Educational
Technology
Developing an Online Course
Course
Design for the WWW - Keeping Online Students
Allison Brown and Herb Thompson
How do online courses differ from traditional university courses? What are the new learning demands made on students in online courses? Which particular design features optimise the teaching and learning process in an online delivery mode?
In this paper we explore these questions based on a case study in the design and development of an online economics course at Murdoch University.
This course uses hypertext to develop an interconnected and interdisciplinary knowledge base. Relevant connections are made not only within the course itself via WWW sites but also to other courses in the discipline and to other disciplines. The instructional design challenge was to help students navigate through such a rich information environment and to help them to intellectually engage with and develop a critical perspective on the information available to them. The need for online student learning resources and supports became evident during the development process. Electronic links between tutors and students, and a class exchange/discussion list facility were also seen as crucial to building an interactive community of learners in this course.
This paper outlines the pedagogical underpinnings of this approach and considers the implications for instructional design, student learning support and evaluation.
Using
the Web to Augment Teaching and Learning
Michael Arnold
The following paper outlines the experience of the author in using web-based technologies to support traditional teaching and learning arrangements. The web has been used as a medium to develop and then present a syllabus and its' supporting materials, as a mechanism to handle the submission and return of student work, as a communications medium for students and for students and staff, and as a medium for students to develop and publish research and argument. The author's experience suggests that modest innovations such as those described offer opportunities for curriculum improvement.
Managing
Subjects Using the Internet
Paul Darbyshire and Andrew Wenn
The demand placed on academic staff has always been an hotly debated issue and there can be no denying that these demands have increased over the past few years. In the case of Victoria University of Technology, a multi-campus University with the campuses located over a wide geographical area, these demands can different and challenging. The Department of Information Systems has many subjects which are taught cross-campus. These subjects often have a single coordinator who is responsible for the management tasks that were often regarded as demanding enough when associated with single campus delivery. The problems which inevitably arise with these day to day activities become magnified when multiple campus locations become involved. Over the past two years we have been making an attempt at doing this "smarter", and thus trying to reduce the burden of these mundane activities, by using the WWW as a tool for the dissemination of material and the collection of assignment work. This paper describes the experiences we have had and the techniques we have devised using the WWW to help in multi-campus subject management.
Learning
Engines -
a
Framework for the Creation of Interactive Learning Components on the Web
Paul Fritze and Peter McTigue
The Learning Engines framework is concerned with the
efficient development of rich learning activities to extend the rather
didactic delivery of information often associated with the Web. These activities
are influenced by past experience of Computer Aided Learning systems and
by the needs of current curriculum restructuring projects across the University.
A central theme of these activities is the creation of tutorial-style dialogues
that utilise Web-based visualisation and simulation resources. Production
emphasis is on both generic objects useful across disciplines, and others
that are highly customised for localised learning requirements. It has
been possible to streamline resource production by using simpler objects
that work together, concentrating effort on educational content functions
rather than delivery mechanisms. Objects developed under the framework
contribute to a pool of shared resources supported by common mechanisms
for inter-object communication, database management, delivery and authoring.
A particularly useful class of client-side Web object has been identified
as the 'input' object, which can extend the capacity of a regular tutorial
system to provide a richer interface to the subject matter.
AusWeb 96: Education and Learning
The
Use of the Internet in Creating an Effective Learning Environment
Jill Slay
In examining current research, it becomes apparent that many educators are now evaluating the use of the Internet in creating an effective learning environment. This is especially true with the current trend towards the delivery of courseware via the World Wide Web .
The University of South Australia has committed itself to the facilitation of an effective learning environment by identifying a set of generic graduate qualities. These qualities can be seen as characteristics or abilities, and reflect the extent to which our teaching enables our students to acquire process ability as well as the mastery of content.
This paper, evaluates the use of the Internet in providing an effective learning environment against criteria contained within our graduate qualities, rather than the narrower ones that have been deduced from the work of Laurillard or Skinner.
It encourages the development of student-centred teaching practice and the creative use of modern information technologies to construct a learning environment that is rich and varied and supportive of a wide range of learning styles.
Teaching
and Learning on the Internet: Developing a resource for academic support
Kerry Bagdon and Halima Goss
The Teaching and Learning on the Internet site, developed within QUT’s Division of Information Services, aims to provide an easy-to-navigate and well-designed information resource for teaching staff at QUT.
