Usability, or user friendliness, is a well know concept when developing and adapting solutions for the Internet, intranets, and programs.  Users often navigate their way to information or are out to complete a task.  With e-learning come other challenges; information must be conveyed in such a way as to transfer knowledge to the user.

 

Learning requires concentration; we all know that from our school years.  It is important to keep users focused on what they need to learn, and keep distractions to a minimum.  Imagine you are sitting in a lecture theatre.  It doesn’t take much to make you lose your concentration:  a noisy projector fan, the lecturer’s microphone cutting in and out, a lecturer who talks too quietly, or fellow students who get up and leave the class right in front of you.  These kinds of interruptions represent noise in the communication, ruin your concentration and thereby the learning effect.  In e-learning, this noise can be represented by poor navigation systems, a difficult work flow, incomprehensible icons, or poor information architecture.

 

Guidelines
In a good e-learning system, it is essential to be able to learn directly from the content, and you shouldn’t have to use much time learning how to use the system.  In the worst case, a poorly designed user interface can necessitate a new e-learning course just so users can learn how to use the e-learning solution.

 

To ensure that the system is easy to use, it is important to involve those who will be using the system in the development process.  In addition, there are many principles for user friendly design that also apply to e-learning solutions:

 

1. Speak the User’s Language
   Use concepts that are well-known to your users.  Present information naturally and logically.  For example, you should take into consideration that not all users have a grasp of technical terminology.  So, you should explain difficult concepts before they are used in context.
2. Consistency
   Use the same terminology and graphics throughout the entire solution, based on established conventions for layout, form, highlighting, etc.  Vocabulary should be consistent and terms and concepts should be clear.  Use the same navigation throughout, so that users don’t have to use their mental capacity to understand the navigation, but rather can remain concentrated on the content.
3. Avoid Basing the Solution on the User’s Memory
   It is easier for users to recognise elements than to remember how a solution is put together.
4. Focus on a flexible and effective solution.  Take into consideration that some users are more advanced than others and need shortcuts, while new users will need more hints to help them through the system.
5. Create a Minimalist and Aesthetic Design
   Create an attractive design and eliminate unnecessary elements and information.  Give users what they need when they need it!
6. Use a hierarchal organisation, presenting more general material before more specific content.  Let the user delve into the material as deeply as possible, but give them the option to stop or move on whenever they like.  Don’t start with the formula, but begin with the formula’s purpose.
7. Feedback
   Feedback provides users with information on the actions they have completed.  This allows users to understand where they are in the structure, makes it easy for them to go back a step if they like, and lets them see what processes they will be going through.  For example, users should get a receipt when they complete an exercise or deliver an assignment.
8. Let Users Be in Control
   Be careful about taking control away from users.  Always let them have the option of stopping animations and films whenever they like.  If users think something is difficult to understand, don’t force them to see the video from the beginning if the confusing part was ten minutes into the film.
9. Use Media Elements with Care
   Don’t use animations when they are not necessary for conveying the content.
10. Consider the Target Group’s Technology, Competence, and Needs
    Think about how content should be adapted for their needs.  For example, you have to consider how accessible the solution is for users who are blind, visually impaired, or have other disabilities.  For example, presenting all text in the course also as speech can be an extremely important learning aid for users with dyslexia.

Read more:  http://www.mintra.no/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70&Itemid=107&lang=en

www.twitter.com/mintraelearning

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=73990