In a perfect world, you give your pitch in twenty minutes, and you have forty minutes left for discussion.
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How to Change the World: The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint - 1 views
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Force yourself to use no font smaller than thirty points.
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a normal human being cannot comprehend more than ten concepts in a meeting
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"In a perfect world, you give your pitch in twenty minutes, and you have forty minutes left for discussion."
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Why Online Education Works | Cato Unbound - 1 views
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I see three principle advantages to online education, 1) leverage, especially of the best teachers; 2) time savings; 3) individualized teaching and new technologies.
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I have really enjoyed taking my classes online, however I do feel that there are downfalls, such as face to face communication. Technology has worked to improve this and forums are a great way to keep people connected.
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Free Technology for Teachers: A Short Example of the Benefits of Classroom Blogs - 1 views
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Prezi - Presentation Software - 2 views
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Prezi is the presentation software that many of the upper grade level teachers are using. I would like to learn more about it and hopefully implement it in my classroom!
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50 Education Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Know About - Edudemic - 2 views
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Pinterest: You can pin just about any image you find interesting on this site, but many teachers are using it as a place to collect great lesson plans, projects, and inspirational materials.
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Pinterest has been a wonderful online tool for my classroom planning. I have found so many great organization, craft, management, and center ideas!
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QR Codes: QR codes (or quick response codes) are showing up with greater frequency in education. If you’d like to get in on the trend, you’ll need a tool to create and manage the codes like Delivr and one to read codes, like any of those listed on this site.
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I created a QR code last year and put it up during Back to School night. Hardly any of the parents knew what to do, so I'm hoping to include a short description so they know the purpose of scanning the code.
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Lesson: Articles on Visual Design - 4 views
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Depending on how a texture is applied, it may be used strategically to attract or deter attention.
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I never thought about "texture" online; what would be an example of a repeated element? A simple picture, or maybe a repeated diagram? -
Texture is an interesting element that I generally disregard. However, I remember a literature professor open poetry discussions with questions about texture and taste. He would use such responses to get to the tone of the work. What taste/texture/tone does this course have? -
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Spacing makes things clearer.
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I have found this to be true since starting this class; less is more; and the idea of also adding an element of some kind to every page makes a lot of sense to me too. I think about this now as I create ANY kind of presentation page.
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"Less is more." That sums up nicely what we've been learning. I know that I have a tendency to be too wordy and thus the page seems way too cluttered. I need to make a concerted effort to utilize the Less is More rule of thumb.
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In the last year or so, I've switched to using CSS to make my buttons and have never looked back. Sure, it means my buttons don't always have the flexibility I might wish for, but the savings in build time from not having to make dozens of little button images are huge.
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What does this mean? That in CSS (which I think I missed what that means...) you don't need to give a direction to click on a button to do whatever it is you are wanting it to do? Rather, it is automatically an apparent clickable button?
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Good question! What is CSS? I think this is another rule of thumb we might want to add to our web-design rules: Don't assume the reader knows what the abbreviations or acronyms mean. Spell them out and define them so everyone is clear.
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Everything should be themed to make your design coherent between pages and on the same page.
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Here's one element that we can control and that we should control; however, it is also an element that I sometimes have trouble with. Sometimes it takes me awhile to find my style.
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Font Choices
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What font should we be using? My journalism minor is quite dusty, but I was taught that body copy should be a serif typeface (e.g. Times New Roman, Georgia) and headlines should be a sans-serif typeface (e.g. Arial, Helvetica). Your choice of type might also give you a better grade: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/19604/does-size-12-times-new-roman-font-receive-better-grades-in-school S
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Squeaky wheels get the grease and prominent visuals get the attention.
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Pantheon
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This is off topic, but I can't let it go. This is an image of the Parthenon. The Pantheon is in Rome.
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it’s a good practice to never open links in new browser windows.
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I'm going to give this some thought because this suggestion is opposite of what I generally try to do. I've always thought it was better for readers to close the new linked area.
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My too. I like new windows for new material. This seems contrary to my preferences.
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It is not the way I think either. I tend to want to separate things so I am not distracted. New windows keep me focused.
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Same here. Especially with Moodle, I try to have it open in a different window so that they don't lose the original course.
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A typical example from usability sessions is to translate the page in Japanese (assuming your web users don’t know Japanese, e.g. with Babelfish) and provide your usability testers with a task to find something in the page of different language. If conventions are well-applied, users will be able to achieve a not-too-specific objective, even if they can’t understand a word of it.
