So, You Expect Them to Read That? Creating Text That Begs to Be Read.

August 31, 2010 - 3:10pm | by rtbrown
Presenter(s)
Lydia Mong (West Virginia University, US)
Session Information
November 4, 2010 - 9:40am
Track: 
Learning Effectiveness
Areas of Special Interest: 
Online Learning and Community Colleges
Major Emphasis of Presentation: 
Practical Application
Institutional Level: 
Multiple Levels
Session Type: 
Individual Presentation
Location: 
Curacao 4
Session Duration: 
35
Concurrent Session: 
3
Abstract

People don't read web pages. They scan them. How can we overcome this so that students actually read and remember the information they need? This presentation will demonstrate how to make the on-screen reading of your text more inviting and memorable to students.

Extended Abstract

Most online courses are text-based, even after media are added. However, research indicates that people don't read web pages. They scan them. How can we overcome this so that students actually read the information they need? This presentation will demonstrate how to make the on-screen reading of your text more inviting and memorable to students. At the end of this workshop participants will be able to: • Identify how people interact with text on the Web. • Explain how line length affects readability. • Identify which fonts are most readable on computer screens. • Explain the importance of white space. • Explain the importance of line height. • Identify 2 or 3 ways for "chunking" text. • Observe the effect that color has on the content of a Web page within an LMS. • Apply eyetracking research to a Web page. Take-away materials will include "Tips for Increasing Readability" and "References and Resources."

Final Presentation: 
application/pdf iconreadability_presentation_handout.pdf
Lead Presenter

Lydia Mong is an Extended Learning instructional designer in the West Virginia University Instructional Technology Resource Center. her designing repertoire includes instructional materials in both face-to-face and online environments for university and career-technical college instruction as well as corporate management training and development.