Purdue Owl

Interactivity Enhancemets 👍🧑‍💻

The Purdue Owl site is built as a repository of resources for a variety of users
- It is a good example of "hypermedia", which is merging hypertext with multimedia. (Mayer, 2014)
- The control and sequence are completely up to the user, allowing them to pace, sequence, and select information (Mayer, 2014)
The Purdue Owl provides a link to a Site Map, which is one recommended strategy for instructional support in learner-controlled online environments (Mayer, 2014)
The user can always use the menu at the top to return to the Home, On-Campus, Online, or Research pages
Linked pages are full of multimedia, including the "Vidcast" series on YouTube, articles, downloadable templates, interactive citation tools, maps,

Homepage features

The homepage links a few of the most popular resources right at the top of the page: one block for Online resources, one block for On-Campus resources. The graphic design principles of, color contrast, and negative space are used well in this section, along with simple icons that convey meaning

Interactive Widgets

The APA formatting and style guide page include interactive tools, such as this tool by Citation Machine, an excellent inclusion of an interactive feature that enhances the page.

Online Lessons

The Owl offers some simple exercises to practice writing skills. First, the user reviews a lesson. Then there is a practice exercise to try, followed by the answers. All of this is self-paced. The only downside is that you can't type your answers online, you need to write them down on paper or a seperate document.

Interactivity Distractions 👎🧑‍💻

Exerting control over instruction brings challenges to the cognitive load. Some of the pages have so many hyperlinks and different types of resources that the user could begin to feel lost in the options. (DeStefano & LeFevre, 2007)

Cognitive Overload Potential

Notice the 3 types of links in the screenshot

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