User centered design approach to education by Soujanyaa

USER CENTERED DESIGN APPROACH TO EDUCATION

SOUJANYAA BORUAH DEPARTMENT OF FASHION COMMUNICATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY NEW DELHI

(Copyright page) Copyright ÂŠ 2012 Department of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology All rights reserved No part of this document or related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission of the Department/ Student author.

Declaration I, Soujanyaa Boruah hereby declare that the Project entitled “DESIGN TO EDUCATE; a UserCentered Design approach to Education” is my original work and no part has been copied from any Project. However, any material taken from any other published source has been suitably referred and acknowledged in the Document.

Signature of the student (Name of the student)

Certificate This is to certify that Soujanyaa Boruah has successfully completed her Graduation Project in the area of Design Research in Fashion Communication Department (2008â&#x20AC;?2012) of National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi. This is towards partial fulfillment of the requirement for granting Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication).

Dated:

JURY MEMBERS:

PROJECT MENTOR:

CENTRE COORDINATOR, FASHION COMMUNICATION:

CHAIRPERSON, FASHION COMMUNICATION:

Abstract As a communication design

Shilpa Uttam and Sachin

student, I have studied

Uttam and was given the

various aspects of new media

opportunity to work on one

like interaction design, digital

of the products envisioned

communication etc.. and their

by their company Enabling

contribution to the betterment

disabilities caused by

Dimensions. The product

of the society. As a part of my

developmental disorders,

was an e-learning application

Integrated Term Project I did a

using new media. How the

that imparts management

research and documentation

human brain works and how

skills to the blind and visually

of how lighting has evolved

people perceive and store

impaired. My contribution to

over the years into a new

data in their memory have

this project has been on the

medium of communication

always fascinated me and I

grounds of research, based

called projection mapping

have always wondered how

on the User-Centered Design

or spatial augmented reality.

it is different for people with

approach to education and

With this study, I made a few

disabilities and how they

design process involved in

concept proposals stating the

cope with it. I was interested

developing an educational

implication of such new media in exploring on how design

course. Over the span of

for a humanitarian cause in

could contribute to the

four months I was involved

the field of design.

communities of such people.

in the data-gathering field

I believe design is not just a

With this project I ventured

work, done under several

creative expression but also a

into the field of Instructional

blind schools in Delhi

problem solving activity. One

Design to understand process

followed by a process of

of the concepts proposed

of design thinking necessary

developing the content and

was centred on incorporating

in educational system.

graphics for the course,

design in the learning process

I was introduced to the

based on the analysed

and the prevalent educational

knowledge management

research data.

system, to develop a user

platform of electronic learning

specific solution to learning

by my industry mentors

Acknowledgement I take immense pleasure in

Department of Fashion

inspiration to me.

thanking my industry mentor

Communication, National

I would also like to thank

Mrs.Shilpa Uttam and Mr.

Institute of Fashion

my internal mentors for

Sachin Uttam of Enabling

Technology, New Delhi for

their guidance and useful

Dimensions , Gurgaon for

having permitted me to carry

suggestions, which helped

giving me this opportunity

out this project.

me in completing the project

to contribute to this project.

Words are inadequate in

work, in time.

Learning so much in such

offering my thanks to the

My thanks to all my

a less time would not have

people of The Blind Relief

co-workers in the office and

been possible had they not

Association, National

voice-over studio.

provided me with the timely

Association for the Blind

Finally, yet importantly, I

guidance in the conduct of

and NAB Centre For blind

would like to express my

the project.

Women & Disability Studies

heartfelt thanks to my

I wish to express my deep

for cooperating with me.

parents for their support and

sense of gratitude to the

They were a great source of

wishes.

Page# Table of contents 07

Abstract

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Purpose and scope of the project

Review of previous work

Theoretical Foundation

Methodology and Management

User- Centered Research and Analysis

Design Process involved in e-learning

143

Conclusion

144

Glossary

150

Reference

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Design Thinking is the confidence that everyone can be part of creating a more desirable future, and a process to take action when faced with a difficult challenge. That kind of optimism is well needed in education.â&#x20AC;? - IDEO

Introduction Technology and design

have enabled human beings

learning and instructional

is making it possible for

to develop their cognition

design to develop an

educators to expand beyond

in the best possible way to

educational course for a

the linear, text based

fit into this environment.

specific target audience of

education and adapt to a

Since everything we learn

blind and visually impaired.

new system of engaging

is changing, the educators

It was supported by a user

students in real life act of

need to consider engaging

-centered research analysis

learning and understanding.

learners to the content by

on the target group, followed

Today, people are growing

connecting to their interest

by rounds of data gathering

up in an environment that

and technological habits.

done in several blind schools

is ever changing. To meet

Learning through digital

around the city.

the demands of this rapidly

medium is not just about

This paper is focused not

changing world people are

electronic education or cloud

just on what has been

indulging themselves in

computing service, it is not

designed but how it has

new technology to keep

about giving the traditional

been designed. How is

themselves aware and

learning techniques a

design related to education?

equipped. To the people

fancy appearance, but it is

What should be our

of this generation learning

more about exploring new

approach while designing a

has become yet another

approaches to it.

product for such a specific

individualistic attempt to

In this project I have tried to

user group?

keep up with this pace. The

understand and implement

technological innovations

the various theories of

[

DESIGN FOR THE DISADVANTAGED

]

Purpose and Scope of the project This thesis documents the

the digital and assistive

of the envisioned product,

process of designing and

technologies, which make

validation of target audience

developing an educational

them, rely on such medium

and instructional design

course for the blind and

for carrying out their

involved in structuring an

visually impaired. This

daily tasks and acquiring

educational course from its

educational course has

knowledge in their life. From

very content to the desired

been structured in the form

reading a book to writing a

wireframe. This also involves

of an e-learning course,

letter, all becomes more and

a great understanding

which imparts soft skills to

more convenient with the

of various approaches to

the young employees of

new technologies emerging

learning, colour theories and

management services and

with time.

theories of visual perception.

new managers. The Unique

This is a thorough study

In this project I was involved

Selling factor of this product

on the process involved in

in the research and study of

is that it inclusively caters to

developing an educational

user experience, validation

a target audience of blind and

course using user-centered

of target audience and

visually impaired and runs

design approach to generate

development in terms of

across interfaces in tablets

cohesive, predictive and

communication design which

and smartphones.

desirable designs based on

includes visualization, wire

The community of the blind

holistic consideration of usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; framing, content framing and

and visually impaired has

experience. The process

an intimate connection with

includes User Centric Analysis

voice over design.

ng rni lity a Le abi dis

Cognitive psychology

Design

ild y Ch olog ch sy

Education

Ch ed ildre uc nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ati s on

n tio ec g j o Pr pin 3d map

ve cti a r e e Int Spac

Ins

tru De ctio sig na n l

Review of previous work Project 3Dimensional- A

done to check the relevance

that can simulate physical

study on projection mapping

of new media like projection

presence in the real world

and its application in the

mapping or augmented reality

as well as in the imaginary

field of communication. It is

mapping in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world,

worlds. Projection mapping

a compilation of the various

which is done with the help of

has established itself as

attributes of light and the

survey reports and interviews. a milestone in the history

significance of projection

Projection mapping and

of lighting and begun to

mapping in communication.

augmented reality mapping

give a new direction to

It covers the technicalities

is all set to become a

communicating through

associated with lighting

global phenomenon for the

visual media.

design and provides a review

coming generation. Visual

In the later stage of the

of several work associated

artist all over the world is

project, the acquired

with projection mapping,

trying to implement it in

resources are utilized to

around the world.â&#x20AC;¨ It starts

every possible sphere of

develop creative proposals,

with the basic principles of

communication. It will soon

which serve the purpose

light, evolution of lighting

be a part of our lifestyle.

of combining the medium

as a medium over time,

As technology is advancing

of projection with design

introduction of new age

towards a new era, projection

and communication for a

media in lighting design.

mapping is making a new

humanitarian cause.

It also covers various case

way to a world of computer-

studies and primary research

simulated environments

CREATIVITY EMO

VI A H E

ALI

COLOURS

CEP

SON

KNOWLEDGE

PER

TIO

REFL

C LOGI

CURIOSITY

Think + Study + Decipher + Create

Theoretical Foundation How does the human brain learn? The brain is an incredible

to human beings on how

Neuroscience.

structure, comprising of

their brain works, stores

For ages educators have

infinite possibilities and

information, captures

been trying to understand

mystery. It is constantly

experience and preserves

the working of the brain in

adjusting itself in terms of

memory over time. They

order to make the teaching

experience and yet it takes

have been delving into this

and learning process

off on its own without an

mysterious entity and trying

more efficient. For most

input from the outside world.

to determine how it carries

of them, their training on

Even though most people

out its amazing feats. With

how the brain learns has

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize it, the potential

this curiosity, human beings

focused essentially on

of human brain is one of the

started discovering this

the behaviourist model,

most remarkable power on

amazing process of learning

which tries to explain what

earth. It has the ability to

and eventually got into the

is happening inside the

think, study, decipher and

act of teaching. This curiosity

brain (following a stimulus)

create.

has branched out to form a

by observing outside

It has been a great curiosity

significant part in the field of

behavior (the response).

NSE

RESPO ENVIRONMENT

STIMULUS

ACTION AGENT

Behavioral Model of Learning

After sufficient observation

this field by which people

the behaviourist made

have been able to determine

informed guesses about brain

various approach to teaching

processes. Some of them

and learning. However in

stood the test of time, others

the past few years, more

have been overtaken by

educators have become

neuroscience. Behaviourist,

interested in brain research

cognitive psychologist and

and its potential applications

neuroscientist initially had

to educational practice. This

several limitations. They

awareness is not only seen

couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see inside the brain

amongst the educators but

while itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner was still alive

also in the designers and

and they had to deal with the

innovators who are trying

free will which is the fact that

to develop an experience

personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behavior was not

based learning system which

always an accurate reflection

is more appealing to the

of what was happening

learner. In recent years, with

in the brain. Despite such

instructional system design

limitations, they have

process learning can be

strived to make remarkable

constructed to challenge and

progress in understanding

motivate learners, help them

the function of the brain.

take responsibility for their

There has been various

own learning and develop

developments happening in

new thoughts and ideas.

Behaviourist: Person who advocates or practices Behaviourism. Behaviorism is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning.

Constructivism

Theories of learning

Piaget

builds a set of concepts about

structures are like those of an

reality and how it works. This

adult and include conceptual

is the stage where a child

reasoning.

does not know that physical

Piaget outlined several

objects remain in existence

principles for building

even when out of sight

cognitive structures. During

(object permanence).

all development stages,

the idea that the developing

Preoperational stage

the child experiences his

child builds cognitive

(ages 2-7) - The child is not

or her environment using

yet able to conceptualize

whatever mental maps he

abstractly and needs concrete

or she has constructed so

physical situations.

far. If the experience is a

Concrete operations

repeated one, it fits easily

(ages 7-11) - As physical

- or is assimilated - into the

in sophistication with

experience accumulates, the

child’s cognitive structure

development, moving from a

child starts to conceptualize,

so that he or she maintains

creating logical structures

mental “equilibrium.” If the

complex mental activities.

that explain his or her physical

experience is different or new,

Piaget’s theory identifies four

experiences. Abstract

the child loses equilibrium,

developmental stages and the

problem solving is also

and alters his or her cognitive

processes by which children

possible at this stage. For

structure to accommodate

progress through them. The

example, arithmetic equations

the new conditions. This

four stages are:

can be solved with numbers,

way, the child erects more

Sensorimotor stage

not just with objects.

and more adequate cognitive

(birth - 2 years old) - The child,

Formal operations

structures

through physical interaction

(beginning at ages 11-15) - By

with his or her environment,

this point, the child’s cognitive

Swiss biologist and psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) is renowned for constructing a highly influential model of child development and learning. Piaget’s theory is based on

structures - in other words, mental “maps,” schemes, or networked concepts for understanding and responding to physical experiences within his or her environment. Piaget further attested that a child’s cognitive structure increases

few innate reflexes such as crying and sucking to highly

We learn to learn as we learn....

Constructivism The latest catchword in educational circles is “constructivism,” and it is applied both to learning theory and to epistemology (to how people learn and to the nature of knowledge). Crafted by Jean Piaget, constructivism is a theory of a child’s psychological development proposing primarily that children are active constructors of their own knowledge and understanding (Piaget, 1963). Piaget revised previous opinions of children’s understandings, which

labelled them as “incorrect”,

traditional formulation of this

to instead demonstrate that

idea states that learning is

children develop their own

not the passive acceptance

theories and rationales, and

of knowledge, which exists

that these are internally

“out there” but that learning

consistent. In fact, he saw

involves the learner engaging

that process of creating

with the world.

and revising theories of

People learn to learn as they

understanding as the learning

learn. Learning consists both

process. His epistemology,

of constructing meaning

his theory of knowledge,

and constructing systems of

therefore brought legitimacy

meaning. Each meaning we

to the world of children that

construct makes us better

forms a basis for much of

able to give meaning to other

what gets talked about in the

sensations that can fit a

field of education today.

similar pattern.

Learning is an active process

The crucial action of

in which the learner uses

constructing meaning is

sensory input and constructs

mental. It happens in the

meaning out of it. The more

mind.

Epistemology: is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope (limitations) of knowledge.

knowledge

Learning

motivation

Unless we know what we are learning and why we are learning, we are not learning at all.

Learning involves language.

education recognizes the

Learning is not instantaneous.

