Model Behavior

Model Behavior
By Laura Francis and Tracy Turner
In developing an e-learning program, instructional designers must pull together what may seem like incongruent pieces of information into a cohesive experience for learners. One tool designers use to do that appears unassuming, but really packs a punch. What is this powerful component? Models. No e-learning program would be complete without these outwardly simple graphic representations of information.
Simply put, models are visual representations of data: They present information graphically, often mirroring the text on screen. But quality models don't merely restate what's already been said. That would serve no purpose and could frustrate and annoy learners. Instead, quality models present supplemental information that can't be found anywhere else in the program. For example, in an e-learning program that teaches delegation techniques, the designer could include a model of delegation best practices. The graphic wouldn't repeat the main ideas, but instead offer secondary information to enhance the learners' experience.
Models needn't be static--they can become interactive to a degree. Designers can create models that hide pertinent information. When users roll their mouse over a part of the model, the information embedded appears for the users to read.
While instructional designers can create endless varieties of models, the four types described below represent basic ways to organize information and can serve as a starting place.
Hierarchical. This type of model presents information in a top-down format. You begin with one main idea and then expand it through supporting information and subtopics. This type of model is best used to represent information that moves from general to specific.

A possible use for this model is an organizational chart included in an online orientation program for new hires.

To make the Sales Personnel model interactive, try the following: Have a biographical sketch of each person appear when the user "mouses over" the person's name. The bio could include the person's contact information, a list of duties in his or her current role, and any other information new hires would find helpful.
Sequential. This second type of model enables you to show a string of events, theories, or information ordered by time or step-by-step. Instructional designers typically use this model when they need to communicate a series of elements that must follow one another in a specific order. Any information that must go from Point A to Point B before it can go to Point C begs to be graphically represented through this type of model.

A good use for this type of model is to describe a decision-making process that necessitates actions being taken in a certain order.

To make the Decision-Making model interactive, consider adding (to appear when learners mouse over that part of the model) general rules for each item or questions to ask at each step before moving on.
Cyclical. Some information lends itself to what can be viewed as a life cycle of sorts, with a beginning and an end that also represents the beginning of the next cycle. Information of this type is best suited to a Cyclical Model, which begins at one point, moves along the ring of a circle, ends up at the starting point, and begins the cycle all over again.

An annual performance evaluation process could be represented with this type of model, as the process typically takes one year to complete and then begins again.

To make the Annual Reviews model interactive, reveal information on each step the learner must take when he or she mouses over the various sections.
Venn diagram. This type of model is useful for comparing and contrasting pieces of information with one central theme. The model provides learners with a quick visual that groups like information from various sources. The model typically consists of either two or three circles. The like information is placed in the inner, overlapping portion of the circles, while contrasting information remains separated on the fringes of each circle.

Instructional designers could use this model in creating a program for team leaders. The model can enable leaders to compare and contrast personality types (Type A and Type B).

The Personality Types model can be made interactive by including a detailed description of each personality type that appears when the user mouses over that section. When the user mouses over the middle section, he or she could view a list of similarities between the two types.
A Venn diagram can also compare and contrast three sets of information--for example, three types of decisions. While each decision type has its own unique characteristics, similarities between the three exist and can be identified through the model.

The Three Types of Decisions model can become interactive if the designer includes a detailed description of each decision type when the user mouses over a particular section. Designers could also include a list of examples to help users understand when to use each type of decision. When the user mouses over any of the overlapping sections, a list of similarities could appear, highlighting the factors the decision types have in common.
Designers use models in their e-learning programs to offer learners another way to take in information. The best classroom teachers use a combination of teaching methods that target the various learning types--visual, auditory, kinesthetic--in order to reach the greatest number of learners. The best e-learning programs emulate this technique, and models engage people who prefer to learn visually and who understand and retain information better when it is presented to them in that way. In addition, models offer all learners the chance to engage another part of their brains, and as visual cues, can help learners recall information.
Imagine if you were asked to read all of Tolstoy's War and Peace in one session--pretty laughable, right? The novel is much too long to be read and comprehended in one bout of reading frenzy. By nature, people chunk text without even realizing it. The natural act of breaking up reading into manageable segments helps us internalize and digest the information we've just read. If we didn't give ourselves this time to reflect, we'd miss subtleties, intentions, and meaning. These same subtleties can be lost in e-learning programs if all the information is presented to the learner in one big blob. Models artfully chunk material and connect it with a visual representation of its meaning.
Resources
Not sure how to create models? Graphic designers and developers recommend these programs:
Adobe Photoshop: www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.htmlClick on Tryouts in the top navigation bar, then select Photoshop from the list of products. You can try the program for free, although you won't be able to save your work or print.
Macromedia Flash: www.macromedia.com/software/flashClick on See It Now to take a tour of the product.
Jasc Paint Shop Pro: www.jasc.com/products/pspClick on Take the New Paint Shop Pro Product Tour on the right-hand navigation bar. You'll learn how to create rollovers for and animations of Web graphics.
ZDNet recommends these three drawing programs, which come with fewer features but are perhaps easier to use:
SmartDraw: www.smartdraw.comThirty-day trial lets you test out either the Professional or the Professional Plus version.
ConceptDraw: www.conceptdraw.com/en/resources/suppdownl.shtmlThe demo includes all the features of the full program, except you won't be able to save your work.
Edge Diagrammer: www.pacestar.comTry it free for 30 days. This version enables you to create simple diagrams only.
Need more help? Check out these books:
Envisioning Information, by Edward R. Tufte
Information Architects, by Richard Saul Wurman
Information Graphics: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference, by Robert L. Harris
Understanding by Richard Saul Wurman.

Published: April 2002

Developing Media for Low Bandwidth
Interact! With Online Learning

Laura Francis is a writer and editor for Triple Creek Associates, an organizational development firm in Cincinnati, Ohio that designs business-driven e-learning to help leaders and managers accelerate knowledge and skill development; lfrancis@3creek.com. Tracy Turner is a Cincinnati-based graphic artist and Web developer; traceman@ip-solutions.com.
ref:http://www.learningcircuits.org/2002/apr2002/elearn.html