Media Design 101 details how to make courses interesting, engaging and interactive through information presentation, usability, graphics, storyboarding, interaction and flow.
8. Media is Experience
It‟s the experience that matters and
media is what you‟re using to build it
9. Media is Malleable
Media is capable of all sorts of contortions and a
creator/developer can shape it exactly as they like
10. Media is Digital
Digital media is relatively new.
Unlike the traditional media forms,
it supports interaction
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11. 1 234567
DELIVERING A BETTER LEARNING EXPERIENCE
THROUGH EFFECTIVE
PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION
12. Organize the information
clearly and in a logical flow
The purpose of instructional design is not to just
present information, but to assist the learner in
understanding the information presented
13. Place adequate amount of information
on the screen
An “adequate” amount of information could be
one piece of content of a particular type, and
associated pieces
14. Use shorter lines of text
Break text segments into smaller parts.
A „chunked‟ layout delays fatigue and
increases comprehension
15. Place important information at the top
Follow the journalism model of the “inverted
pyramid”, by placing important information at
the top of the page
16. Appropriately use white space
to increase the page’s visual appeal
Use white space to divide the
„chunked‟ portions of the screen.
This increases readability
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18. Tell learners where they are
You can use multiple techniques (like visual
map, progress/status bar, etc.) to highlight the
learner‟s location in the course
19. Clearly tell users how to
move forward and backward
Use text to tell learners where they are
and how to move back and forward
20. Tell users how to ‘get there’ from ‘here’
Use visible links (at the top, bottom,
or side of the page) showing the
learner where to go
21. Clearly set the signpost
Let the learner know a bit more about the
outcome of the common elements of
navigation (“back”, “next,” “forward”)
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23. Don’t Distract
Graphics should provide a clear representation
of the content to be remembered;
without extraneous information
24. Proximity
How close together or far apart elements
are placed suggests a relationship (or lack
of) between otherwise distinct parts
25. Alignment
Alignment of text and graphics can make
your layout easier or more difficult to read,
foster familiarity, or provide an element of excitement
26. Consistency
Repeating design elements and consistent
use of type and graphics styles within a
course shows a learner where to go and
helps them navigate the course
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28. Find the important elements
in a storyboard
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Highlight the important elements.
Ask if the storyboard will communicate the
idea to the media developers.
29. Work on a paper pencil visualization
Try to represent the elements in form
of rough sketches
30. Create a structure
based on the design
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Understand the intent of design and
structure content and media accordingly
31. Add graphics / interactions
Graphics and interactions transform
an ordinary course into an experiential
and satisfying learning experience
32. Review for language guidelines
and overall1 storyboard
Read through the design document to check
if it makes sense; examine the structure of
the content; check for inconsistent details
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36. Exploration
The ability to explore the
environment, the variables in it,
the relationships that govern
them and the effect of your
actions on these variables and
their relationships, adds a
crucial element of surprise
42. Have a clear goal in sight
It‟s important for learners to know where they are
headed, and why. Tell them the overall goal and
purpose, and how they can go about achieving it
43. Know where you stand at all times
Learners should know how they‟re faring, how far
they‟ve come, how much distance remains to be
covered – all on a continual basis
44. Achieve a balance between
ability and challenge
A program shouldn‟t be too easy,
or learners will get bored. Nor should it be
so difficult that learners get discouraged
45. Have a sense of control
Learners like to make choices, decide what to see
and when to see it, explore, and discover
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