The language we use

social aspect of learning and

For significant learning to

influences learning. On the

uses conversation, interaction

occur, we need to revisit

empirical level, researchers

with others, and the

ideas, ponder them, try them

have noted that people talk to application of knowledge as

out, play with them, and use

themselves as they learn. On an integral aspect of learning.

them

a more general level, there

Learning is contextual. We do

Motivation is a key

is a collection of arguments,

not learn isolated facts and

component in learning.

presented most forcefully by

theories in some abstract

Motivation is essential for

Vygotsky, that language and

ethereal land of the mind

learning. Its an understanding

learning are bound together.

separate from the rest of our

of ways in which the

Learning is a social activity.

lives - we learn in relationship

knowledge can be used.

Our learning is intimately

to what else we know, what

Unless we know â&#x20AC;&#x153;the

associated with our

we believe, our prejudices

reasons why,â&#x20AC;? we may not

connection with other human and our fears.

become engaged in using

beings, our teachers, our

One needs knowledge to

the knowledge that may

peers, our family, as well

learn. It is not possible to

be instilled in us, even by

as casual acquaintances,

assimilate new knowledge

the most severe and direct

including the people before

without having some

teaching.

us or next to us. In contrast

structure developed from

to traditional education

previous knowledge to build

which is directed towards

on. The more we know, the

isolating learners from all

more we can learn.

social interaction, progressive It takes time to learn.

Behavior theorists define learning as nothing more than the acquisition of new behavior.

Behaviorism

animals and people are

criticisms stating that it

Behaviorism is a theory

biologically â&#x20AC;&#x153;wiredâ&#x20AC;? so that a

does not account for all

of animal and human

certain stimulus will produce

kinds of learning, since it

learning that only focuses

a specific response.

disregards the activities

on objectively observable

Behavioral or operant

of the mind. It does not

behaviors and discounts

conditioning occurs when

explain some learning such

mental activities. Behavior

a response to a stimulus is

as the recognition of new

theorists define learning

reinforced. Basically, operant

language patterns by young

as nothing more than the

conditioning is a simple

children, for which there is no

acquisition of new behavior.

feedback system: If a reward

reinforcement mechanism.

Behaviorists have identified

or reinforcement follows

conditioning as a universal

the response to a stimulus,

learning process.

then the response becomes

Classic conditioning occurs

more probable in the

when a natural reflex

future. For example, leading

responds to a stimulus.

behaviorist B.F. Skinner used

The most popular example

reinforcement techniques to

is Pavlovâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s observation that

teach pigeons to dance and

dogs salivate when they eat

bowl a ball in a mini-alley.

or even see food. Essentially,

There have been many

Reinforcement mechanism: the mechanism of shaping behavior.

“If you tell me, I will listen. If you show me, I will see. If you let me experience, I will learn.”

Brain-Based learning impacts on education Teachers must design learning around student

Caine illustrates this point by describing

interests and make learning contextual.

three interactive elements essential to this

Educators let students learn in teams and

process:

use peripheral learning. Learning should be

Teachers must immerse learners in complex,

structured around real problems, encouraging

interactive experiences that are both rich and

students to also learn in settings outside the

real.

classroom and the school building.

Students must have a personally meaningful

Assessment - Since all students are learning,

challenge. Such challenges stimulate a

their assessment should allow them to

student’s mind to the desired state of

understand their own learning styles and

alertness.

preferences. Students should monitor and

In order for a student to gain insight about a

enhance their own learning process.

problem, there must be intensive analysis of

What Brain-Based Learning Suggests

the different ways to approach it, and about

How the brain works has a significant impact

learning in general. This is what’s known as

on what kinds of learning activities are most

the “active processing of experience.”

effective. Educators need to help students have appropriate experiences and capitalize on those experiences. Educator Renate

Cognitive [meaningless]+ Experiential [significant]

Carl Roger; Experiential Learning Carl Ransom Rogers (January

multiplication tables, and

propensity to learn; the role

the latter refers to applied

of the teacher is to facilitate

psychologist and among the

knowledge such as learning

such learning. This includes:

founders of the humanistic

about engines in order to

1) setting a positive climate

Rogers is widely considered

repair a car. The key to the

for learning; 2) clarifying the

to be one of the founding

distinction is that experiential

purposes of the learner;

learning addresses the needs

3) organizing and making

and wants of the learner.

available learning resources;

Rogers lists these qualities of

4) balancing intellectual

8, 1902 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 4, 1987) was an influential American

approach to psychology.

fathers of psychotherapy research and was honoured for his pioneering research with the Award for Distinguished Scientific

Contributions by the American experiential learning: personal

and emotional components

Psychological Association in

involvement, self-initiated,

of learning; and 5) sharing

evaluated by learner, and

feelings and thoughts with

pervasive effects on learner.

learners, but not dominating.

To Rogers, experiential

Learning is primarily based

learning is equivalent to

upon direct confrontation with

personal change and growth.

practical, social, personal, or

Rogers asserts that all

research problems.

1956. Carl Rogers distinguished two types of learning: cognitive (meaningless) and experiential (significant). The former corresponds to academic knowledge such as learning vocabulary or

human beings have a natural

Abstract

Active

Reflective

Concrete

Styles of learning

Learning Styles

using the new information.

combinations of experience,

This approach to learning

Reflective processors make

reflection, conceptualization,

emphasizes the fact that

sense of an experience by

and experimentation.

individuals perceive and

reflecting on and thinking

Instructors can introduce a

process information in very

about it.

wide variety of experiential

different ways.

Traditional schooling tends

elements into the classroom

The different ways of

to favour abstract perceiving

such as sound, music, visuals,

perceiving are generally

and reflective processing.

movement, experience, and

classified as:

Other kinds of learning aren’t

talking.

Concrete and Abstract

rewarded and reflected in

Perceivers - Concrete

curriculum, instruction, and

a variety of assessment

perceivers absorb information

assessment nearly as much.

techniques focusing on the

through direct experience, by

Educators must place

Teachers should employ

development of “whole brain”

doing, acting, sensing, and

emphasis on intuition, feeling,

capacity and each of the

feeling. Abstract perceivers,

sensing, and imagination

different learning styles.

however, take in information

in addition to the traditional

through analysis, observation,

skills of analysis, reason, and

and thinking.

sequential problem solving.

Active and Reflective

Teachers should design

Processors - Active

their instruction methods

processors make sense of an

to connect with all four

experience by immediately

learning styles using various

Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adventure in Wonderland BY Lewis Carroll

Digital medium and learning In this era, children are

means of digital media.

growing up in a very different

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society has entered

environment. The rapidly

a period of a reinvention of

changing multimedia based

how knowledge is created,

learning and ever-increasing

organized, accessed, and

pace of living has influenced

shared. It has far-reaching

the development of cognition

implications for our

in human beings. People

institutions of learning like

have become accustomed to

schools, libraries, museums,

rapid sensory and emotional

and more. Digital media

changes. They respond to

offers the promise of a

this by engaging themselves

new learning system that

in various activities both at

acknowledges and nurtures

home and outside. This has

individual talents, skills,

helped them to respond

and interests. It is changing

more than ever to the

the way people learn, play,

unique and different, what

communicate and participate

is called novelty. Most of

in civic life.

the educational systems

Electronic media offer ever

have developed into an

more powerful means to

experience based learning

teach learners and the power

process wherein the learner

of this media has to be

is exposed to unique real-

harnessed by a sound learning

life circumstances by the

design.

Cognition: In science, cognition: refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, memory, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The e-Learning experience should be as rich as, if not richer than, the traditional educational experience.â&#x20AC;?

Electronic learning Distance education or

being called “technology-

product.

distance learning have

supported-learning” to

become more and more

“e-learning”. Today it enables

prevalent in today’s time and

sharing and managing of

yet with the introduction of

knowledge and skills of the

Simulations in e-learning process

electronic learning, it has

professionals who work in

For several years,

taken a whole new meaning

colleges and universities, and

simulation has played an

to it. With e-learning the

to get the right information to

important role in the training

possibilities of a learner

the right people, when and

activities of sectors like

acquiring knowledge and

how they need it.

the defence, aviation and

information, at his or her

In recent years there has

aeronautical industries in

own pace opened a whole

been several developments

several countries. They were

new world or knowledge

in this field. There are various

not adopted until now on a

transfer. In the course of

parameters in e-learning

large scale as learning tools

time terminology has been

which is emphasized on while

due to some factors like

changing and it went from

developing an e-learning

the cost of development

Simulation: Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. The act of simulating something first requires that a model be developed; this model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected physical or abstract system or process.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Simulations and Visualization tools make it possible for students to bridge experience and abstraction helping to deepen understanding of ambiguous or challenging content.â&#x20AC;? (WBEC 2000)

and the lack of tools for

and receive feedback as a

direction include the diversity

developing high quality

result of their actions. There

in the user group participating

simulations. These days we

are great benefits to the

in learning activities which

are in a different situation and

learner if a static image such

is intensified by the gradual

simulations are being adopted

as a diagram in a text book is

attainment of life-long learning

in other industries and for

replaced with a simulation.

practices, the diversity in the

a broad range of skills and

access media and modalities

are continuing to shrink,

Adaptive Learning Environments (ALEs)

opening up the potential for

In the recent years there is

An adaptive learning

wider adoption of simulation

an increasingly heightened

environment is capable of

technology.

awareness of the potential

monitoring the activities of

Simulations and modelling

benefits of adapting in

its users and interpreting

tools are the best examples

e-Learning. This is happening

these on the basis of

of complex, meaningful

because the ideal of

domain-specific models. It

interactivity. Such applications

individualized learning (i.e.,

infers to user requirements

model a real or theoretical

learning suited to the specific

and preferences out of the

system, allowing users to

requirements and preferences

interpreted activities and

manipulate input variables to

of the individual) cannot

appropriately represents

change the system behaviour

be achieved, especially at

these in associated models.

and view the results. With

a â&#x20AC;&#x153;massiveâ&#x20AC;? scale, using

Finally it acts upon the

competence development. Technology and cost barriers

that one can effectively utilize today diversity in the context of use of such technologies.

such applications, learners can traditional approaches. Factors available knowledge on its construct and test hypotheses that further contribute in this

users and the subject matter

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Interactivity results in deeper learning because learners can hypothesise to test their understanding, learn by mistakes and make sense of the unexpected.â&#x20AC;?

at hand, to dynamically

of alternative graphical or

that constitutes the most

facilitate the learning process.

color schemes, font sizes,

common and widely used

Adaptive behavior on the part

etc., to accommodate user

collection of adaptation

of a learning environment can

preferences, requirements

techniques applied in learning

have several outcomes:

or (dis-) abilities at the

environments today. The

• Adaptive Interaction that

lexical (or physical) level of

term is specifically used

refers to adaptations that

interaction. The reorganization

to refer to adaptations

take place at the system’s

or restructuring of interactive

that are intended to tailor

interface and are intended to

tasks at the syntactic

a course to the individual

facilitate or support the user’s

level of interaction and

learner. The intention

interaction with the system,

the adoption of alternative

is to optimize the “fit”

without, however, modifying

interaction metaphors at the

between course contents

in any way the learning

semantic level of interaction

and user characteristics or

“content” itself. Examples

is also referred to adaptive

requirements, so that the

of adaptations at this level

interaction.

“optimal” learning result is

include: the employment

• Adaptive Course Delivery

obtained, while the time and

Syntactic: of or pertaining to syntax.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Combining the interactive, exploratory nature of simulations with the diagnostic opportunities of assessment has great potential to enrich the learning experience.â&#x20AC;?

interactions expended on a course are brought we are moving away from “isolationist” to a “minimum”.

approaches to learning, which goes

• Content Discovery and Assembly refers to

against what modern learning theory

the application of adaptive techniques in the

increasingly emphasizes on: the importance

discovery and assembly of learning material

of collaboration, cooperative learning,

like “content” from potentially distributed

communities of learners, social negotiation,

sources or repositories. The adaptive

and apprenticeship in learning.

component of this process lies with the

One of the problems regarding the adaptive

utilization of adaptation-oriented models and

learning environments now is that existing

knowledge about users typically derived from

standards do have some provisions for

monitoring.

adaptation, but require substantial extensions

• Adaptive Collaboration Support is intended

to accommodate common practice in ALEs.

to capture adaptive support in learning

The motivation for seeking standardization in

processes that involve communication

adaptive e-Learning is directly linked to cost

between multiple persons and collaboration

factors related to the development of ALEs

towards common objectives. This is an

and adaptive courses.

important dimension to be considered as

Isolationist: an advocate of isolationism in international affairs. Isolationism is a policy of national isolation by abstention from alliances and other international political and economic relations

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Compliance with developing standards that allow the content developer to mark up and categorise learning content is important to ensure interoperability, reusability and portability.â&#x20AC;?

Standard development clubs disparate

• Affordability: the ability to increase efficiency

groups and interests in the distributed

and productivity by reducing the time and

learning community. The motive behind

costs involved in delivering instruction.

it is to coordinate emerging technologies

• Durability: the ability to withstand technology

and capabilities with commercial or public

evolution and changes without costly

implementations. Standard development

redesign, reconfiguration or recoding.

clubs disparate groups and interests in

• Interoperability: the ability to take instructional

the distributed learning community. The

components developed in one location with one

motive behind it is to coordinate emerging

set of tools or platform and use them in another

technologies and capabilities with commercial

location with a different set of tools or platform.

or public implementations.

