Page 18 using diversity modeling for instructional design

Abstract

This article describes the use of diversity modeling to redesign a human-centered environment in which to teach physics concepts to high school students who have learning disabilities. The designers used performance-centered design techniques to precisely identify performers and to provide them with the best combination of knowledge objects, artifacts, and built-in support for their performance needs. A Steppingstones to Technology Grant from the U.S. Department of Education provided the funding for Project DEVISE (Designing Environments for Virtually Immersive Science Education), which creates desktop virtual reality environments, called Motion Magic, in which students can explore Newton's Laws of Motion. Because the goal of these environments is to teach high school students with learning disabilities about difficult science concepts, it was especially important that designers understand the performers and their needs. By developing diversity models and using them as design tools, program designers were able to focus on the needs of archetypal performers to develop more relevant interaction designs.