Content Matrix
Home Up Resources Analysis Syllabus

 

You can work toward your design of many sites, and especially educational ones, by considering what I call the "Content Matrix." For each of your goals for the site you should consider the information, interactions, and connections needed to help students or users reach them. This process can be done iteratively by further analyzing each goal and working out the matrix at each level.

Note that the goals do NOT have to be educational ones. You may have the goal of selling your products to people. You still need to think about how you will provide information, interactions, and links to make that likely and easy.

Here's an example:

Goal

Information

Interactions

Connections

Change fonts in FrontPage 2002 Screen shots and text showing where the toolbar controls and menu items are Simulated screen where user practices changing fonts

instructions that can be followed while in FrontPage

Link to Microsoft Help site on FrontPage

Links to two sites that discuss the use of fonts on Web pages

Insert Graphic on page in FrontPage 2002 Downloadable graphic to use in practicing skills

Screen shots and text showing where the toolbar controls and menu items are

Pages that discuss images on Web pages, including use of GIF. JPG, and PNG files.

Simulated screen where user practices inserting graphics

instructions that can be followed while in FrontPage

Quizzes where user can make decisions about the effective use of graphics on Web pages

 

Link to Microsoft Help site on FrontPage

Links to good sources for clip art that can be used on Web pages

Links to graphics programs for editing images

Links to two sites that discuss the use of graphics on Web pages

 

Ingram, A. L. & Hathorn, L. G. (2004). Designing your Web site for instructional effectiveness & completeness: First steps. TechTrends. 47 (2), 50-6.