• Reusability: the flexibility to incorporate

In order to stimulate industry agreement

instructional components in multiple applications

some high-level requirements are established

and contexts.

for the development of the e-learning

Probably standards and specifications (such as

environments. The requirements are:

IEEE LOM, SCORM and more recently IMS

• Accessibility: the ability to locate and access

specifications such as IMS LD, IMS LIP and

instructional components from one remote

IMS QTI) will successfully evolve and become

location and deliver them to many other

flexible enough to allow for the integration

locations.

of real time learning processes, simulations,

• Adaptability: the ability to tailor instruction to

games, customized adaptive learning, digital

individual and organizational needs.

rights management in the future.

IEEE LOM : Learning Object Metadata is a data model, usually encoded in XML, used to describe a learning object and similar digital resources used to support learning.

Colour Theory Colour theory encompasses

A colour circle, based on red,

In visual experiences,

a multitude of definitions,

yellow and blue, is traditional

harmony is something

concepts and design

in the field of art. Sir Isaac

that is pleasing to the eye.

applications - enough to

Newton developed the first

It engages the viewer

fill several encyclopedias.

circular diagram of colours in

and it creates an inner

However, there are three

1666. Since then, scientists

sense of order, a balance

basic categories of colour

and artists have studied and

in the visual experience.

theory that are logical and

designed numerous variations

When something is not

useful: The colour wheel,

of this concept. Differences

harmonious, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s either boring

colour harmony, and the

of opinion about the validity

or chaotic. At one extreme

context of how colours are

of one format over another

is a visual experience that

used.

continue to provoke debate.

is so bland that the viewer

Colour theories create a

In reality, any colour circle or

is not engaged. The human

logical structure for colour.

colour wheel, which presents

brain will reject under-

For example, if we have an

a logically arranged sequence

stimulating information.

assortment of fruits and

of pure hues, has merit.

At the other extreme is a

vegetables, we can organize

Harmony can be defined

visual experience that is so

them by colour and place

as a pleasing arrangement

overdone, so chaotic that the

them on a circle that shows

of parts, whether it is

viewer canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stand to look at

the colours in relation to each

music, poetry, colour, or

it. The human brain rejects

other.

even an ice cream sundae.

what it cannot organize,

what it cannot understand.

other times due to cultural

happy and uplifting in one

The visual task requires

background. Colour theory is

country can be depressing in

that we present a logical

a science in itself. Studying

another.

structure.

how colours affect different

Partial sight, aging and

Colour harmony delivers

people, either individually

congenital colour deficits

visual interest and a sense

or as a group, is something

all produce changes in

of order. Extreme unity

some people build their

perception that reduce

leads to under-stimulation,

careers on. And thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot

the visual effectiveness of

extreme complexity leads to

to it. Something as simple

certain colour combinations.

over-stimulation and harmony

as changing the exact hue

Two colours that contrast

maintains the dynamic

or saturation of a colour can

sharply to someone with

equilibrium between the two

evoke a completely different

normal vision may be far less

conditions.

feeling. Cultural differences

distinguishable to someone

Colour in design is very

mean that something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

with a visual disorder. It is

subjective. What evokes

important to appreciate that it

one reaction in one person

is the contrast of colours one

may evoke a very different

against another that makes

reaction in someone else.

them more or less discernible

Sometimes this is due to

rather than the individual

personal preference, and

colours themselves.

8% of Caucasian men are colour blind. 1% red blind (protanope) dichromat + 1.1% green blind (deuteranope) dichromat + 1% red-insensitive (protanomolous) trichromats + 4.9% green-insensitive (deuteranomolous) trichromats + 0.003% men are totally colorblind

Visual perception disorder We perceive colour through

cones causes such colour

photosensitive cells in the

blindness.

eye, the rods and cones.

Eight percent of Caucasian

The cones normally contain

men are colour blind.

pigments ordered to receive

lightness.

This is made up of 1%

wavelengths in three parts of

The brain processes the

red-blind (protanope)

the visible spectrum.

wavelengths received by the

and 1.1% green- blind

This gives us trichromatic

eyes into colours.

(deuteranope) dichromats;

vision. They can be referred

In a person who has one of

1% red-insensitive

to as Red, Green and Blue,

the pigments is missing, is

(protanomolous) trichromats,

although r (rho), g (gamma)

a dichromat. This is usually

and 4.9% green-insensi-

and b (beta) are sometimes

red or green, although

tive (deuteranomolous)

used to avoid confusion with

sometimes blue. A quarter

trichromats. Only 0.002%

the common understanding of of colourblind people are

of men are blue-blind

the colour names.

dichromats. For the other

(tritanopiaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;tritanomalous

The wavelengths given are

three-quarters, either the red-

conditions are not known)

for peak receptivity, although

sensitive cones have had their

and 0.003% of men are

they also receive light spread

tuning shifted towards the

totally colour blind. [citation:

100 nm or more either side

green part of the spectrum,

British Telecommunications

of the peak, to a diminishing

or the green peak is shifted

Engineering, Vol. 17, Jan. 1999]

extent. Rods receive light at

towards the red wavelengths.

around 500 nm, but only as

The shift in sensitivity to the

ic al or et

Ap pr oa

at iz io

Practical

Theories of Learning

Content

Script

Data Gathering

Graphics

Digital media Electronic Learning

{

}

Wire Framing

Screen Design

TOC

COLOURS

ra p

Ty p

Analysis

tio

Character + Storyline

Target Validation

tra us

Ill

Survey

UC D

Th e

al su Vi

gn si De

Development

Research

Modification

t ec Eff

d un

im at io n

EDITING

Script validation

Testing Monitoring

VOICE OVER

User Feedback

RUN

DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR EDUCATIONAL COURSE 54

Methodology and Management Ideation to Development The design process involved

the product as accessible,

visually impaired and blind

in developing the envisioned

efficient and effective as it

target audience and works

product (which is an e-learning could get, for the viewer.

across interfaces, especially

course that inclusively caters

Once the data gathering

in tablets and smart phones.

to the visually impaired)

process was complete, the

To check the relevance of

a User-Centered Design

course was planned based

such product attributes,

approach was adopted. Since

on the instructional design

a thorough user specific

the target audience was very

guidelines.

research has been carried

specific, a thorough research

The product was envisioned

out in the nascent state of

and user specific analysis

by the company Enabling

the project. The content is

was carried out to understand

Dimensions as an e-learning

based on management skill

the behavior and needs of

course that would impart soft

that focuses on the topic of

the users. This approach

skills to the people working

Delegation. The project was

made it a very structured

in management services

termed as e-learning for New

and organized way to carry

or the newly appointed

Managers (ELNM).

out the research, connect

managers. The USP of this

to our target audience,

e-learning course is that

fulfil their needs, and make

it inclusively caters to the

Design Strategy Task Scenarios

Profiles Information Architecture Primary Nouns

Data Gathering

UCD User Centered Design Research & Analysis User-centered analysis

capturing requirements from

design process. User-centered

provides the basis for

the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective. The

design can be characterized

designing software that

user interface conceptual

as a multi-stage problem

makes sense to the users.

model needs to match the

solving process that not only

User-centered design (UCD)

userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental model in order

requires designers to analyse

is an approach for employing

to be effective and efficient.

and foresee how users are

usability. It employs proven

In broad terms, user-centered

likely to use a product, but

and objective data gathering

design (UCD) is a design

also to test the validity of their

and analysis techniques to

philosophy and a process in

assumptions with regards to

develop a clear understanding

which the needs, wants, and

user behaviour in real world.

of who the users are and

limitations of end users of a

User-Centered Analysis

how will they approach an

product are given extensive

is carried out in the steps

application. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a process of

attention at each stage of the

discussed further.

Strategy #1 _to impart softskills to a target group of young managers

Design Strategy development It fosters cross department

Business goals of the team

and impart knowledge as

communication by pulling

are the most important

conventional as management

together all the goals

factors kept in mind while

skills in a fun and quirky way.

for everyone to see. It

designing the strategy. It not

documents consistencies

only covers the financial goals

Target audience needs to

and inconsistencies,

but also the objectives and of

be studied and validated.

allowing priorities, scope and

the project. The primary goals

The primary target users

objectives to be discussed.

set for elNM was to impart

need to be determined to

It helps to specify the

soft skills to a target audience

design an interface that work

description of the problem

of young managers around

out most efficiently. In this

and define a solution by

the age of 25 to 35 and to a

project the primary target is

critical aspects of the

target audience of visually

the group of people working

solution. Design strategy

impaired and blind working in

in management services

usually includes the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

management services. The

and young managers who

point of view, and concerns,

strategy was to develop an

has just been promoted to

so it communicates a positive

interface, which is convenient

a higher post. The product

message by valuing and

for them to use and content,

inclusively caters to the

trusting previous work and

which is accessible to all

visually impaired community.

working as efficiently as

the categories of target

Considering the limitations

possible.

audience. The challenge

of people with visual

There are various components was to create an interesting

impairment, to develop an

considered while framing a

application, which would cater

interface for them becomes

design strategy:

to the younger generation

more and more challenging;

Strategy #2 _to inclusively cater to the visually impaired

therefore this community

course must include stories

constitutes a significant part

and problem solving cues.

of our target research.

It also needs to be trend sensitive and appealing to

General tasks the users

the newer generation since

are expected to accomplish

it is catering to the young

to acquire knowledge out

managers of the age group

of the course and tasks the

25 to 35. Response to the

designers need to be keep in

existing e-learning course

mind to convey the message

gives a new direction to

in best possible way, needs

the features that needs to

to be specified. It has to be

be incorporated and this is

accessible to the visually

achieved by surveys and case

impaired. The accessibility

studies.

should be designed categorically, i.e; content

Technological constraints.

development based on the IQ

While framing the design

level of the audience, content

strategy one must keep the

development based on the

technological constraints in

usability of the audience. The

mind. ElNM is envisioned

Strategy #3 _to position it as a cross-interface application and to strategically publish it in an online community

to be an application that

group. A very small portion of

all geographic markets and

runs across interfaces in

this user group was exposed

businesses. The essence of

that of tablets and smart

to tablets, although they

the interface should be such

phones. Regarding user

had an expertise in handling

as a tool that occupies a

groups like the visually

interfaces of that of a phone

distinctive place and value in

impaired and blind, there

and computer.

the target customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind.

are several limitations and

Last but not the least, it

constraints which one needs

The marketing and branding should be unique, appropriate

to overcome while developing

goals are set at this stage

the interface. Its done either

based on the values and the

by providing alternatives for

personality to be projected.

The critical success factor is

it or by solving the problem

It should be positioned in

one of the key outcomes that

itself. The biggest limitation

the market in such a way

one must meet in order to

of this user group is that they

that it reaches the young and

succeed. The e-learning course

access any from of digital

new managers as a handy

being one of those that serves

interface mostly through the

tool to learn soft skills. The

people with developmental

medium of sound and tactile.

branding needs to have the

disorder is a step towards

To achieve a tactile sensory

fun and flexible aspect of it

a humanitarian cause and a

system for the user in a touch

as an educational application.

strong communication design

pad or a tablet is challenging

It should be strategically

initiative. It needs to be

and needs additional features

published in the CMS or LMS

flexible in terms of its function

and original.

involved with the interface like and online communities.

as well as visual appeal. It

a sound based key function

Introducing it to the libraries

needs to be unique, smart

or an external keyboard to go

of Blind schools and Blind

and youth oriented in terms

with it. The next technological

Relief Association is also

of colour palette, graphics and

constraint was the narrow

another marketing strategy

usability features.

penetration of tablets (i-pad)

that could be adopted. It

in the visually impaired target

should be appropriate to

Who are we? What do we want?

Profiles and Personas Profile describes a section

personas, leads to tougher

handled by them.

of your user audience based

design challenges.

PROFILE 3 Workers and

on characteristics. It clarifies

For the elNM course,

associates of the blind

assumptions about users

the sample of profiles

school who has had some

and their tasks. It highlights

and personas taken into

experience of working

the aspects of user group

consideration during the

in management service

that influence design and

survey was classified by the

themselves.

provide means to document

age and experience.

PROFILE 4 Sighted

the rationale for early design

PROFILE 1 Students of the

managers of a very young

decisions. This helps in

Blind school who are capable

age group

prioritizing user groups out of

of joining management

PROFILE 5 Sighted

the target audience. There are

services in future.

managers who have been in

various design implications

PROFILE 2 Teachers who are

the service for long

associated with each user

experienced with handling

group, focusing on many

blind and visually impaired and

user profile, task profile,

have a clear understanding

environment profiles and

of the tasks and activities

Do they want the product? What does the user want? Will the product work?

Data gathering There are three sets of data

Field studies, in the form

consuming, rating scale

gathering process

of interviews and user

questions, help desks and

Direct or Indirect: Direct is

observation yield extremely

support lines, Monitoring

when one obtains information

important data but it has

Bulletin or Discussion

from the actual user and

drawbacks of expense

Boards, Web Analysis

indirect is obtaining data from

and time. Methods that

logs, User organisational

users with no direct contact.

are less time consuming

representatives and Surveys.

Individual or Group: Individual

and expensive are called

is one person at a time and

complementary Data-

Surveys offer fast and

group is more than one

Gathering methods. It is

inexpensive data collection

person being interviewed.

done through focus groups

method with the ability to

Performance or discussions:

where small group of

cast a wide net in less time.

Performances is referred to

participants are made to go

There are three types of

the tasks that is performed

through a set of subjects,

surveys:

in the session whereas

facilitated Workshops or Joint

Marketing survey; Do you

discussions is referred to

Application Development

want this?

the task that are discussed,

(JAD) Sessions, user group

Needs Assessment survey:

recalled, projected. given

meetings or usability

What do you want?

opinions about etc.

roundtables, indirect methods

Evaluation survey: Does it

Complementary Data-

for collecting data which

work?

Gathering methods:

is less expensive and time

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY 1//// Questionnaire for PROFILE 1: Students 1.What do you think are soft skills 2. Are you aspiring to be a manager? What do you think a managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skills should be? 3.Can you tell me your view on what is delegation? 4.What do you think is effective communication? 5.Is effective communication needed during delegation? 6.How do you delegate/give work just now to your subordinates? 7.Do you ever face a challenge where a person does not know how to do the task you have assigned to them? 8.What is effective communication? 9.Currently, how do you delegate your work? 10. Do you access any online training? If yes, what kind of trainings? If no, is there any specific reason why? 11. Do you go for any training? If yes, what trainings have you gone for. If no, is there any specific reason why? 12. Have you ever tried working on an iPad, if yes, can you share the experience. If no, what do you think are its challenges? 13. If you could get a tablet would you like to own one? 14. What would you do with it?

Questionnaire

The questionnaire was

for this project comprises

of management skills, their

designed according to the

of basic information about

opinion and understanding

nitty-gritty of the information

the individual, demographic

on electronic education and

required to design an interface

data, their insight on the

penetration of new media in

for the specific user group.

topic of content, factors

their environment.

The framework of the

that motivate them, their

questionnaires designed

opinion and understanding

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY 2//// Questionnaire for PROFILE 2: Teachers 1. What are the age groups you are in charge of? 2. Which category of visually impaired do they belong to? 3. How do they handle their daily tasks? Are their any set rules, which they follow to get their work done? 4. How much time do they take to understand their task? 5.What motivates them to carry out their task most effectively? 6. Do they enjoy working on computers and phones or any kind of digital media more than textbook and classroom lectures? 7. How fast can they complete their task in computers or any other digital media? 8. How fast can they learn to use a digital medium? 9. How long does it take them to remember how to use it? 10. Are your students exposed to tablets and phones? 11. Are they/Do you think they could be, comfortable with such interfaces? 12. How long does it take them to learn how to run digital interfaces effectively? 13. What are the problems they face while handling their tasks in the college? 14. Is it necessary for the visually impaired to acquire management skills like delegation, team spirit, time management, Interpersonal skills etc.? 15. Do they seem to have the sense of managing and organizing their work by themselves? 16. Are they efficient at decision-making? 17. Is there any student in your class who aspires to be a manager in future?

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY 3//// Questionnaire for PROFILE 3: Workers and Associates 1. What do you mean by management? 2. What motivates you to your goal? 3. What is the role of effective communication in Management? How as a manager do you achieve it? 4. Do you delegate work to other team members as a part of your role? 5. Are your team members happy to take on the work? 6. Is the work done to your satisfaction? 7.Do you feel the work would be done better if you did it yourself? 8. What is your biggest worry while delegating work to someone? 9. Have you ever been given work that your manager should be doing himself or herself? What was your reaction? 10. Have you had a bad experience delegating work? 11. Do you delegate to some members of your team more regularly than others? 12. What qualities do you look for in a person before deciding to delegate work to them? 13. Do you feel “loss of control” over the result when you delegate an activity? 14. Do you think management skills are necessary for daily life activities? How? 15. Being a manager do you follow management skills at home and in your daily life? Give an example in a line or two.’’’ 16. Are you aware of e-learning courses? 17. Have you ever taken any e-learning course? How far has it been effective to you? 18. What do you think are the drawbacks of e-learning? 19. What are the qualities you look for in an educational course? Rank them according to your priorities?

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY 4//// Questionnaire for PROFILE 4: Sighted Managers 1.Do you delegate work to other team members as a part of your role? 2.Are your team members happy to take on the work? 3.Is the work done to your satisfaction? 4.Do you feel the work would be done better if you did it yourself? 5.What is your biggest worry while delegating work to someone? 6.Have you ever been given work that your manager should be doing himself or herself? What was your reaction? 7.Have you had a bad experience delegating work? 8.Do you delegate to some members of your team more regularly than others? 9.What qualities do you look for in a person before deciding to delegate work to them? 10.Do you feel â&#x20AC;&#x153;loss of controlâ&#x20AC;? over the result when you delegate an activity? 11.Do you think management skills are necessary for daily life activities? How? 12. Being a manager do you follow management skills at home and in your daily life? Give an example in a line or two. 13.Are you aware of e-learning courses? 14.Have you ever taken any e-learning courses? How far has it been effective to you? 15.What do you think are the drawbacks of e-learning?

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 1//// Average response for PROFILE 1: Students 1.What do you think are soft skills? No idea. (After explanation) Yes. Soft skills are very necessary. We learn how to communicate in a proper way through emails and phones. We do team works, teacher divides us into teams and we work together. 2.Are you aspiring to be a manager? What do you think a manager’s skills should be? Haven’t though of it yet. We don’t have any aim as of now. I want to be a manager (someone shouts) 3. Can you tell me your view on what is delegation? (After explanation) When we are working as a group on one project we divide the work. We do delegate work. We once got a topic of food to write about so we all divided the various food items of India (e.g.: south Indian food, street food etc) and each of us did a research on the specific food item delegated to us and wrote about it later. 4. What do you think is effective communication? To know when to speak and what to speak. 5. Is effective communication needed during delegation? Yes. 6. How do you delegate/give work just now to your subordinates? They help us with work when we can’t and we help them they can’t. 7. Do you ever face a challenge where a person does not know how to do the task you have assigned to them? We get very annoyed. But we try to help them. 8. Currently, how do you delegate your work? There are certain ways of doing it. Whenever we need help we seek. 9. Do you access any online training? If yes, what kind of trainings? If no, is there any specific reason why? Electronic learning. We have heard of it. But not taken any course as such. Not yet. 10. Do you go for any training? If yes, what trainings have you gone for. If no, is there any specific reason why? Yes. Computer training. Whatever else they teach us here. 11. Have you ever tried working on an iPad, if yes, can you share the experience. If no, what do you think are its challenges? Akash tablet? They don’t have jaws in it. 12. If you could get a tablet would you like to own one? Yes, if it has a screen reader. 13. What would you do with it? Use it for entertainment and education.

SURVEY REPORTS These surveys were carried

located in R.K Puram and

The general surveys were

out in several Blind Schools

National Association for the

carried out in the office and

in Delhi, notably Blind

Blind (Women) located in Hauz

within reach.

Relief Association located

Khas. These surveys were done

in Nizamuddin, National

in the form of a one-to-one

Association for the Blind,

discussions.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 1//// Demographic data (Interviewee) Student: NAB Centre For blind Women & Disability Studies, L 25, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi 110016 Name: Gunjan Singh (Visually Impaired) Age: 26 Education: M.A 1.What do you think are soft skills? Communicating with ease and in a pleasant manner, explaining others about your mind and whatever you wish them to reciprocate to your plans. Professionally it assists to accomplish the aimed goals of any person or entity. 2.Are you aspiring to be a manager? What do you think a manager’s skills should be like? Yes planning. It should be intrusting the jobs to one’s juniors at work fronts by the means of both soft skills and the technical tact. Extracting most of the work within the exact time period and human resources and other resources with an efficient cool natured behavior without creating any tension in the organization or amongst the workers is the manager’s job for the up-hold of any institution. He not only extracts the work but also portrays the entity’s reputation with the apt productive ability to its leads. 3.Can you tell me your view on what is delegation? Its assigning the job to the subordinates in such a manner that the manager gets the work done within the time limit and from the given manpower and with the actual expected results for the productivity and positive reputation of the company. 4.What do you think is effective communication? Communicating in simple language that could be understood whom one is comunicating to. disabled employees should be in this case as many of them either can’t see or hear. So vigilant to follow the tricks to make the person infront

by the person taken care of one should be understand

whatever one desires to explain. And also its necessary to make sure if the person one is communicating has understood one’s shared ideas by his/her communication methods or not, if he/she doesn’t understands, one should change the manner of communicating ,should find out where and how is the communication lacking behind and how could it be successfully taken to everyone’s minds. 5. Is effective communication needed during delegation? surely it’s the must as the communication is the key to proceedings toward success. One should take care to communicate in simply understandable language (speech/sign languages).if the juniors haven’t understood it might prove that they wouldn’t come up with your asked goals. So make sure that communication is fluent and easy with cleared thoughts in it so that it could be comfortably absorbed by all the subordinates. 6. How do you delegate/give work just now to your subordinates? As mentioned earlier, I communicate in the speech,meetings,phone calls to them and ask them to do whatever I want them to do and keep a watch over the project till the end of the aimed goal is achieved. 7. Do you ever face a challenge where a person does not know how to do the task you have assigned to them? no 8. Currently, how do you delegate your work? Already replied. 9. Do you access any online training? If yes, what kind of trainings? If no, is there any specific reason why? Yes, had attended trainings for software /hardware management and language related trainings.. 10. Do you go for any training? If yes, what trainings have you gone for. If no, is there any specific reason why? did go for rehabilitation for blinds. 11. Have you ever tried working on an iPad, if yes, can you share the experience. If no, what do you think are its challenges? Haven’t yet. Challenges are that the key pad seems to be smaller. And since am a blind person couldn’t access to each of the key as easily as I do on my notebook’s keyboard. 12. If you could get a tablet would you like to own one? Yes, small though but it would gradually make transporting of the data carried anywhere by me easily without much of the weight. Being a blind I have to think of carrying something that’s light weight and easy to access. 13. What would you do with it? Would firstly would get comfortable with the little keyboard of it. And then it’s easy to work on it too as the work method would be similar to working on a note-book. Browsing internet,storing the books,recording some lessons and making voice conferences to attend some online trainings, downloading/uploading the material on internet and last but not the least, social networking!

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 2//// Demographic data (Interviewee) Name: Chitra Garg Age: 40 Work profile: coordinator of Preparatory Unit (NAB, R.K.Puram) 1. What are the age groups you are in charge of? 4 to 6 2. Which category of visually impaired do they belong to? Low vision & totally blind. 3. How do they handle their daily tasks? Are their any set rules, which they follow to get their work done? Preparatory unit takes care of the students who have just joined the school. They are mostly from a poor background and are not used to a good standard of living. Computers are beyond their imagination at this point. They are taught basic things like classroom etiquettes, cleanliness, etc. For them, everything needs to be supervised and taught to them starting from how to clean themselves, how to dress up, how to navigate through a space to basic etiquettes of human life and because of this they need to follow a standard routine everyday. Each supervisor is delegated with a task of getting him or her ready for their class so the kids maintain their routine by being there on time. They are also taught basic communication skills. At this age, they are introduced to braille and colours and shapes (for those with low vision) 4. How much time do they take to understand their task? They are fast learners. 5.What motivates them to carry out their task most effectively? The hope of being able to express their ideas and thoughts to people and doing something that would make their parents proud of. 6. Do they enjoy working on computers and phones or any kind of digital media more than textbook and classroom lectures? They know about computers but havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t started learning yet.They will do that as they grow up. 7. How fast can they complete their task in computers or any other digital media? Some are reasonably good and using phones comfortable.. 8. How fast can they learn to use a digital medium? Reasonably quick. 9. How long does it take them to remember how to use it? As long as they are using it. 10. Are your students exposed to tablets and phones? They can handle phones very well. You will find 4 yr old kids handling phones without difficulties. They are not exposed to tablets yet.

11. Are they/Do you think they could be, comfortable with such interfaces? Yes. Once they are old enough and comfortable enough. 12. How long does it take them to learn how to run digital interfaces effectively? They are quick with phones. I don’t know about other interfaces. 13. What are the problems they face while handling their tasks in the college? They are accustomed to sound based learning, sometimes they have problems in learning when the teacher doesn’t speak clearly and at a pace they are comfortable with. 14. Is it necessary for the visually impaired to acquire management skills like delegation, team spirit, time management, Interpersonal skills etc.? Yes. It is. 15. Do they seem to have the sense of managing and organizing their work by themselves? They learn it by age. 16. Are they efficient at decision-making? Not right now. 17. Is there any student in your class who aspires to be a manager in future? No idea. Its hard to tell at this stage. I’m assuming they will because some students our school have joined management services.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 2//// Demographic data (Interviewee) Name: Waseem Age: 25 Work profile: Computer trainer Education: Management from Delhi University & IGNOU Experience: 4yrs in NAB

1. What are the age groups you are in charge of? 15 to 25 and 50 to 60. 2. Which category of visually impaired do they belong to? Low vision, totally blind. 3. How do they handle their daily tasks? Are their any set rules, which they follow to get their work done? According to time tables and syllabus. We plan out the course and work as planned. The students follow he timetable too. 4. How much time do they take to understand their task? They are quick at understanding. 5.What motivates them to carry out their task most effectively? We make them understand how computers are the easiest way for them to interact with the normal world, otherwise there is no other way for them to do so. They can share their ideas to the society and learn how to read and write like the way others do. 76

6. Do they enjoy working on computers and phones or any kind of digital media more than textbook and classroom lectures? Yes. Computers. They get bored with theoretical studies. We need to give them some theoretical lessons but we try to keep it very interesting otherwise they lose interest. 7. How fast can they complete their task in computers or any other digital media? They are quite fast with computers 8. How fast can they learn to use a digital medium? They pick up very fast. Some are a little slow but their batch mates help them learn. 9. How long does it take them to remember how to use it? As long as they use it. 10. Are your students exposed to tablets and phones? Some of the low vision students can use it., which is very few here. But mostly they use laptop and computers. 11. Are they/Do you think they could be, comfortable with such interfaces? If there is a small USB keyboard with the tablets, they can use it. 12. How long does it take them to learn how to run digital interfaces effectively? They are quick with phones. They learn it themselves. 13. What are the problems they face while handling their tasks in the college? The main problem that the students face while using such digital interfaces is with the Graphical User Interface. Sometimes with complicated graphical user interface the screen reader is unable to read the whole screen and it breaks the flow of audible information for the totally blind students. E.g: The clip arts in MS Word canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be read out by the screen reader. In the beginning they also take time to get used to the accent of the voice. They are used to American accent here. 14. Is it necessary for the visually impaired to acquire management skills like delegation, team spirit, time management, Interpersonal skills etc.? Yes. It is. 15. Do they seem to have the sense of managing and organizing their work by themselves? Yes. 16. Are they efficient at decision-making? They use their own idea. They solve mathematical concept using their own logic. They use their logic to solve problems in daily life as well 17. Is there any student in your class who aspires to be a manager in future? Yes. I am sure somebody would.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 2//// Demographic data (Interviewee) Name: Rajpal Age: 36 Work profile: Teacher Roles & responsibilities: Computer training to the students Experience: Also gives online tutorials to the blind.

1. What are the age groups you are in charge of? 2 categories: 1 batch of school students and 3 batches of trainees (undergraduate) every year. 2. Which category of visually impaired do they belong to? Blind and low vision 3. How do they handle their daily tasks? Are their any set rules, which they follow to get their work done? They don’t have any set rules but they maintain timetables for their exam preparation and homework. 4. How much time do they take to understand their task? They are reasonably good at understanding. 5. What motivates them to carry out their task most effectively? No idea. 6. Do they enjoy working on computers and phones or any kind of digital media more than textbook and classroom lectures? They enjoy computers more. Reasons: the main medium they communicate through is by sound so it is more comfortable to use computers. Books are more time consuming and some kids lose interest in them. One student says: “Computers are not available to many so it is very difficult to compare. Regarding phones we only use it for communication and tablets we haven’t used any yet.” 7. How fast can they complete their task in computers or any other digital media? Reasonably good….they were introduced to Skype yesterday…by today they can already communicate set their profile and do a video chat with their friends. 8. How fast can they learn to use a digital medium? Same 9. How long does it take them to remember how to use it? Depends on the amount of time they use it. 10. Are your students exposed to tablets and phones? No. They know about androids and I phones. 1/ 7 students know about it. 11. Are they/Do you think they could be, comfortable with such interfaces? Yes 12. How long does it take them to remember how to run digital interfaces effectively? No idea.

13. What are the problems they face while handling their tasks in the college? No idea. 14. Is it necessary for the visually impaired to acquire management skills like delegation, team spirit, time management, Interpersonal skills etc.? Yes 15. Do they seem to have the sense of managing and organizing their work themselves? In some ways, yes. 16. Are they efficient at decision -making? They consult their teachers or seniors or friends before making decisions. 17. Is there any student in your class who aspires to be a manager in future? No idea. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what they want to be. There is not much scope for them in the future as much as normal people do, so they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fix a goal and leave behind other activities that are not prior to the goal.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 2//// Demographic data (Interviewee) Name: Ms.Ajanta Pokhrel (Visually Impaired) Age: 30 Education: BA pass Work profile: Computer/English Teacher Roles & responsibilities: To train Visually Impaired students in computers and to help students in their college admissions, to teach perfect English to students so that they can compete with the non-disable people to improve their status in the society. Experience: 9 years 1. What are the age groups you are in charge of? 5-25 years 2. Which category of visually impaired do they belong to? Totally/Partially blind 3. How do they handle their daily tasks? Are their any set rules, which they follow to get their work done? Through Braille 4. How much time do they take to understand their task? Depends on their capability 5. What motivates them to carry out their task most effectively? Computer, encouragement by teachers 6. Do they enjoy working on computers and phones or any kind of digital media more than textbook and classroom lectures? Yes , they find it more interactive.

7. How fast can they complete their task in computers or any other digital media? Speed of completing tasks on the computer is faster than that in Braille. 8. How fast can they learn to use a digital medium? Students with good technological knowledge learn faster otherwise they take time. 9. How long does it take them to remember how to use it? Depends on the student. 10. Are your students exposed to tablets and phones? Not tablets but phones only. 11. Are they/Do you think they could be, comfortable with such interfaces? Yes 12. How long does it take them to learn how to run digital interfaces effectively? Normally it is about 6 months. 13. What are the problems they face while handling their tasks in the college? Due to lack of good knowledge of English they are not able to communicate properly and they do not get reader or Writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facility easily due to which they submit their assignments late. 14. Is it necessary for the visually impaired to acquire management skills like delegation, team spirit, time management, Interpersonal skills etc.? Yes, it is necessary. 15. Do they seem to have the sense of managing and organizing their work by themselves? Yes, atleast they put their best in doing so. 16. Are they efficient at decision-making? Once they come to our institute they are able to do so also. 17. Is there any student in your class who aspires to be a manager in future? Yes, there are many of them.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 2//// Demographic data (Interviewee) Name: Manju Work profile: Asst. Warden Experience: 12 yrs in NAB 1.What are the age groups you are in charge of? 4 to 16 (girls and boys) 2.Which category of visually impaired do they belong to? Low vision, totally blind & sighted. 3. How do they handle their daily tasks? Are their any set rules, which they follow to get their work done? 80

They follow their routines. The juniors have supervisors to guide them. The seniors work on their own. They wash and press their own clothes. They go to the markets for shopping. 4. How much time do they take to understand their task? Depends on people to people. 5. What motivates them to carry out their task most effectively? The hope to learn to live like sighted people. 6. Do they enjoy working on computers and phones or any kind of digital media more than textbook and classroom lectures? Yes. Computers. 7. How fast can they complete their task in computers or any other digital media? Depends. 8. How fast can they learn to use a digital medium? Some are quick at learning and some are not. 9. How long does it take them to remember how to use it? Depends on people 10. Are your students exposed to tablets and phones? Yes. They can operate phones. 11. Are they/Do you think they could be, comfortable with such interfaces? Yes. They are very comfortable with phones, they even carry their own phones. 12. How long does it take them to learn how to run digital interfaces effectively? They are quick with phones. 13. What are the problems they face while handling their tasks in the college? The new students have problems at navigating and coping up with daily work but as they grow up they get used to it. 14. Is it necessary for the visually impaired to acquire management skills like delegation, team spirit, time management, Interpersonal skills etc.? Yes. It is. 15. Do they seem to have the sense of managing and organizing their work by themselves? Yes. They organize their work, follow timetables for their studies. They also clean their rooms and make their beds on time. 16. Are they efficient at decision-making? They decide on their own or ask for help. 17. Is there any student in your class who aspires to be a manager in future? No idea.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 3//// Demographic data (Interviewee) Name: Waseem Age: 25 Work profile: Computer trainer Education: Management from Delhi University & IGNOU Experience: 4yrs in NAB What do you mean by management? Management is that tool by which we can organize your life and make the most out of it. If we don’t manage things we waste a lot of time, so we need to prioritize and set our goals. What motivates you to your goal? I am motivated by the fact that I am blind and yet trying my best to live like a normal man. Being blind should not be a reason for me to give up hope. I should work hard to live in this world. What is the role of effective communication in Management? How as a manager do you achieve it? Effective communication in both non-verbal and verbal form is necessary for us. Do you delegate work to other team members as a part of your role? Communicating to them in an effective way. Are your team members happy to take on the work? Yes. They are very happy. Is the work done to your satisfaction? Yes Do you feel the work would be done better if you did it yourself? Depends. What is your biggest worry while delegating work to someone? We try to do our best in our work but sometimes we are not able to do it so we consult each other and work it out. But sometimes when people still don’t get it, it gets very frustrating. Have you ever been given work that your manager should be doing himself or herself? What was your reaction? Here in the blind school everybody helps each other. Have you had a bad experience delegating work? Can’t remember. Do you delegate to some members of your team more regularly than others? Depends. What qualities do you look for in a person before deciding to delegate work to them. Someone who understands it. Do you feel “loss of control” over the result when you delegate an activity?

Yes Do you think management skills are necessary for daily life activities? How? Yes. Being a manager do you follow management skills at home and in your daily life? Give an example in a line or two. Yes. In NAB itself we use it to plan the course and teach the students. Are you aware of e-learning courses? Yes Have you ever taken any e-learning course? How far has it been effective to you? No What do you think are the drawbacks of e-learning? There aren’t any drawbacks as such. E-learning is a very efficient resource for the visually impaired since it is less time consuming and more comfortable than any print medium. What are the qualities you look for in an educational course? Rank them according to your priorities? (Quality content, cost, accessibility, usability, design, fun elements, interactive, humorous etc.) Cost matters the most for us since we are from poor backgrounds. Secondly the content should be attractive. Not just the design but also the content. It should be interesting. It should have the overall content accessible to the audience at the very first glance so that whoever is taking the course knows what they will learn from it from the very beginning. The structure should be interesting. It should be non-theoretical and should have examples cited accordingly. Language should be simple. Should not have difficult English terms. The sentence structuring should be simple. It should not be very complicated with too much punctuation, students tend to be confused otherwise.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 4//// Do you delegate work to other team members as a part of your role? yes Are your team members happy to take on the work? usually Is the work done to your satisfaction? Most of the time Do you feel the work would be done better if you did it yourself? Sometimes; I usually delegate things that I know I’m not good at or won’t enjoy doing. What is your biggest worry while delegating work to someone? They wouldn’t do it as I well as I would, because either they don’t see

it as a priority, or they don’t understand the issue as well as I do. Have you ever been given work that your manager should be doing himself or herself? What was your reaction? Yes, did it anyway, added it to grouse list. Have you had a bad experience delegating work? Yes; mostly when delegating admin tasks to admin people. They don’t interface as often as they should with technical staff, and so let the ball drop. Do you delegate to some members of your team more regularly than others? yes What qualities do you look for in a person before deciding to delegate work to them? ‘can do’ attitude, intelligence, interest in the task. Do you feel “loss of control” over the result when you delegate an activity? yes Do you think management skills are necessary for daily life activities? How? Yes. Running a house and family is impossible without basic management skills. Being a manager do you follow management skills at home and in your daily life? Give an example in a line or two. Yes; I make lists all the time and tick things off. I delegate the grimier washing to my husband; I plan trips to and from home in consideration of household tasks and purchases needed. Are you aware of e-learning courses? Yes Have you ever taken any e-learning courses? How far has it been effective to you? Haven’t taken any as far as I know or remember. What do you think are the drawbacks of e-learning? Guessing – no colleagues, no peer group. It might be less challenging and less fulfilling without peer group interaction and feedback.

DATA COLLECTION_SURVEY REPORT_PROFILE 4//// Do you delegate work to other team members as a part of your role? Yes. Are your team members happy to take on the work? Only when the work is creative and different. Is the work done to your satisfaction? Most of the times, No.

Do you feel the work would be done better if you did it yourself? You bet! What is your biggest worry while delegating work to someone? If they understand the core concept to begin with. Have you ever been given work that your manager should be doing himself or herself? What was your reaction? A lot of times. I was irritated but you got to do what you got to do. Have you had a bad experience delegating work? A few. Understanding each person’s expertise and finding work that fits the mould is difficult. And often only boring work makes money. Do you delegate to some members of your team more regularly than others? Yes. The smarter ones are chosen for important work. What qualities do you look for in a person before deciding to delegate work to them? They should be quick with the work, should be smart enough to understand in minimal time, should have a good hold on language and last but not the least and should be creative wherever required. Do you feel “loss of control” over the result when you delegate an activity? Yes. Most of the times I do.

Do you think management skills are necessary for daily life activities? How? Absolutely. It all becomes a mess if not managed right. For everything to fall in place, management and planning is a must. Being a manager do you follow management skills at home and in your daily life? Give an example in a line or two. Yes. I follow it for basic things like grocery shopping. Whenever I remember something, I note it down in my mobile’s to do list and then when I go shopping I have the list ready. Are you aware of e-learning courses? Yes. Have you ever taken any e-learning courses? How far has it been effective to you? No. Never taken an e-learning course. What do you think are the drawbacks of e-learning? Can’t comment on that one as I have not experienced it.

Data Analysis

Analysis for the

e-learning but are not exposed application. They believe it

Profile 1

to it yet. They are comfortable

will spare them the time and

The sample of users

with any device or interfaces

effort of attending classes

belonging to this profile is

that have an audio-based

and reading braille and would

mostly students of various

system of delivering

make data transfer and

age groups. The students of

information like screen

sharing easier and portable.

the age groups 10 to 20 have

reader or voice over. They

a fair idea of management

are keen on using tablets in

Analysis for Profile 2

skills and delegations, even

their future and would like to

This survey profile

though not all of them

use it both for education and

comprises of the teachers

are clear about it. Most of

entertainment.

and caretakers, who are

them know what effective

Students of a slightly elder

managing a batch of visually

communication is and how

age group are familiar with

impaired learners.

important it is for them, but

management skills and

The teachers in charge of

they are not sure if they are

are practicing it to some

the younger age groups

practicing it correctly at this

extent. They are familiar with

are involved in constant

stage. These students donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

terms like delegation and

caretaking of the students.

have definite aspirations in life

effective communication. This

These students are at a very

since they want to keep the

sample of users is exposed

acute stage of learning. They

scope of other opportunities

to e-learning and online

are taught with the basics

open for them. 3 out of

educational resources. Some

and supervised for every

10 believe they would join

of them are taking trainings

task. They show a good

management services in

on software and hardware

response to digital mediums

future.

management. This group gave

like phones and music

In this sample of students,

a positive response to this

system. During this stage

most of them have heard of

course being a cross-interface

they develop their sense

of managing time in their

Most of them are exposed

profile is less specific in

daily tasks. The hope being

to tablets and phones. Many

terms of its tasks and

able to express themselves,

of them are aspiring to work

functional needs. They are the

motivates them. These

in a management service.

sighted managers of the age

teachers feel management

These students prefer

group 25 to 35. They already

skills are very necessary for

interactive tutoring rather

have an understanding of

them because, they have a

than theoretical lectures.

management skills. This

very specific way of living and

survey focuses on the

it needs to be very organized

Analysis for Profile 3

problems they face in their

to function efficiently.

