Design considerations for WBT
According to Barron (1998), the following guidelines for WBT should be interpreted broadly, based on specific content, the intended audience, and the format of the data.
- Conduct a thorough media analysis to choose the best media for the instruction (videotape, audiotape, lectures, CBT, WBT, and other media).
- Place course objectives first and foremost and analyze the content to create a good educational environment.
- Analyze the platforms of the target audience to see what kind of technology is available to the end user.
- Make the interactions meaningful to require cognitive engagement on the part of the student.
- Consider visual guidelines:
- Use high contrast between background and foreground.
- Limit the size of graphic files.
- Limit the number of unique graphics on each page.
- Limit the width of graphics to 500 pixels so users don’t have to scroll.
- Differentiate among the hyperlinks (links) so there is a distinct difference between the regular text and links. Never underline text if it is not a link.
- Limit the length of Web pages so the learner does not have to scroll down multiple screens. Try to limit the length to a maximum of 1-1/2 screen heights.
- Minimize the use of audio, video, and plug-ins to limit download times for learners on a slow Internet connection. Tell learners when using different file formats and the size of the file.
Links:
Ann Barron, Designing Web Based Training
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