Tag Archives: instructional design

Prototyping augmented contextual instruction with Metaio Creator (Demo mode) and Toolbox

2013-07-31 18.32.49
The obtuse futuristic device that can only be serviced by a fearless technician with a little help from some augmented contextual instruction.

For this prototype, I’m using Metaio Creator image and object recognition features of Toolbox in restrictive Demo Mode to further explore some aspects of my concept of augmented contextual instruction. Unfortunately, in Demo Mode I can’t use the excellent 3D point cloud data  captured in Toolbox to prototype all aspects of my augmented contextual instruction. In Demo Mode augments can only be triggered by a QR code, which is kinda okay for testing while you’re building. I’m thinking about buying a license.

This video shows some of the features of the augmented contextual help I’m trying to prototype with Metaio Creator in Demo Mode.

Concept: Slope of the land under classified vegetation determines the severity of a bushfire

Concept for an interactive device that demonstrates how slope of the land under classified vegetation determines the severity of a bushfire.

The learner can increase or decrease the angle of the upslope and downslope. As a result the severity of the approaching bushfire will change. The bushfire’s severity is based on a premise of the fire’s intensity doubling for each 10° rise in slope.

Concept: The distance of vegetation from a building determines the level of bushfire risk to the building

Concept for an interactive device that demonstrates how the distance of vegetation from a building determines the level of bushfire risk to the building. The learner can select a vegetation type, increase or decrease the distance of vegetation from the building and increase or decrease the angle of the slope. The Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating, description and level of bushfire risk for permutations of the vegetation, distance and slope variables are displayed based on learner interaction. The BAL rating, description and level of bushfire risk to building is based on data from the Australian Standard AS 3959–Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas.

Updated working drawing for the Distance of vegetation demonstration with amended distance and slope controls. Show risk consent button has been removed.
Updated working drawing for the Distance of vegetation demonstration with sequencing instructions.
Original working drawing for the Distance of vegetation demonstration

Listen to Black Sabbath: A reflection on the nature of instruction

I was crossing the street during my lunch break the other day when a piece of graffiti written on a pole nearby caught my attention. The graffiti read Listen to Black Sabbath. This immediately made me think about two things.

  1. That I had to listen to one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time as quickly as possible.
  2. Figure out how was I going to do it.

The author’s direction for me to listen to Black Sabbath made me think about the importance of clear instruction when we ask a learner to complete a task. Sure, the author had described what they wanted me to do (listen to Black Sabbath), but they didn’t tell me how I supposed do it. I guess the author assumed that anyone who read their instruction would’ve had an understanding of how they were to carry out the instruction.

This might be ok if the author was around to provide additional information about how to complete the task, but in this case they were nowhere to be seen. Not great.

When we ask a learner to complete a task we need to remember to give them enough instructional support to allow them to complete or at the very least attempt the task. It’s the what (you want the learner to do) and the how (they can do it) that needs to be made clear to the learner.