Canada
Open Learning and Information Network
Prepared by:
Genevieve Gallant
Brief description of the programme
The Open Learning and Information Network (olin), Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial College partnered to design, develop, and implement a Web-based business course for delivery through the World Wide Web. This joint initiative was funded by Human Resources Development Agreement.
The subject of organisational behaviour is included in nine different post-secondary programmes of study, with transfer credit available between the university course and the college equivalents. Consequently, a Web-based course in organisational behaviour was designed by an instructional design team over a three-month period and delivered to 10 university and 40 college students during the winter 1997 semester.
The Web-based course, delivered in an open learning, distance education format, uses a blend of conventional resources (textbook and study manual) and information and communication technology resources (Web pages of the study manual and a computer conferencing system — Conferencing on the Web). The computer conferencing system design allows student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction and collaborative learning at a distance. Class assignments, both individual and group; two on-line quizzes; opportunities to ask questions of the instructor and professor; and peer interaction are supported by the computer conferencing system.
A student orientation session explaining access to and use of the Web pages and computer conferencing system was delivered via audio through multimedia computers to college students while university students received a face-to-face orientation.
Problems encountered
Planning and managing distance education
Use of a systematic approach to planning distance education is important and must include using experts from each area of instructional design. The collaborative efforts and expertise of instructional designers, content experts, technical specialists, and administrators are necessary. The roles and timelines for each person must be clearly stated at the beginning of the project.
The Web-based course on organisational behaviour is offered to both university and college students, and the administrative requirements of each institution are similar, yet different. Incorporation of both sets of regulations for registration, dropping and adding courses, and examination requires communication with both administrative groups.
Selection of a computer conferencing system to meet the design needs and learning outcomes requires that criteria be established early on in the planning stage.
Using and integrating media in distance education
Using the Web and a computer conferencing system to deliver a course is relatively new for faculty and students. Instructor and student awareness of how to use the conferencing system to provide quality learning and the need for a different teaching style is an issue.
An orientation for both instructor and student is necessary to familiarise them with how to use the media, its benefits for learning at a distance, and expectations for both in creating learning.
The instructor’s role changes from one of ‘sage’ to that of ‘facilitator’.
Instructional design and production for distance education
Using the team approach to developing and implementing a Web-based distance course is advantageous. Experts in instructional design, Web design, graphics, content, and technical operations working together will make for a quality product.
Access to the Internet, modem connections, and telephone lines are important issues for instructional designers to consider. Slow modem connections and poor telephone lines limit the size and quality of graphics and increase the need for user-friendly, easy-to-navigate systems.
Web-based courses have philosophical and pedagogical issues — whether to use linear, textual course design or a design that enables interaction among students and instructors. Technology gives us the ability to design distance education courses with more interactivity, thus overcoming the isolation issue in previous distance education practices.
To ensure that learning occurs, the instructional designer must be aware of learner needs, learning styles, and the limits of the technology.
Pacing is important. To keep students on-track and on-time, guidelines must be incorporated into the design of the Web pages and the study manual. Scheduling of course assignments and exams must be manageable. Including a printed study manual and Web pages displaying sections of the study manual are used as organisers.
Learner support systems
Many learners are novices to the computer and the Internet and learner frustration with the new media is to be expected. To decrease frustration and maintain motivation in the course, the use of technical and human support systems is an absolute. An orientation to the new media, telephone contact during the first two weeks for technical assistance, and instructor feedback, especially in the initial stages, are necessary. These learner support systems must be established before the course starts.
The most important issue: Instructional design and production for distance education
Our experience in dealing with the issue of using ‘teams of experts’ was positive and beneficial. So many times one or two people are responsible for all the design, production, and delivery of a course. However, using new media to deliver a course requires people with expertise in these areas as not everyone has all the expertise needed for design and delivery of Web-based courses.
The Web-based ‘Organisational Behaviour’ course used an instructional design model. Both the university and college offer courses in organisational behaviour; however, the objectives, some content areas, evaluations, and textbooks differ. To have one course that could be used simultaneously by university and college students required an articulation process. The content experts were a university professor with many years of experience teaching in a face-to-face setting and also in the traditional distance education format, and a college instructor with many years of experience delivering this subject in a classroom setting using a self-directed, competency-based learning approach. The instructional designer worked with both to develop course objectives, content, evaluations, and a study manual.
Graphic and Web designers, the next team, working with the instructional designer, were responsible for determining how much text and content should go on the Web pages. They were also responsible for creating the look and feel of the pages so that they are easy to read, visually effective, user-friendly, and can be downloaded in a short time. Designing the entrance areas to the conferencing system to be visually attractive yet self-explanatory was also completed by this team.
The conferencing system was designed by the instructional designer. Attention was paid to the learner needs, different learning styles, and course requirements, as decided by the content experts, and use of collaborative learning techniques.
Technical support was provided by the systems administrator and a technical specialist. The systems administrator was responsible for mounting the computer conferencing system on the server. The technical specialist was involved in the conferencing system selection and the audio capabilities through the computer for students’ orientation session.
Lessons learned
It is important for all members of the instructional team to be part of the process from the beginning. The technical part of the system is as important as the instructional design. The systems administrator must be allowed enough time to mount the conferencing system on the server to give other members of the team the opportunity to become familiar with how it works, make necessary changes, and work out any anomalies.
Determining computer conferencing criteria that makes using the system easy, accessible, and user-friendly is important. For example, the use of word-wrap for posting and replying to discussions is a must. The ability to attach a file from any word processing software makes for less Internet time, and allows for spelling correction, editing of text, and reflection on a topic.
Using the audio capability of a multimedia computer provides benefits of talking with learners any time, anywhere. It was used to deliver the orientation session but there were problems in hearing the session because of differences in modem rates, bandwidth, and telephone connections. More time must be allowed (two to three days depending on the number of sites) for technical specialists to tune the audio with the different sites to make the multimedia computer usable and achieve its objective.
