Cassarino Article

Cassarino's article was really helpful for me to apply theory of why something works in practice. My students research a topic and become experts on it. We then create websites for participation in Oracle's Think Quest web design contest. It was gratifying to read the theory behind Cassarino's belief in using metaphor to reduce design confusion and her list of guidelines to answer questions of how websites facilitate cognition. I have tried several metaphors for thinking about the design of a website (a gift box containing all parts of a gift from batteries to wrapping supplies; a pie box with a window showing a yummy pie within that is obviously of one kind or another; and most recently, a submarine that incorporated a control panel for the nav bar). All of these metaphors are just trial and error versions of explaining an ergonomic design that helps instead of hinders the delivery of content for a user. Young kids can grasp metaphors and apply the logic of them to abstract concepts like creating a virtual content delivery model!

I have struggled with the use of frames versus floating components and it was great to have the frames concept paired with Vygotsky's learning theories! Frames in Front Page are truly easy for me to teach to elementary school kids. The nav bar is always visible and they can grasp the idea of chunking content into 5 or 6 big pieces off the nav bar easily. From there, bites of the pie or components of the gift metaphor are easy ways to teach kids how to design instructionally sound websites.