The Jack Principles
ACM,
Feb 08, 2002
This item dates from 1997 and is directed toward teachers using interactive television, a technology on the wane. It is illustrative, though, because it lists a set of principles for "drawing the user into the pacing of the program." In my mind, these principles describe exactly the opposite of what teachers in an online learning environent should be doing. "Give the user only one task," suggests the document. Limit the number of choices they have. Make sure the user knows what to do at every moment. "Less is more: Give the user fewer choices. Give them less control. Keep the graphics sparse. Do one thing at a time." Now at first I thought this was a parody, but the next two sets of principles, creating and maintaining a sense of intimacy, contain good advice. So. Do people really think that giving the users less control is the way to go? Probably. But this completely misunderstands today's digital learner. Internet users today multitask. They are more self directed than passive TV watchers. They prefer more choices, or open ended choices. They want control. You may say, "But students are not capable of giving themselves direction." Watch any student learn and play Quake, though, and you will see instantly that the contrary is true.
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