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LESSON
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Cognition:
The Brain’s Role
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, you will:
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Explore the inner workings of the brain
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Explore how the brain stores memory
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Explore how to create memories in a Web design
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Guiding Questions
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What is your earliest childhood memory?
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What things do you recall about that memory?
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Memory
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Three types:
 Sensory
 Short-term or working
 Long-term
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Sensory Memory
 Quick Recognition
 Details not always remembered
 Information is not stored
Demonstration
 You will be shown an image for 2 seconds
 Don’t write anything down
 Just try to remember what the image is
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
View for 2 Seconds
CBSHBOESPNNBC
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Demo 1
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What did you see?
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How many of the 13 letters do you remember?
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You might remember that you saw letters, but can’t remember which ones.
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Short-term or Working Memory
 Allows you to remember 7 ± 2 items for a short period of time
 Chunking allows you to increase the information remembered
 Telephone number example
 Return to our demo of 13 letters
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
View for 2 Seconds
CBS HBO ESPN NBC
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Demo 2
 Write what you remember seeing
 Adding spaces chunked the letters
 13 letters vs. 4 chunks of information
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Long-term Memory
 Transferred from short-term memory through repetition
 Can be stored for long periods of time
 Needs to be used or refreshed to stay active
 Some information can be stored for a lifetime
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Demo 3
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Take another look at our 13 letters:
CBS HBO ESPN NBC
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Four television networks
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Repetition when viewing TV
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Stored in long-term memory
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Storing Memories
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Encoding – the process by which we store and process memories
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Attention can affect the encoding
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For example – studying in a noisy distracting environment vs. a
quiet one
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Making Connections
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Connecting new information with already stored information
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Similar to bricks and mortar
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Learning a new language
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
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Creating a picture in your mind
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Useful when learning the parts of something
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Textbooks and teachers give you pictures
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Active participation helps with retention
 Taking notes
 Completing a labeled model
 Charts, etc.
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Mixing It All Up
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Use of multiple senses
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More active part of the information
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Science experiment
 Discuss the experiment – hearing
 Use your hands during the experiment – touch
 Make observations during the experiment – sight
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Perception
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Connection with prior stored memory
 Cultural
 Physical
 Environmental
 Other experience
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Dog, cat, skunk scenario
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Fitts’ Law
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The time that it takes an individual to move to an object is related to
the objects size and distance.
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Examples in Web design
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Save button
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Reset button
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Applications for Web Design
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Repetition helps with memory
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Use of multiple senses
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Chunking
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Avoidance of negative cultural perceptions
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If you want them to use it, make it easy to find
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Module 3: Designing for Communication
Perceptions and Illusions
Look at the following sites and see how perceptions can affect what you
see in a Web site and how optical illusions affect what you see.
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Scientific Psychic - http://www.scientificpsychic.com/graphics
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Optical Illusions - http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm
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78 Optical Illusions - http://www.michaelbach.de/ot
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eChalk Optical Illusions - http://www.echalk.co.uk/amusements/
OpticalIllusions/illusions.htm
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Assignment
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Quiz during the next meeting over the following:
Communication
Vision
Memory
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Use your notes as a study guide
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Lesson Review
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Describe the inner workings of the brain.
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How does the brain store memory?
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How can you use this knowledge to design Web pages that will
help viewers remember the information on your pages?