Design considerations for the Library of Congress Learning Page: providing learners context and access to the collections - World Wide Web site - Children and the Digital Library

Library Trends, Spring, 1997 by Judith K. Graves

The "Rock, Paper, Scissors Model"

For purposes of this discussion, these design guidelines have been grouped into three categories: meaningful communication, data organization, and hypermedia characteristics. As Fleming (1981) and park and Hannafin (1993) both state, these guidelines are not distinct entities, but instead overlap each other. While one aspect at any one time may dominate another, that is not always the case. In fact, the relationship among the different guidelines is not unlike the game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors," where the rock can break the scissors, but the scissors can cut the paper, and the paper can cover the rock (see Figure 1).

As you look at the Rock, Paper, Scissors model, you see an inner triangle whose three points comprise the three aspects of instructional design for online hypermedia: meaningful communication; hypermedia characteristics; and data organization. At the center of the triangle is learning, which is described as the process of the reorganization of a person's knowledge resulting from interactions with the environment. This view of learning incorporates each of the three concepts. The environment is the context in which meaningful communication or the transfer of knowledge occurs; the organization of the new data in ways that are meaningful to the learner facilities knowledge transfer; and the interactions among the data that lead to learning are facilitated by the dynamic interlinking possible in hypermedia.

The outer triangle represents the design guidelines that result when the three aspects of instructional design commingle. For example, meaningful communication (rock) occurs when the context is unambiguous and the data organization (paper) is clear and recognizeable to the learner. Implications for page design would include the use of graphics for multiple-channel recognition of meaning, the consistent use of headings, fonts, white space, and easily-recognizable categories for use in search engines. With data organization (paper) and hypermedia (scissors), clear and consistent hyperlinking among data points and to other sources allows for successful hypothesis formation and the perception of commonalities and differences among the data. Design issues would include the amount and type of hot links within the page and subpage (s) and with the database. With hypermedia (scissors) and meaningful communication (rock), thoughtful design of hypermedia linkages would allow the learner to build a mental model of the context in which meaningful communication and the transfer of knowledge could occur.

Each of the main design categories -- meaningful communication, data organization, and hypermedia considerations -- is discussed in terms of its relationship with the other categories, with comments regarding significant aspects relating to the design considerations of the Learning page. The underlying objective of the design process of the Learning page is to create a context in which research skills would be fostered and acquired. Students learn best when the skill to be acquired is situated within a context in which it occurs naturally (Young, 1993, p.44). Designing an online hypermedia environment that provides a platform from which support learners as they progress in skill level requires the careful integration and application of design guideliness necessary to achieve such an environment.