e Learning and the Science of Instruction (2007)
2 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
The book is full of references to well designed studies published in refereed jounals where the principles discussed were meticulously examined by learning researchers.
This is refreshing in a field where most books are anecdotes written by programmers (ala Michael Allen) or website designers. This book actually gives you design principles to follow to increase student learning while debunking many (too)popular theories about good design (such as the usefulness of extra tidbits of information, how to mix pictures and text, when to use audio in an animation, whether a self-playing presentation is better than one where the user clicks through, etc, whether all learners learn best from non-linear presentation, etc.).
I'd highly recomend this book to anyone serious about getting educational multimedia design and elearning right.
It provides many graphic examples and research links.
I asked for the book months before it was published and I am not disapointed.
You can incorporate these criteria explained in the book in your designs rigth away.
I have bought many elearning books, and I find this one very very helpful for my desingsThe only thing its that I find it a little bit repetitive in their findings, but it makes no harm...
ciao jc
However, the first attempts to replace the human instructor were not successful. Early programs that were little more than drill and practice were dull and students lost interest very quickly. The repetitive nature and lack of originality proved to be a near-fatal weakness. The first online courses were little more than correspondence courses, where the correspondence was electronic rather than via letters. As was the case with correspondence courses, a small percentage of the students did well, but most found them inadequate.
It turns out that the successful electronic delivery of learning material is very hard, much harder than the traditional method. It requires new forms of thought and a great deal of attention to detail such as colors and sounds. Electronic delivery also requires a level of sensory stimulation, such as a combination of visual and audio, which is consistent with traditional modes of learning.
Therefore, until computers reached the point where the instruction could be multimedia and user-driven, e-learning could never really be a viable alternative. Now, that has changed and this book contains a large amount of collected wisdom about how to construct and evaluate quality lessons. The authors summarize an enormous amount of research in the field, presenting it in an easy to understand manner. I created online courses for a college and instructional material for my corporate training classes before I read the book and I found their pointers to be right on the mark. They described many of the problems I encountered and their proposed solutions were generally similar to those I found through trial and error.
If you are considering either the development of online courses or are evaluating some for purchase, then you should read this book. The current power of computers can easily convince you that electronic education is much easier than it actually is, and this book will help you avoid making errors.
There are some newer technologies such as Wikis and Blogs that are not covered in the book, but since the authors focus on proven techniques with studies to back them up it's unlikely such technologies would receive a lot of coverage at this point.
If you're responsible for designing or reviewing courseware this is a very good nuts-and-bolts reference.
There is much more to designing e-Learning than simply getting your content into an electronic format and making it available online. This book explains it all, and is considered a bible by everyone I've worked with in the field.
2 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Most useful book on this subject, October 5, 2004
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
As someone who has been designing multimedia elearning programs since '95, I found this book simply the most useful book on this subject for anyone serious about getting multimedia learning right. The book is full of references to well designed studies published in refereed jounals where the principles discussed were meticulously examined by learning researchers.
This is refreshing in a field where most books are anecdotes written by programmers (ala Michael Allen) or website designers. This book actually gives you design principles to follow to increase student learning while debunking many (too)popular theories about good design (such as the usefulness of extra tidbits of information, how to mix pictures and text, when to use audio in an animation, whether a self-playing presentation is better than one where the user clicks through, etc, whether all learners learn best from non-linear presentation, etc.).
I'd highly recomend this book to anyone serious about getting educational multimedia design and elearning right.
57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best, December 3, 2003
This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
I have been developing and teaching online courses for several years and have an extensive library that I have collected over that time. I have found this book to be one of the four or five I return to on a regular basis.As a person who serves as a reviewer for other faculty work, I lament that this book is not required reading. In addition to discussing how to correctly use technology it also spends significant time looking at how students learn and how we, as faculty, should adress students in an online environment.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Good guidelines for designing eLearing content, December 3, 2002
By
Juan Otero (Caracas Venezuela) - See all my reviews
This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
I find this book very helpful for any instructional designer or elearning content developer because it gives sound guidelines based on research about how to improve instructional design for elearning content.It provides many graphic examples and research links.
