Designing Web-Le for Language Teachers Abdulmalik CAJES 1

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    Designing Web-Based Learning Environments (Web-Les): A

    Model For Language Teachers In Nigeria.

    By

    Abdulmalik Yusuf Ofemile.

    School of Education,

    University of Leeds.

    Leeds LS2 9JT.

    United Kingdom.

    Accepted and published In Usman M.T & M. Okebe (Eds) (2011); Capital Journal of

    Educational Studies (CAJES). Vol. 2, No, 2. ISSN: 2996-103X; Abuja; FCT College of

    Education, Zuba. (pp1-19)

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    Abstract

    This paper is a report on a web-Le that was designed using the eLab fast prototypingmodel for e-learning. It also used Needs Analysis to set its objective which is to,equip English language teachers with ICT skills to use in the workplace. The

    Australian Vocational Education Training (VET)toolkit provided the design for learningcontent and delivery scheme. The prototype was evaluated by users from UK andNigeria and a technical audit was conducted online by HiSoftware. Theseevaluations indicate that the site was user friendly, had good accessibility dependingon user connectivity and it passed the priority basic 2 test. However, the site couldnot verify primary natural language of documents. The paper also discusses thepedagogic implications for the course designer, the trainer and the trainee whenconsidering learner freedom, designing learning forms or processes and duringclassroom interactions.

    Keywords:Web-Le, eLab Fast prototyping, Usability, Pedagogic rationale, NeedsAnalysis, UNESCO, eLearning, Scenario envisioning, Usability, Human ComputerInteraction (HCI), Evaluation, SCORM.

    Introduction and background information

    The internet has the potential to transform where and how learning takes place as

    well as the roles of the learner and the teacher/facilitator in the process. Meanwhile

    teachers in Nigeria have been identified as having a deficit in Information and

    Communications Technology (Henceforth ICT) skills Isyaku, (2006) and the desire to

    in some ways bridge this gap served as a motivation for the design of the Web-based Learning Environment (henceforth Web-Le) and course for language

    teachers. The project generally aimed to:

    enable teachers acquire basic ICT skills

    raise their ICT skills from the level it is now,

    enable teachers use ICT skills in their workplace

    lay a foundation for further ICT training

    As a pre-requisite for any learning design, fact finding is essential Dublin & Olshtain,

    (1994) in order to assess the learners and their contexts. My context is Abuja the

    Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria and my learners are teachers in the primary and

    secondary schools. Furthermore, internet access is mainly provided through dial up

    with some V-SAT for a very high population of users. The service is characterized by

    low bandwidths, slow internet speed, very high cost of access and erratic power

    supply.

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    In addition, Needs Analysis (henceforth NA) was used for qualitative and

    quantitative fact finding and it becomes necessary to discuss this concept in

    foregrounding this paper. The scope and meaning of NA has widened over the years

    but before this, courses were designed based on the teachers intuition about what

    the learner needs Valiyaveettil, (2010) citing Hyland (2006); Cowling, (2007). This

    represents a shift from an objective target needs specification to a subjective and

    practical needs specification that also indicates the evolution of NA over the years

    through various approaches. For the purposes of this paper, I will rely on Ofemile's

    (2010:3) summative definition (derived from Richterich & Chancerel, 1980;

    McDonough, (1984); Widdowson, (1985); Queeney, (1995); Jordan, (1997) that:

    ...NA is a learner-centered process of data collection and processing

    from and about the learner, Institution and Society that provides information used todesign, implement and evaluate learning experiences that meet the needs of the learner,

    Institution and society. For clarity, Institution refers to both formal and informal training

    avenues since I consider the learner and society to be unambiguous in this case. (2010:3)

    This definition puts the learner and the learners context at the centre of the exercise

    in both formal and informal learning situations.

