cmm1108_A2_sarahrodgers

The greenpeace website has presumed credibility because it is an organisation indicated by their URL.

Surface: http://www.nike.com.au/g1/au/index.asp

The Nike website had Surface credibility because the site is professionally designed and is trustworthy to the naked eye.

Earned: http://www.imdb.com/

The IMDB website has earned credibility as it has grown to be one of the most visited databases for movie information.

Reputed: http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/

The Perthnow news website has reputed credibility by being produced by one of the major newspapers printed in Western Australia; The Sunday Times.

• Over time, the legal system may find ways of controlling what is put on the internet by creating laws controlling appropriate and accurate information on the internet. People may become more trusting of some websites. However this may be difficult seeing as the web is worldwide ad not Australia alone.
• People will perceive personal pages to be less credible because the ability to have and to maintain a different identity online to real life is much easier.
• Surface credibility will be less effective with the ability to design professional web pages becomes easier.
• Fraud will also have an effect on reputed credibility as it becomes easier to fake certificates of the professional kind.

Currently as a student, using the internet is used for searching the library’s catalogue, completing assignments and for general learning and research. Students can access books that are out of print and access new and updated reports.   Students are able to make more use of the library with the internet (Spence, 2001).  Ensuring credibility is vital for students when using internet resources. If they use incorrect information, they will not benefit from basing their knowledge on inaccurate information. The credibility of websites affect the quality of work we produce and having low quality information will result in low quality work being produced in our studies (Mayhorn & Wogalter, 2008). Using a site that doesn’t contain accurate information may seem like a small problem in the beginning but may become a larger problem if we rely on that information. Using internet resources that are from a bibliographical database have information reviewed and edited by experts which makes it easier to find reliable information. Also many students find it hard to search databases for relevant information for their work. Researching requires time and effort which also has an effect because some students may not take the time to sift through information and may settle for information that is not completely reliable (Adams & Scollard, 2006).

Question two.

Wikipedia is not accepted as a resource for study because the credibility of the information can change easily. The information on Wikipedia can be written by anyone as it is an open site and there would be mix of opinions professional and non-professional. Access to editing information is also just as easy. There is no evidence that an expert of the field is writing on the site. Wikipedia does not have a lot of credibility coinciding with its name which does not help how people view the site as a resource. According to Fogg (2003) creating a website does not mean the information is of a good quality alone. Professionals need to create a site that shows evidence of credible information of an expert. Wikipedia states that they need financial support to improve their site which shows that there is not a credible company constantly working on the site.

Wikipedia isn’t accepted as a resource for the Learning Portfolio because the information needed is very specific and many of the keywords on each topic can be easily misinterpreted. On Wikipedia keywords can be linked to other pages on relating subjects only based by keyword. Many of these pages may not be written by experts and may not even be relevant to the topic which will not be relevant to answering any of the questions.

References

Adams, T. & Scollard (2006) Internet effectively: A beginner’s Guide to the World Wide Web. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

 Fogg, B., J. (2003) Prominence-Interpretation Theory Explaining How People Assess Credibility Online. Pp. 722-723.

Spence, G. (2001) a simple guide to internet research. Hampshire: Pearson Education Limited.

  Mayhorn, C., B. & Wogalter, M., S. (2008) Trusting the Internet: Cues Affecting Perceived Credibility, 4 (1), PP.75-93.

Light switches are designed to leave hardly any error with switching lights on and off. The  design is true to the load principle by displaying the necessary information of showing whether the light is on or not.

Hair Straightener

This Remington Hair straightener has a LED display to indicate that the iron is on and takes up to 30 seconds to heat which saves time for the consumer.

Stapler

Staplers uphold the principle of performance load as the simple design only displays what is needed to complete the task.

References

Light switch image:

http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/2007/11/my-wall-switch-.html

Stapler image:

http://redstaplerchronicles.com/the-lost-art-of-saying-thank-you/

Hair Straightener image:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Remington-Essentials-S2013-Variable-Straightener/dp/B000SZ958K

The Chunking technique is where a group of similar and equivalent data is together (Ausman et al, 2007, p.407). It is easier to have the collected together for remembering rather than having larger groups of the information being separate. The ‘chunks’ assist in reducing an information overload. On average people can remember 2-7 chunks of information for their short term memory and this increases the ability for people to remember more and to make more use of their memory (Ausman et al, 2007, 408). Chunking is important in visual communication where presenting information is concerned. An example is where a student is researching how lightning works and finds that a page has steps to coincide with an animation. The animation is on a separate page to the instructions, which makes it hard for the student to retain the information of the instructions while watching the information. This causes cognitive overload (Mayer and Moreno, 2003, p.47). This is where chunking is important because the relating information is separated and so the amount of information is too much for the brain to retain. The designer of the webpage has to design the pages so that the information is together to make it easier to relate the instructions with the animation. An example of a solution is to present the instructions in the form of a narration in the animation so that the instructions will be together with the actions. This also gives the designer room for more information and more capacity for the brain to store more information. It also shows that you have to be creative with presenting information to ensure that cognitive overload doesn’t occur.

Question Three.

A brief study of psychology should definitely be necessary when discussing the topic of design because cognitive activity is a major contribution to design. Before designs are in a physical form, many thoughts and ideas are sought from cultural influences and experiences from a particular person to form one idea. Thought processes are present from collecting ideas to the actual construction of design. In Daniel Pink’s six right-brain aptitudes (Pink, 2006) as discussed in the week 11 posts, one of the aptitudes is design which explains that designs are no longer functional but also emotionally engaging. Emotion is a mental process that has an effect on what designs are produced. Other people’s thought processes as well as the designer’s affects whether the design is seen as good or bad. Psychology should be involved in discussing design because it is evident that cognitive activities are major contributor to design.

