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Alaa Nyazi 1 Web Design Principles and Theory Multiple Intelligences theory (MI): My final website is “Alqalam Learning Institute.” I used a variety of strategies in instruction in order to maintain learner focus and accommodate different learning styles, as some students may learn better from a video, while others may learn better from visual guides. There are many ways for my users to experience the MI theory when visiting each page and each Multimedia. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence (MI) Theory is very useful to provide instruction that meets learners' learning styles. Some students actively involved in learning processes when the images, videos, and instructions are presented. According to Gallagher, “Lessons incorporating intelligences is a process of learning how to use, trust, and interpret each of the intelligence capacities during a task. It involves knowing, understanding, and teaching by highlighting specific intelligence capacities” (Gallagher, p. 6). For this purpose

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Page 1: Web Design Principles and Theory for Final Website

Alaa Nyazi 1

Web Design Principles and Theory

Multiple Intelligences theory (MI):

My final website is “Alqalam Learning Institute.” I used a variety of strategies in

instruction in order to maintain learner focus and accommodate different learning styles,

as some students may learn better from a video, while others may learn better from visual

guides. There are many ways for my users to experience the MI theory when visiting

each page and each Multimedia. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence (MI) Theory is very

useful to provide instruction that meets learners' learning styles. Some students actively

involved in learning processes when the images, videos, and instructions are presented.

According to Gallagher, “Lessons incorporating intelligences is a process of learning how

to use, trust, and interpret each of the intelligence capacities during a task. It involves

knowing, understanding, and teaching by highlighting specific intelligence capacities”

(Gallagher, p. 6). For this purpose it important to know some of these traits when

designing a lesson.

This website is an environment where users can improve their multiple

intelligences when using the blog, the Multimedia, the applications, and the online

games. The integration of MI theory would help them understand and develop the skills

that are being taught easier and more enjoyable. It would also help the visitors get a

deeper look into the lesson and get a better understanding of the topic. 

Linguistic Intelligence:

On my website, I incorporated the linguistic intelligence which refers to

“involving a person who is highly auditory, an avid reader, a

storyteller, actively processes by listening, understands diverse vocabulary, a good

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Alaa Nyazi 2

speller, a wordsmith, and may be labeled loquacious” (Gallagher, 2003, p. 2). The About

page and descriptive texts would help the users with this intelligence. When students

watch the videos under the curriculum pages and play the online games on Game page

they will enhance their linguistic intelligence, as they will learn new words.

In addition, the Stories, the Resources, and the Blog pages will help the visitors

with much linguistic information that they can get. For example, the Asaafeer website,

will help learners read and listen to stories. The files, such as pdf, PowerPoint,

worksheets will help the learners read the content. On the Vocabulary page, I created a

video to help learners see and listen to the words. On the Resources page, I embedded my

Padlet page, which contains Padlet wallpaper Multimedia. It contains some websites,

videos, PowerPoint, images for learning Arabic language. This Wall will help users in

their linguistic intelligence as they read the resources, write their comments and ideas,

upload their attachment, and record their voice and video.

Logical and spatial intelligences:

According to Gallagher (2003), the logical intelligence refers to “the thinking

process using induction and deduction to include numeration, abstract patterns, and

problem solving abilities” (p. 2).  I think embedding some online boards or posters such

as the one that I used Padlet would help the users logically understand the organized

content. Also, TinyTap games and Make it game would help learners improve their

Logical and critical thinking intelligent. The Resources and Flashcard pages contain

content that would help Arabic learners learn the Math in Arabic language, such as

learning the numbers, Addition, Money, and Subtraction. Moreover, I created an

interactive Newsletter using Scoop.it software under the Resources page, which would

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logically help the users be organized about what applications that they are learning and

discovering.  The use of Padlet and Pinterest in the same page would help the users

logically organize and arrange the content.

“Visual spatial intelligence involves an individual who thinks in images.

