The purpose of Askplorer is to enable users actually to use the questioning strategies. To accomplish this goal, Askplorer employs instructional theories that enhance understanding of the essential principles and spontaneous use of the knowledge.

Problem oriented acquisition
      One of the important key features of Askplorer is that a user should try to find the questioning strategies in “practical experience videos” on his/her own before the strategies are explicitly shown to him/her. The reason that the user should generate his/her own thoughts before receiving the strategies is due to the following two learning theories. First, people more likely use the knowledge spontaneously if it is gained by problem-oriented acquisition than those who learned the same thing as factual data (Bransford 1989). Second, by generating his/her own thoughts, the user can make his/her thoughts explicit and then contrast his/her own thoughts with other ideas (Schwartz 1999).

Novice-expert model
      Another key feature is the novice-expert model. After posting his/her own comments, the user watches the same “practical experience video” again. The difference from the first time watching is that the user receives an expert’s comments on the video. According to Bransford (1989), as well as experts having greater knowledge in the subject domains, they also have different perspectives from novices. One of the significant abilities of experts is that they notice important features of an event that novices often miss. It is thus important that an expert guides a novice to notice significant features of an event. In Askplorer, a “practical experience video” pauses at the moments when an expert gives comments about significant features.

Multiple representations of principles
     Askplorer provides multiple videos that include examples of the questioning strategy. This is because telling abstracted principles alone is not sufficient to enable learners to use them spontaneously. Gick and Holyoak (1983) describe, “in complex domains much of the detailed knowledge shared by experts … is likely to be implicit and not easily verbalized … by presenting the student with selected examples, the knowledge may be conveyed implicitly.” Gick and Holyoak’s study shows that telling the principles with multiple examples is efficient to cause transfer. Following this theory, Askplorer shows the list of strategies after showing “sensing” videos and “practical experience videos.” However, this application of the theory can be reconsidered. This point is discussed later in the “feedback and future step” section.

Constructivism
     Askplorer employs the constructivist theory. According to the theory, a learner constructs knowledge on his/her prior knowledge and experiences, rather than merely absorbs transmitted knowledge. The mastery step of Askplorer uses this theory. The hands-on activity of making and using a questioning scenario is a designer’s trial to situate the learning into the learner’s own environment and help him/her construct and assimilate the newly learned knowledge upon his/her prior experiences.

Human computer interface consideration
     Askplorer is a software program to teach human communication, and therefore, I paid attention to include sense of humanity in the interface design. The notebook metaphor is used to achieve this goal.

Design Process