    Hutchinson and Waters (1987) make a distinction between target needs and

    learning needs, the former been what the learner will do in the target situation wh ilethe later refers to what the learner will need to do in order to learn. Hutchinson and

    Waters sub-division of target needs suffice for this paper. For them, necessities,

    represent what the learner has to know in order to function effectively in the target

    situation; Lacks represent the gap between the target proficiency and what the

    learner knows or the difference between what is and what should be Witkin &

    Altschuld, (1995); Berwick, (1989); Brindley (1989); Richards (2001), and wants are

    self-perceived needs of the learner. I however recognize that target needs aresubject to change as circumstances dictate.

    Furthermore, Masahura (1998) cited in Ofemile (Ibid) identified needs by 'ownership'

    (i.e. whose needs); 'kind' (i.e. types of needs identified), and 'sources' (the sources of

    these needs). Thus, the learner has personal and learning needs; the teacher,

    personal and professional needs while the administrator has institutional needs and

    these form the basis for the design and choice of appropriate course content,

    delivery, assessment and evaluation methods and the development of a learner-

    centered Web-Le (Fig1) below.

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    The learnercentered environment (Fig 1) above provides the learner rich interaction

    with peers, teachers, information resources and technology. It also engages the

    learner in authentic tasks and activities in authentic contexts using authentic tools

    and is assessed through authentic evaluation. Authenticity describes anything used

    in the teaching learning situation that is engaging, realistic and driven by motivationLeather, (2004). However, what is authentic for one person might not be for another.

    It becomes very relevant to ICT skills acquisition when the learning environment

    provides tools, contexts, tasks, materials and assessments that are closely related to

    work done in real life.

    In carrying out the NA forty-five (45) teachers were randomly selected from Primary

    and secondary schools in Zuba Abuja for the study. The aim is to assess their ICT

    needs, their perceptions of these needs, and the context in which they will learn. A

    questionnaire was the instrument for data gathering. I must state that unlike Braines

    (1980) study cited in Valiyaveettil (2010), the questionnaire was quite adequate and

    the data interpretation was easy and served its purpose. The findings are as follows:

    1. all the respondents are teachers whose ages range from 2550 years.

    2. Majority (95%) have access to computers

    3.

    Majority (85%) have access to the internet

    4. the Internet access is slow and with low bandwidth (dial up)

    Fig 1.Learner-centered Environment (UNESCO, 2002:25)

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    5. majority (78%) used computers and the internet at least twice a week

    6. They have varying degrees of skills in the use of Microsoft office suite

    7. About 67% said they needed training in the use of Microsoft office 2003

    (word, excel, and power point), general knowledge of operating systems, and

    effective use of the internet and its resources.

    8. They needed to know how to apply them in the classroom.

    9. All of them were willing to participate in a training programme that will give

    them the necessary skills

    10.However, a small percentage had no access to the internet but, have

    computers.

    I will like to conclude this aspect of the paper by stating that the NA acted as a lead

    on in this work and it enabled me to put the learner at the centre of my web-Le and

    course design as recommended by Long (2005); Flowerdew and Peacock (2001).

    Pedagogic Rationale

    Pedagogic rationale refers to Ideas and methods about different ways of teaching

    from a designers viewpoint based on established facts, experience, research clearand careful thought. Thus, my design of learning is primarily based on UNESCO's

    (1996) four pillars of learning which include 'learning to know' i.e. the acquisition of

    structured knowledge and the development of one's thinking. This relates to

    Pedagogy and content. This is an important aspect of infusing technology and deals

    with the curriculum required to develop applications that learners can use in their

    disciplines. It gives learners the opportunity to acquire ICT skills as well as the ability

    to use them in the classroom as in fig 2 below.

    The second pillar is 'learning to do' i.e. the development of personal competence

    within the group and relates to technical issues, continuous growth in skills,

    incorporating skills into classroom curriculum and upgrading of skills in the light of

    developments,

    In addition, there is 'learning to live together' i.e. the focus on collaborative and

    complimentary approaches to learning, and relates to collaboration and networking

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    that promotes democratization of learning, the potentials to take learning outside the

    classroom and drawing upon local and global knowledge bases.

    Finally, there is 'learning to be' i.e. recognition and development of the learner's

    distinct personality in the learning community. This deals with social issues in ICT

    like legal and moral codes, individual health, respect for intellectual property rights

    and reflection in practice.

