#5110 A Design of No Words

My wish for symbols from last week has been granted!  As a daughter of an art teacher, the elements and principles of design are not new, but how various populations respond to visual design elements and principles in instruction is new, specifically in regards to the use of color.  I will be making use of color codes in my next Instructional Design.  Braden's Visual Literacy indicates that "color codes have been found to facilitate achievement in complex self-paced tasks, particularly with criterion tasks that are visual in nature.  I foresee the need of color coding through out all future iterations to ensure the success of those following my instructions.

#5110 Tied My Hands With Text...

... and now I am blogging about it, which feels ironic.  I wish I had time to express myself in symbols alone just to make up for the sheer amount of words I crafted when a picture would have been better used!

While text based instruction is limiting, especially when describing physical action, hyperlinks can provide clarification, checks for understanding, opportunities for self-correction, and feedback.  However effectiveness of instruction can be limited based on assumptions in prior knowledge made by designers, as well as the potential lack of a common language.  For example MY topic!  Not only did it describe physical actions, it described physical actions involving materials that are not a part of the common person's vernacular.  

In looking at what text only instruction could provide a learner I am drawn to the thought of the visually impaired.  While Ikea directions and detailed schematics can break down necessary physical actions, those symbols are not easily navigated by those with visual impairments.  Text based instruction is easily translated into audio by already existing web tools.  When developing computer based instructions, best practice should always include text based instructions to accommodate for those with disabilities, even when your primary delivery is image based.

While text based instruction should always be provided, I feel that video and images would have greatly improved the effectiveness and efficiency of this instructional piece.  As a designer I cannot rely on my audience having any understanding of how these specialized elements work together or are even named.  Images provide a check for understanding far superior than any analogy I could create.

That being said, the practice of breaking down instruction into explicit directions provided me the designer with a detail understanding of every step.  It was tedious, but I now have a strong outline of what all future design iterations must include.  I plan on using the practice of beginning with text based instruction to aide me in other projects.

#5110 Media in Learning and Teaching W1

***For the few that have read my few blog posts***

Never been much of a blogger (obviously).  It seems really quaint, and I would love to spend more time writing, but that would require spending less time doing something else.  And I really am not willing to give up any time of the things I am doing now.  So for the next three months posts that you see here will be associated with #5110, one of my graduate classes at UNT.  Maybe the practice will stick?  I do somewhat more frequently post my independent thoughts, topics, and resources here. I named it Time Enough for a reason.

*** End of message explaining #5110's sudden appearance***

On the use of media to teach and learn...

Depending on your definition, media for learning and teaching, could date back to the cave drawings in France.  Media as an instructional method, even when crudely used, attempts to provide an experience for the learner when the real thing is not possible.  This could be the simplifying of concepts through the taking away superfluous information.  Or to replicate real life to the closest approximation so that the learner might as well have been there.  Or, to so further enhance an experience so that only through the use of media could you experience some new reality that would otherwise not be possible without the use of technology.

While designing instructional materials is a large part of my job for the past seven year, the use of media to communicate, learn, and teach is a human thing, not just a construct of education.  We use language, gestures, symbols, sketches, photographs, video, audio, models, diagrams, ect in nearly all of our interactions!  A life dependent solely on language to communicate would be very difficult.  Case in point (we are about to get super personal), my daughter (4.5 yrs old) has a "sluggish colon".  And in investigate/resolving this issue I was directed by her doctor to observe, evaluate, and document her daily expulsions.  Without the hilariously titled app "Poop Log"'s written description, analogies, AND drawings, this would have been a very difficult experience.  Even the Share function of the app was helpful as it turns out #crowdsourcing .  

That being said, the experience is how knowledge is constructed, not necessarily through the consumption of prepared materials.  Media is just one tool available to the process.