Beyond Interface Design: Considering Learner Cognition When Designing E-Learning Systems
By developing e-learning systems with an understanding of users’ cognitive load, rather than just focusing on traditional usability constructs, it is envisaged that better learning outcomes will occur. This conceptual paper presents a review of how an und
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Abstract By developing e-learning systems with an understanding of users’ cognitive load, rather than just focusing on traditional usability constructs, it is envisaged that better learning outcomes will occur. This conceptual paper presents a review of how an understanding of cognitive load can assist with the processes of developing e-learning systems that allow for increased learning outcomes. Through a comparative analysis of human–computer interaction (HCI) methods and cognitive load theory (CLT), a greater understanding of design principles can be gained. The paper focuses on the three main effects discussed in CLT literature—split-attention, redundancy, and element interactivity—and how a developer could use these methods to reduce cognitive load and improve learning outcomes.
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Introduction
Consideration of a user’s cognition when designing any system has great significance, particularly when focusing on e-learning systems. In the past, e-learning systems have been termed as a “wicked problem” due to their complexity [9]. It has been argued that web-based systems have a significant role to play in the facilitation of learning because hypertext structures have a likeness to the human brain’s mapping of knowledge; this is from the perspective of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) [29, 30]. Prior research by the authors (see [1]) has identified various ways that the
M. Freeman (*) • A. Alasraj School of Information Systems and Technology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] P. Chandler Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia e-mail: [email protected] H. Linger et al. (eds.), Building Sustainable Information Systems: Proceedings 127 of the 2012 International Conference on Information Systems Development, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-7540-8_10, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
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interfaces of procedural learning systems could be developed to aid in increasing learning outcomes through the application of CLT principles. As a human learns, he acquires new links and structures within his brain, and this leads to an increased level of information built on prior structures; this process is known as acquisition. Restructuring entails a learner organizing knowledge structures into groups, procedures, and schemas. Human knowledge thus exists in semantic memory that works as a network of interrelated concepts. Research has shown that two kinds of memory exist within the human brain: working memory (WM) and long-term memory (LTM). WM processes information and then sends it to LTM where the information is “permanently” stored and potentially retrieved at a later time for subsequent use. By grounding the development of e-learning systems within a CLT context, and through effective use of the human–computer interaction (HCI) processes, the human brain will acquire and process information that exceeds the traditional understanding of the capacity of WM. This is achieved through better r
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