References

Ausman, B., D., Dwyer, F., Kidwai, K., Lin, H., Munyofu, M. & Swain, W.,J.(2007)The Effect of Different Chunking Strategies in Complementing Animated Instruction: Learning, Media and Technology,32(4), pp.407- 419.

Mayer, R., E. & Moreno, R. (2003) Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning: Educational Psychologist, 38(1), pp. 43 — 52  

Pink, D., H. (2006) A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future. New York : Penguin group.

Performance load is the amounts of mental and physical activity needed to complete a task. Performance load can be divided into cognitive and kinematic where cognitive is the mental activity and kinematic indicates physical activity.

When the Performance Load is high, the time to complete the task is increased as well as the occurrence of errors being increased. The probability of completing the task successfully decreases. When the performance load is low, the duration time is lower as well as the errors decreasing. The probability of completing the task successfully increases.

Cognitive Load

Cognitive load indicates the mental activity required to complete the task.  The reduction in cognitive load reduces the amount of effort used for using computers will make it easier for the mass market to use collectively. Design should minimize performance load to the greatest degree possible. To reduce cognitive load, getting rid of unneeded information form displays simplifies the information. Grouping the needed information together sends the message across quicker.

Kinematic Load

Kinematic load is the physical activity ie. Amount of energy required to accomplish a goal. With communication Morse code was created so that physical effort and time is reduced for quick communication. This also left hardly any room for errors. The best way to reduce Kinematic load is to reduce the number of steps for completing tasks and to minimize the range of motion and travelling distances. Another way of reducing kinematic load is to automate repetitive tasks to save time.

References

Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2003). Performance Load. In Universal Principles of Design (pp.148‐149). Massachusetts: Rockport.

cmm1108_A2_sarahrodgers – Copy

I changed the backgrounds on some of the slides to create better symphony and to control the flow of the presentation. I also adjusted some of the images and font to keep the slides easy to read. I excluded some information from the original presentation so that the relevant information will be included only.

Design

 The Statistics I used were mainly in a different colour to the facts. They were in the orange  background so that the audience would distinguish them from each other. I designed each slide so that they were different to keep the audience interested. I also chose each font colour so that they were legible on the orange background.  Each picture is connected to the subject content on each slide. I couldn’t just present written information, I had to make it interesting.

Empathy

Seeing as the assignment was being designed for presenting to an audience, I had to think about the audience while I was planning the design. I had to consider what the audience would find interesting and what aspects of the topic they would already know or find boring. Visual display and variation in presenting slides were considered so that the audience will keep interested and not be bored with the presentation of information. The images with each slide were used so that the understanding and interest of the topic was held.

Meaning

With the aptitude of meaning, the audience of this presentation will receive useful information about their health and will be able to learn some new facts that are relevant in their life. The audience, which consists of teenagers, will be able to gain something about their health.

Play

I chose my presentation to be very colourful so that the topic will be able to be seen in a positive and fun perspective. If the presentation was dull and completely serious, the audience will feel more concerned and less enlightened. Choosing to have images of happy young people in the presentation was for the similar reason. This also shows the audience what they can do and they can be happy about the topic.

•  Design is everywhere; design is used to create everyday objects such as signage in an airport or the layout of a book.
• For companies today, it is no longer enough to sell a service, product or experience that has a reasonable price and level of function. Consumers demand more in today’s age of abundance (Pink, 2007).
• The best designs are so well done that the design is never even noticed, consciously by the observer.
• Design is now economically crucial and personally rewarding to include design in your work. (Pink, 2006).

Story

• The story aptitude relates to facts, information and data.
• Our Brains are created in such a way that we communicate a lot through receiving and telling stories.  “We are all born storytellers”.
• Students believe that the best lecturers use stories to support their argument. So therefore stories can be beneficial for teaching, sharing, illuminating.
• Stories can be seen as an honest persuasion to one’s argument.

Symphony

• Symphony is the ability to use seemingly unrelated points to create one large concept.
• Symphony requires that we become better at seeing things in a new way.
• We need to be able to recognise patterns and are skilled at seeing nuances and simplicity that may exist in a complex problem.
• Symphony is about making sense of our world, finding the big picture and determines what is important and what is not.
• “The greatest demand today isn’t analysis but synthesis. Seeing the big picture, crossing boundaries and being able to combine disparate pieces into an arresting new whole.” ( Pink, 2006, P.66)

Empathy

• Empathy is putting you in the position of others and caring (Pink, 2006).
• It is important to note the verbal cues of your own and others.
• Designers should put themselves in the position of customer/ user/ audience member.
• Empathy allows a presenter to notice whether the audience is understanding the subject.

Play

• Work is a balance of seriousness and play
•  Playfulness and humour can go a long way towards making a presentation palatable.
• Play can give people more enthusiasm and energy towards a subject or their work. It is also very refreshing when people are stressed out and are trying to concentrate (Cufaude, 2004, p.7).

Meaning

• Having a job that you feel passionate about will give a lot of meaning to your presentation.
• Few things can be more rewarding than connecting with someone by teaching something new, or sharing what you feel is important with others.
• We are liberated by being able to pursue our desires such as purpose and spiritual fulfilment (Pink, 2006).

References

Cufaude, J. ( 2006) A Fresh Perspective: chapter 1, P. 1-12.

Pink, D., H.(2006) A Whole New Mind : Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future. New York: Penguin Group.

Pink, D., H. (2007) Cover Story: Revenge of the Right Brain, 10-13.