Abstract
As an educational setting, the traditional classroom fails to meet the learner’s need for suitable skills to learn with educational software. The development of digital learning skills in school curricula challenges designers of educational software. A useful starting point of research in this domain is the study of literacy, both in its traditional and new forms (Tyner, 1998). It is a powerful background for research on the interaction of learners with educational software platforms. A “platfom” is a particular software package, designed for educational use.
TopBackground
Both in school and society, the skill to comprehend and handle printed course materials is essential. Literacy has since long been a vital skill for functioning adequately in an industrial society (see e.g. Marvin, 1984).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Instructional Design: Lay-out of an optimal integration of educational content and interface lay out of end-user software.
This work was previously published in Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology: edited by M. Khosrow-Pour, pp. 875-879, copyright 2005 by Information Science Reference, formerly known as Idea Group Reference (an imprint of IGI Global)
Impaired Learners: learners, hampered by physical of psychological deficiencies.
Educational Software: Software packages, supporting specific goals in the education of target groups, e.g. primary school tutees or impaired children.
Learning: Cognitive processing and integration of new educational content, if possible induced through exercises or games.
End-User: Tutee, working with dedicated educational software packages.
Literacy: Operational and cognitive skills, necessary to work effectively and efficiently with educational software.
Cognitive Load: Amount of mental resources necessary for information processing.
Children: Tutees, enrolled in primary school.