    Thus, the course content is organized systematically with linkages within and

    between the modules using a flowchart (Figure 2 below) with adequate room for

    interaction, self-reflection and knowledge building.

    Figure 2: course Flow chart

    In addition, research has shown that the method of instruction affects the nature of

    classroom interaction and composition Reid, (2009) for example; asynchronous

    interaction creates room for more mature and experienced people to join a class. My

    experience as an online learner in Moodle and wikieducator's wikibuddy supports

    this assertion. Other studies Jones, (1996) discovered and was affirmed by Salman

    & Giles, (1998) that online courses are beneficial where learners are mature and

    comfortable with independent learning and computers. The issues raised here on the

    surface look like learner characteristics but, they are more related to pedagogy since

    they indicate how and why adults learn online and by extension provide a rationale

    for the design of a learning experience.

    Moreover, Churche's (2009) analysis of Bloom's digital taxonomy also provided the

    rationale for setting course and topic targets as well as the learning process. Thus

    students are expected to read a chapter of the manual, engage in collaborative

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    discussions on issues arising from the reading, make reflective submissions on the

    course blog, and submit assignments or completed tasks. This according to

    Dougiama and Taylor (1999, 2002) enables learners to generate large amount of

    useful data, aid the successful achievement of course goals, and enhances time

    management for students and facilitators.

    In addition, the works of Kolb, (1984) on learning processes; Honey and Mumford

    (1982); typology of learners; Kolb and Kolb (2009) experiential learning influenced

    the pacing of the course content, the linkages that exist within the sections, and the

    link between course work and the learners' work contexts i.e. classroom.

    Moreover, the NA indicates that, on learner preferences, they best respond to:

    following structured activities and presentations

    taking things in small parts, e.g. a 'chunk' at a time

    finding things out for themselves

    being guided and informed by others rather than working totally alone

    making use of their existing knowledge and expertise

    working with workplace relevant cases and tasks that are of practical value

    and use

    These imply the need for the principle of scaffolding in learning (Vygotsky's theory of

    Zone of Proximal Development (henceforth ZPD) and the recognition of previous

    learning as a foundation to be built upon by the facilitator (Krashen's I+1) in each

    learning interaction.I also find Activity structure and activity system, Leont'ev, (1978;

    Engestrom, (1987) very relevant to my design. These principles define to a large

    extent the rules of engagement and sharing of resources and ideas in the classroom.

    Research Fottland, (2002); Conrad, (2002) also indicates that, the nature of tasks,

    the media of interaction, and the established working relationship in a classroom are

    crucial in creating a community of learners. Thus, the learners are given a free hand

    to choose their own media for group interaction, while the house rules for online

    interactions are set and enforced by all.

    At another level, learners are expected to learn at their own paces as well as

    collaborate with peers. The content of the course is a mixture of structured and

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    unstructured materials as given by the Course manual and learners' own reflections

    and experiences. In addition, the learners experience content learning, adequate skill

    practice and get performance support throughout the duration of the course.

    Finally, another rationale is provided by researches on 'blended learning'. This is a

    combination of traditional learning approaches with web-based learning. It also

    combines various media and tools in an e-learning environment and mixes several

    pedagogic approaches, Peters, (1998); Singh, (2003); Oliver & Trigwell, (2005);

    Williams et al, (2008); Bogs, (2010). I believe that adopting a blended approach will

    extend the reach and optimize the cost and time demands of this project because of

    the difference between physical and pedagogic distances Peters, (1998) in learning.

    Physical distance is created by the use of technology while pedagogic distance

    refers to the infrequency of interactions between facilitators and learners.

    Design Strategy

    The major pedagogic principles that feed into the design stage include knowing the

    learner, the learner's context and the delivery and learning interaction methodologies

    to be reflected in the web-Le.

    In view of my context, I decided to use the eLab rapid prototyping model as the

    instructional design approach because it is flexible and helps me to focus on the

    complex factors associated with communication problems in learning situations

    involving Human computer Interaction (henceforth HCI), learners' cognitive

    processing capabilities or higher order thinking skills (HOTS) and management skills

    Tripp and Bichelmeyer, (1990); Joe Hoffman and Jon Margerum-Leys, (2006).

