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Motivation and interface design: maximising learning opportunities
Author(s) -
Lewis R.,
Stoney S.,
Wild M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of computer assisted learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.583
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2729
pISSN - 0266-4909
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2729.1998.1410040.x
Subject(s) - interactivity , computer science , instructional design , multimedia , interface (matter) , the internet , product (mathematics) , human–computer interaction , task (project management) , user interface , world wide web , geometry , bubble , maximum bubble pressure method , mathematics , management , parallel computing , economics , operating system
Instructional multimedia is creating a revolution in universities. Academic staff are being urged to transfer instruction to a format suitable for either CD/ROM and/or the Internet, principally the World Wide Web. Many, it seems, simply take their existing course materials, add image and sound without proper consideration of the nature of the medium in which they are seeking to instruct and present the product to their students. In essence, it appears they ignore the need to motivate their students to work with their instructional multimedia materials. It is a contention of this paper that the user‐interface to instructional multimedia is strategically important: if it is poorly designed students will not be intrinsically motivated to make use of the product or to learn with it. Interfaces that motivate learners are realistic, easy to use, challenging and engaging. Superior interfaces have some of the elements of a game: they provide the user with a functional model of task, content and processes; they encourage exploration and engagement; and they demonstrate cognisance of design considerations such as interactivity, functionality, learner control and cognition.