The developing team examined how information has been traditionally disseminated, and this led to the design that is currently in place - a question & answer approach. Historically, when information was required, a lecturer needed to find out who to ask, work out what they wanted to ask and then interpret the answer. With this in mind the web site evolved from its beginnings as an information notice board designed by suppliers of information into one designed by the receivers of this information.
We believe this responsiveness to client needs is the key to effective design.
Constant revision and monitoring of customer needs allow the site to continue its evolution, and hopefully to attain a "never to be considered obsolete" status. With this in mind - we believe that all good quality sites are always "works in progress".
Delivering
a Subject on the WWW while enhancing Student Discussion and Communication
David Sutton
This article describes experiences with delivering a subject on the Internet by using the WWW, e-mail and a WWW based conference system. The approach not only enabled a subject to be delivered without the use of paper but also enabled communication and discussion to take place without the need to hold traditional classes.
Teaching
and learning on the web at Queensland University of Technology
Cheryl Gilbert
World
Wide Web and Secondary Students - A Link to their Future
Teresa Lynch and Mary Cranston
Workshops using World Wide Web (WWW/Web) and email were conducted at Central Queensland University (CQU) in late 1995 and early 1996 for visiting secondary students.
The aim of the workshops was to ensure that participants had a positive computing experience and to introduce technology that may not be readily available within their own community.
The workshops introduced students to the wide ranging resources of the Internet; both for personal and academic interest. The workshops were designed to be non-threatening. Feedback gathered from students, and our own observations, indicate that the workshops were highly successful and that some students had altered their perceptions of computing. Students participated well and those students who were initially tentative overcame some of their anxiety and were able to enjoy the experience.
The workshops have demonstrated that the Web and email are useful tools for facilitating positive computing experiences. Several students indicated to us that they would seek out the provision of this technology in their schools as well as at home.
If Australia is to have a large pool of highly skilled computing professionals in future years then computing must be presented as an attractive career option in pre-tertiary education. Workshops of this nature help reach those students who may otherwise not experience this exciting aspect of the technology.
Interactive
features for HTML-based tutorials in distance learning programs
Mark Eaton
Nova Southeastern University, like many institutions of higher education, is investigating the use of the World Wide Web for distance education over the Internet. The technology is allowing the implementation of on-line tutorials, among other learning strategies, which have interactive characteristics. This paper reviews learner control in computer aided instruction as it is applied in traditional settings (non distance education). Tutorial design recommendations are offered that emphasize branching typical of hypertext documents on the Internet today plus enhancements to include content and context control , as well as CGI support to provide communications between student and teacher.
Managing
Online Learning
Russell Pennell
The increased use of educational technology is only a minor aspect of the redesign of courses for flexible delivery, but the technology can be a source of considerable stress both for staff and for students. As more teachers make use of the Web for delivery of courses and for interaction with students, the careful choice of software tools can reduce this stress by providing interfaces that are easy to drive, thus reducing the cognitive overhead for staff and for students. The still-developing WEST educational management system provides a simple consistent interface to many of the communication and interaction tasks teachers need to carry out in constructing and managing courses that make use of the Web.
Student
Created Web Documents as a Design Learning Environment
David Radcliffe
A novel approach to engineering design is described in which mechanical engineering students experience the product development process through using the WorldWideWeb (WWW) as a rapid prototyping and production medium. They work in teams to design, develop, prototype and deliver a simple homepage on the WWW on the subject of concurrent engineering. Concurrent engineering principles and practice provide both the subject matter and a means for developing the product on the Web. The exercise is founded on an experiential model of learning and a coherent framework for describing concurrent engineering. This experiment points to the potential for the wider application of the WWW as design learning environment.
Disseminating
Research through the World Wide Web
David Sutton and Marius Dano
The development of the World Wide Web has made it possible to create 'virtual organisations' reaching every part of the world. One such organisation is ISWORLD Net which aims to be "A starting point for information systems scholars to harness the Internet for the creation and dissemination of information systems knowledge".
This article describes the ISWORLD Net Research Working Paper Series, one of the departments of ISWORLD Net. Its objectives are to provide researchers in the field of Information Systems with a mechanism for disseminating their research in progress and research prior to publication, and to allow for quick feedback on their work. It also provides links to other IS related working paper series in existence around the world.
By incorporating the use of Web forms, CGI programs and databases the Series has developed into an automated on-line information system, making it possible to submit information to the Series from anywhere in the world and to provide up to date information on the Web.
Developing
educational content for the Web: Issues and ideas
Martyn Wild
In using the Web to deliver any form of content, we
have to be aware of the potential as well as the limitations of this medium
to provide access to an original knowledge base, for multiple readers or
users. Empirical and theoretical knowledge can be communicated as with
the publication of traditional reference materials, with accessibility
provided by keyword searches, browsing, and hierarchical and semantic linking.
