Designing a website for optimal learning can be a challenge with so many variables involved. You must consider what type of learner each viewer is; are they a visual learner, auditory learner or a hands-on kinesthetic learner? Each designer must incorporate all of these principles into their website. Use graphs, charts, pictures and videos as visual aids. Online lectures, music and audio recordings work great for auditory aids. Create hands-on activities like games, tutorials and quizzes for kinesthetic learners. Getting to know what your website visitors need and creating it will help them gain the valuable knowledge they seek.
Basic web-based instruction
Designers have to become teacher-designers to create a site that is instructional and gives its viewers the information they need. Web-based instruction has been flourishing in recent years with teachers, professors and subject experts all taking to the web to reach a broader based audience. Some of these sites are designed with the user in mind, while others are designed from an instructor’s point of view. The first of these two will always be a favorite of the user.
San Diego State University: Learner control in web-based learning
University of Maryland: Development sites for web-based instruction
University of Texas at Austin: Abstract of web-based instruction
Minnesota State College: Instructional design for eLearning
Documen: Issues in web-based training
Instruction and the Internet
The Internet has optimal communication capabilities and thus makes it ideal for instruction. The wealth of information on the Internet is growing rapidly, with institutions of higher learning offering courses for credit and degrees earned strictly from online courses. Creating a course online takes a team of professionals, not just a teacher, but a graphic designer and technology expert as well. The material to be learned must be assessed and the best way to present it for the greatest learning retention must be determined.
University of Oklahoma: The Internet as an instructional media
University of Southern California: Integrating the Web into course instruction
Curtis Rogers: Web-based instruction, the Internet and the classroom
Motivating the learner/viewer
Online learners are goal-oriented, so your learning website must help them reach their goals. Ease of use of a website can be a major factor in keeping students motivated. If they can readily find and understand the information they need to feel confident about the subject matter, you will be able to retain their participation.
Boise State University: Improve the motivational appeal of online instruction
West Irondequoit CSD: Using the Internet to enhance instruction
Identify what is to be learned
Presenting what your participants are going to learn is a very important part of the overall design of your site. Outlining the information and then placing it front-and-center will achieve a learner-based site.
The eLearning Toolbox: A guide to what e-learning components are to be used
ELGNZ: e-Learning guidelines
Aotearoa: e-Learning primer
Study Guides and Strategies: Evaluating website content
Reminding the viewer of what they've learned
Clarifying and reiterating what has been learned will help the student’s retain the information presented and add to the success of the learner. A short recap of a lesson can achieve this. A successful learner is a happy learner, who will return to your site often when seeking information.
University of Idaho: Clarifying what is learned
MSS: Constructivist learning on the Web
Active involvement
Engage learners with simple point and click features, online quizzes and more sophisticated analysis and problem solving options. Interactive learning is a proven educational method.
Power Show: The success rate on this question increased
University of Alberta: Web design for active learning
Dartmouth: User-centered design for media-rich websites
Guidance and feedback
Be available through phone, email, contact form or forum, so your website visitors can reach you for guidance and feedback. Answering questions about content or addressing technical issue provides a valuable service which creates a sense of trust.
Irrodl.org: Feedback for online learning
OWL: Features of an intuitive learning website
One additional important fact to remember is that many Web viewers have a short attention span, so they need to be able to access the most valuable information in the shortest time possible. Make it easy for your viewers with logical navigation and access to site features. Follow these principles and you will have them visiting your site again and again.
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