Cognition: Human–Computer Communication - Foundations for Designing User-Centered Systems - page 213

The fallacy has been debunked (McKendree et al. 1995 ). The user cannot simply
lift material from the page and dump it straight into their memory without some
processing. The material to be learned has to go through the serial processes of
reading, understanding, and creating memories using the processes and capabilities
noted in Chap. 6 . The material that has to be read should be presented in a serial
way so that it can be appropriately processed. Hypertext can be useful if the learner
is expert enough to use self-directed learning, but, if the learner is a novice and does
not fully understand what is supposed to be learned, it is better to provide them with
appropriate guidance (Scheiter and Gerjets 2007 ; Swaak and de Jong 2007 ).
When preparing material to be read it is important to take into consideration the
users' capabilities. These capabilities will differ, depending on the users' level of
expertise, which will influence how they perceive things, and their mental model
of the situation, for example. The material therefore needs to be structured to
accommodate both users' capabilities and their previous knowledge.
7.5.5 Delivering Content
The medium that will be used to deliver content to users has to be carefully
considered. The way the content of a message posted on Twitter (a ''tweet'')
(which has a maximum length of 140 characters) is designed, for example, will be
different from the way that the content for a podcast is designed, even if they are
both presenting the same message. It is important to think about attributes such as
the temperature of the medium, which relates to how actively the medium draws
users in (McLuhan and Fiore 1967 ). Books, for example, are seen as cold, because
they require lots of effort to use them; radio (and email), however, are hot.
Where and how content is read will influence how readers interpret the mes-
sage. Material seen on a small screen on a mobile device, for example, may be
received and understood differently from material on a larger screen or on paper
prototypes and printouts. Advances in HTML and CSS have facilitated what is
called responsive design of web pages where only one set of web-based content
needs to created, rather than having to design separate content (and structure) for
desktops, tablets, and mobile devices (e.g., see Kadlec 2013 ). The content is
automatically re-displayed in the most appropriate format based on the size of the
device that is being used to read it.
7.6 Implications for System Design
When you design a system you need to consider the context in which it will be
used. You will need to understand the terminology and language that your users
use to communicate and talk about their tasks. The language that describes how
your users interact with your systems should be appropriate to the context and