E-learning

Discussion articles

  • Assessing assessments: the inequality of electronic testing
    "Computer and Internet based tests are used for a variety of purposes. From entering education or employment, to improving basic learning, people everywhere are taking electronically formatted tests. With the advancement of testing from traditional paper-based tests to technologically advanced electronic tests, people reap the benefits of easier access to tests, faster response times, and greater reliability and validity of tests. However, persons with disabilities are being left out of the picture and out of many typically-administered tests."
    (Michael Lyman, Cyndi Rowland, Paul Bohman - WebAIM)

  • Designing for learners, designing for users
    "I recently conducted some online course usability reviews for a client when I came across a strange but, I suspect, not unusual phenomenon that I have encountered elsewhere in the past. Threaded discussion areas are one of the mainstays of the traditional online course and one expects to see a high level of interaction there, yet I was dismayed to see that a considerable proportion of the online discussion in these courses was focused on troubleshooting the technical failings and logistical flaws of the course, with very little discussion about the actual course content. In one example, students attempted over a period of two weeks of asynchronous discussion to arrange a time for a synchronous chat. What were these students actually learning? Looking at this course, I was beginning to wonder if at the end of the session the only thing the students learned was how to use the technical features of the course, and even that was borderline!"
    (Dave Smulders - eLearn Magazine)

  • Embracing information architecture and information design
    "Information architecture (IA) and information design (ID) are two fields that are taking the Web experience to a new level. They form the foundations of what is now widely known as user experience design (UXD). In this article, I argue that e-learning teams too have to embrace UXD practices in addition to learning design practices to take the learning experience to a higher level."
    (Maish Nichani - Australian Flexible Learning Framework)

  • Experience-enabling design: an approach to elearning
    "This paper draws inspiration from diverse media to understand what constitutes experience. In doing so, it seeks directions for building experience into design of elearning products."
    ( L Ravi Krishnan, Venkatesh Rajamanickam - eLearning Post)

  • Narrative vs control in the online story world
    "How much control should users be able to take over the system they are using? Within HCI, the challenge is usually to give control of technology to users; be it through accessible design, or, more generally, by making paths clear and choices apparent. But the question becomes more complex when considered in the context of learning, when the users are students."
    (Ann Light - UI Garden)

  • Usability and e-learning
    "Usability is the basic parameter for the evaluation of e-learning technologies and systems. Usability means quality and puts the users and their real needs in the center. Therefore investigation of usability and its integration or contribution to the learning process is worthwhile. In this article several questions regarding usability definition and usability evaluation techniques for e-learning are raised. In addition several relevant research works are briefly reviewed and the need for more focused research efforts and empirical validation is stressed. In conclusion it is proposed that a usability evaluation technique for e-learning has to satisfy three basic prerequisites/characteristics in order to be easily adopted and used."
    (Panagiotis Zaharias - eLearn Magazine)

  • Usability in e-learning
    "While a large number of organizations have adopted e-learning programs, far fewer have addressed the usability of their learning applications. More attention should be devoted to assuring the usability of e-learning applications if organizations are to fully benefit from their investments."
    (Michael J Miller - Learning Circuits)

  • Usability testing for e-learning
    "While e-learning enthusiasts extol its lower costs, broader accessibility and personalization potential, e-learning also has experienced slow user adoption and high dropout rates in many organizations. In some cases, users become easily frustrated or unenthusiastic about the material, and if they don't complete the course, the company might not realize a return on its investment. Usability testing can address some of these shortfalls in the learner experience, as well as provide designers with a set of principles and methods that can be used to design courses that will capture and hold users' interest from start to finish."
    (Shailesh Shilwant, Amy Haggarty)

  • Usability, user experience and learner experience
    "Online learning leaves many students frustrated or unenthusiastic. The good news is that concepts and processes for addressing these shortfalls in learner experience can be found in the field of usability. In this paper, I outline ways in which the field of usability, properly understood, can help online learning fulfill its promise."
    (Mark Notess - eLearn Magazine)

Resource collections

  • ADCET: Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training
    "The Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET) provides up to date and comprehensive information about inclusive teaching, learning and assessment strategies, accommodations and support services for people with disabilities in post secondary education and training. ADCET services primarily target teachers, disability practitioners, learning support staff, researchers and policy makers. We also hold information and resources that may be useful for students."

  • CATS: Creating Accessible Teaching and Support
    "The CATS Project has established a framework for good practice that provides information and resources to assist universities to create equitable access for students with disability and to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability Standards for Education."

  • Skills for access: the comprehensive guide for creating accessible multimedia for e-learning
    "A comprehensive resource on issues relating to multimedia, e-learning and accessibility. Whether you're new to e-learning, want to know more about specific accessibility issues, or are an expert multimedia developer, we believe you'll find information relevant to your needs."