I asked for the book months before it was published and I am not disapointed.
You can incorporate these criteria explained in the book in your designs rigth away.
I have bought many elearning books, and I find this one very very helpful for my desingsThe only thing its that I find it a little bit repetitive in their findings, but it makes no harm...
ciao jc
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that every person in this field need to use, June 3, 2005
This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
e-Learning and the Science of Instruction is a must have for anybody that is already a pro, or just starting out at designing web-based instruction. The authors give outstanding guidance for every step of the way, from explaining theories to the best way to set up your web site. It shows excellent illustrations of what to do, as well as what NOT to do. This book is a tool that every one in the business shouldn't be without.
62 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A great deal of research in e-learning summarized, June 13, 2004
By
Charles Ashbacher "(cashbacher@yahoo.com)" (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com)) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE)
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE)
This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
Over several million years, humans have learned from other humans, by speech, action and observation. It can be strongly argued that this is hard-wired into our genes, as the survival advantages of communication and learning from each other are obvious. In the last few decades, a new and fundamentally different form of learning has emerged. This form of learning requires only one human, the learner. Instruction is carried out via a computer, which has the advantage that it never grows frustrated or impatient with the student and will repeat the lesson an indefinite number of times. However, the first attempts to replace the human instructor were not successful. Early programs that were little more than drill and practice were dull and students lost interest very quickly. The repetitive nature and lack of originality proved to be a near-fatal weakness. The first online courses were little more than correspondence courses, where the correspondence was electronic rather than via letters. As was the case with correspondence courses, a small percentage of the students did well, but most found them inadequate.
It turns out that the successful electronic delivery of learning material is very hard, much harder than the traditional method. It requires new forms of thought and a great deal of attention to detail such as colors and sounds. Electronic delivery also requires a level of sensory stimulation, such as a combination of visual and audio, which is consistent with traditional modes of learning.
Therefore, until computers reached the point where the instruction could be multimedia and user-driven, e-learning could never really be a viable alternative. Now, that has changed and this book contains a large amount of collected wisdom about how to construct and evaluate quality lessons. The authors summarize an enormous amount of research in the field, presenting it in an easy to understand manner. I created online courses for a college and instructional material for my corporate training classes before I read the book and I found their pointers to be right on the mark. They described many of the problems I encountered and their proposed solutions were generally similar to those I found through trial and error.
If you are considering either the development of online courses or are evaluating some for purchase, then you should read this book. The current power of computers can easily convince you that electronic education is much easier than it actually is, and this book will help you avoid making errors.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for eLearning Designers and Reviewers, August 1, 2006
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
With many years of experience in building eLearning and educational software I was looking for a reference to back up my "I know it when I see it" thoughts on good and bad courseware. This book met or exceeded my expectations. I like that the chapters are shorter and that the observations are backed up with study results. The References section is a valuable collection of eLearning studies in itself. There are also useful checklists included with the book. There are some newer technologies such as Wikis and Blogs that are not covered in the book, but since the authors focus on proven techniques with studies to back them up it's unlikely such technologies would receive a lot of coverage at this point.