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I saw a Tweet recently suggesting to do something similar: Turn on speech to see if you can navigate on your site without vision. Is the site usable for all?
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The basic elements that combine to create visual designs include the following:
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All of this is what is missing from the powerpoint I created for Mollie 3 in the week 2 lab section.
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To be clear, these elements are always present, even in their absence. That is, even when one has the ugliest colors imagineable, they still are using a color palette. If you are Picasso, you get paid a lot of money for having the absence of these basic elements.
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and that the medium changes as frequently as the underlying technology does.
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Oh no, so what I'm learning now will be different in 6 months or one year. I need a suggestion of a good blog or online resource I can use to keep up-do-date with all of the online design developments.
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To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
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To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
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These make perfect sense to me. I'm thinking that if I can remember and use these 5 chunks of precedence I would be taken a giant step toward fine-tuning the online lessons I create.
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One slight difference between the online lesson and the "webpage" this designer is talking about is that there is going to be more stuff on the webpage. An online lesson doesn't have as many elements vying for attention.
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some pretty bad examples out there.
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The DE website is a "pretty bad example" if you ask me. (Although there have been improvements made over time.) There is just SO much there that is difficult for me to find what I want and need. I guess I could use that website as a non-example of effective navigation.
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True. Of course, Heartland's old website was bad too. That is one of the occupational hazards of people like us who have our fingers in everything.
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Adhering to Standards
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So what are some other things people expect? Where might we learn more about these ideas? The one example here is a good one, but now I'm curious about other expectations that I should be aware of.
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good set of CSS stylesheets
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Hmm. . . .what is a CSS style sheet? So much unfamiliar content specific vocabulary in this article makes me wonder if I'm actually understanding what is being said.
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A CSS style sheet is a set of rules (in the shape of a bunch of code) that govern a website. It would look like this: All headlines are in Maroon, 24 point, centered All sidebars have a box that is 100 pixels by 80 pixels. Except... in a language we can't understand.
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Here’s what the golden ratio looks like:
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But, didn't we read somewhere earlier in the class to place pictures/photos on the left-hand side of slide? Do these 2 ideas contradict each other? Someone please clarify for me.
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Well... in our lessons, we advocated for putting them on the right side, as it helps with wrapping of text. Though putting them on the left is not a design faux pas. The "golden ratio" layout is more beneficial for designing a website, where you have grids to place content.
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This is similar to Paradox of Choice – the more choice you give people, the easier it is to choose nothing.
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OK, i can see how too many choices is confusing in web design. But as an educator, I want to assure that my students have the freedom to make some choices regarding assignments and activities I ask them to complete in order to show their understanding. How will I balance these 2 ideas when creating online lessons/courses?
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I think you already answered your question. Design is different than learning choice. It's like the new textbooks that have so much sidebar information that students aren't reading the main text. Too much design choice. In a lesson, you can present students with different learning options (enrichment, accomodated assignments, etc), but keep the webpage consistent.
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the right is more interesting?
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I don't think the image on the right is more interesting? What am I missing?
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"Interesting" is of course subjective. Typically, the rule of thirds means if you move the subject over to the 3rd-line of the picture, the picture shows more dynamics. Instead of "here's this rock formation", it's "Here's the rock formation, in its habitat, and now your eyes are moving over to this side of the photo to examine what is around it"
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provide an email address if they were asked for it after they’d seen the feature work, so they had some idea of what they were going to get in return.
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I so agree. If I'm asked for email or other info to enter a site, I just close out. I want some hint of what the site has to offer me before I give them all my info. Great tip!
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I steer away if I am asked for identifying information before I can explore the site's information.
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I hate it too. I have an email site dedicated to these throwaway signups that I never check (unless I need to confirm an account). I grumble every time.
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he more options a user has when using your website, the more difficult it will be to use (or won’t be used at all).
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I agree with this Paradox of Choice; a few good options is better than a lot of medicore ones.
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The best images follow the rule of thirds: an i
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I have never given this thought before, or had any idea how layout (in thirds) affects someone's perception of a page; fascinating, yet useful!!
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Users don’t read, they scan. Analyzing a web-page, users search for some fixed points or anchors which would guide them through the content of the page.
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I admit, I was visualizing the scene from Clockwork Orange when thinking about this activity.
