Designing tutorials that help users learn through exploration

In spring 1987 the Learning Products Group of Hewlett-Packard's Electronic Design Division began a project to design and write tutorials for the Hewlett-Packard Printed Circuit Design System. After a review of the literature on tutorial design, two approaches were selected to develop into short prototypes. These prototypes were tested to compare learnability and learning retention. After the results of the prototype testing were studied, one of the prototypes was selected to develop into a product. They tested the final tutorials for usability in November, 1987, before releasing them in January, 1988.