    Furthermore, research Botturi, Cantoni, Lepori, and Tardini (2007)shows that this

    approach engenders shared understanding between the designer and the user as

    well as provide training with effective feedback and these according to Tripp and

    Bichelmeyer, (Ibid) encourage creativity in all stages of the design process.

    In addition, it focuses on pedagogic design, has integrated scenario as part of its

    design process and is suitable for managing the expected change in my context and

    learners. I find Weddell's (2009) theme that in planning and managing educational

    change, people and their contexts come first very relevant because, this whole

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    project is concerned with changing teachers conception and use of ICT skills in the

    classroom.

    I also recognize that this approach has been criticized for being expensive, time

    consuming, encouraging 'creeping featurism or adding needless bells and whistles'

    Tripp and Bichelmeyer, (Ibid:34) thus leading the design astray.

    Figure 3: eLab fast prototyping model for e-learning design (Botturi et al., 2007b: 275)

    This model places emphasis on communication in the design and learning process.

    It consists of two cycles. The inner cycle (solid lines) is called the product cycle. The

    second is called the outer cycle (broken lines) also called the process cycle. The

    product cycle begins with scenario design and prototyping. The prototype contains

    some level of usable or real course content. Evaluation in the product cycle isbasically done internally by the designer(s) to check navigation, feedback etc. A

    decision is taken by the designer regarding the readiness or otherwise of the

    prototype before going to the next stage. If the prototype is seen as ready then, it is

    passed to the outer cycle for field test by the users. This is monitored and evaluated

    by the students, teachers or facilitators feedback and analysis of course assessment

    results.

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    Scenario design

    Scenario design is the process of storytelling about a present or future situation or

    even a hypothetical 'what if ' situation about who does what, how, when , why, and

    where, Fowler (2010). Information from the NA influenced the Scenario design to

    some extent e.g. the learners are all adults, teachers with limited knowledge of ICT

    but, who desire to acquire more ICT skills. I also had to bear in mind that majority

    had personal computers and some had no access to the internet. These informed

    the provision of multimedia learning objects like printable and downloadable training

    materials for the learners.

    Apart from that, the need for contact between course facilitators and students and

    prompt feedback Van Helvert and Fowler, (2004); Rosson and Carroll, (2002; 1995)

    made me to make provision for a class blog on Blogger and the Introduction page on

    Google docs.

    Moreover, the emphasis on task accomplishment and respect for diverse talents and

    ways of learning, Chickering and Gamson, (1987); Kolb, (1996) informed the

    provision of access to a wide variety of resources on site (learning contract) and off

    site (links to YouTube, and Microsoft training website).

    Use case scenario for ict4teachers.

    The following is a description of the scenario on the web-Le (ict4teachers).The first

    actor is a student (Mallam Musa) who getsan invitation to join the course by e-mail.

    Musa uses the link (http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ed09acyo/index.html) to

    access the site. He listensto a podcastintroducing the course by clicking on

    'listen'. He watches the video clip 'A vision of youths today'. He clicks 'my course'

    page and downloadsthe learning contract (appendix 3)for filling, signing and

    mailing back to the facilitator later and takes a look at the course structure by

    clickingon 'the course' (appendix 2)after which he nowintroduceshimself to

    other members of the group by clicking on 'introduce yourself' (appendix 4) link to

    Google docs in order to fill a form indicating Name, contact address, e-mail, Skype,

    telephone numbers, what he expects from the course, and uploading his picture.

    http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ed09acyo/index.htmlhttp://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ed09acyo/index.htmlhttp://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ed09acyo/index.htmlhttp://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ed09acyo/index.html
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    In the first week of the course, the student watches more clips, listens to podcasts,

    and downloadsthe first reading material. Musa is expected to choose the most

    appropriate two hours from the available hours for his chat sessions.

    Every week, Musa will watch a clip, listen to a podcast, download reading materials,

    read notices and go to other related sites from the resources page (appendix 5).

