Interface design: a neglected issue in educational software

摘要

The user interface is particularly important for educational software because 1) it must provide an entry to the content domain of the program rather than vice versa and 2) it must be sensitive to the general skill and/or developmental level of the user. In spite of these special characteristics, interface design for educational software has been given little attention. This study evaluates a representative interface from arithmetic software now used in the schools. It was found that the interface caused students a large number of difficulties. These difficulties were sufficient to interfere with the instructional effectiveness of the software. Designing interfaces that will benefit educational software will require careful study of the users of these programs along with an in-depth understanding of the domains being taught.