Interface Development for Learning Environments : Establishing Connections Between Users and Learning

This brief will examine and explore some tools and techniques that can be used to develop interfaces for learning environments. Interface design has been a topic in software engineering for many years. The advent of graphical user interfaces has created many remedies and challenges for the software engineer. In recent years with an increased emphasis in educational technology, instructional designers are also included in this arena. The interface can be a driver in terms of a learning environment's ability to engage a student. It can also provide a point of information exchange and therefore learning between the student and the environment's software. Thus, the issue of an interface is vital to the success of a learning environment. This brief will produce a variety of interfaces for various environments to allow the designer to contrast and compare them based upon the required purpose. The designer will have a toolkit filled with tools and techniques which will allow for interfaces that will engage the student and facilitate their learning. The primary audiences are K-12 and post-secondary educators who desire to create digital media based educational materials.