    Hemakes reflective entries about his learning and posts questions on the class

    blog (7) using theFAQ pageprovided on the Web-Le.

    The second agent is the facilitator who has unrestricted access to the site. The

    facilitators will also introducethemselves to the class using the link on my course

    page. They will upload reading materials every week, providenew and useful linkson the Web-Le for the students to use and download the results manager to enter

    students' scores and grades. Facilitators will also use the class blogto answer

    questions posted by students.

    In designing this scenario, I recognize that there exists a dialectal relationship

    between learning and technology as Whitworth (2007) pointed out technology is not

    at par with people rather, it has to fit their needs.

    In addition, the scenario presented above is a use case scenario Fowler, (2007)

    citing Carroll (1995) because it describes the activity that the user engages in when

    performing a specific task. This description is sufficiently detailed so that design

    implications can be reasonably inferred. Use case scenario consists of two phases, a

    framework of activity and the HCI for activity (fig 4) below.

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    Figure 4: Phases in Use case scenario.(http://fipse.missouri.edu/scenarios.html, 2007)

    These phases are best explained by showing their implications at the scenario stage

    of the Web-Le design. They have enabled me to carry out a realistic user evaluation

    based on valid and trusted background information, Fowler, (ibid). I have been able

    to identify the user tasks (like gain access to the site, print and sign learning contract,

    listen to recorded instructions, watch videos, introduce themselves) in a coherent

    and consistent manner. In addition, I was able to provide useful and economical

    objects (e-mail with URL; FAQ, Podcast, Video clip, course materials, forms to fill,

    printable learning contract, downloadable results manager) for my users.

    Apart from that, the interaction between these component parts within these phases

    indicates social causes and effects in HCI and this makes scenario based approach

    very accommodating and easy to understand which is essential for understandingHCI, Carroll (1996).

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    Other Web-Le Design rationale

    The first factor that influenced the websites layoutdesign is the fact that majority

    were using contact lenses so, I decided to use white as background colour with

    navigation buttons and links in primary colours for contrast.

    Secondly, Contextual factors like low bandwidth and poor access to the web in

    Nigeria led to the design of a simple but, functional website. I avoided loading it with

    heavy material that will slow down its upload time.

    Apart from that, Constructivist learning theories and methods Papert, (1991); Duffy &

    Jonassen, (1992) influenced the provision of access to resources and expertise on

    other sites(appendix 5) in order to develop and engage the learners in active,

    authentic, goal oriented and issue -centered learning through collaborative learning.

    While Vygotsky's ZPD) informed the use of multiple synchronous and asynchronous

    communications through e-mail, Skype, chats, face to face interaction and help lines

    on the Web-Le to provide for anchored instruction and confidence building.

    In addition, I considered 'standardization' or Shareable Content Object Reference

    Model (SCORM) compliance Kerth, (2003); Lin, (2004) in the design process. I

    ensured that materials used in design were interoperable on other platforms. For

    example, the Introduction page (appendix 4) was designed with 'Openoffice.org

    writer' which was easily uploaded unto Google docs.

    Closely related is the fact that I had to bear in mind resources of 'cloud computing' in

    this design. For Barnatt (2010) Cloud computing is where software applications,

    processing power, data and potentially even artificial intelligence are accessed over

    the Internet. Thus, I made use of one free cloud software application (Google docs)

    as an experiment for this project. I also externalized all video links except for the first

    on the home page. I did this to aid accessibility and collaboration on a different scale,

    promote a green environment with little or no wastes and prepare my students for

    the generation next applications.

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    Implementation

    I designed the Web-Le using Kompozer with four interactive pages using the

    following colour schemes (Home, Red; My course, Blue; Resources, Green; and

    contact us, Yellow). These pages were hyperlinked to FAQ and the class blog to

    create interactivity. (see appendices 1, 2, 5 &6).

    The site was only enlivened on the University of Leeds' website making it easily

    accessible and wining the confidence of users from Nigeria.I was able to develop a

    podcast using Audacity to introduce the site to visitors linked to both the Home and

    the Resources pages.