Subcapacities involve 3-D imagery, perceives patterns, abstract designs, an astute

observer, good at mazes and puzzles, a spatial navigator, has photographic memory and is

an external perceiver” (Gallagher, 2003, p. 3). The use of presentation software on my

website such as Sway, Padlet, Prezi, and Thinglink would help visual learners in their

spatial intelligence. On the Contact page, I used Map for the location, which would help

learners in their spatial intelligence as they can visually see the location. The use of

images and icons on each page, such as About, Gallery, Curriculum, and Resources pages

will help users with this intelligence. On the Vocabulary page, I embedded an image

about Arabic colors, which help learners in their linguistic, logical, and spatial

intelligences because the image is organized. Students can also learn the colors and read

the Arabic color words in English.

Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence:

According to Gallagher (2003), “Intelligence in the bodily kinesthetic, shows

subcapacities that involve timing, concrete experiences, grace, precision, physical

performance, motor skills, dexterity, balance, healthy standards, as well as being

energetic” (p. 3). When users will watch my videos, they will make a note, practice, and

use their devices, which would help them in their kinesthetic intelligence. Also, when

instructors of Alqalam learning institute let their students use the files such as the pdf and

worksheets from my website, students will print the files and practice writing the letters

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and words. Students also can read the Arabic stories from my website to the class and act

the stories. 

Musical Rhythmic and Naturalist Intelligences:

 “Musical rhythmic subcapacities deal with acute responses to acoustic patterns,

sounds, rhythms, and tempos. An individual who has these subcapacities collects music,

sings and plays music, remembers melodies, hums, whistles, is rhythmic, has pitch

sensitivity, drawn to music, responds to music, and able to recognize variations in

music.” (Gallagher, 2003, p. 3). On my website, I posted a YouTube video with sound on

my homepage as an introduction to my website. I think this video will remind the users

with the main purpose of the website. On my Arabic Alphabet page, I posted video with

musical sound to learn the letters on Thinglink. Also, on Game page, I had many games

with musical sounds, which would help the users in their musical intelligence.

“Naturalist intelligence focuses on the recognition and classification of plants,

animals, and minerals, including the mastery of taxonomies” (Gallagher, 2003, p. 4). I

integrated the naturalistic intelligence when inserting a bird sound on the introduction

video on Home page. On the Padlet page, I posted video on how to plant in Arabic

language. Also, the colors on my website are appealing to nature.

Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Intelligences:

  The use of my website will enhance the users with the Intrapersonal intelligence

because they will practice, read, watch, discover, and play. Which would give them the

opportunities to build and enhance their personal knowledge of the rich experiences that

they can get from the use of the website; keep them engaged in the lesson, and let them

interact positively with the given learning content. They are actually developing their

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ability to construct and hoard their own self-gained knowledge. Students would use the

library and the Internet, which will push them to analyze and integrate the content of their

work and their personal views and techniques. The Blog page will help users in their

interpersonal intelligence. Students will share articles, reflections, and topics in Arabic,

which would provide more opportunities for them to participate, especially for students

who may be hesitant about speaking out about something in a face-to-face environment,

which would help them also to see different views and perspectives.

Students can interact with each other about class lessons on their own schedule,

and students can easily collaborate on group and class projects.  Additionally, students

can share their thinking and reflections about provided topics, connect with students in

other classrooms, share their common interests, and share their news and activities with

their parents and families. Social networking web pages, such as Instagram and Twitter

on the Blog page, let students interact with the online community so they can share,

reflect, learn, and improve their interpersonal skills. Also, students will improve their

reading, writing, and arts skills, as they are willing to share something attractive about

their works, which enhance their verbal linguistic intelligence skills. Moreover, I

provided contact form page so visitors can interact and ask questions or share their

comments.

Cognitive Load theory

“Cognitive load theory (CLT) is an instructional theory developed to

coordinate instructional design and learning procedures with human cognitive

architecture” (Kalyuga, S., & Tzu-Chien, L. 2015, p. 1). This theory refers to the mount

of mental effort being used in the working memory. For this purpose, instructional

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designers need to be aware of the content and multimedia being utilized. The e-learning

environment should let the learners being able to retain the information for the future use.

