Energy conservation became something a learner could interact with.

An idea can be explained. It can also become part of an experience that gives a person something active to do.

Howard Pearlmutter's commercial software work included an energy-conservation educational videogame for Walt Disney EPCOT Center. Other educational videogames were commissioned by CBS Television.

The work brought programming, graphics, interaction, and learning together in practical applications.

Howard's broader educational-software experience included IBM PC MasterType, a number-one bestseller, and an early Macintosh title shipped by his team during the computer's first year.

These products belonged to a growing possibility in personal computing: software could offer an active relationship with a subject, using interaction as part of how a person learned.

For an environmental theme, that opens a useful design question. What should the learner discover? Which relationship could an action make clearer? What feedback would support understanding? What should remain available to question afterward?

The right answer depends on the audience. An experience for a learner differs from a scientific model or executive inspection tool. Each needs a form that fits its purpose.

Howard's practice includes those other forms too: a NASA study of human interaction with dynamic simulation, ecological modeling and animation, and commercial software making factory designs inspectable for executives.

The common interest is human ability. What can a person understand or do through the experience that would be more difficult through a fixed account alone?

Explore interaction, feedback, and learning sessions.

A visual inquiry can begin with the relationship you want someone to understand. The interactive form should follow the learning purpose and carry it well enough to make the experience worthwhile.