The development of design principles for sharing education opportunities for mobile devices is an established field of study (Banga & Weinhold, 2014; Gu et al, 2011; Lechler & Hosack, 2014). The main design principles emerging from these researchers relate to the accessibility of the information available through mobile devices. There is a general sense that fluency of information flow is the key to effective design.
Mobile interaction design focuses on user reaction and the patterns of engagement when using mobile applications (Banga & Weinhold, 2014). Gu et al. (2011) in their study sought to identify “the value of following a set of design principles to create usable learning materials for learners on the move” (p. 205). One of the main focal points of their study was the sharing of resources for solving problems or developing skills whenever required to assist with daily life. Through this study Gu et al. proposed a series of design principles. The first design principle is that “content should be practical so it is easy for users to engage with while still in the flow of their routine daily performance” (p. 206). This design principle is mindful of the nature of mobile phone use. The second design principle is that content needs to fit into usable time frames, allowing the user sufficient opportunity to engage with the subject (Gu et al., 2011). These content items are identified by Gu et al. as “small, self- contained and granular learning objects suitable for mobile delivery” (p. 207). Gu et al. found that the incorporation of these design principles into the context of their mobile phone learning applications was important: “The results show that effective implementation of practical and micro principles is highly valued because urgent needs arise while on the move
and making good use of their waiting time in real-life situations are of high priority for users” (p. 213).
Lecheler and Hosack (2014) identified seven design principles for the development of mobile learning applications. These principles considered the following areas: mode of interaction, context of use, scope, data management, mode of access, design scale, and incentives. The first principle proposed by Lecheler and Hosack is to make use of visual information to counteract the limited screen size of mobile devices. This is a consideration of the mode of user interaction with the mobile application. They suggest that in consideration of this limitation designers need to come up with interesting or “novel” ways of displaying data and other information (p. 91). This form of “information visualisation” combines the “use of pictures, colors, symbols and words to communicate complex information in a way that is clear, compelling, and convincing” (p. 89). Lecheler and Hosack also suggest that designers need to consider the context in which the mobile application is used. In this respect these researchers proposed that interaction with mobile application software is “tied to self- directed and informal learning” because the “interactions with software also occur more frequently and in less structured ways” (p. 92). There is also the suggestion that the scale of the design needs to be relevant to the intended device: “One way to accomplish this is to remove unnecessary content areas not contextually relevant to the learner based on the specific device they use” (p. 97).
Another design consideration that Lecheler and Hosack (2014) propose is the use of “modularity” (p. 92) as a part of the design, which can enhance the capability of the mobile application. This design component is the ability to integrate content from “existing technologies or applications in order to perform a specific function” (p. 92). This is a relevant design principle as there are a number of applications that could integrate into on- demand resource development. Complementing the design with modular components could allow sharing across multiple platforms, which would be an effective use of resources. Lecheler and Hosack note that consideration of the intended user group can influence the design of the mobile application. In order to facilitate this, “the designer should fully
understand their audience, and how they will be interacting with the environment being designed” (p. 96). Understanding the mode of access by the user group, whether they be a large unknown group of users or a small school- or workplace-based group the designer can provide a more contextualised experience for users (Lecheler & Hosack, 2014). This is a design principle reiterated by Banga and Weinhold (2014) who discuss the idea of catering to the intended user base as a design principle. It has also been suggested that the needs of users with disabilities should be considered when developing the design of mobile
applications (Banga & Weinhold, 2014; Lecheler & Hosack, 2014). Banga and Weinhold (2014) advise that one way of meeting the requirements of different sets of users is to develop “personas” of user types, crafting design considerations based on the characteristics of these user types (p. 33). It is also important to anticipate the technical abilities of these users, as not all will have a great depth of technical ability (Lecheler & Hosack, 2014).
Lecheler and Hosack (2014) acknowledge that consideration of the design scale is also highly relevant to mobile application design, because “learning environments are commonly accessed using mobile devices that are significantly underpowered when compared with modern desktop computers” (p. 97). In order to compensate for this, designers need to “remove unnecessary content areas not contextually relevant to the learner” to minimise the screen clutter and information stored in the application that can potentially slow the device (Lecheler & Hosack, 2014, p. 97). This consideration is also discussed by Banga and Weinhold (2014), who propose that the responsiveness of the application is significantly important. They maintain that a key design consideration is that mobile applications should be “simple, easy to understand interfaces and user interactions that are readily apparent and require little thought” (p. 35). Otherwise, the risk is that the application will be discarded amongst the overabundance of other applications the user has stored on their mobile device (Banga & Weinhold, 2014). Banga and Weinhold also note that it is important to consider the situation that requires the application to be used: “As a designer, you must anticipate where your application will be called upon if you want to provide the best experience” (p. 37).
Overall, the intended group of users need to find the application “engaging, coherent and easy to use” as a basis of good application design (Banga & Weinhold, 2014, p. 37). Rigorous testing of the application with a group of users should be incorporated as a part of the design process. Through gathering feedback and refining design elements, better, more efficient design can be achieved (Banga & Weinhold, 2014). Designers also need to be mindful of the movement of the hardware and software used by the mobile application, as these elements are constantly changing (Banga & Weinhold, 2014). Maintaining application design through refinement based on the movement of operating systems becomes vital in maintaining the usefulness of the application. It is also good practice to consider the design of popular, well-known applications, which can inform elements of design (Banga &
Weinhold, 2014). The applications developed by prominent digital companies like Facebook and YouTube are adopted by a wide variety of users, so elements of interaction design incorporated by these applications can inform design (Banga & Weinhold, 2014).