eLearning and fun

ABSTRACT

eLearning is becoming more prevalent for education and training, yet many online courses are poorly designed. Some are little more than electronic versions of paper-based materials; others attempt to replicate a traditional classroom offering; while others follow an instructional design approach used for classroom instruction. As a result, the reputation of online courses is not good and the exception, rather than the rule, is a well-designed course that effectively teaches a topic to its target students.In this Special Interest Group (SIG), we will look at one aspect of eLearning: making online courses engaging and fun. "Fun and pleasure are elusive concepts" [1] and there is no consensus on how to design enjoyable experiences [2]. Engagement is accepted as important in online learning but is similarly elusive. We will look at how courses can be designed to increase enjoyment; if fun can increase motivation, engagement, and retention; how multimedia, games, entertainment, and fun are related; and the impact of peers, instructors, mentors, and support staff on fun with respect to the learning experience.

REFERENCES

• 1: Andrew Monk , Marc Hassenzahl , Mark Blythe , Darren Reed, Funology: designing enjoyment, ACM SIGCHI Bulletin - a supplement to interactions, 2002, September-October 2002 [doi>10.1145/568190.568208]
• 2: Norman, D. (2004) Emotional Design, Basic Books.
• 3: Alan Dix, Being playful: learning from children, Proceeding of the 2003 conference on Interaction design and children, July 01-03, 2003, Preston, England [doi>10.1145/953536.953538]
• 4: B. J. Fogg , Jonathan Grudin , Jakob Nielsen , Stuart Card, Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do, Science & Technology Books, 2002
• 5: Keller, J.M. (1983) Motivational Design of Instruction, In C.M. Reigeluth (Ed.) Instructional design Theories and Models: An Overview of their Current Status. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
• 6: Keller, J.M. (1987) Strategies for Stimulating the Motivation to Learn, In Performance and Instruction 26, 8.
• 7: Malone, T. (1981) Toward a Theory of Intrinsically Motivating Instruction, Cognitive Science 4, 333.
• 8: Malone, T.W. and Lepper, M.R. (1987) Making Learning Fun: A Taxonomy of Intrinsic Motivations for Learning. In R.E. Snow and M.J. Farr (Eds.) Aptitude, Learning and Instruction. Volume 3: Cognitive and Affective Process Analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.m Miscellaneous

General Terms:
Design, Documentation

Keywords:
eLearning, education, engagemement, fun, learning, motivation, training