www.bookingbuddy.com

‘Pubmed.gov’ is linked to the CSIRO website, thus giving it reputed credibility

www.pubmed.gov

The ‘channel ten’ website looks well designed and is updated regularly, giving it surface credibility

www.channelten.com

Like most bank websites the ‘NAB’ website has earned credibility because it sends emails confirming transactions, is logically arranged and provides quick responses to customer questions.

www.nab.com.au

Failure to assess a websites validity can be costly, sometimes resulting in fraud ranging from theft of your bank details and money to theft of your identity. As a student it is imperative to evaluate the validity of your online sources to insure the information you are gathering is in fact correct. Incorrect facts and references are not acceptable in academic writing and as a result can lead to your paper being deemed as unsatisfactory.

Learning how to spot illegitimate websites is an invaluable lesson and one that is now making its way into many classrooms. As Neil Stephenson’s explains in his blog (link supplied below) he has put together an exercise with his class in which he informs them of a deadly chemical called Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO).  The teacher then proceeds to give the children 30 minutes to research DHMO before sharing their findings with the rest of the class. As most people do when sourcing information the children ‘Google’ DHMO and proceed to the first page that comes up, a page listing all of the dangers associated with DHMO. To look at the site in relation to the guidelines as expressed by Fogg (2003), the page has presumed credibility as it appears to be a non-profit organisation, the URL of which ends in “.org”. The page is however, a hoax, DHMO is water. The exercise highlights the problems associated with not checking the credibility of a website. A valuable lesson and one well summed up in this quote:

“In everyday life, people are bombarded with claims… These claims are put forth by experts (including scientists) and nonexperts (including scientists), by honest people and charlatans. In response to this barrage, trying to separate sense from nonsense, knowledge helps” (Andersen, et. al, 2001, p. 374).

Wikipedia is an incredible resource. It is a collaboration in which anyone can add content, or edit existing content, creating a comprehensive knowledge base instantly accessible to anyone with the internet (Ebersbach, 2008). In this regard it is fascinating yet flawed. As a resource for students, it is deemed unreliable. This is due to the collaborative nature of the site meaning people can deliberately insert errors to suit their own agenda (Chesney, 2006).

Neil Stephenson Blog: How do your students assess website credibility?

http://www.isteconnects.org/2009/04/01/how-do-your-students-assess-website-credibility/

References:

Andersen, J., & Watson, D. (2001). (ed.) Networking the learner: Computers in education. Denmark: Springer

Chesney, T. (2006). An empirical examination of Wikipedia’s credibility. Retrieved, June, 6, 2009. From : http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_11/chesney/index.html

 Ebersbach, A. (2008). Wiki: Web collarboration. London: Springer

Fogg, B. J. (2003). Credibility and the World Wide Web. In Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (pp. 122‐125). Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.

Fogg, B. J. (2003). Credibility and the World Wide Web. In Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do (pp. 147‐181). Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. 

To understand why psychology plays an important role in design, we might first look at a people’s inherent emotional responses to different colours. Different colours arouse different feelings for many different reasons. For example, sky blue has a soothing effect of humans. This is because tranquilizing hormones are released from our pituitary glands when we look at this colour. This same colour also acts as an appetite suppressant, prompting some companies to design blue lights in their fridge.

Knowledge of the human responses to colour is a fundamental element used to guide design choices. To read more about Human responses to colour check out this website:

http://www.colormatters.com/

Adopting the ‘chunking’ principle into your presentations not only makes you a better communicator but also helps your audience get the most out of your presentation. Miller’s findings show, for optimal information retention from your audience you should include;

• No more than nine bullet points on a slide
• No more than nine bullet points on a bulleted list – classify the information into smaller logically related groups and introduce a subheading
• No more than nine bubbles on a single data flow diagram – consider reducing this further if the functions are complex
• No more than nine classes in an object model module – consider creation of more super-classes or a more granular partitioning
• No more than nine states in a single state transition diagram – consider creation of super-states
• This principle statement is chunked into 7 units of information. No unit has more than 6 thoughts or sub-chunks (Chunking principle, 2006).

References:

Miller, G. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Retrieved June, 6, 2009, From: http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/peterson/psy430s2001/Miller%20GA%20Magical%20Seven%20Psych%20Review%201955.pdf

Chunking principle  (2006). Retrieved, June,6,2009, From: http://www.chambers.com.au/glossary/chunk.htm

A fundamental element of design is the aim to reduce the performance load. As George Miller highlights in his seminal article, ‘The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information’ (1956) the more we ask of the user, the more we expect them to do or remember, the more we begin to see errors. This means the probability of successfully completing a goal decreases.  One way of reducing cognitive load is by of eliminating the need to remember things or steps in order to achieve a goal, or simply making things easier to remember (Lidwell, et. al, 2003). A mnemonic device is a method for enhancing ones memory and is often adopted to reduce cognitive load. Popular mnemonic devices to aid people remembering information is the use of acronyms, rhymes and imagery and ‘jingles’ (Yalch, 1991).