There are three types of cognitive load: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane. Intrinsic

cognitive load is the effort associated with a specific topic. Extraneous cognitive load

refers to the way information or tasks are presented to a learner. Germane cognitive load

refers to the work put into creating a permanent store of knowledge, or a schema (Pappas,

2014).

In order to transfer the information from the working memory to long-term

memory, we need to reduce the three types of cognitive load (Pappas, 2014). We need to

reduce unnecessary information. Make everything clear to the readers. Make guidelines

for users on how they can use the website. Using different techniques such using images,

videos, audios. Make segments between the content and make it easy to read. For this

purpose, I embedded games and Multimedia to engage the learners with the content,

which would be appealing to the ways they learn best. On the home page I included a

video as an introduction to the website with some texts and links to the important pages

on the website. On each page, I made segments between the texts and the images or the

Multimedia. I had descriptive texts for each image and Multimedia. For example, on

curriculum page, I made segments between the texts and the image. I made guidelines for

users to go to other pages under the Curriculum page. I also used a white background to

let users easily read the contents.

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning:

The assumptions of a Cognitive Theory of Multimedia include: Dual channel,

Limited capacity, and Active processing. Dual Channel refers to people learn by hearing

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and seeing. Limited capacity refers to the limited amount of information that people can

receive at one time. Active processing refers to people get engaged in the learning

process if the incoming information relevant to their previous knowledge.  

There are many multimedia principles. One of them is Multimedia Principle,

which says students learn best when pictures and texts presented together. According to

the Spatial Contiguity principle, it is important to make the text and the picture close to

each other. In addition, in the Temporal Contiguity Principle Designers need to make an

audio that explains the visual presentation and place them close to each other. Moreover,

Coherence Principle showed that it is important to remove irrelevant sounds, music,

words, and details from the presentation. According to the Signaling Principle, It is

important to make signals between information. 

On Alqalam learning institute website, I considered presenting the descriptive text

with the images and the multimedia. I removed irrelevant information. For visual

learners, I uploaded icons and videos to let the users visually understand the purpose of

my site and help them learn the language with pictures. For example, I uploaded images

on Flashcard page that shows how to write the letters. When creating the video on the

Arabic Alphabet page, I considered adding sound for people who prefer learning by

hearing and seeing. According to the Active processing assumption, when users go to a

vocabulary page, the information will be relevant to their knowledge as they already

mastered knowing the letters. According to the Spatial Contiguity principle, I made the

texts and the pictures close to each other.

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Web design principles:

On my website Alqalam Learning Institute I have nineteen pages. I made the

website easy, readable, clear, friendly, well organized and simple. In the Home and

About pages, I showed the purpose of the website. I considered the headings on each

page. I used Georgia font for the texts to be easy to read on screen. I also used an Arabic

font for Arabic speakers in some places. I considered spacing and grouping. I avoided

unwanted information. I put the most important information for each page. I considered

my audience when building the look of the site, which they are, instructors of Alqalam

learning institute as they will use the website in their classes. My audiences are also

parents and their kids. I considered the consistency when designing the web pages by

making everything match. Heading sizes, font choices, coloring, button styles, spacing,

design elements, illustration styles, photo choices, etc. To avoid the visual confusion, I

did not make the pages crowded with a lot of information and images.

Also, I considered the visual balance of text and links. I used a white background

to let users distinguish the contents from the background. To measure the effectiveness of

tools that I used, I tested the access to all pages, hyperlinks, videos, and multimedia using

The Readability Test Tool website. Also, when I added images, Multimedia, and videos, I

made them perceivable and have some description texts. I organized the website

navigation so the users do not get lost.

    

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 References

Gallagher, B.J. (2003). Multiple Intelligences and Online Instructional Design

Retrieved from http://multipleintelligencesoasis.org/about/

Kalyuga, S., & Tzu-Chien, L. (2015). Guest Editorial: Managing Cognitive Load in

Technology-Based Learning Environments. Journal Of Educational Technology&

Society, 18(4), 1-8.

Pappas, C. (2014, February 5). Cognitive Load Theory And Instructional Design.

Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/cognitive-load-theory-and-instructional-

design