Blog #1

Students who are being introduced to new design software will have difficulty with icons that represent something else. The arrow pointing left means “back to the last page,” and the arrow pointing right means “back to the latest page viewed,” which can definitely be confusing. Also, headings that also function as links may confuse someone who might not understand how they ended up on a different page, and if they don’t understand the arrow symbol, getting back to the first page will be harder. The tabs above most websites can be confusing as well. “Homepage” may not be a familiar term to learners, and they may not realize that to get back to the main page all they have to do is click on the “homepage” link.

To help language learners figure out how to navigate a webpage I would first have them explore on their own, click whatever they feel like clicking, and after a few minutes ask them what they learned based on observation. Once I have finished listening to all the things the learners have observed, I will elaborate on what they already discover and point out anything else important they might have missed. I will definitely make sure they have a handout that has all the elements of a webpage laid out and explained clearly for them.