Website Design for E-Learning
When it comes to website design for e-learning, there are two primary schools of thought. Some experts believe that the current state of the art in website design software is far from sufficient. They point to a number of problems, such as the inability to use certain functions or the lack of visual stimulation. In other words, modern website design software is not a substitute for experience, but it certainly does not give one an advantage over the competition.
Another school of thought is to use Flash as a means to create a website design for e-learning. Flash offers some nice benefits, such as the ability to interact with the visual on a much larger scale than is possible with text. However, Flash is also limiting, especially if one’s target audience is older adults who may only be interested in basic entertainment. The content will be very boring and will lack the visual appeal that would make a Flash website appealing. This is not a big issue for younger students, but it should be taken into consideration.
While Flash might be a fine way to “fill in the blanks,” one should not expect a Flash website design to help one learn. Flash can help add some interactivity, but it still limits the range of interactivity. Interactivity in a Flash website design is very limited, with the images often used merely to draw the user’s attention to special features. This form of website design for e-learning is very passive, and those who use such a site will more than likely become bored by it very quickly. Such a website design is best for presenting information that one has already covered in a previous lesson or course.
The importance of using proper website design cannot be overlooked. No matter how wonderful Flash is, without proper website design none of the features offered by Flash will be able to be appreciated. For example, Flash movies can be viewed in the background as one explores a website. But if the website design is boring, or contains too many graphics, then no one will be motivated to spend any time at all on it. This is why it is so important to carefully plan out the layout and graphics of a website before making it available for the world to see. A Flash website design can make the site fun and exciting to use, but an uninteresting one will have little effect.
Design that is Flash-based is easy to use and doesn’t cause problems when viewing websites in Internet Explorer or Firefox. Many websites offer Flash support and, as a result, websites designed with Flash are more popular than ever. If a person is designing a Flash website for e-learning, he or she needs to keep this fact in mind. The proper website design is one that will attract visitors regardless of the operating system that they use. Using Flash on a website designed for Windows, or Java on a website designed for Mac OS X will not only look odd but may also cause problems.
It’s important to think of the website design for e-learning in terms of creating a website that makes a big first impression and keeps coming back for more. If a website has good graphics, interesting content, and easy-to-navigate pages, then it is likely to keep people engaged for a long time. Using Flash is recommended for this purpose.
There are plenty of companies that offer website design for e-learning. One can either go to a website design company directly or hire someone to design a website specifically for the purposes of e-learning. The latter option is certainly preferable, as website design companies offer a variety of expertise and services designed specifically for website design for e-learning. Some of these companies are entirely capable of building a website that will be able to hold people’s attention and interest. However, for something more specific and specialized, individuals interested in website design for e-learning should look to smaller, specialty website design companies.
While this may not apply directly to website design for e-learning in general, it does apply indirectly. By hiring a website design company specifically for website design for e-learning, a person can get a more customized website that suits his or her individual needs. This may be particularly important for businesses with specialized website designs, as they can avoid making their website available to every other company out there. For instance, if a business wanted to sell its products online, then it would be necessary for the business to build a website that had a very different layout and visual appeal from all of the other businesses selling the same products online. In this case, the business might need to hire a website design company instead of trying to come up with a standard website design for e-learning.
