Designing e-learning resources to meet the needs of users
Designing e-learning resources to meet the needs of users
This article introduces the key factors and user needs to consider when designing
digital learning resources aimed at schools. It gives an overview of the following
topics:
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The needs of the teacher
The needs of the learner
Curriculum requirements
Technology and equipment
Understanding your target audience is a vital part of content development. Getting to
know your users before and during the content creation process will help you to
make your resource fit for purpose and tailored exactly to their needs. Here are
some questions to answer before you start:
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Who are your users?
How old are they?
How will they be using your e-learning resource (alone, as part of a group,
with or without teacher support…)?
Where will they be using your e-learning resource (at home, at school or
college, in the classroom…)?
How much prior knowledge of the subject will they have?
What will they want to achieve by using the resource?
Do they need to cover the objectives of a specific curriculum?
Will their learning be assessed?
We summarise here the findings of a number of e-learning surveys and have added
some useful information we’ve gathered through our visits to schools and
discussions with teachers and learners. In each section we also highlight key
surveys and reports where you’ll find further details.
1. The needs of the teacher
Selecting a resource
Teachers will only choose to use a resource if it is appropriate to the lesson they’re
planning, and if it will enable them to deliver a particular curriculum objective to the
group of pupils they’re teaching. A digital learning resource must add value to the
way in which a teacher can communicate a specific piece of learning, or to the way
in which a pupil acquires a new skill or piece of knowledge.
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Using a resource
A number of factors may affect the choice of learning resources for use in the
classroom. For instance, teachers may select an e-learning resource:
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as part of a blended learning approach
as a catalyst to start a lesson
to provide a simulation of something that might otherwise be difficult or
risky to demonstrate in real life
as a research tool to help pupils to gather information
to enable learners to practise specific skills or competencies
to deliver a whole lesson or series of lessons
as a means of assessment
to use on the whiteboard for whole-class or group teaching
for individual learners to use on their own.
Usability
Digital multimedia resources can offer a higher level of interactive learning than
more traditional resources. If teachers are to be able to employ these resources
confidently and effectively, you need to design your products so that learners can
navigate through them easily and understand readily the tasks they have to
complete. The Becta article Introduction to usability for websites
[http://industry.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=15549] tells you more about this
aspect of content development.
Adaptability
A program that a learner – or a teacher for a learner – can customise, will offer
broader scope for use by teachers in the classroom. This may include selecting
content specific to the learner (a list of words to learn, for example), tracking
progress and keeping achievement records (such as completing timed tests and
trying to improve previous scores) and level differentiation (to cater for learners with
different abilities).
Consultation
The most effective way of making your learning resource meet the needs of
teachers is to involve teachers throughout the development process – for example,
through consultation and user testing. This will help you to produce a resource that
closely matches the requirements of your target audience.
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Further reading
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A series of reports published by Becta as part of the evaluation of
Curriculum Online, which include findings about the criteria teachers use
when choosing and using digital resources
[http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&rid=11273]
Becta: Quality principles for digital learning resources
[http://www.becta.org.uk/partners/qualityprinciples]
The InterActive Education project, which summarises ICT use across a
range of teaching areas [http://www.interactiveeducation.ac.uk/index.htm]
2. The needs of the learner
Learning styles
The effective use of a teaching resource depends to a large extent on how much
learners enjoy the learning experience. Like all individuals, they will have different
learning styles and preferences, which you will need to take into account when
developing your resources. The use of appealing, interactive multimedia resources
can help to engage learners at all levels of ability in e-learning.
Age appropriateness
To meet the academic needs of learners, your digital learning resource should be at
the appropriate intellectual level. It should start at the correct level of understanding
or skill and advance their knowledge and/or ability according to the learning
objectives of the resource.
What do learners want?
Factors that encourage a positive response from learners to e-learning software
include:
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Attractive presentation
Interactivity
Feedback
Appropriate skill level(s)
A 'fun' element
Clear focus
Use of different types of media
Versatility
Non-threatening environment
A feeling of progression and achievement
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Intuitive design and interface
Challenge.
Younger children in particular like to personalise their learning experience – for
example by being asked to enter their name into the program. And an element of
competition may motivate some pupils (but don’t forget that it might also put other
learners off). E-learning software can also enable learners to experiment with
different approaches to a problem or test themselves with less risk of the ‘failure’
being exposed to peers – this can be an important element in building self-esteem in
learning.
User testing
Building in user testing by pupils at different stages of your development process will
help to inform the interface design, media selection and age appropriateness of the
resource.
Further reading
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A series of reports published by Becta as part of the evaluation of
Curriculum Online, which include findings about pupils’ access to and use
of ICT [http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&rid=11273]
Learning styles – an introduction to the research literature
[http://industry.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=15472]
The Becta article Children’s and young people’s access to and use of ICT:
sources of research, which lists some sources of data about pupils’
access to and use of ICT
[http://industry.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=20635]
3. Curriculum requirements
When developing learning content for use in schools, be guided by the programmes
of study as set out in the English National Curriculum, or by the equivalent
requirements of the curricula for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Schools are
unlikely to choose for use in the classroom any resources that do not link closely and
clearly to the curriculum.
Familiarise yourself with the relevant curriculum area in order to tailor your resource
both to the right level and also to the appropriate depth of knowledge and skills. You
should consult practising teachers for feedback and advice on how to deliver the
requirements of the curriculum in a classroom context through e-learning resources.
Further reading
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QCA: National Curriculum Online [http://www.nc.uk.net/index.html]
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A guide to the UK curricula for digital resource developers
[http://industry.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=15547]
4. Technology and equipment
Schools today use a wide range of technology and equipment. This has implications
for e-learning content, since it means that you’ll need to develop products that work
on a variety of platforms and applications (different whiteboards, virtual learning
environments and browsers, for instance).
Further reading
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Evaluation of Curriculum Online: Report of the third survey of schools April
2006
[http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&rid=11273&pagenum=
2]
Survey of LAN infrastructure and ICT equipment in schools
[http://www.becta.org.uk/publications/]
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