E-ffective Writing for E-Learning Environments

Enterprise Networks & Servers, Apr 2004

Katy Campbell received her Ph.D. in Instructional Studies from the University of Alberta in 1994. She is currently director of the Academic Technologies for Learning department and Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Extension. Her current research interests include gender/technology interactions and resulting design issues, faculty transformative practice through collaborative instructional design, psychosocial issues of faculty teaching with technology, inclusive design practices, and the lives and practice of instructional designers.

Campbell serves in various roles in numerous professional and academic associations, and was co-lead of the Learning Design Working Group for IMS Global Learning Consortium. The LD Working Group completed version 1.0 of the LD specification for eLearning developers in February, 2003. The Idea Group conducted an interview with her regarding e-learning.

Idea Group: What is the importance of universal instructional design and user-centered design?

Katy Campbell: With a growing emphasis on supporting international learners, and with increasingly diverse local learning communities, accessibility is a concern.

Universal instructional design principles reflect diverse learning needs related to sex, age, language, culture, access to technology, perceptual and motor challenges, cognitive challenges, socioeconomic status, and other issues.

IG: What is the importance of learning objects and repositories?

KC: A new model of courseware development provides a solution to the problem of expensive and time-consuming original resource development.

The emerging field of knowledge management, and eLearning standards and specifications includes the learning objects economy model.

IG: What is the importance of critical approach to design (address the problems of designing from the dominant culture)?

KC: As effective eWriters, we need to be aware that we are not designing culturally neutral eTexts. We write from the culture we belong to. The content and the way that the content is experienced reflect the values and the practices of a particular cultural group, and the group currently dominating the Web reflects Western ideas and values.

IG: Why is active learning critical?

KC: Environments designed for active learning involve several factors, including authentic situations, opportunities to solve problems and reflect, collaborative activities, and cognitive challenges.

IG: What is the importance of usability issues (e.g. readability)?

KC: "Web usability " is a subset of the scientific discipline Human-Computer Interaction. Web usability investigates how different users interact with Web environments and is related to user-centered design guidelines. The goal of usability testing is to improve the effectiveness of your site.

IG: Why should there be thoughtful decision-making about online environments?

KC: eLearning environments require vision, planning, resources, infrastructure support, and a "business model" in order to be sustainable. The use of technology should never be the first decision in this process. A number of factors, and knowledge of trends and challenges in eLearning need to be considered.

IG: What is the importance of faculty as eWriters and designers?

KC: Most instructors in post-secondary and/or training organizations arc experts in a specific field or domain. They do not often have an instructional design background that would help them develop eLearning environments. Faculty increasingly find themselves having to develop new skills in order to design effective content for online delivery.

IG: Why should there be a new relationship between eWriter and eReader?

KC: Hyperlinked environments present readers with many opportunities to develop their own semantic path through information. Because an eReader expects to become more actively involved in co-creating the experience, the eWriter might need to adapt to a role in which reading and writing is an equitable partnership.

IG: What is the importance of resisting text (thinking "eTexts")?

KC: Text only environments can constrain accessibility for readers with diverse needs and characteristics. Text is not always the best medium for conveying information, particularly online.

Keeping in mind accessibility issues, with faster computers, increased bandwidth, and better tools, hypermedia environments may support more users than uni-format text resources.

IG: What is the importance of needs assessment, learner profiling?

KC: User-centered design reflects knowledge of individual learner preferences, needs, experiences, and contexts. Needs assessment tools (e.g. surveys) assist the eWriter to understand and plan for diverse audiences.

Campbell's new book, E-ffective Writing for E-Learning Environments (Information Science Publishing, $74.95) is available from Idea Group Inc. at www.info-sci-pub.com.