Integrated Design Principles

Integrated design principles Constructivist principles 1. The learning process should enable learners to actively engage with and manipulate the learning content.

How constructivist principles were included in the multimedia learning environment Engagement is facilitated by:

   

hyperlinks (navigational structure) on the menu and within the site map entering data (name of the user) formative assessments with feedback the use of an underlying medical metaphor

Manipulation is achieved through: menu to access content or activities in any way  print option  exit and continue buttons  video that can be played 

2. Deign of learning material must allow learners to construct knowledge and meaning.

Knowledge construction and meaning: The tutorial is used as a component of the course: 



diagrams and an animated simulation assist learners to conceptualise the processes of respiratory and cardiovascular adaptations questions were used to facilitate personal assessment of construction of new knowledge and meaning making

3. Knowledge is constructed within a social context; this will enable learners to explore viewpoint of others and to collaborate in the learning process.

Collaboration is accomplished mainly through face to face class activity, although when learners worked on the tutorial in the same laboratory, there was evidence of collaborative discussion about the multimedia activity.

4. Learning content must engage learners in solving complex and illstructured problems, as well as simple problems.

The solving of complex, ill-structured and simple problems is made possible through assessment questions. The use of diagrams and an animated simulation help learners to conceptualise the processes involved, and thus to solve the associated problems.

5. Contextual material should permit interpretation, argumentation and transference of ideas to different contextual platforms.

The contextualised learning content forms a part of the curriculum of the post-graduate students. The use of the underlying medical metaphor assists learners to interpret the material in the light of their chosen profession.

6. During and after the learning process, learners should be able to articulate what they learnt and reflect

Reflection on the learning content is enhanced by assessment questions with immediate feedback to facilitate understanding. The

on the process for better understanding.

hyperlinked nature of the tutorial allows students to revisit parts of the content which they have not understood.

7. Learners have to see the relevance of knowledge and skills to their lives, and they must be able to solve authentic problems in new challenges.

Authenticity of the learning content is relevant to the student nurses for their professional training in neonatal course, to enable them to solve authentic tasks in neonatal unit.

8. The design of the learning environment ought to empower learners to interpret the learning material.

Interpretation of the learning content is achieved by  

the graphical illustration of processes assessment items

The ease of revisiting parts of the tutorial that have proven difficult enables easier interpretation of the learning material. 9. Learners must be given the opportunity to learn the content from different perspectives for a richer and better understanding.

The tutorial offered different perspectives for the students to approach the learning task through the use of:    

textual content animation and graphical illustrations hyperlinked navigation several different kinds of formative assessment

How learning design principles were included in the multimedia learning environment

Generic multimedia learning design principles 1. The presentation of a multimedia platform must be kept consistent throughout the application.

Consistency of the design is kept through the use of one background design. The use of consistent visual cues related to:    

menu items arrow keys buttons navigational hyperlinks

also help to present a consistent “look-and-feel” to the tutorial. In addition, the consistent positioning of buttons, arrows and menu items adds to the potential for intuitive use of the interface. 2. The presentation of the interface must be relatively simple and easy to follow for effective learning.

Simplicity of the interface design is enhanced through:   

    3. The learner must initiate and control action, and must have the sense mastery over the tool, rather than being in the control of the computer.

The control of action by the user is facilitated by the offer of  

 4. Informative and appropriate feedback must be provided for the progress made throughout the presentation.

the uncomplicated, consistent design the incorporation of sufficient “white space” to produce an uncluttered screen The use of Authorware which presents each page in full, without the need for scrolling down the use of font styles for emphasis the option of a site map for navigation the animation of foetal blood circulation the cross-section illustrations

a multiplicity of ways of accessing different areas of the tutorial a site map that visually depicts the relationships between different parts of the tutorial and allows direct access to those components the ability to quit the tutorial at any time

Feedback is provided in two diverse ways: 

mouseover cues offer feedback on navigational components – menu items, and access arrows

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feedback on assessment gives immediate validation or remediation of answers

5. Due to human short-term memory, learners must be allowed to organise content than to recall.

The organisation of the content by the users is facilitated, principally, by the availability of the site map that shows the relationship between the different parts of the tutorial.

6. The material provided to the learner must be familiar to them so as to evoke their prior knowledge.

The learning content of the tutorial has links with their existing knowledge (and so be familiar to the students) as it is an integral part of the neonatology course that they are studying.

7. Information presented on the screen should be displayed in such a way that following it is naturally anticipated by the user.

The display of information in such a way that the user’s expectations are met is achieved, primarily, by means of a simple consistent screen layout as depicted in the storyboard template (figure 7.9).

8. Learners should always get help: either procedural help for the programme or information help within the content.

Procedural help is facilitated by:     

the introduction to the tutorial the first aid kit (the “help” function in the metaphor) navigational hyperlinks arrow keys buttons

Information help is provided through:    9. Users of the software must have instant access to the functions they use and features that help to escape or end their current session.

cues (roll-over) "MIMS" (the glossary of the metaphor) the first aid kit.

Accessibility to the use of the tutorial is facilitated through:     

menu items site map hyperlinks arrow keys the “exit” button (to quit)