Much of the experiential knowledge might be represented as narrative, since
this type of knowledge largely originates in story form. Yet narrative
derives its usefulness as a means of communication from associative processes--how
does one narrate stories about experiences so that they have meaning for
all types of readers, whatever their cultural background or geographical
location? More importantly, how does one represent narrative, a linear
and cohesive genre, in a medium that typically encourages hypertexts and
the breaking down of information into separate, discrete and disparate
parts? Moreover, an experiential knowledge base is by definition, extensible
and volatile--it is apt to change, grow and be subject to redundancy. The
discussion of these and other issues and questions form the basis of this
paper.
Active
Learning
Each issue centred on a specific theme and included academic papers,
case studies and opinions, as well as reviews, conference reports, activity
updates and an events diary.
World
Wide Web - what can it do for education?
Alan Sangster
This paper reviews what the Web currently offers to educators, using accounting education as an example, and considers ways in which it may impact upon our current approaches to teaching and learning.
Teaching
on the Internet is Learning
John Pickering
In Deschooling Society1 Ivan Illich sought to expose the oppressive side of formal education as it had come to function in the context of the developed nations of the West around the 1960s. He felt that with the technological resources education could become learning rather than teaching. The resources he required but could not find at that time were very much like what the Internet either does or may soon come to offer. The article examines how the Internet might bring about what Illich proposed. It concludes that political rather than technological barriers presently hinder the use of the Internet for education in any radical sense.
Teaching
and learning on the Internet
W Brian Whalley
Some problems of using computer technology for learning and teaching are outlined with special reference to cost effectiveness and the use of CD-ROMs as information sources. The relative inflexibility of the CD-ROM is contrasted against the flexibility of information transfer and ease of use of the World Wide Web (WWW). The various advantages of WWW are discussed; cross platform applications, hypertext links, ease of information entry as well as the way in which the Internet provides a flexible teaching and learning tool, especially for lecture support The ideas of thought paths and Micro publishing using the communality of the WWW are also outlined.
The
benefits of using multimedia in higher education: myths and realities
Matthew L Davies & David E A Crowther
This paper critiques the way in which computer aided learning (CAL) and multimedia courseware have been developed for use in higher education. This is done by considering the following myths which are prevalent within this domain:
the use of multimedia courseware increases efficiency;
the use of multimedia courseware increases students'
motivation;
multimedia courseware facilitates active learning;
multimedia courseware facilitates experiential learning;
the use of multimedia courseware is consistent with
student-centred learning;
multimedia courseware leads to better learning.
The paper argues that the realities of using multimedia is at variance with these myths, and explains the significance of this variance for the development of courseware.
Can
learning via multimedia benefit weaker students?
Keith Haddon, Chris Smith, Don Brattan & Ted Smith
Second year undergraduate chemistry students were taught either by conventional methods or by a multimedia package. Use of and attitudes to the package were generally positive. Students using the package liked its flexibility and developed individual learning patterns. Although there was no significant difference between the groups in examination performance, there was a significant correlation between student ability and degree of improvement for the multimedia group: the lower the ability of the student, the greater the degree of improvement. The results suggest that multimedia is a popular and effective method of teaching and is more successful than conventional methods for students of below average ability.
Using
the World Wide Web for the management of online learning resources
Sarah Holyfield & Oleg Liber
The World Wide Web (WWW) has become the focus of much attention in higher education. This article describes a project which aims to explore the potential of the WWW as a platform for the delivery of online learning resources at the University of Wales, Bangor (UWB). It makes the distinction between using the WWW for a potentially global audience and using it for the in-house sharing of resources. It describes the progress of the project so far, and goes on to discuss technical, management, pedagogical and design issues. It is suggested that, in the development of materials for the WWW, not enough attention has always been paid to the last two of these. The proposed next stage of the project is outlined, which includes the incorporation of an online conferencing system. The implications of the adoption of this approach are wide ranging, and have serious implications at an institutional level.
Some
active learning implications of the information era
James Hicks
The explosion in data, available either from the Internet
or from proprietary databases such as those supplied by Datastream or Extel,
has transformed the possibilities for active learning experiences involving
real world data. Ease of data collection and manipulation means that certain
qualities of data itself, quite apart from the use to which it is put,
may form part of the learning process. This article identifies some characteristics
related to the usefulness of data and suggests how specific learning outcomes
related to assessing these characteristics may be incorporated in the active
learning experience.
