Session scheduled at 1:30-2:20 in Room 2 (Swain)

Most digital experiences require users to initially learn something new, whether an e-class, an updated operating system, or a redesigned online banking experience. We call it the onboarding process, and done poorly it can cost users. It’s a simple fact, yet one we rarely stop to consider. It’s critical that design teams incorporate sound learning principles into their designs.

Andragogy, the study and practice of adult education, provides six learning principles applicable to learners across age groups in digital spaces. As we are teaching our users, these principles are good practice in general. These six principles are:

1. Learners need to know why and how they will be learning (and they should have a say in it).
2. Learners depend on self direction to learn new things.
3. Learners’ prior experiences should be utilized as a resource for learning.
4. Learners’ readiness to learn occurs due to specific life situations.
5. Learners’ interest in learning is life centered.
6. The motivations to learn are internal.

Victor will define and discuss these principles, and review examples of how design teams can use account for them when creating digital learning experiences.

Victor Yocco

Victor Yocco is a researcher and strategist at Intuitive Company, a user focused research, design, and development firm located in Philadelphia, PA. He is the current Vice Chair of PhillyCHI, an organization representing students and professionals interested in HCI and UX fields in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. Victor received his PhD from The Ohio State University, where his research focused on psychology and communication in informal learning settings such as science centers and zoos. His current interests include persuasive communication and incorporating social science theories into design. He has written on these topics for A List Apart, Boxes and Arrows, Smashing Magazine, and a number of academic journals.

Follow @victoryocco on Twitter