The user group under

offices and daily lives while

The teachers managing the

this profile has a clear

delegating work and how

students of an older age group

understanding of

they handle it . For most of

(15 to 20 or 50 to 60), are well

management skills and its

them the biggest worry is

informed about management

significance. What motivates

that the person they delegate

skills. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t teach the

them is the fact that they

the work to might not be as

students officially but try to

are blind and still trying to

efficient at the work as they

introduce basic management

express them. They prefer

themselves are.

skills like teamwork, effective

e-learning because it is less

communication, etc. while

time consuming as compared

assigning classroom activities.

to reading braille and is more

The students of this age group

comfortable in terms of its

enjoy working on computers

audible mode of delivering

and reasonably fast with such

information.

digital interfaces. They are good at decision-making and

Analysis for Profile 4

solving problems logically.

This user group under this

What ?

Why

How ?

Task + Scenarios + Acitivities

Scenarios and Task Analysis Scenario is “a concrete

the task. It helps to get rid of

description of activities

unnecessary steps, redundant no use of heat or any

that the user engages in

activities, bottlenecks,

form of flame), computer

while performing a task,

poor function allocation,

operations etc. They mostly

a description sufficiently

poor distribution of skills,

work in teams where there

detailed so that design

and poor job enrichment.

are sighted people to help

implications can be inferred

Task analysis studies every

them. The activities they

and reasoned about”(JM

aspect of individual tasks

are involved in are usually

Caroll, 1995)

and identifies opportunity

associated with the sense

It focuses on the user’s story

for improvement and has

of touch and hearing and

of what, why, how, where,

implications for navigation.

are devoid of things that can

whom and when? These

It provides a foundation for

pose a threat to them. Their

are used to verify tasks and

screen design. The user

daily tasks are almost similar

communicate the “know

group of visually impaired are

to a sighted man except for

how” to the developers about

involved with various activities the fact that they handle

their users and functions.

like Book binding, candle

Task analysis what a user is

making, electrical assembling, sound and touch. They are

required to do in terms of

Call Centre operations

comfortable with household

actions or cognitive process

involving Computer Telephony

works like cleaning,

to solve the task. It is used

Integration for information

gardening, etc.

to determined the flow of

inquiries, musical training

information and understand

(vocal and instrumental),

the system prevailing within

sports coaching, clay

modelling, cooking (involves

it through the medium of

Primary Nouns are the things users take action on or manipulate. It is a functional necessity.

Primary Nouns

These are the things that

blind are accessibility, which

of the course, mind map,

users manipulate in the

includes, flexible fonts, screen keynotes, close captions,

screen pages. They are

blowup options and keyboard

easy seek bar with pause

related to programming object controls (shortcuts) and voice

and play buttons, smart and

but are not the same. Once

over manipulation for better

collapsible navigation panel

the primary nouns are got

retaining of information and

and help line option.

right, it becomes easier to

handy notes that they could

conceptualize the interface

refer to whenever they have

in terms of navigation model

missed something. The

and wire framing.

primary factors associated

The primary nouns associated

to eLNM in terms of sighted

with visually impaired and

users are at-a-glance view

RESEARCH

Blind School Theoretical

Practical

Human Digital Theories Color Cognition of Media theories learning Experiential Harmony Brain Behavioral Constructivism organisation

Character Script

UCA

colorblindness

DEVELOPMENT

Content

Data gathering

Design strategy

Surveys

Profiles

Target validation

Primary nouns

ELNM ; e-learning for new managers An educational course that imparts soft skills/ management skills to the visually impaired

Design Graphics

Structure Sequencing

Storyline Colour Illustration

Wireframing

Content framing

Screendesign

Script Board

Types of visual impairment Blindness

Low vision

Composition

Information architecture of the steps involved in the process of developing eLNM

Info. Architecture

Task and activities

Visual perception disorder

Information Architecture

The information architecture

intuitive group, prevention of

introduced to before learning

realizes all the individual

distraction during accessing,

something and should be

task flows in the interface.

and the presentation of the

assessed with after learning.

It organizes all the tasks and

content. It also helps to

information into groups and

assign navigational schemes

levels, focusing users on high

to the screens. It is usually

priority tasks. It increases

a flow chart representation

the efficiency of interface

of information arranged in

by facilitating the process

a chronology. I represents

of locating any item via

what the learners should be

Design process involved in e-learning

Electronic learning is not

and soft wares.

for an effective learning.

a new mode of teaching

There are several cases

Some e-learning has proved

anymore. Its plays a vital

of e-learning that have not

a dispiriting experience

role in most of the education

proved itself successful and

for learners, slogging their

and training centres. It is

there is still a lot to develop

way through unattractively

making the lives of people

in such technologies. The

presented content on a

easier enabling them to learn

capacity of electronic media

screen, unsure of where

while they are at work or at

to store and transmit ever

they are going and how

home and at their own free

increasing quantities of

long will it take them to get

time. The rapid growth and

data has been exploited

there, due to the lack of

development of e-learning

but the capacity of these

planning and management

and its cost-effective

media to help people to

of e-learning course. Such

nature is making it meet

communicate with one

courses are derived out of

several corporate demands.

another and share experience,

the needs of the provider

E-learning becomes faster,

has been neglected. The

than the users and are

more reliable, more portable

interaction between a learner

only providing one way

and easier to use with the

and the tutor and between

experience to the learner,

advancement in technologies

themselves is very necessary

which eventually makes

Programme content

Design Learners

Development

Pilot Run

them lose interest on it.

systems, providing clear

compromise with time.

Focus on the user experience

and accurate explanation,

To begin with, a basic

will open up other issues

rendering flexibility, using

analysis on the outline of

and show a new direction

other interesting media in the

the program needs to be

of solving it. Learners have

form of sound or graphics

structured. The programme

problems in the accessibility

and providing a purpose

must evolve around who

of such media, they simply

built environment. Effective

the learners are and what

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the necessary

educational course involves

are they to learn from it. The

hardware or might not be

putting the needs of the

sequencing of the content is

aware of such media.

users at the center of the

the next important objective.

These problems can be

development process. In

How the content can be

avoided by following

recent times, instructional

broken into chunks of easily

a planned process of

designers are adhering more

perceivable data should

developing such courses.

to such process of developing

be another concern. The

Process that involves an

a learning programme, since

learning material needs to be

analysis of user needs,

the learners are getting

determined along with the

defining learning outcomes,

more and more competitive

activities the learner should

designing assessment

and usually donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to

take part in. Learners need

recognition of the learners + tasks they are involved in + their experience and attitude to learning + subjects they associate with

tutorials and teaching support

involved in, their experience

helps generate feedbacks on

to retain information in their

and attitude to learning and

the course developed. The

memory. Who will provide

subjects they associate

last stage involves running

this and by what means? The

with. Once the learners are

the course to monitor it and

developers must understand

defined, the content needs

check its quality assurance

what resources the learners

to be programmed. The

and modify it if necessary.

need to access and how they

design of the interface is the

will do it. The content is the

next most significant step.

most significant portion of

The content is then placed

a course. It is derived from

according to the design and

the resources the developers

layout. At the development

have on the topic of the

stage the learning materials

course.

and content management

The framework for developing

takes place. The course hence

e-learning courses begins

developed is then tested out

with the learners, recognition

with a sample of viewers

of the user, tasks they are

and is termed as â&#x20AC;&#x153;pilotâ&#x20AC;?. Pilot

Characteristics

Learners

Constitution of a learner

100

Context

Learners The learners are given the

learners whom they might

Blind located in Sector-5,

first priority while designing

never see. A thorough user

R.K.Puram and NAB for

an educational course.

study should be made in

women located in Hauz

Usually designers of learning

advance.

Khas. The surveys were

are tempted to start with

ElNM focuses on a target

designed with a user

the content but without the

audience of visually impaired

centered design approach

necessary data on the target

and blind. This brings in a lot

(refer to the Data gathering

audience or the user group its

of scope for user study since

chapter, page ) and based

almost futile to start with the

they (the blind and visually

on this the learning tasks

development on educational

impaired) have a specific way

and information flow of the

course. Its more important in

of seeing, perceiving and

course are determined.

e-learning than in conventional understanding information.

Consideration of learner

learning. Experienced trainers

The user study for this project

group will also lead to a

can easily adjust their style

was done in several institution

greater cost effectiveness,

and approach to the learners

around Delhi, notably The

the better the learning tasks

in front of them, whereas

Blind Relief Association

are, the few questions the

in e-learning the designer

located in Nizamuddin,

learners will need to ask

needs to communicate to the

National Association for the

and more likely they will

101

Since elNM caters to a younger group of target audience. It has to be smart, youthful, fun and corporate at the same time.

102

complete the programme.

characteristics needed by

One must understand the

learners, for example visual

userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characteristics and

acuity, agility or stamina.

behavior in order to derive the

Keyboard skills, mouse usage

information architecture and

and tolerance of screen glare

flow of information on the

may all warrant consideration.

screen. Since elNM caters to

Previous educational

the management enthusiast

background will influence

of a young age group, it

programme design, the length

needs to be a youthful, fun

of the modules, the style

as well as corporate to some

and level of language used

extent. The character of the

and the use of illustrations.

course should compliment

The learner should be able to

the character of the learner in

associate to the design and

order to attain a special place

content by the end of it.

in their minds. The designer of learning should take in account any special physical

103

Why? What? When? Where? How?

104

[4W1H]

CONTENT The content programming

providing quality feedbacks

efficient for the visually

not only refers to the body of

and evaluation, comparison

impaired.

content but also the needs

with similar programmes

The content also has to be

the programme wishes

and brainstorming with

relevant to the needs of the

to meet, the objectives

employers and stakeholders.

intended learners. These

learner will seek to achieve,

The treatment of content

needs are determined by

the activities they will

will depend to a large extent

the user experience surveys.

carry out to achieve the

on the context in which the

The analysis of needs help to

outcome and the means

learning is to take place.

specify the kind of learning

by which their performance

ELNM for that matter is

involved. This may be motor

will be assessed. This is

management based course,

skills (operating equipment),

a process of planning out

which caters inclusively to

intellectual (analysis of

the content in terms of

a community of visually

complex situations), attitudinal

the outcomes learner will

impaired and blind, so the

(developing confidence in

require out of it, relevant

content has to have the

new situations), interpersonal

assessments required for

essence of a corporate life

(communication and

them, the activities they

but with a youthful twist

negotiation) or a combination

are supposed to undertake,

and should be functionally

of these. The analysis of

105

The table of content for the course_ELNM/// Too scared to delegate? <Top 5 reasons for delegation-phobia and how you can cure yourself> What is the need of delegation? <It’s almost as important as vitamins and fresh air, and as energizing!> What is delegation after all? <Fact: 8 out of 10 people wrongly think it’s an excuse to not work> When should you delegate? <Preferably not the midnight before the client meeting> What should you delegate? <Sometimes, nobody can have a bath on your behalf> Whom should you delegate it to? <Your tailor cannot stitch together an impressive presentation> How should you delegate? <Yes! It’s a procedure with steps and all!> Where should you step in? <Put the timer on when you insert the task into the delegation oven!>

106

needs defines the outcomes

family that goes through

course they learn more about

learners will achieve after they

various circumstances in their

how they can effectively get

have taken the course. These

daily life as well as in the

work done without doing it all

outcomes will be achieved

office and how they handle

themselves.

with the help of learning

these situations using their

For the Delegation course,

methods and activities. The

delegation skills. Its the

a simple methodology of

activities are equally a crucial

Kumar family. Sid is a late

“Answering all questions

portion of the content. It

30’s computer whiz who

related to Delegation” and

defines what they learn from

started his own company

thus the strategy of 5W1H

it. The activities should be

last year. Maya is in her

was used.

relevant to the learners.

Mid-30s and she is a project

The content for eLNM course

manager at a big international

is based on Delegation

company. Sid and Maya

skills. It essentially imparts

have a daughter, Riya, who’s

knowledge on the need of

a budding tennis player. In

delegation in people’s life

this course, the Kumars

and how to go about it. The

face delegation challenges

content is based around

everyday, and within the

107

108

Design By this stage the

next most important

design is made. The

developers have a

stage. Design not only design involved in an

clear idea of the main

refers to the graphics

educational course

thrust, who is the

and layout but also to

includes:

programme for, what

the logistics (how the

1. The structure

needs itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll meet, what

programme will be

and length of the

the users will learn

managed) associated

programme.

and how will they

with it. It starts

2. Sequencing of

assess that learning.

with a drafting of the

content and activity,

Once the content is

concept sketch based

3. Graphics style.

ready the design is

on what the final

109

High

Fig: Visual Weight and the Flow of Vision on a digital screen

110

Low

Structure and Length of the programme This step is where decisions

wireframe separates the

along the top and left-hand

are taken on how the

graphic elements of an

side of web pages, along an

programme will be divided

interface from the functional

“F” shape. [Citation: http://

into various sizes of sub part,

elements in such a way

www.maplemarketing.co.nz/

the key elements required

that the developers can

ArticleEffectiveWebWriting.

for the user groups targeted,

easily explain how users will

htm ]

possible alternative routes

interact with the interface.

