets be honest, this presentation sucks!

It's not because the information is bad

It's simply because of bad design

Let's see if we can get it right this time

Message Design

Guidelines for message design principals that should be incorporated in instructional development

Target Audience: Teachers in a public school

Key Concepts

Messages: In a traditional sense, are any pattern of signs used for communication between sender and receiver.

Message Design: This is one of the steps in instructional design that outlines and accounts for specific structure, details, and physical form of the message.

(Anglin, 1992)

Key Principals

Message design for instruction: deals with external factors that can facilitate learning

Message Design for learning: deals with strategies which activate internal factors. These factors will help the learner relate new information to old information.

Message Design for Instruction

Text Design: Consider Proportion Sequence Emphasis Unity Balance Page Size Consistency Typefaces Sizes and Spacing

(Reilly and Roach, 1986; Hartely, 1985)

Computer Display: Consider Format Paging Ease of use Interaction Avoid Scrolling Require minimum keystrokes Mask pauses Minimize time to generate title pages

(Merill, 1982)

Message Design for Learning

Generative Strategies Paraphrases Analogies Inferences Images Creative Interpretations Diagrams Mnemonics

(Goetz, 1983; Jonassen, 1985; Divesta, 1989)

References

Anglin, G.J. (1992). Instructional Technology: Past, Present, and Future (3rd Edition / 2nd Edition). Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.

DiVesta, F. (1989). Applying cognitive psychology to education. In M.C. Wittrock & F. Farley (Eds.), The future of educational psychology. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Goetz, E. (1983). Elaborative strategies: Promises and dilemmas for instruction in large classes. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 243 073).

Hand, J.D. (1982). Brain functions during learning: Implications for text design. In D.H.Jonassen (Ed.), The technology of text, vol. 1. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Hartely, J. (1985). Designing instructional text. New York: Nichols.

Jonassen, D. H. (1982). The technology of text, vol. 1. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Merrill, P.F. (1982). Displaying text on microcomputer. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), The technology of text, vol. 1. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Reilly, S.S., & Roach, J.W. (1986). Designing human/computer interfaces: A comparison of human factors and graphic arts principals. Educational Technology, 26(1), 38-40.