| eLearning online, just like any educational | | | | it helps emphasize the main ideas and concepts. In |
| experience, depends on instructional design | | | | other words, a screen that has no visual hierarchy |
| because it requires excellently designed courses | | | | has little if no emphasis at all. In education, |
| that feature a complete set of essential elements | | | | emphasis is an important way to really reinforce |
| to ensure learning. This will guarantee that the vital | | | | the absorption of information. |
| information is communicated well to learners. A | | | | There are different ways to implement this in |
| proper instructional design process ensures the | | | | instructional design for an eLearning online course. |
| quality of an online course by identifying skills, | | | | Usually, designers opt to combine different kinds |
| knowledge, information, and attitude gaps. These | | | | of approaches for maximum impact. Here are |
| gaps are then closed with the creation of learning | | | | some different ways a person can establish visual |
| experiences that are based on best practices in | | | | hierarchy: |
| eLearning. | | | | (1) Imagery. People tend to focus on the images |
| A very important part of eLearning online is how | | | | and graphics that appear on the screen first, and |
| well courses are perceived by the target audience | | | | then they move on to other elements such as |
| because perception determines how well they will | | | | the text. However, a certain level of control can |
| understand the content. In order to perceive, | | | | be gained over this tendency for it depends on |
| people need sensory stimulation. In this type of | | | | the design and treatment of a page or the whole |
| learning, visual stimulation is critically important. | | | | course itself. |
| Online learning is heavily dependent on visual | | | | (2) Position. This is one of the most common |
| elements such as text, graphics, pictures, videos | | | | ways to represent the progression. A good |
| and so on. | | | | example of this would be the standard newspaper |
| However, people seldom explain that the visual | | | | positioning wherein the hottest stories are located |
| channel of such courses can transmit secondary | | | | at the top of the paper because this position |
| messages through visual hierarchy which | | | | attracts more attention than those at the bottom. |
| communicates the relative importance of the | | | | (3) Color. In design, bright colors used with |
| visual elements in a course. As denoted by the | | | | contrast attract more attention, while darker ones |
| term itself, visual hierarchy guides learners to | | | | don't. To establish hierarchy, it is important to |
| progressively pay attention to the visual element | | | | make high ranking elements more vivid and less |
| of highest rank down to those of lesser rank. | | | | ranking ones darker. |
| Standard hierarchy has three levels of importance | | | | (4) Size. Size is probably the most compelling way |
| which are equivalent, primary and secondary. This | | | | to depict hierarchy on a screen. There are |
| however can still vary. | | | | different ways by which you can utilize this |
| Having elements in pecking order can reduce a lot | | | | effectively. For example, making the title of a |
| of stress related to a cluttered screen. A learner | | | | page larger, or making a relevant video |
| would not know what to focus on first if graphics | | | | encompass most of the screen. |
| and the like are scattered everywhere, thereby | | | | You can research on the other ways of |
| causing confusion and inhibiting learning. Information | | | | establishing visual hierarchy on the internet. It can |
| is delivered to an audience with hierarchy because | | | | really help people design higher quality courses. |