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Unity has to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to belong together. Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to avoid a dull or overwhelming design.
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White space is used around text and between sections to allow the page to breath
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I think white space is probably the most critical attribute for a teacher-designer to master. The simple adding of white space makes the whole thing breathe and makes it look a lot better.
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Similarity refers to creating continuity throughout a design without direct duplication. Similarity is used to make pieces work together over an interface and help users learn the interface quicker.
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9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design
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Good Web design, perhaps even more than other type of design, is about information.
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Padding is the space between elements and text. The simple rule here is that you should always have space there.
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Navigation — Where can you go?
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Think about user tasks
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Think about user tasks
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At the end of the day, your Web design is a tool for people to use, and people don't like using annoying tools!
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The simplest way to maintain consistency is to make early decisions and stick to them.
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8 Effective Web Design Principles You Should Know
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Design is not just something designers do. Design is marketing. Design is your product and how it works. The more I’ve learned about design, the better results I’ve gotten.
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So, if your layout width is 960px, divide it by 1.618 (=593px). Now you know that the content area should be 593px and sidebar 367px. If the website height is 760px tall, you can split it into 470px and 290px chunks (760/1.618=~470).
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With effective web design, you need to make sure things that do NOT go together, are not perceived as one. Similarly, you want to group certain design elements together (navigation menu, footer etc) to communicate that they form a whole.
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White space is all about the use of hierarchy. The hierarchy of information, be it type, colour or images.
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Effective web design and art are not the same.
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Web users are impatient and insist on instant gratification.
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the web-page should be obvious and self-explanatory.
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Avoid cute or clever names, marketing-induced names, company-specific names, and unfamiliar technical names.
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The “keep it simple”-principle (KIS) should be the primary goal of site design.
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testing one user is 100% better than testing none
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if you want a great site, you’ve got to test.
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Incorporating space into a design helps reduce noise, increase readability, and/or create illusion. White space is an important part of your layout strategy.
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The use of space can be often overlooked or just not something that we always pay attention to. -
Lisa, I agree. In fact, my opinion is its the best place to start, since it is one of the easier elements to understand (not sure I can identify what "good Gestalt" is) and one of the easiest to actually do.
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White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
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White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
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Using "white space" as a tool to balance, proportion and contrast on a page; also helps with readability; something to keep in mind when editing and trying to avoid text-heavy pages. Consider how can one use white space to prevent the text from looking too overwhelming.
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You should direct the user’s eyes through a sequence
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Aligning makes your design more ordered and digestible, as well as making it seem more polished.
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Simple, minimal design does not automatically mean the design works, or is effective. But in my experience simple is always better than the opposite
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Clean and simple design can help maintain the balance and consistency needed for effective lessons
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mollie3: Lesson Planning: The Missing Link in e-Learning Course Design - 1 views
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Comparative lesson plans help to ensure that self paced e-Learning includes the “voice of the instructor.”
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This seems to be such a critical piece to understand designing online effectively. The chart made it clear, and in fact, even in a face-to-face setting, I would choose to use the e-Learning anticipatory set over the one listed in face-to-face. I wonder if e-lesson lesson planning works well in reverse?
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Working well in reverse? I'm intrigued. I'm taking it you mean grabbing an e-lesson and using it f2f, correct? I think with proliferation of digital devices, this is very easy to do. Wasn't so much 10 years ago, tho.
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The point of the template is to force a comparison between the two instructional delivery modes, and to make the differences between them explicit
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I think this would be very helpful for those who are designing and teaching blended courses as well to take a close look at how content would be delivered and which mode would be most effective.
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“voice of the instructor” (all the little things we say and do when standing in front of a class) is missing. The graduate students’ learning products are not just mere “page turners,” they are lacking both in interactivity to hold the learner’s interest
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It is a challenge to work in that "voice of the instructor" and interactivity into lessons - especially for those new/newer to online teaching. These help develop a warm environment, a sense of community and provide appropriate scaffolding for learners...always looking for effective ways to do this.
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Lesson plans are merely templates that can guide the development of good e-Instruction, saving much time and effort by minimizing revisions and misunderstandings.
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Sidebar 1 Madeline Hunter’s “Seven-Point” Lesson Plan Format
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Wow! I remember Madeline being the "hot new thing" back in the 80s. I'm glad to know what I learned from that training is still applicable today.
