ED 6228 Designing Instructional Materials Summer, 2014

Maggie McNeill Instructor: Matthew Stranach

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Session 4 Activity 12 How the Hydrologic Cycle Works

Overview
Create an instructional message that accords with some or all of the aesthetic principles listed
above.
The text based How the Hydrologic Water Cycle Works is the IM selected for this weeks
assignment that requires the designing of an instructional message. The focus will be on
aesthetic principles and instructional effectiveness both on a webpage and the handout.
Who is the intended learner?
The intended learner will be adults completing the science component of the Pre-trades Access
classes at Artic College in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.
How do your design decisions and different statements of the message relate to the
particular principles of aesthetics?
The IM will be taken beyond a text format and include webpage, images, video and handout to
illustrate the Hydrologic Water Cycle. Please see page 2 for principles of aesthetics that apply.
Is the message both aesthetically pleasing and instructionally effective?
I believe the message is both aesthetically pleasing and instructionally effective with the
enhancements made to the handout and the addition of a webpage with added resources.
Please see page 2 for details and the webpage at www.maggiemcneill.weebly.com
Does the message violate guidelines from other schools of thought presented in this section?
The message does violate Neil Postmans view as presented by Rose (p. 37). Postman believes
that images no longer function as a supplement to language, but now tends to replace it as our
dominant means for constructing, understanding, and testing reality. My rational for believing
it violates Postmans view is that the images presented in the material that I designed do not in
themselves explain the scientific concept of how the hydrologic cycle works. Rather, as stated
by Ellul (1985) in Roses section on Visual Literacy (p.37), teaching is made easier when images
are used. Although at times I would agree with the remainder of the statement made by Ellul
that images can even replace it (it meaning text), that is not valid in this particular IM as the
images serve to clarify text and not replace it.
ED 6228 Designing Instructional Materials Summer, 2014
Maggie McNeill Instructor: Matthew Stranach

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Session 4 Topics - Textbook pages 37-45
2. Aesthetics
Aesthetics as it relates to instructional materials design refers to both the clarity of the text and
of the images and how the two work together to create effective instruction.
The principles of Aesthetics described in my text handout and webpage are summarized below:
Simplicity
Overall IM is presented clearly
Yes, the addition of images and text formatting enhanced the message rather than distracting
from it. This was true in the handout of the Hydrologic Cycle Works as well as on the webpage
used to provide videos of the water cycle, and links to the United States Geological Survey
(USGS) web site for extra material on the topic. All work as intended and leave a clear message.
IM is not heavily or unnecessarily decorated
For a crisper look, the handout title is placed in the header, and is in blue with a line separating
it from the body of text. Sections each have a blue heading that is slightly larger font than the
subheadings. The sub-headings are slightly smaller than the headings and blue, but are further
distinguished by featuring small caps as part of their format. The body of text is in Calibri 14
point and terms being defined in the section are in bold in the body of text to help learners find
key text and concepts more easily. Neither the text nor images selected to enhance the
message are unnecessarily decorative in appearance. Another feature to the IM handout is that
pages are now numbered. Page numbering along with section headings provide reference
points that make it easier to navigate through the text to points of interest.
The webpage tab is consistent with the other tabs used on the webpage. Titles are clear,
buttons and links work, and the drop-down menu for the session tab is simple, and functional in
its lay-out.
Writing is concise and to the point
The handout was slightly modified for adult learners. It is presented in a logical manner that is
concise and to the point with section headings to help identify the body of text. The original
material was provided in the sample IM section in D2L available in text format. The text was
verified for accuracy at the USGS webpage before being used in the designed handout
describing the Hydrological Water Cycle.
ED 6228 Designing Instructional Materials Summer, 2014
Maggie McNeill Instructor: Matthew Stranach

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Text on the webpage is highly functional and concise and serves to lead to other webpages,
features such as a video or extra material provided therein.
Harmony
Text elements such as words, sentences, and headings convey a clear focused message
I believe that this was achieved in the entire IM that includes the webpage and handout.
Formatting was selected to enhance a clear, focused massage to the learners. Each of the main
definitions has its own section with headings to help guide the reader. Page numbering has also
provided a clearer reference point while browsing or searching for definitions within the
handout material. Tabs and dropdown menus provide this on the webpage.
Images have unified patterns, colors, and styles
Although images all came from one source, the USGS, they were not quite consistent in size,
color or heading style. Care was taken to correct this and give the USGS images a more unified
look in the IM material they were used with. Text and image placement was consistent on each
page in relation to the other pages in the handout and on the webpage.
Unification of patters was in part achieved by placing the Water Cycle image on the first page of
the handout, and by using a light blue color for the header title and matching the section
headings and subheadings in a darker blue. This was also a subliminal acknowledgement to the
blue color often associated with water, and further served to unify the theme and pattern used
to display both text and visual information.
Proportion
Text elements and images are balanced on the page
As the images from the USGS were kept large so that their captions could be read, the text in
the handout was made larger than it normally would have been in order to maintain proportion
with the images used. To have used a 12 point font would have disrupted the visual flow, and
the proportion used on the page for text and image elements would not have been balanced.
Unity
All elements such as text, images, links, etc. combine to create a cohesive whole
The Hydrologic Water Cycle is well represented in the entirety of this IM. Each page is clearly
laid out with care given to the creation of a cohesive whole. The full cycle is illustrated on the
first page of the handout with each page thereafter displaying a key phase of the water cycle.
ED 6228 Designing Instructional Materials Summer, 2014
Maggie McNeill Instructor: Matthew Stranach

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Removing an element such as a table, an image, or a heading would alter the meaning
of the IM
Images are an illustration of a phase of the water cycle, while the headings serve to name the
particular water cycle phase. Although I do think other images could be used to represent a
phase, to completely remove even one from the IM would impact the entire piece negatively. I
also do not see how a section heading or sub-heading could be eliminated without altering the
clarity of the IM handout.
References
NASA | Earths Water Cycle. (2012). NASA Godard. Retrieved on 26 July from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDkph9yQBs
Rose, E. (2011). Designing Instructional Materials. Textbook for ED 6228. Fredericton: University
of New Brunswick.
The Water Cycle. (2013). National Science Foundation. Retrieved on 27 July from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al-do-HGuIk