Lindholm S & Miettinen I (University of Helsinki)
27.5.2024, 12:40–13:20, Small Hall (F4050)
A typical university student is often juggling several different courses on the Moodle platform. Meanwhile, a teacher may manage and teach multiple courses with varying levels of Moodle involvement. Given the amount of time and energy spent on Moodle, the intricacies of course design are far from trivial. Cognitive load, referring to the information held in working memory, is an integral aspect of learning and teaching processes. Ideally, such load should arise from relevant learning tasks and teaching activities, rather than the mechanics of manoeuvring through a course platform – whether from the perspective of a student or the course manager. In this presentation, we will showcase different ways to mitigate this type of unnecessary burden through the efficient and purposeful utilisation of Moodle. Regardless of the volume of content within a course, users should effortlessly locate specific information and activities as needed, while maintaining a clear overview of the entire course. This can be achieved by visual cues, clear and accessible navigation structures, situation- or role-specific elements, and other user-centric design principles. After this presentation, you will be aware of factors contributing to cognitive load and equipped with ideas for managing them in the design of Moodle courses.
Recording coming in late July.