Hi: I am seeking advice on how to address skipping navigation instruction. While I understand icons should be intuitive, I think it's important to have instruction about how to navigate. I also like to highlight the wide range of resources available (alphabetical glossary, hyperlinks to websites etc.)
How (and where) should I address SKIP navigation? Can you suggest samples?
I put a button on the opening slide that allows users to view a navigation page with all the explanation if they want it.
Otherwise they just click NEXT and get started.
Since I have a more-or-less captive audience that I've developed numerous courses for using the same navigation cues, most people don't need it after the 2nd or 3rd try.
I agree with John. If you must have a screen that shows how to use navigate the course make it optional. Put a button on the opening page or on the master slide so it is available if people need it.
It is important that the course has a good User Interface. It should be easy to navigate. We don't want to creative an unnecessary cognitive load on the learners.
Hi Debra. Chiming in to agree with John and Cary. Ideally the user interface design should be intuitive enough so that learners never really need a navigation primer. But if you're concerned about your user's level of comfort with e-learning or simply want to cover all your bases, making a "how to navigate" screen optional gives folks the ability to access that help if they need it or skip it if they don't.
One way I've done this in some of my projects is to add a scene that only contains one slide—usually a screen capture or animated walk-thru of the user interface with some pointers explaining the functions of the various nav elements. Then I just lightbox that scene and add it to the course player as "Nav Help." This makes it available to the learner throughout the course as optional viewing. If you're creating a custom interface (or simply don't want to add anything to the player), you could also incorporate a help button/icon into your UI design and then link that to the lightboxed nav help.
Many thanks all. I think navigation is important, but I want to make sure the students checkout a full glossary of terms as well as lots hyperlinks to websites, books and articles. The resources have unique icons, so I want to be sure they are addressed.
4 Replies
I put a button on the opening slide that allows users to view a navigation page with all the explanation if they want it.
Otherwise they just click NEXT and get started.
Since I have a more-or-less captive audience that I've developed numerous courses for using the same navigation cues, most people don't need it after the 2nd or 3rd try.
I agree with John. If you must have a screen that shows how to use navigate the course make it optional. Put a button on the opening page or on the master slide so it is available if people need it.
It is important that the course has a good User Interface. It should be easy to navigate. We don't want to creative an unnecessary cognitive load on the learners.
Hi Debra. Chiming in to agree with John and Cary. Ideally the user interface design should be intuitive enough so that learners never really need a navigation primer. But if you're concerned about your user's level of comfort with e-learning or simply want to cover all your bases, making a "how to navigate" screen optional gives folks the ability to access that help if they need it or skip it if they don't.
One way I've done this in some of my projects is to add a scene that only contains one slide—usually a screen capture or animated walk-thru of the user interface with some pointers explaining the functions of the various nav elements. Then I just lightbox that scene and add it to the course player as "Nav Help." This makes it available to the learner throughout the course as optional viewing. If you're creating a custom interface (or simply don't want to add anything to the player), you could also incorporate a help button/icon into your UI design and then link that to the lightboxed nav help.
Here's a quick example I put together which demonstrates how this works in practice.
Let us know what other questions you have and we'll be happy to jump in and help!
Many thanks all. I think navigation is important, but I want to make sure the students checkout a full glossary of terms as well as lots hyperlinks to websites, books and articles. The resources have unique icons, so I want to be sure they are addressed.
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