709+M3+Design+&+Development

Final Design/Redesign Project

Preface I Analysis I Design & Development I Implementation I Evaluation

**DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT PHASE** **Please view our original and redesigned book on the CAST UDL Book Builder site by clicking on the images below or by following the links below the images. The image on the left is the ORIGINAL project; the one to the right is the REDESIGN. **

View the original book by clicking here; view the redesigned book by clicking here.

**Our goal** in the overall redesign is not to remove components of the learning process of research; instead, our goals were to:
 * aim instruction to a higher-level learner (undergraduate)
 * clarify the text to remove redundancy, improve cohesiveness, and reduce extrinsic load
 * change images to enhance understanding on both a cognitive and perceptual level and to improve the overall design aesthetics

**Learning Objectives:** At the end of our instructional media/tool, our learner will be able to properly research a topic by learning to
 * 1) explore and choose a topic
 * 2) search for quality information
 * 3) read and synthesize information from the search for sources
 * 4) organize information to form a thesis and outline
 * 5) create a paper that effectively presents research

**Knowledge Domain and Learning Processes:** The goals of this module are both **cognitive** and **constructive**. Though it would be ideal to assume that every post-secondary learner has the pre-existing schema to understand the research process, these students may suffer from the extrinsic load of “independent study” in a post-secondary classroom. This tool seeks to remediate what should already be acquired (research skills) and also serves as a methodic “advanced organizer” to prepare the learner for the research process. This tool scaffolds the research process from beginning to end, taking the learner from choosing a topic through evaluating the final research product. Our instruction assumes the cognitive process of memory as a processor of organized information, where existing schema make new learning make sense. Additionally, this tool is constructive in that it requires the learner to be an active participant and the learner applies the concepts of the book to his/her own real-world research task. The information is conveyed in multiple formats, utilizing the dual modalities of a learner (cognitive and perceptual).

**Graphic Design, User Interface and Content:** **Graphic Design:** CAST UDL’s Bookbuilder is a tool that gives a blueprint for creating goals, methods, and assessments that work for all learners – a flexible approach that can be adjusted according to the individual. The storyboard/creation template encourages instructional designers to address text, images, sound, and open-ended learner response – all for the same page or concept in the book. A learner is able to read the content, see an image that enhances the concept, and be “coached” with extra tips if needed.

**User Interface:** Our learners have a digital tutorial of the research process. The table of contents includes hyperlinked page numbers to get to the various stages of the research process quickly. You can mouse-over links at the top of each page to have the text read to you or to change the text to Spanish. The coaches on the bottom left are there to give extra information. You can click on each to either hear or read information. The student response area on the bottom right gives students and instructors the option of recording responses for later viewing or printing. (Page three of our book instructs learners how to use this tool.) **Should instructors wish to use this book in direct instruction**, the following PowerPoint can provide an overview of the process taught through Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction. media type="custom" key="9151500"

**Content:** Our instructional redesign project aims at changing what was previously a high-school tool to a post-secondary research tool. As a research tool its aim is to help students become more proficient in conducting and producing research products. Our project consists of an electronic book which dissects and explains the steps which are to be considered when embarking on an assignment requiring research. As this skill can often be a confusing, and can be a daunting task for a novice in particular, this resource was designed for both use in the classroom and private individual use. Each step in the research process is presented through conventional information, examples, and opportunities to assess comprehension and skill in applying the concept of that step. Our book is in line with contemporary educational practices in several ways. An initial feature is the interactivity to which our computer-literate generation is familiar for a positive reception. Our book is also self-directed, which allows for students to proceed at an individual pace. Students with varying ability levels and needs can see the process as a series of interrelated steps toward a final product. The abstract idea of research becomes more accessible, concrete, and formulaic. Our book contains attractive text and images for an expected level of visual appeal and visual reinforcement of concepts. Student responses, brief reviews, and direct "Table of Contents" links help to reinforce the steps of the research process. Conveying auditory information through the use of coaches is also included as another means of learning. Lastly, when used by an educator, the assignments can be further tailored according to particular individuals and learning environments.

** Application of theories in redesign: ** **Principles of design - Effective Design:** There were several aspects of the original book that were not aesthetically pleasing. Various violations include the original cover, the over-sized images, images that had no relevance to the text on the page, balance between text and auditory information, and a general lack of uniform connectedness. See screen shots of violations below.
 * **Learning Theory or Design Principles** || **Violation** || **Screen Shot of Violation and/or Redesign** || **Redesign** ||
 * Effective Design || There were several aspects of the original book that were not aesthetically pleasing. Various violations include the original cover, the over-sized images, images that had no relevance to the text on the page, balance between text and auditory information, and a general lack of uniform connectedness. || [[image:Cover.png width="262" height="180" caption="Original Cover: Violation of Effective Design"]]

|| We resized images, placed them above corresponding text as "advanced organizers" and to establish expectations in the book (see ITPC below), and redesigned images to make them more relevant and visually pleasing.

We also used color to show the connectedness of certain ideas. In the outline example to the left, the original outline format instructs learners about what each entry should be; the version with color not only shows learners what to list for each entry or line, but it also shows the relational connections between those elements. The thesis and topics are the main "skeleton" of the paper; the topic sentences and supporting facts, examples, and quotes are the elements of the "body" built on that skeleton. ||
 * CTL || Lack of balance of intrinsic cognitive load. Text, images, coaches, and response area did not always have clear purposes. || [[image:Poor_Image_2.png width="259" height="169" caption="Violation: Before image does not have clear purpose"]]



|| Intrinsic load is balanced: text is clear, images support text, coaches offer additional information as needed, response areas encourage interaction and reflection. ||
 * CTL || Client was requesting access to more supplemental information for the post-secondary learner. || [[image:Redesign_hyperlink.png width="344" height="498" caption="Redesigned page with appropriate website and hyperlink"]] || We added germane cognitive load by incorporating relevant hyperlinks.

We also added an extra page (23) that directs students to both supplemental links and mapping software, an option for the notetaking process. ||
 * CTML || We noted areas with the redundancy effect - use of coaches to say what should have been focal text. || [[image:Redundant_coach.png width="170" height="267" caption="Redundant information - Material should be focus not supplemental."]] || Our balanced texts, images, and hyperlinks serve to stimulate learners through dual modalities without experiencing redundancy. (Refer to page 15 of redesigned book to see the revised page content - instruction of how to use notecards for note taking.) ||
 * ITPC || Images were either confusing, irrelevant, poorly designed or poorly placed. || [[image:Plan_Picture_Irrelevant.png width="268" height="232" caption="Irrelevant image"]] || Many images were redesigned to be more relevant to the text, reduce redundancy, and serve as "advanced organizer" to the text (placed pictures before corresponding text). ||
 * ITPC || ﻿Poor use of sequencing: Images in the original book came both before and after corresponding text, without a clear reason for those placements. || [[image:Image_below_2.png width="325" height="246" caption="Original page layout and image"]]

|| In the redesigned book, most images appear before the corresponding text. According to ITPC, it is "better to present a picture before a corresponding text than after the text" because "every despcription leaves a margin for variation due to some indeterminacy." The only pages in which the images appear beneath the text are those that have images that are text heavy. These types of images are to serve more as examples of the text, rather than advanced organizers to set expectations for understanding the text. ||
 * All theories || Working memory is limited; images, text, and auditory coaches did not work together with enough cohesiveness to create an effective mental model of the research process. || Please refer to any page of revised book to see redesign. || Redesigned pages present succinct, clear text, supportive images and coaches, and appropriate responses to guide students through the steps of the research process. ||