If you're responsible for designing or reviewing courseware this is a very good nuts-and-bolts reference.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a great resource for e-Learning developers, January 13, 2003
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
This book is a wonderful resource for newbies and experienced e-Learning developers alike. Finally we have do's and dont's based on actual research and real-life users. For a relatively new and ever-changing field, some rules are critical, and this book does a great job of providing them. I would definitely recommend this book.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent practical book for practitioners, May 16, 2005
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
I have been designing and developing e-Learning for 6 years and this book has been wonderful to help remind me of some basics, teach me a few things, and give excellent practical advice as I continue developing. I am not one to read textbooks or non-fiction but I find this writing style very easy to read and I am able to easily apply the concepts. If you have never developed e-Learning but are studying the topic in school, this book may come across as dry and hard to read. Hold on to it and pick it up after you've been developing for a year or so and I'm sure you'll find it as useful as I have.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book!, June 17, 2003
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
This book is the ultimate handbook to designing eLearning. It's easy to read, straight-forward style makes it a useful guide that you will pick up over and over. It's examples and principles can be used when justifying your design and development choices to clients both internal and external.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars E-Learning and the Science of Instruction, January 3, 2007
This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
(My first language is Spanish, so excuse any misspells) I have been working on delivery management, and now development, of online courses ind Guatemala since 1999, for a private university, international training organizations and government. Among all my research to learn about the topic and improve my work, this piece of literature is among the very best. It bases its conclussions on research results, it places the human being (who is the target of e-learning programs) in the center of the process and, based on that, and other aspects, it provides valuable information on what works and what doesn't, concerning teaching methodologies for online teaching and/or training programs. Though, it does not concentrate or cover management systems for e-learning program delivery, another very important issue for successful distance programs. The book is great, simple and clear. Bright!!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Accessible and Great Basic Information, March 28, 2008
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Hardcover)
I operate an educational multimedia publishing group serving the public healthcare sector. I found this book to be eminently approachable and extremely well organized. I was able to read through it over a weekend. One can get to the key concepts (the HOW) of each chapter without being forced to muddle through the supporting theory. That being said, all major concepts are well supported by research and cognitive theory for those who wish to understand the WHY. It is important to note that the authors' focus is mostly on the corporate training world and adult learners needing to develop fundamental skills. Not until chapter 14 do they discuss approaches to more advanced learners. Overall, I highly recommend this book. It should be on the shelf of everyone who is creating e-learning for adult learners.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading, June 20, 2008
By
Paul (NJ) - See all my reviews
This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Hardcover)
This book should be required reading for anyone undertaking a training initiative or considering e-learning. The field today is filled with "rapid development" tools that provide quick translation of slide shows, and "rich media" courses. All of these tools are designed to be easy to use and rely on generic, uninspired templates. There is much more to designing e-Learning than simply getting your content into an electronic format and making it available online. This book explains it all, and is considered a bible by everyone I've worked with in the field.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best e-learning book I have read, June 22, 2010
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Hardcover)
As a graduate student that is learning about multimedia production, I have read many a boring book on distance and online education. This book was the easiest to read and follow of any I have read. Not only that, readers can trust the information given as well performed, reliable, and valid studies are used to back up these guidelines. Both authors are well published. As someone who wants to have reilable information from those who know, this is the book I would recommend to anyone who wants to know the best way to help students learn online.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great e-learning resource, November 19, 2009
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Hardcover)
Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard Mayer collaborate on a super resource for anyone involved in creating, managing or distributing e-learning. Relevant information from cover to cover, this book is a must have for instructional designers who need to create interesting, engaging instruction for the online environment. Both authors are very knowledgeable about the area, and are authentic authorities on the subject.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book so far, April 14, 2010
By
Michael (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Hardcover)
I am a trainer in a Training Dept and my manager recommended the book. I have scrolled through the entire book twice to get a sense of it. I haven't finished a detailed read yet but it appears to be very comprehensive. I would recommend it based on my experience with it so far.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great update and overview of practical applications of the elements of multimedia in online learning..., December 21, 2009
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Hardcover)
Great update and overview of practical applications of the elements of multimedia in online learning...
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, June 20, 2003
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JLWatt "ideasolutions" (Deer Park, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
THIS is the book I have been looking for! It seems that most of the other books on e-learning start with instructional design principles and cover basic HTML and multimedia aspects of moving a course to the web. This book covered researched principles on what on the web helps and hurts learning. Although I do recommend learning instructional design as a starting point for all your on-line classes, this book will be invaluable when it comes to deciding how to present the content.
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable resource., November 10, 2006
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Fleg (Champaign, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)
Ruth Colvin Clark continues to put out valuable resouces for those interested in multimedia education. This would be a valuable addition to any library. 