    Other resources available include a video clip embedded on the home page and

    linked to the resources page as 'what students want today'. I have maintained all the

    linkages from YouTube because they are useful and related to the course. I have

    also provided another on Basic Computer skills on the resource page.

    Printable resources are available on the Web-Le for course participants to use like

    the course manual on the Resource page, the Learning contract (appendix 3) on the

    My course page.Some resources are just meant to pass information like 'course' onmy course page and my list (my reading list on my personal page on wikieducator)

    linked to wikieducator.

    Some other resources were provided to enhance self-study and development in the

    course participants like 'Upgrade your skills' on the resources page links to Microsoft

    training site on office 2007.

    I also provided resources that participants could manipulate like the class blog and

    the class introduction form. Both carry the course name and logo for consistency

    even though externalized.

    In addition, the facilitators can download one freebie 'Records' from the resources

    page unto their computers and use for assessment records and calculations.

    Contact and brief course information is provided on the contact us page. Each page

    carries a thematic name which easily tells the visitor what to expect from it.

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    Evaluation of the system

    Aspects of the evaluation process include scenario envisioning, usability, technical,

    and summative evaluations. The model used for this design is iterative making

    formative and summative evaluations relevant, Botturi et al (Ibid). The first occurs

    internally within the inner cycle and is concerned with product testing in the areas of

    scenario visioning, usability and technical features. The second occurs in the outer

    cycle referred to as 'field test' carried out by users and concerns itself with

    'integration' and learning impact.

    Formative evaluation was employed throughout the process of the design using my

    flat mates because, they were always available and the design was published locallyon my laptop. I give them tasks to accomplish and get their views afterwards.

    Scenario Envisioning

    Here I evaluated the site's capability to build contact, give feedback, and enhance

    task accomplishment. It was observed by one user to be a good website because

    tasks within specified environments could be quickly executed. For example,

    listening to the podcast or watching the video clip on the home page is quite fast

    making the site effective, but they observed that the course contact details should be

    on the Home page.

    Evaluating Usability

    I have relied on expert opinions, Preece, (1993); Rubin, (1994); Nielsen, (1993) and

    user views for the usability evaluation. I had to assess the ease with which users

    could accomplish tasks like downloading materials from or filing forms on the site.

    Most of the users found these tasks quite easy to carry out on both the dummy and

    live sites just by clicking on the appropriate buttons and links indicating good

    learnability characteristics.

    I also assessed the site's flexibility and users were asked to perform a variety of

    tasks like introducing themselves by filling the 'Introduce yourself form', printing the

    learning contract or downloading documents like 'records' from the site. Users

    observed that the strategies provided by the site were good and easy to follow but, I

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    discovered that this also depends on the user's skills to an extent as in the case of

    one of my flat mates who could not print the pdf file without assistance.

    The site was also evaluated for the levels of human costs required e.g. tiredness,

    discomfort, frustration and personal effort on the part of the users. The users

    observed that it required minimum effort and was not stressful but, some suggested

    that the font size be increased and unbold.

    Technical Evaluation

    I used HiSoftware Cynthia Says- for the technical analysis of the different pages.

    The report from Cynthia Says indicates that the site passed the alternate text

    quality test but, did not pass the automatic verification test on the emulated browser

    MS Internet Explorer 6.0. There were two warnings to create keyboard shortcuts to

    important links and to create a logical tab through links for controls and objects.

    These reports show that the site is okay since it was found to have clearly provided

    information about the general layout, identified the target of each link, described the

    purpose of each frame, specified the failsafe capacity, and passed the priority basic

    2 test.

    However, it was found to contain elements with deprecated elements, had no

    metadata to support semantic information and did not verify primary natural

    language of the documents.

    Summative Evaluation

    I carried out this evaluation as a field test by sending emails with links to the site to

    people in Nigeria because, this will properly situate the project. Below are theobservations raised by the users:

    1. The navigation around and between the website is smooth, the layout is good

    with good contrast of colours, legible characters and easy field identification

    but, the layout should be centralized with the table borderline reduced to zero.

