Nowadays the training environment is increasingly computer-based. Since teachers or facilitators are often physically unavailable to guide the learning process, it is essential to do so by communicating effectively. Although there are numerous guidelines regarding interface design, the design of guidance interfaces is difficult. First, there are abundant guidelines to sift through. Second, few if any of those guidelines relate specifically to instructional interfaces. Third, there are typically different professions (graphic artists, information designers, and instructional designers) involved in a typical design environment who may speak a special design language or have a different design agenda. Three principles of perception are recommended to address these design challenges: (1) the figure/ground principle, (2) the hierarchy principle, and (3) the gestalt principle.Although as many principles as possible were available, these three principles were chosen because they existed consistently in the literature from various sources as well as research bases in perceptual processing literature. There are many important design principles in the educational interface, but the three principles presented in this article address the importance of attention to how the mind actively recognizes information by paying attention to the picture/ground classification. Designers can focus their attention on something very important. For learners, this is interpreted in a clear direction. Attention to layers helps designers easily classify information and set up information layers that help learners. Understanding and utilizing gestalt helps learners understand the relationship between the big picture and the whole part. Overall, attention to the three principles should facilitate the design of a learner-friendly education interface.
References
Linda L. Lohr. “ Three Principles of Perception for Instructional Interface Design.” Educational Technology , January-February 2000, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 45-52. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/44428580, Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Fengfeng Ke, Christopher Hoadley. “Evaluating Online Learning Communities.” Educational Technology Research and Development, pp. 487-510. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/40388644, Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Chaoyun Liang, Yuan-Zone Lee and Wen-Shou Chou. “The Design Considerations for Game-Based Learning” Educational Technology , March-April 2010, pp. 25-28. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/44429774, Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Zane L. Berge. “Interaction in Post-Secondary Web-Based Learning.” Educational Technology , January-February 1999, pp. 5-11. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/44429005, Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
I think its really interesting to consider design principles in the field of education, not only within art and design environments, but in general. Thank you for sharing!
It’s interesting to think about why we are so drawn to the Gestalt principles and why our eye finds design that utilizes them so pleasing, and how it all ties back to efficiency within communication.