Purpose Of The Project
The work undertaken had a very wide remit - to assess the
quality and variety of learning environments on the World Wide Web. The
underpinning rationale was a practical one - to enable the members of the group
to transfer such assessment skills into our own practice in implementing on
line teaching and learning.
Criteria
The criteria we negotiated as being appropriate were
regarded as, on balance, flexible enough to allow for the inclusion of comments
about a whole range of aspects of designing for on-line courses. It was never
likely that such criteria would be exhaustive, but nevertheless they provided a
solid framework for the work in hand. Individual interpretation of the criteria
was a factor in shaping the final outcome with some duplication of work an
inevitable consequence. Given the variety of materials, sites assessed and
timescale available the criteria suited the needs of the group. In fact, there
appeared to be only one notable deficiency in the scope of the criteria. This
was an observation that the criteria failed to prompt the group to evaluate the
level of provision in meeting the learners needs in terms of the technology
used. Indeed, this level of provision varied dramatically within the sites in
contrast with the next. The oversight was a surprising one considering that a
basic knowledge of Information and Communication Technologies is necessary as a
precursor to enable the learner to navigate the respective site and secondly,
due to this element of support being an integral part of our own Med course
which is delivered during the residential week. It was suggested that this
issue would be further discussed within the learning set when reflecting on the
suitability of the criteria for use in future evaluations.
A real problem of the assessment was the ability of the group to examine the interactions of students on the courses. Obvious issues of security and confidentiality meant that not all interaction was public. The conclusions are therefore, part observation and part assessment of whether the participants had the potential to interact in a productive way.
Given greater time it would have been possible to assess some of the broader issues which came out of our exploration. Some of these arise from the design process whilst others are factors which may feature in the thoughts of those about to embark on on-line projects.
Some of these issues touched upon were :
The Sites Assessed
The general view was that all three sites had succeeded in
some measure in achieving their, very different, aims.
1. The Berkman Site @ www.berkmancenter.org
This site had succeeded in recreating a virtual environment which mirrored the
physical establishment. This was seen as a deliberate strategy to give a strong
sense of academic place to the courses. There was a consensus that the site did
provide real opportunities to participate in structured and interactive on-line
learning, but subject ultimately to a conservative design.
2. Geological Jigsaw @
http://www.dearnevalley.org.uk/he/courses/env/geojig.htm
An element of a course rather than a complete course in
itself. Perhaps best described as a resource, the geological jigsaw puzzle
makes very good use of HTML to create an experience where the learner's mind
set has to mimic the non-linear framework of geological inquiry. The exercise
was self directed but within the strict limits of the exercise. By
concentrating deliberately on a single feature of on-line learning to provide
the stimulus for the exercise it was agreed that the site achieves a very
focused, if somewhat isolated, learning experience.
3. CyberSchool @ http://CyberSchool.4j.lane.edu/
This was perhaps the most ambitious of all the sites being a
cyber course training ground as well as a home to distinct courses. The site
conveyed an almost evangelical enthusiasm for the promotion of on-line learning
and set out to create an open system of franchising courses which left much of
the control within the individual trainer's grasp. Promoting a varied approach
to teaching on-line it succeeded in employing this range of resources to good
effect. The success of the individual courses within the site depended on the
creative and considered application of the technical resources, but it was felt
that this was largely to positive effect. This site in particular raised the
issue of what it means to operate a global resource within the framework of a
state's own education framework. It begs a further question of how universal a
site can be bearing a strong geographical and political identity ?
Additional Observations
The effective use of a single technical aid was considered
far more valuable than the cosmetic use of several, which may in fact detract
from the quality of the learning environment. Tools need to support the aims of
the course not to detract from them.
Links need to be assessed with care and attention to their content and placed so as not to become an unnecessary distraction.
Designing courses for the World Wide Web requires new skills in presenting materials in a way which will maximise the benefits of the new medium and minimise the risks.
Such techniques as; the use of glossaries which take unnecessary information out of the immediate frame, the breakdown of texts into manageable chunks, and the use of a style of writing which is sharper and more incisive are examples of the way in which course designers might seek to use the new technologies. Significant skills in moderating on-line group discussions are also area of professional development which requires some consideration.