An interface design for a structured computer-mediated communication tool for elementary school students: Pull-down versus explicit menus

The pull-down and explicit menu-based interfaces for a computer-mediated communication (CMC) tool that is structured by presenting a restricted set of 'complete sentences with blanks to fill in' for elementary school students, are discussed. Based on student performance, it is found that the usage rate for the explicit interface is higher than that for the pull-down interface. Feedbacks from students revealed that unfamiliarity with the input interface, the large list of menu items and not realizing the benefits of the interface influenced student usage. While designing a structured CMC tool, it is suggested that the presentation and organization of the predetermined information should be intuitive or mnemonic.