Tools That Teach: Lessons for Critical Instructional Design - Chris Ozuna and Lorna Gonzalez, EDUCAUSE Review

Repeating a skill until it is mastered and becomes a ritual or habit is not entirely dependent on a person's willpower or determination. The design and interfaces of the tools people use can encourage ritual formation—both desired and undesired. Indeed, through their design, some tools can actively teach people how to use them or provide a sense of familiarity so that users are encouraged to try them.Footnote1 Using physical traits and cues in the design of a tool or object to give users a sense of familiarity is referred to as skeuomorphism (pronounced skew-oh-morph-ism). Skeuomorphism can be seen, for example, in mechanical pencils that are designed to resemble wood pencils. Many electric cars have a front grille so that they look like gasoline/diesel vehicles. These design features are not necessary for the object to function, but they give users clues about what the object does and how it works.

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