Brief

Prototype an e-learning experience and develop pre and post assessments to determine learning outcomes.

Findings

I did a close observation of a typing task, post-task debrief, and in the case of the "experts" think-aloud. Beginners were people who I made type in Colemak with a paper reference for the layout and experts were the same people doing a similar task typing in Qwerty. The resulting diagrams illustrate the cognitive pathways I identified.

Solution

I devised a learning plan that would emphasize using the most commonly typed letter combinations early and often in the learning process. I used a simplified virtual keyboard to remind learners what keys to press and to provide feedback. I incorporated multi-modal content to support learning. I also allowed learners the ability to repeat lessons as desired.

Outcomes

Learning was generally successful. I would have needed to devise a proper experimental design to compare it to other methodologies. A more pressing problem was learner motivation. Many learners did not enjoy the cognitive dissonance created by typing in a foreign keyboard layout and the current interface doesn't do anything to dissuade those negative feelings.