The vision flows from

through the materials to suit

It is a visualization tool

-big to small elements,

different learning needs.

for presenting proposed

-dark to light areas,

WIREFRAMING: In the

functions, structure and

-irregular shape to regular

ELNM project the interface

content. The wire framing

-saturated to unsaturated

is carefully planned in

and screen layout also

areas.

terms of the placement and

depends upon the movement

The screen was divide

positioning of their elements.

of the viewers’ eye across

into several functional and

The process of designing

the screen and this is

graphical elements and based

the layout and placements

verified with a cognitive

on these principles they were

of elements on the screen

walkthrough. Eye-tracking

positioned in the layout.

is called wireframing. A

studies show that we scan

111

TOOL BAR Course Title

Chapter Title

Logo CONTENT TOC

Company logo

Seek bar Seek bar

Course Title

TOOL BAR

Logo

TOC

Company logo

Chapter Title

CONTENT

Seek bar

Wireframing Chapter Title

TOC

Navigation

TOOL BAR

Course Title Logo

CONTENT

Seek bar

Company logo

Helpline

Screen Adjust

Chapter Title

Course Title Logo

Navigation

TOOL BAR

TOC CONTENT

Seek bar

Company logo

114

Resources [Documents and Transcripts]

Screen adjustment buttons [Close/Minimize/Maximize]

At a glance option provides a mind map of the entire course for better understanding and recall.

Graphics and content

Course Logo

Navigation Panel where user can navigate through the table of content

Seek Bar

Close Captions; Subtitles for the voice over Font size adjust node for the low vision Seek Bar buttons [Pause/Play] Blow up key [zoom in/zoom out] Notes Navigation Icon

115

116

Final Screen After several explorations on the wire frame the final screen was designed. The colour palette followed here is based on the colour study done according to the user preference.

117

Voiceover design

118

VOICEOVER: Listening

very monotonous, therefore

exclamation and tone. The

to your content rather than

in case of e-learning course

whole idea was to create a

looking at it can be an “eye-

it’s the best to have an

voice over that is youthful and

opening” experience that

additional voice over that runs

serious at the same time. To

takes sighted users out of

the way the developer or the

make it interesting, the tone

their normal comfort zone.

instructional designers wants.

of the voice over was worked

But for the blind it is the only

Better training might need a

upon. Exclamatory terms

alternative. The blind acquire

better image of the trainer in

were added to make it sound

information mostly through

he mind of their audience and

fresher. Moreover, the tone of

the medium of sound. Blind

this can only be achieved by

the voice over also adds to it

users face the greatest

an interesting voice over.

recall value.

challenge when interacting

Since ELNM caters to the

In some cases, IVR

with graphical user interfaces.

blind inclusively, several

(interactive voice response)

Typically, they use software

explorations have been done

system can be installed.

applications known as screen

to define the voiceover style

readers that turn the text,

for this course. The blind

events, and elements in

users have the tendency to

applications and Websites to

lose interest in the course

synthesized speech. Screen

if the voice over is long,

reader makes the speech

more punctuated, has less

119

Delegation

Option 1

Too scared to delegate?

choice 2

choice 1

choice3

Plot Option 2

choice 2

choice 1 5 phobias

Learning out of it

choice3

How to deal with it?

RWW

Plot

Why do you NEED delegation?

Option 1

Reason 1

Reason 2

Option 2

Reason 1

Reason 2

Option 3

Reason 1

Reason 2

Learning out of it

Consequence of the plot

Reason 3

With delegation Without delegation

Problem 1 Problem 2 Problem 3

Checklist

Common Idea

What is

delegation?

RWW

TRUE definition

Example 1

Plot Learning out of it

Example 4

RWW

Plot

What should you delegate?

Plot Item 1

Example 3

Example 2

Meaning of delegation

When should you delegate?

Plot

FALSE definition

Discussions

Analysis 1

Analysis 2

Analysis 3

Analysis & Understanding

Item 2

Item 3

Item 4

Item 5

Analysis & Understanding

Plot

Can delegate

Got to do it yourself Infograph

Learning out of it

Whom should you delegate?

RWW

Plot

Character 1

Character 3

Analysis & Understanding

Learning out of it

How should you delegate? Plot

Character 2

Guidelines RWW

Choice 1

Choice 2

Choice 3

Analysis & Understanding

Learning out of it

Checklist elements RWW

Choice 4

Item 6

2. Sequencing of content and activity The final touch to the

be learned before this),

storyline running through

content is rendered at this

by motivation (this topic

the content script.

stage when the topics

is more interesting that

and activities in it are

topic so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d better start

sequenced. Sequencing

with it) and by the level

can be taken in a number

of difficulty. In this case

of different ways, by

the content is framed

chronological order or

and sequenced according

dependency (this should

to the chronology of the

121

eLNM Envisioned product Content

+ Target

Educational course

Young managers of the age 20 to 35

Soft skills

Management enthusiast

Visually impaired

Research & Development of the product Graphics

Script

+ Strategy

Colour palette

Layout

Composition

Colours in TREND

Easily NAVIGABLE, less time consuming, ORGANISED and STRUCTURED

Relevant to the content and trend prevailing, SMART, SOPHISTICATED, UNIQUE.

SUBTLE and CORPORATE Blue, green, purple, black, orange and yellow BLUE and YELLOW.... high contrast

Navigable, FLEXIBLE (size adjustable) and minimal

Illustration COMIC STYLE HAND-ILLUSTRATED INFOGRAPHS ARTY

FUN, graphical, usage of interesting FRAMES and ANGLES, elements they can associate with and remember. HIGH CONTRAST, preferably monochromatic to make it more clear, minimun usage of similar colour shades.

Affinity mapping on graphical designs and characetr style explored

122

Graphics When it comes to designing

patterns.

accessibility feature of

an interface that works for

A usable interface for users

standard operating systems’

a wide range of people,

with impaired vision must

graphical interfaces. MS

accessibility is a major issue.

let users adjust font sizes

Windows, for example,

It’s not always a matter of

in the interface via the

enables users to check the

special software and device

browser’s view options.

High Contrast option in the

compatibility; in some

It should offer users with

Display or the Accessibility

cases, special visual design

visual impairments at least

section of the Control Panel.

considerations are needed.

one high contrast design,

Once the high contrast

Impaired vision and “colour

developed for maximum

scheme is selected, it is also

blindness” are widespread

contrast and legibility, when

possible to change the display

phenomena. Some of us

they personalize the interface.

colour of certain details.

have difficulties distinguishing

It should be made sure that

certain colours. In time, most

semantic colours, used to

COLOURS: For

of us will experience some

visualize specific meanings

people with normal vision,

age-related physical changes

or critical statuses in the

colour may be a matter of

to our eyes, affecting focus

interface, are distinguishable

preference. For users with

and contrast, which reduce

for “colour-blind” users. The

visual impairments, however,

our ability to recognize

high contrast colour scheme

it is a critical factor influencing

shades, edges, textures and

has been an integrated

whether or not they can

123

Word mapping, another form of affinity mapping

124

use a digital interface at all.

project, a brainstorming

such as white text on a black

Some people require a lot of

session was carried out to

background, otherwise the

contrast between text and

determine the key terms

background seems to them

background, otherwise the

associated with the course.

to â&#x20AC;&#x153;bleedâ&#x20AC;? over and thus

text would not be legible at all

It was in the form of a word

cause the foreground text to

for them. It was a challenge

map. These terms were

look fuzzy. White on black on

to choose the correct colour

then used to derive the

white, and yellow on blue are

combination considering a

semantic colours, which are

among the most widespread

target group of both sighted

distinguishable to the visually

colour schemes used to

and visually impaired.

impaired. After a several

achieve higher contrast.

Referring to the colour

rounds of colour selection,

Using reds and greens

theories (mentioned earlier)

new combinations were tried

together is a bad choice for

the colour combinations were

out. The combinations were

a high contrast scheme.

created in such a way that it

then made to a high contrast

Back in the days of black

appeals to both the sighted

setting as applicable to the

and white photography and

and the visually impaired. An

visually impaired and then

TV, this was a commonly

extensive study was done

validated.

known phenomenon. Red

on colours in terms of how

It is not enough to offer only

and green may look fairly

it would be perceived by all

one high contrast setting, as

distinguishable when we

the user groups, what impact

different users have different

have normal colour vision,

it might have on the viewer.

needs. Some may even need

but as soon as our perception

In the initiation stage of the

a particular colour scheme,

of colour tone is disturbed,

125

COLOURS

Colours derived from the word map:

Colours perceived by colourblind: Protanopia

Deuteranopia

126

we realize that there is

green are the ones perceived

a glance. However, for users

hardly any contrast in terms

least by them.

with impaired vision, this

of lightness and darkness

Using colour codes to

time-saving feature is useless.

between average red and

visualize information is

To them, any information

green tones. The results are

quite counterproductive for

displayed in colours is hidden

rather like gray writings on a

users with impaired vision,

information because it

gray wall. Orange and blue

because it goes against

prevents them from reading

often produce the same

the principle of maximum

altogether. So, in the high

effect as red and green.

contrast. Colour codes are a

contrast scheme, users will

Bright yellow and deep blue

very useful feature to users

have to read and understand

usually contrast well. A very

with normal sight. Marking

the contents before they can

light blue, however, can again

different categories of data

evaluate the status. Black text

ruin the contrast. Moreover,

- for example totals, key

on bright yellow background

Blue and yellow are the only

figures, etc. - by a special

is an exception to the rule, as

colours most of the colour-

font or background colour

it is legible enough in many

blind perceive and red and

makes them recognizable at

cases.

127

Mono

Compliment

Triad

Tetrad

Protanopy

Deuteranopy #0500DF

#2E3192

#0072BC

#5FCDFF

#00A99D

#FCEE21

#D9E021

#FF7BAC

#C1272D

128

ILLUSTRATION:

FONT: Some font attributes

other reasons, but it is better

To define the illustration

can signalise critical entries

to use such combinations

style mood boards and

quite well, even though they

only for larger or highlighted

explorations were done on

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow as many variations

text, such as headlines and

the composition and style. A

as with colour: Bold text

titles.

character board was made

works well, but italic text is

Type should be large,

in the nascent stage of this

not recommended because

preferably at least 16 to

project. Based on the values

it is difficult to read on a

18 points. The relationship

and personality of the course

monitor screen.

between readability and point

the illustration style was set.

Very high contrasts are

size differs from fonts to

The personality of the course

difficult to achieve with colour

fonts.

and its topic was expressed

combinations other than black

by a very youthful and yet

and white. Printed material,

LEADING: Leading, or

minimalist style of hand

generally, is most readable in

spacing between lines of text,

sketched illustration. These

black and white. White text on

should be at least 25 to 30

illustration were based on

a solid colour background of

percent of the point size. This

activities described in the

darker shade is another option

is because many people with

plot. Since the course follows

of using colour schemes

partial sight have difficulty

a storyline, some characters

instead of simply black on

finding the beginning of the

were designed and placed in

white or white on black text..

next line while reading.

activities associated in the

Different colours may be

plots.

important for aesthetic or

129

Visual Board for Composition

Visual Board 130

Visual Board for Illustrations

Two sets of visual boards

elements would be more

look was adapted. The

were made to explore the

effective. Various styles are

illustration was also decided

composition and illustration

being explored to conclude

to have an element of hand

style. For the visually

into one.

drwan doodle.

impaired , a monobchrome

On illustration, a youthful, fun

composition with highlighted

at the same time corporate

131

illustrations

Colour options 134

Various color palattes were converted into their respective colorblind colors (ie; the colors perceived by the colorblind) and these colors were applied to the illustration. Once the colour was decided, the script visualizaion done and the final illustrations were made.

135

136

Sid.. . Late 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.. geek.. . .computer whiz

Riya... . 23.. . . a budding Maya.. .mid 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.. . .

tennis player.. . .

.project manager at a MNC.. . .

137

138

FONT FAMILY:

font “Georgia” and “Fontin”

LETTER SPACING: Text

Complicated, decorative

was used for the course title

with close letter spacing

or cursive fonts should be

and fun comic fonts were

often presents difficulties

avoided and, they should be

used to illustrate sound in the

for readers who are partially

used only to emphasize on

animation.

sighted, especially those with central visual field

something. Standard serif or sans-serif fonts, with familiar,

FONT STYLE: While

defects. Where possible,

easily recognizable characters

there is little reliable

spacing should be wide.

are the best. Also, there is

information on the

Monospaced fonts rather than

some evidence that sans-

comparative legibility of

proportionally spaced fonts

serif fonts are more legible

typefaces, there is some

seem to be more legible for

when character size is small

evidence that a roman

these readers.

relative to the reader’s visual

typeface, using upper and

acuity. For ELNM, a sans

lower cases, is more readable

serif font “Helvetica Neue LT

than italics, oblique or

std“ and “Bree” has been

condensed.

used for content text, serif

139

140

DEVELOPMENT The design stage helps to identify the ways learnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need could be met within the resources available to us. This provides a validation for the course and its necessary learning materials and associated support be developed. But this will raise management issues. At this stage these factors are taken care of. The development phase is likely to take time. The process relating particularly to learning materials can take several months, even for a limited programme.