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This is a good reminder/resource of the critical elements of an effective lesson
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Sidebar 2 Robert Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction Lesson Plan Format Robert Gagne’s “Nine Events of Instruction” or conditions of learning, as they are sometimes called, may be more suitable for your environment. His work is similar to that of Hunter. Gagne warned that not all nine events were required for every lesson
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What a great list. I can see it's usefulness in online instruction, but I think this brief checklist might be good for face to face instruction too.
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New learning for me...another resource to add to the tool box. Like the similarity to Hunter in somewhat more current educational language.
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Lesson plans require clarity; they make ideas explicit. They lessen the number of unpleasant surprises found during storyboard review
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First attempts at designing self-paced e-Learning courses are fraught with failure.
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My goodness, mine certainly was. I just like to jump in and try things, but even after teaching online a few time, I am painfully aware of how much I still need to learn
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I'd like to say "you get over it", but I'm not sure you do. The lack of direct, instantaneous feedback from your audience when online always makes you feel like you are failing at something.
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I was surprised at how much planning was required...or rather...how much more planning I wish I had done. I feel like I want to go back and almost re-create my first try. Humbling :)
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The IDP contains a variety of information, such as the purpose of the course, its proposed length, a description of the audience(s), the instructional strategies to be used, and an outline of the content.
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For storyboarding, we assume that IDs can write in a friendly, conversational tone
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"Tone" is so important. I've had some online students whose tone didn't come across in a very friendly or professional way. That always served to remind me to reread and edit before I hit "post".
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For lesson planning, we assume that IDs can write learning or performance objectives.
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If the term “lesson planning” causes pushback in your organization, simply change the term to one that is more acceptable, such as “instructional planning.” Have a “comparative instructional plan” and a “detailed instructional plan.
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I'm wondering why terminology can cause such angst. I've seen it happen, but it always surprises me a bit. This served as a good reminder that there may be terminology that in non-threatening to me, but may incite others. I will need to think about that if I ever write another course.
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Objectives — there is little difference between the delivery methods.
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I would think this to be true almost all the time with e-learning and face-to-face; at least in terms of core content areas...same objectives, but HOW that is achieved would vary
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Our learners want to jump in and take just the training they want and need to perform a task.
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I find this true of myself, and appreciate when courses are set up this way; good point to remember!!
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Once the appropriate stakeholders approve the IDP, instructional designers start the storyboarding process. Designers (or their managers) often expect to move effortlessly between creating an IDP and developing storyboards from it.
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I like how they use storyboards. This summer I've been trying to have my students use storyboards with elementary and middle school students, and I'm surprised how some students dislike planning.
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You know, the idea of a storyboard has a lot of promise as an instructional activity, regardless of f2f vs. online, that I'd like to know how to do it better. If students could be versed with the structure of a narrative so well that they could intuitively build a storyboard for whatever topic, they would be excellent public speakers and writers when grown up.
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Another convention in the example requires informing the learner of the approximate time it takes it complete the instruction.
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Offering approximate time to complete an activity has been a requirement in ID courses in the past. I never know if my own speed is what I should expect of others.
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Like any design documents, you will need to provide your instructional designers with clear instructions on how to prepare lesson plans and give them appropriate examples.
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Online instruction is the only place where I have seen models of objectives and formats for lesson plans. Hunter seems old-school to me, but I don't have a newer or better model.
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15 Essential Netiquette Guidelines to Share with Your Students ~ Educational Technology... - 1 views
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Learning Solutions Magazine: Home - 0 views
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Despite being the web presence for a subscription magazine, there are free articles and posts available on this site that offer useful perspectives for online learning. Many of the articles focus on adult online learning, which is of particular interest to me.
bozarthzone - 0 views
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Favorite Moodle Uses | Megan Hayes-Golding - 0 views
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If you hear Moodle is ugly remember most folks are comparing it to commercial tools like Schoology. Those tools draw you in with a Facebook-like appearance but the tradeoff of less functionality kills it for me.
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I’ve embedded Google Calendars, YouTube videos, and Dropbox files into Moodle pages
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In its basic mode, Moodle lets you post files for kids to download, post links, and host your PowerPoint notes.
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Where Moodle really stands out is with the question bank and quiz/test options.
American Rhetoric - 1 views
Teaching Online : Pedagogy : Design of an Online Course - 0 views
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A Wonderful Blogging Rubric for Teachers and Students ~ Educational Technology and Mobi... - 0 views
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