Now we are going to look at several Rules of Thumb for Screen Designers. Refer learners to page 88 in Instructional Media for another list of suggestions for screen design. Solicit question and discussion. One of the most important aspects of screen design is the concept of protocols. Frame protocols refers to the consistent placement of specific zones of a frame used for various purposes.
Lets consider how the concept of screen protocols is used in screen design.
Each frame of a CAI has a particular purpose. The placement of those zones should be consistent within any frame of the same type within a project or lesson. Procedural protocol provides for consistent conventions for procedures that involve the learners navigation of the program, learner input, availability of optional procedures, and help features. One example of a bad use of procedural protocol would be to use the cursor keys to facilitate movement within the program and then suddenly require use of the space bar or mouse input. One last area to cover before we begin to design our own screens is the way that the learners use their eyes to scan the screen.