Navigational Simplicity is so crucial
Making sure that information is easy to understand, can be easily found, and everything kept to a uniform design is so crucial. The less time students have to spend "looking for" the information, the longer they can spend on learning the actual information. I have found that if the student cannot find what they are looking for, or they don't understand, they spend too much valuable time looking, asking questions, and getting frustrated. If they have a deadline, and so many students wait until the deadline is close, they will get frustrated and maybe not do as well on the assignment as they could have if only they could have found/understood the information sooner. Frustration, I think, is avoidable if the navigation is simple and the information can be easily found.
I am new to teaching online but I agree with keeping things simple for students. When students become frustrated with trying to figure out "how" to complete assignments they give up. Navigational Simplicity is also crucial for older learners who find operating computers challenging.
Are their any tools that can identify ease or difficulty in a programs/courses navigational simplicity?
I agree with the statement of "simplicity being crucial for older learners". I do my best to provide clear navigation through an assignment as well as the course as a whole. My school uses an online course one week with a resident version the following week that expands upon the material from the week before. I feel that this method truly helps out our older learners gain a little knowledge on their own and then a greater knowledge in the classroom!
I agree. Simple navigation is very important. There is a book that discusses Website design called "don't make me think". It is a good concept to keep in mind. Navigation should not be a puzzle that needs to be solved.
Additionally, one could jump to the conclusion that older participants have greater difficulty with online experiences. The fact is that there are many people who have not had the opportunity to navigate the web or computers in general. It is a hasty generalization to assume that just because some one is young, they are computer whizzes. It is a mistake to assume older people will have trouble. We need to watch out for, instead, past experience with computers.
Julie,
We do not like being frustrated with any technology, so why would we let the students become frustrated?
Shelly Crider
kelia,
Your best bet is to hear from your students. The problem with this is that one term something may work and the next term it may not!! But students are a good source of what really works.
Shelly Crider
Jeremy,
Simplicity and the understanding of why something is important to learn....such as blogging.
Shelly Crider
Gary,
This is true. The older generation is really catching on though. Most will have apps on their Smart Phones now!!
Shelly Crider
Navigation must be intuitive. It is paramount that navigation be placed in the upper area of the classroom or down the left. This is the way in which westerns read. In addition, the only reason a student should ever have to click on a home button is because they want to go home. It should not be a navigation tool for anything other than going home. The same can be said of the back button. On the navigation students should see the major content areas of the classroom. Like we have learned with web site design research, online students if they cannot navigate easily they will get frustrated and their online learning experience will likely not be a success. Good navigation can be a key to retention!
Anne,
Frustration is a killer in a course. If a student or instructor for that matter gets frustrated, they may just leave the course for good.
Shelly Crider
One element that facilitates understanding for nearly everyone is the sharing of information via story. For example, the UMA courses I teach use the idea of a "Roadmap" to guide students into their tasks, creating the metaphor of a journey. Because each of the steps on that journey are tied to listed terms on the Blackboard Main menu (Materials, Discussion, Assignments, etc.), that journey immediately has an intuitive, progressive structure.
As for waiting until the deadline, it is impossible to finish a road trip from New York to San Francisco in one day. Likewise, an entire week of work on a course's roadmap cannot be completed at the last minute. Thus, encouraging students to take the wheel early and understand their navigating tools is essential. With early support, the simplicity of navigating the materials is learned and can be repeated throughout the course (assuming that the roadmaps are consistent, which is another factor in keeping navigation simple and usable).
When the tools tell an ordered story, people will find it much easier to comprehend.
Mark,
I like the Roadmap as this helps with time management which is a big hole for the students. They need a little extra help in the time management area.
Shelly Crider
This is so true! I recently took an online course and spent more time trying to figure out how to get to the next page, section, or module than I did concentrating on the material. There was never a consistent mechanism to advance and I am still not sure if I had taken all the quizzes or even seen all the material. I felt as if I was on some adult online Easter egg hunt!
Robin,
That can be so frustrating. Just like calling a support line and having to select 1 for English, 3 for technical support, 2 for a particular product..........
Shelly Crider
Based on my experience, one of the easiest ways for a student to lose focus and hinder performance is mismanaged or unorganized content. A scenario I have experienced, included a session where the assignments were not labeled correctly due to an IT issue. As the session progressed, I was bombarded with emails and complaints. Eventually the issue was corrected, but the retention in that course was greatly affected. Making the deliveralbes easy to identify and simple to follow is integral in facilitating online courses. In live chats, organizing the content and explaining what is expected can go a long way to aid in student learning! Have any other instructors had a similar scenario? What did you do in those situations?
Mathew,
We all like to know what exactly is expected of us so informing students early and helping them become and stay organized will help with retention and success.
Shelly Crider
I have to agree that navigational simplicity is very crucial. Not understanding how to navigate the course will cause lots of frustration. Frustration causes anxiety and anxiety blocks the thinking process.
Niki,
So many students face anxiety blocks in other parts of their life....education should be manageable.
Shelly Crider
