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Last week, I was working on a print tutorial for a new class I am teaching in the fall semester. As I started using my callouts, I started thinking more about these little tools. So, I decided to write a little about them.
What are callouts? If you develop instructional materials, you'd know the answer.
Callouts are graphics with text, symbols or numbers that explain content. Most often, the content being explained is a graphic or some kind of illustration. Callouts consist of a shape containing some text and a pointer such as an arrow or line.
When I design instructional materials for publishing companies, I use callouts in teacher guides, student guides, on-screen lessons and in online assessments. When I teach courses online, my syllabus, rubrics and learning activities often contain callouts.
What are callouts? If you develop instructional materials, you'd know the answer.
Callouts are graphics with text, symbols or numbers that explain content. Most often, the content being explained is a graphic or some kind of illustration. Callouts consist of a shape containing some text and a pointer such as an arrow or line.
When I design instructional materials for publishing companies, I use callouts in teacher guides, student guides, on-screen lessons and in online assessments. When I teach courses online, my syllabus, rubrics and learning activities often contain callouts.
Here are some good examples of callouts:
Example #1:
(+) Each callout consist of a shape that surrounds the text (in this case a command in the menu being explained)
(+) Each callout has a line ending in a period that points to the text being explained.
(+) Each callout shape is an oval. This keeps the callouts from becoming distracting.
(+) Each callout has a line ending in a period that points to the text being explained.
(+) Each callout shape is an oval. This keeps the callouts from becoming distracting.
Example #2:
(+) Only the menu area is presented in the screen capture. This minimizes the space that the overall graphic takes up.
(+) The drop down part of the menu is also captured in the graphic.
(+) The callout contains the shape around the text being explained and the pointer which is a line to the text being explained.
(+) The drop down part of the menu is also captured in the graphic.
(+) The callout contains the shape around the text being explained and the pointer which is a line to the text being explained.
Example #3:
(+) Again, only the menu area is presented in the screen capture.
(+) Shapes are drawn around the areas of the menu that are being explained.
(+) The numbers used in the callouts indicate the sequence of steps to follow.
(+) Shapes are drawn around the areas of the menu that are being explained.
(+) The numbers used in the callouts indicate the sequence of steps to follow.
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