PILOT Offering the programme or a coherent part of it to a sample group of learners is called the process of Pilot. At this stage the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behaviour response is analysed and modifications are made accordingly. This is done to ensure the style, tone and level of difficulty are suitable. This can avoid lengthy and costly adaptations later. A pilot enables the developers to try the main elements of the programme and get feedbacks from the target learner group. Through this the content is validated and ready to go live.

RUN The feedbacks received after the pilot is then used to revise the course content and make the changes and modifications necessary for it to run. This involves monitoring to give a quality assurance through programme modification.

141

142

CONCLUSION The blind and visually impaired desirable designs based

appointed managers. The

people have an intimate

on holistic consideration

Unique Selling Proposition

connection with the digital

of usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience. The

of this product is that it

and assistive technologies.

process includes User Centric

inclusively caters to the

This makes them rely on such

Analysis of the envisioned

blind and visually impaired

mediums to carry out their

product, validation of target

and is envisioned to run in

daily tasks. From reading a

audience and instructional

several platforms and across

book to writing a letter all

design involved in structuring

interfaces. Throughout this

become more and more

an educational course from

project I was involved in the

convenient with the emerging

its very content to the desired

research and study of the

technologies and innovations.

wireframe. This also involves a user experience, validation

This project reflects a similar

great understanding of various of target audience and

amalgamation of design and

approaches to learning, colour

development in terms of

technology in the field of

theories and theories of visual

communication design which

education. It is a research

perception.

includes visualization, wire

and documentation of the

This product is in the form

framing, content framing and

process involved in the

of an electronic learning

voice over design.

developing of an educational

application, which imparts

product using user-centered

soft skills to the young

design approach to generate

employees of management

cohesive, predictive and

services or the newly

143

Glossary Accessibility: accessibility is about providing access to information for as many people as possible-by working in a variety of operating contexts, and using a multitude of browser technologies to access information published on the Web. Mistakenly used in context of catering to disabled users only.

Affinity diagram: A group decision-making technique designed to sort a large number of ideas, concepts, and opinions into naturally related groups. Used in documenting task or content relationships, often created from card sort activities or group brainstorming.

Analysis paralysis: A situation where designers spend too much time reducing data or analysing tasks at the cost of overlooking emerging opportunities for design improvement and this analysis phase only ends when the project is cancelled.

Assessment: the process of measuring learner performance. Behavioural response: Actions performed by a person as a conscious reaction to external or internal stimuli.

Bug-tracking system: A computer program that is intended to track down and repair a bug. A bug is a programming error that causes the computer to crash or perform incorrectly.

CMI/CML: computer managed instruction/learning; sometimes used synonymously with computer based training but more specifically implying the use of the computer to manage learning, for example by helping the learner choose routes through a programme and/or recording assessment results for individuals or group of learners. The outputs of CMI include statistical reports of learner performance or system utilization.

Cognitive walkthrough: A usability testing strategy in which developer group systematically

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evaluates each element on every screen in the context of the various tasks (e.g. how likely would a user a user click this button for task A? what would happen if they did? Etc.).

Concept sketch: An outline drawing to indicate ideas about how to solve a specific design problem. It excludes the level of detail that goes into the final product. Concept sketches are used at the beginning of the design process to quickly explore different ideas and to narrow down to an effective design.

Conceptual design: Represents a system structure, as users perceive it. Begins the transition from research and planning into precursors for design. Sets the foundation for developing a site navigation framework by clearly defining the users, their tasks and environment, and how they conceptualize information.

Content analysis: A key stage in the design of the curriculum for a programme, entailing the division and sub-division of a topic or skills into logically related components.

Content design: A term given to a set of design areas that focuses on the information value of content, as opposed to the presentation of it. The content topics include editorial style, internationalization, and accessibility. The term content design intends to differentiate these topics from other topics for purposes of evaluation and development.

Content graphic: A type of graphic designed for the purpose of providing specific content, as differentiated from graphics that add aesthetic value or brand value. Examples of content graphics include complex charts, maps, and product photographs. Of all the graphic types, content graphics are the most likely to serve as a destination in their own right, as opposed to a marker for entry into information (e.g., icon)

Design: stage in developing an e-learning programme that includes the analysis of learner needs and

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content, leading to decisions on structure, length and media, informed by knowledge of the resources available.

Design moves: changes made to the design based on test results. Development: this stage in developing an e-learning programme follows from the design stage; it includes the specification of the three main components of most programmes learning material , support, and management.

Deuteranopia: A specific type of color weakness based on the reduced ability to perceive colors within the green spectrum. Reportedly the most common type of color weakness.

Efficiency: A usability metric that captures how easily a task is completed with a given interface( e.g.; time of completion, number of key strokes for completion). Must be measurable in quantitative terms.

Error analysis: A component of task analysis, which strives to identify the frequency and types of errors that occur for a specified set of task flows. Can include Errors of Omission, Errors of Commission, sequence Errors, or Timing Errors.

Focus groups: A direct data gathering method in which a small group (8-10) of participants are led in a semi structured, brainstorming session to elicit rapid feedback about an interface under development. Focus group data is most useful for generating new ideas or functions for an interface, rather than evaluating an existing one. Group dynamics often make focus group data suspect. Hooks: in journalism, a hook is a technique used to garb the readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention. For example, a question: Would you like to lose ten pounds this week?

Hues: the frequency of the wavelength of color; what we normally refer to as the color of an object. Information architecture: part of the conceptual design stage; primarily associated with defining an organization for Web site content (but can include characterising task flow or task relationships within a content organization). Includes the processes of defining site hierarchies, content organization, and labelling schemes for all types of menu systems, and the techniques for creating and evaluating them.

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Interactive Voice Response (IVR): An interactive system that accepts human voice as input mechanism, translates it into recognizable commands, and reacts accordingly. Such a system is becoming popular in telephones and mobile devices where other inputs are limited. Interviews: one- on- one interaction between end users and usability analysts, designed to elicit the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; conceptual model of a system, the tasks and task flows, or other issues related to design. Direct interviews are the best way to capture user centred data.

Layout graphic: Graphics that help delineate, group or divide content. A type of graphic designed for the purpose of organizing content, making it easy to comprehend or scan. Layout graphics are typically subtle and are least commented on by users. They can be used to support a brand or theme. Leading: leading is the vertical space between lines of text. Also called line spacing. It directs the eye horizontally along the text line.

Learning Management System (LMS): software performing a range of administrative and pedagogical functions including registering learners, administrating tests, tracking learner progress, analysing test performance and facilitating communication between learners and their peers and tutors.

Luminance: the measurement of intensity of light. The subjective experience is brightness. Managed learning environment:

An electronic system combining course administration

and management functions with pedagogic functions.

Media: means by which programme content and support reach the learner (for example electronic, print, face to face, telephone)

Module: self-contained sub-division of a programme; modules may also be divided into sections or units.

Monitoring: the security of the day to day operation of the programme with the aim of making any necessary and immediate changes. Monochrome: black and white or a single color with black. Early monochrome monitors had green or amber colored display on black or gray background.

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Navigation design: based on task design and information architecture definitions developed in conceptual design, navigation design marks the first formal step of design. It includes the development of wire frames and graphical mock-ups to test the site structure and visual direction. A set of core navigation pages are designed, tested, and iterated during this stage to ensure that the user interface structure is sound before investing in detail design.

Personas: a concrete characterization of a single user group through a synthesis of the user, task, and environment profiles of that group. It provides detailed example of the potential end user that represents a specific target audience type. Personas help developers think in terms of users by providing insight into how they might use the product. Especially helpful when there are no current users of the Web site.

Piloting: testing all or part of a programme on learners from the target audience with a view to making changes before full implementation. Platform: the hardware/software configuration necessary to deliver electronics learning systems.

Scenario:1. A concrete, often narrative description of a user performing a task in a specific context. Often a use scenario describes a desired or to be built function. This contrasts with a task scenario, which describes a currently implemented function. 2. A prescribed set of conditions under which a user will perform a set of tasks to achieve an objective defined by the developer.

Schema (pl.schemata): A cluster of human memory that is described as a pattern of connections of neutrons in the brain with nodes and links that are so strong that they can be retrieved together as a single memory unit. In essence, it is a packet of information based on knowledge and experience.

Skills training:

training for professionals that focuses on imparting knowledge through

participating activities in order to gain proficiency in a particular field.

Stakeholder: A group with an interest in the programme (for example employers)

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Storyboards: sketches or other visuals that help depict the design concept you have planned. Surveys: An indirect user centred analysis method for gathering information from a large number of users. Issues in survey design include: reaching a representative sample, participant self-filtering, question development and measurement bias, attracting enough responses. E.g., marketing survey needs assessment survey, evaluation survey, diagnostic survey.

Target audience: the group or groups of learners at whom the programme is aimed. Task analysis: the process of evaluating a task or determine the criteria for successful completion. Task analysis also serves to optimize task efficiency by reflecting the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; understanding and expectations of the task.

Usability test: investigative methods to determine the ease of use of a product, primarily involving observation of potential users actually interacting with the product and measuring the results.

User centred analysis: A method of collecting data to develop an understanding of user intentions and interface use patterns. User centred analysis provides concrete data to prioritize and drive interface design.

Visual hierarchy: refers to overall page layout and its ability to lead the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention through the page elements. Effective visual hierarchies create an appropriate balance in composition that draws users to top levels of the hierarchy while optimizing visual access to important page level elements.

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Reference People & organisation: THE BLIND RELIEF ASSOCIATION, LBS MARG, NEW DELHI-110003 NAB Centre For blind Women & Disability Studies, L 25, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi 110016

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND, DELHI (NAB, Delhi)R.K. Puram, New Delhi Dr.K.C Pandey, The Blind Relief Association, LBS Marg, Near hotel Oberoi, New Delhi-110003 Dr. Chitra Garg, NAB, RK Puram. Mrs. Saraswati Vashishth - Director,Education, NAB, RK Puram.

Books: How to Plan and Manage E-learning Programme by Roger Lewis and Qentin Whitlock How the Brain Learns by David A.Sousa, Corwin Press.INC, Thousand oaks, California. User-Centered Analysis and Conceptual Design 2006, HUMAN FACTORS INTERNATIONAL, Inc. hfi@humanfactors.com

Papers and Documents: Computer games for children with visual impairments

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Y Eriksson1 and D Gärdenfors2 1Department of Art History and Visual Studies, Göteborg University, Box 200, 405 30 Göteborg, SWEDEN 2Stockholm International Toy Research Centre, KTH, Brinellvägen 85,100 44 Stockholm, SWEDEN

“Usable Accessibility” to the Web for blind Users Nicoletta Di Blas1, Paolo Paolini1, Marco Speroni2 1 HOC (Hypermedia Open Centre), Department of Electronics and Information Politecnico di Milano, Italy; diblas@elet.polimi.it, paolo.paolini@polimi.it 2 TEC-Lab (Technology Enhanced Communication), Faculty of Communication Sciences University of Lugano, Switzerland, speronim@lu.unisi.ch

The Eye of the Beholder’— Designing for Colour-Blind Users by Christine Rigden British Telecommunications Engineering, Vol. 17, Jan. 1999

Effective Color Contrast/ Designing for People with Partial Sight and Color Deficiencies by Aries Arditi, PhD Designing for People with Partial Sight by Aries Arditi, Ph.D

Websites and links: http://www.sapdesignguild.org/editions/edition4/high_contrast.asp

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http://www.sapdesignguild.org/editions/edition4/assist.asp http://safecolours.rigdenage.com/ http://www.lighthouse.org/accessibility/design/accessible-print-design/effective-color-contrast http://www.sapdesignguild.org/editions/edition4/high_contrast.asp http://www.sapdesignguild.org/editions/edition4/assist.asp http://safecolours.rigdenage.com/ http://www.lighthouse.org/accessibility/design/accessible-print-design/effective-color-contrast http://www.codewitz.net/papers/MMT_106-111_Trends_in_E-Learning.pdf http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/newsmedia/index.html#67 http://radioboston.wbur.org/2011/11/08/virtual-site-blindness http://www.wbur.org/media-player?source=radioboston&url=http://radioboston.wbur. org/2011/11/08/virtual-site-blindness/&title=New+Video+Game+Helps+The+Blind+Navigate+ Using+%26%238216%3BVirtual+Maps%26%238217%3B&segment=virtual-site-blindness&pubdate=2011-11-08 http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/about_us/company_profile http://www.visibone.com/colorblind/ http://www.e-covip.eu/ http://www.eaea.org/events.php?aid=3314 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/28/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaningof-color/ http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/colour_theory.shtml

http://www.macfound.org/programs/learning/strategy/ http://blogstats.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/eye-tracking-1-testing-a-statistics-website/

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http://www.maplemarketing.co.nz/ArticleEffectiveWebWriting.htm http://www.piveclabs.com/?page_id=8 http://www.syberworks.com/articles/10tips_graphics.htm http://learningchange.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-color-scheme-for-your-e-learning-project http://cnx.org/content/m13286/latest/ http://www.codewitz.net/papers/MMT_106-111_Trends_in_E-Learning.pdf http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/approaches/index.asp http://learningthroughdigitalmedia.net/ http://digitallearning.macfound.org/site/c.enJLKQNlFiG/b.2029199/ http://designthinkingforeducators.com/ http://wilsonlearning.no/website1/1.0.1.0/151/PP_Approach_to_Learning.pdf http://www.jelsim.org/resources/whitepaper.pdf http://www.eaea.org/events.php?aid=3314 http://learningchange.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-color-scheme-for-your-e-learning-project http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html http://cnx.org/content/m13286/latest/ http://www.teachit.co.uk/armoore/lang/semantics.htm

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