To reduce the kinematic load a designer must think of ways to remove and reduce the physical steps required of the user. This can include “minimizing the range of motion and travel distances, and automating repetitive tasks” (Lidwell, et. al, 2003, p. 148).

References:

Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2003). Performance load. In Universal principles of design (pp. 148-149). Massachusetts: Rockport.

Miller, G. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Retrieved June, 6, 2009, From: http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/peterson/psy430s2001/Miller%20GA%20Magical%20Seven%20Psych%20Review%201955.pdf

Yalch, R (1991). Memory in a jingle jungle: Music as a mnemonic device in communicating advertising slogans. In  Journal of applied psychology. Vol 76(2), pp. 268-275.

Play

I think there is an element of play in the first two slides of my presentation, as they feature cartoon illustrations of ‘The Colonel’. I don’t really think it is appropriate to joke much more than that, given the subject matter, however I may have been able to add more ‘play’ in a verbal way during the presentation.   

Empathy

 The presenter must read the audience, and then make changes as necessary depending on how the audience is reacting. I attempt to do this before a presentation by putting myself in the audiences position and trying to find areas of weakness in my presentation. I think empathy should also be addressed during the presentation.

Story

Again I consider ‘story’ as an element easier addressed verbally during the presentation rather than put one of my own stories or anecdotes onto a slide. I did use a narrative form in the slide ‘Brutal slaughter’ to help guide the audience through the information, however adding a story of my own, perhaps a KFC experience, I would prefer to be more impromptu and not on a slide.

Symphony

Symphony is does not mean diluting your argument to the absolute minimum, but rather, making choices about what is important and omitting the rest. I used images, fact and story to illuminate my argument without letting it become too much for the audience to grasp.

Meaning

 I definitely think there was meaning in my presentation, as it was an topic I am passionate about, and passionate to bring to peoples attention.

Design:

• Conscious decisions
• Articulate meaning more clearly
• Design should be considered when project is first underway
• Consider what you are trying to say and who is your audience

Story:

• Story telling called “narrative imagining” (Reynolds, 2008)
• Story telling and listening is inherent in our nature
• Story telling helps people retain information
• Putting information into a narrative is “engaging and memorable” (Reynolds, 2008)
• Appealing to emotions is “the easiest way to transfer learning… in presentation” (Srinivasan, 2004)
• Telling the right story at the right time is the key, or story can become more of a filler than a valuable tool (Srinivasan, 2004)
• Storytelling lets the listener know you “have been through a similar experience and here’s how it went (Zelazny, 2000, p. 128) 

Symphony: 

• Relies on multiple sources to clarify topic
• Presenter must be able to recognise simplicity in complex topics
• Allows presenter to assess the value of their information
• Includes editing non-essential information which can dilute an argument

Empathy:

• Means the presenter must position themselves as the audience in order to assess their presentation
• Allows presenter to understand if the audience is grasping topic. 
• An empathetic presenter can alter presentation according to the response from the audience
• This will encourage the audience to feel as though you would follow your own advice (Zelazny, 2000)

Play:

• Refers to the use of humour in presentations
• This does not include ‘clown like’ or unprofessional behaviour
• Laughter leads to more productivity
• This implies that people who are always serious are not necessarily better for business
• Humour should only be used in appropriate situations
• Humour should never be used to attack an audience member; nor should it be “sarcastic or cynical” (Zelazny, 2000, p. 126)
• Humour is great only if it helps make a point 
• An easy way to introduce humour into presentations is by including a cartoon at the beginning of a presentation

Meaning:

• Is the opportunity for self-expression and to share our views with others
• Can make presentations fulfilling for the presenter and the audience.
• Allows presenter to connect with the audience
• Demonstrates to audience that you have considered them and appreciate them being their
• Allows for greater impact

References:

Reynolds, G. (2008). Presentations in “The Conceptual Age”. In Presentation zen: Simple ideas on 

presentation and design delivery (pp. 14-19). Berkley, CA: New Riders

Srinivasan, R. (2004). A powerful presentation technique: Storytelling. Retrieved June 2, 2009From: 

http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Powerful-Presentation-Technique-Story-Telling&id=6015

Zelazny, G. (2000). Say it with presentations: How to design and deliver successful business presentations. 

Manhattan, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional