Can traditional HCI principles be applied to computing technology in learning contexts?

This paper presents an inter-disciplinary approach to studying computing technology in learning contexts. The approach was inspired by the difficulty in reconciling task and learning performance in the context of usability and instructional design. This is important because inter-governmental policy suggests computing technology may have a crucial role to play in supporting independent lifelong learning in informal contexts. The approach presented here is illustrated through an exploratory research project aimed at understanding the role of computing technology in the context of the Australian PhD candidature.