Interactive Interfaces for Presenting Online Courses: An Evaluation Study
Gavin McArdle, Teresa Monahan, Michela Bertolotto · Journal of the Association for Information Systems · 2008
The use of the Internet for distributing information continues to grow. This is particularly evident within the area of e-learning. The widespread accessibility of the Internet offers a convenient medium for the delivery of learning content. A number of applications have been developed specifically to offer e-learning services to students while also providing a mechanism for tutors to present learning material. These web-based applications are often referred to as Learning Management System as they offer tools to manage information, including learning material and students ’ records. Despite their popularity, courses offered solely using such e-learning tools have a high attrition rate. The issue of retaining students is attributed to 2 main factors; the level of interaction with others, and how the information contained in the system is accessed. This paper examines these problems and describes CLEV-R and its mobile accompaniment mCLEV-R and their online learning interfaces, which provide 3D spaces as a mechanism for human computer interaction, combined with communication tools for students to collaborate. These systems have been evaluated through a usability study and the results presented in this paper indicate the paradigm adopted by CLEV-R and mCLEV-R provide substantial benefits when used as an interface for e-learning. Keywords: E-Learning, M-Learning, Collaboration, Human Computer Interaction, Graphical User Interfaces. 1