Putting
a Class up on the Web
Steve. G. Gabany
Describes the process used, the mistakes made, and the successes in developing a course on-line; reports preliminary results of an ongoing, national study of the experiences of faculty involved in on-line courses; and shares thoughts on how to develop an on-line course.
Using
the Medium to Teach the Media Reflections and Lessons Learned
Susan M. Powers
Teaching
on the Internet the World Wide Web as a Course Delivery System
Kathleen R. Gilbert
Learning
to Teach Via the Internet
William D. McInerney
Designing
information-abundant web sites: issues and recommendations
Ben Shneiderman
The abundance of information on the World Wide Web has thrilled some, but frightened others. Improved website design may increase users' successful experiences and positive attitudes.This review of design issues identifies genres of websites, goals of designers, communities of users, and a spectrum of tasks. Then an Objects/Actions Interface Model is offered as a way to think about designing and evaluating websites. Finally, search and navigation improvements are described to bring consistency, comprehensibility, and user control.
Learning
and Teaching in Cyberspace
Greg Kearsley
The
Virtual Professor: A Personal Case Study
Greg Kearsley
Weaving
a Syllaweb: Considerations Before Constructing an Online Syllabus
Joyce Johnson
Building a syllaweb, or webbed syllabus, involves far more than simply
transferring paper documents to hypertext. The adventurous educator who
undertakes the task must radically restructure previous conceptions of
self, students, text and even of the learning relationship. This presentation
does not deal with the mechanical process of building a web site, a service
furnished by any number of internet service providers and software vendors.
Instead, it explores the practical and philosophical issues that inform
construction, so that the finished site will truly reflect its creator,
who, in turn, has adjusted to the realities of instructional relationships
in hyperspace.
Creating
Powerful Online Courses Using Multiple Instructional Strategies
Tina Pitt and Anne Clark
Creating Powerful Online Courses Using Multiple Instructional Strategies alternate site
So
You Want to Develop Web-based Instruction — Points to Ponder
Randal D. Carlson, Judith Repman, Elizabeth Downs,
Kenneth F. Clark
Designing
Study Materials for Distance Students
Helen Wood
The
Web: Design for Active Learning
Katy Campbell
Handbook presents the idea of interactivity as it applies to a cohesive design including high interface, content, and instructional design.
Closing
The Distance With Technology: Changing How We Teach to Meet Student
Needs
Joan Esterline Lafuze, Randall E. Osborne, Anna McDaniel
Creating
Effective Instructional Materials for the World Wide Web
Ron Oliver, Jan Herrington, Arshad Omari,
The World Wide Web is a popular and useful instructional medium for a number of reasons. It is easily accessible, it supports flexible storage and display options, it provides a simple yet powerful publishing format and a means to incorporate multiple media elements. Interestingly, instructional effectiveness is not a proven characteristic for World Wide Web courseware and in many instances delivery via the WWW can impede rather than enhance learning when compared to conventional publishing forms. The purpose of this paper is to consider design aspects that can help to improve the instructional effectiveness of teaching and learning through the WWW.
Putting
the Learning Into Distance Learning
Bob Filipczak
The
Use of the World Wide Web for Teaching -- Things to consider before
putting materials on-line
George Ivanoff and Justine Clarke
The World Wide Web (WWW) is becoming more commonly used as an information resource in education and as with other sectors there is an injudicious rush to put materials on-line. While it is obvious that the WWW is an extremely useful medium well-suited to some aspects of education, there are a number of factors which academics need to consider before publishing on-line.
The Virtual Classroom
Constructing
the Virtual Campus
The Virtual
Classroom
Beyond
the WEB and the MOO in education
Virtual
Environments for Education, Research and Life
Going
Virtual:
What to Bring Along from the Face-to-Face Classroom and LAN Computer
Classroom
Shaping Cyberspace Into Human Space
Facilitating Interaction in Computer Mediated Online Courses
The Role of the Online Instructor/Facilitator
Moderating Online Electronic Discussion Groups
Computerized Distance Education: The Role for Facilitators
Moderating Educational Computer Conferences
Moderating Discussions in the Electronic Classroom
Web Discussion Forums in Teaching and Learning
Incorporating Electronic Technology into a Distance Learning Course
Expanding Class Discussion Beyond the Classroom Walls
Discussion Forums as a Learning Tool in a Graduate Course
Building Asynchronous and Synchronous Teaching-Learning Environments
The
WWW: A Tool to Enhance the Communicative Process