Designing the instructional interface

摘要

Designing the instructional interface is a challenging endeavor requiring knowledge and skills in instructional and visual design, psychology, human-factors, ergonomic research, computer science and editorial design. While numerous design guidelines are available to assist the designer, many do not fit the specific needs of an instructional environment. The designer is also faced with a challenging design environment. Rapid application development (RAD) settings in which instructional interfaces are developed are characterized by intense production schedules and limited resources. In these environments learning goals may often be bypassed in favor of aesthetics or technical needs. This paper describes the instructional interface, the challenges of its development, and an instructional systems approach to its design that integrates principles of message design, information design, and systems design.