In the U.S. educational system, online learning usually serves as an extension of the physical learning experience. Under the current pandemic, online learning plays even a larger role. As Woo putting down in the book, the inclusion of a tool actually “complicates the learning process“. The intervention of an interface imposes challenges not only on learners but also on instructors. Faculty need additional time to prepare and conduct the courses, frustrated by occasional software and hardware problems; Students with low self-discipline and initiatives feel hard to fulfill the learning outcomes. The design process for an online learning tool is complicated, as it requires designers to mediate various forms of interaction that situated in the learning process. So it is crucial for designers to consider how to reduce the friction down to the minimum, both physical and pedagogical.
References
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Kearsley, Greg. “Is Online Learning for Everybody?” Educational Technology, vol. 42, no. 1, 2002, pp. 41–44. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44428721. Accessed 16 Sept. 2020.
Kearsley, Greg, et al. “The Effectiveness and Impact of Online Learning in Graduate Education.” Educational Technology, vol. 35, no. 6, 1995, pp. 37–42. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44428305. Accessed 16 Sept. 2020.
Woo, Huay Lit. “The Design of Online Learning Environments from the Perspective of Interaction.” Educational Technology, vol. 53, no. 6, 2013, pp. 34–38. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44430215. Accessed 16 Sept. 2020.