    2. The commands on the website were easy to understand because there was

    no jargon used and the feedback mechanism (blog and email) were found to

    be appropriate.

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    3. The site and its links displayed a consistency of layout, colour and logo and

    this made identification easy.

    4. There was repetition as in the case of the podcast and video clips

    5. The user felt in control of the site even though obeying instructions

    6. it gave the user practice in basic computer or internet skills

    7. However, security does not exist on the site, because just about anybody with

    the web address can access it and the materials meant for course

    participants.

    8. Accessibility was generally good but, there were people who could not get to

    the site because of poor connectivity.

    Implications and Conclusions

    Like I said earlier, the pedagogic rationale for this design includes UNESCOs four

    pillars of learning which emphasize learners' freedom and the implication for ICT

    course designers is that they must consider that there is a set amount of important

    information that needs to be shown and highlighted to the learners and tasks need to

    be provided to assist students to digest the information they are given.

    Designers must also recognize that there will usually be a number of ways

    knowledge and information can be applied online thus, learners need to learn to

    choose and select information when applying and using it and learners need to know

    how to find and use information rather than simply remember it. In addition, there are

    many different ways for learners to learn and they may have to learn to make

    choices while, designers should work with a team of subject specialists and other

    ICT experts to benefit from collaboration.

    Furthermore, when designing online learning forms or processes the learning

    activities most effective for learners may involve doing something several times in a

    variety of ways, repeatedly doing something in the exact same way to meet a

    standard/procedure, structured tasks that increase familiarity and awareness, and

    open-ended tasks with variables to decide from and work with. Others tasks require

    a level of judgment and subjectivity, some creativity and innovative thinking.

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    Finally, the trainer is expected to provide high levels of support and structure or, a

    detailed learning program that participants follow, plenty of feedback to help assess

    progress, ample opportunity for learners to practice and develop their capabilities

    andenable learners to choose some of the learning activities individually and as

    groups during interactions.

    REFERENCES

    Australia, Commonwealth of (N D) Australian Flexible Learning FrameworkAustralian Vocational Education Training (VET)http://designing.flexiblelearning.net.au/gallery/activities/chat.htm(Downloaded 04/04/2010)

    Barnatt, C (2010) A Brief Guide to Cloud Computing: An essential guide to thenext computing revolution.London: Constable & Robinson Ltd.

    Benesch, S (2001) Critical English for Academic purposes: Theory, politics,and practice.Mawah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

    Botturi, L., Cantoni, L., Lepori, B. & Tardini, S. (2007). Fast Prototyping as aCommunication Catalyst for E-Learning Design. In M. Bullen & D. Janes(eds), Making the Transition to E-Learning: Strategies and Issues. Hershey,

    PA: Idea Group, pp. 266-283.

    Botturi, L., L, Cantoni B. Lepor, I S. Tardini (2007b) Developing and Managingan Effective Virtual Campus: The eLab Experience in the Swiss HigherEducation Contexthttp://www.elearninglab.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/elab_virtual_campus.pdf(Accessed 19/06/2010)

    Carroll, J M (2002) Introduction: Human Computer Interaction, the past andthe present In J M Carroll (Ed) Human-Computer Interaction in the NewMillenniumNew York: Addison-Wesley.

    Churches, A (2009)BloomsDigital Taxonomyhttp://edorigami.wikispaces.com(Downloaded 12/03/2010)

    Dudeney, G & N .Hockley (2008) How to teach English with technologyLondon: Pearson Longman

    Dudeney, G (2007) The Internet and the Language classroom: A practicalguide for teachers. Second Edition.Cambridge: C U P

    Duffy, T & D.H Jonassen (Eds). (1992) Constructivism and the technology ofinstruction: A conversation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum

    http://designing.flexiblelearning.net.au/gallery/activities/chat.htmhttp://designing.flexiblelearning.net.au/gallery/activities/chat.htmhttp://www.elearninglab.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/elab_virtual_campus.pdfhttp://www.elearninglab.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/elab_virtual_campus.pdfhttp://www.elearninglab.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/elab_virtual_campus.pdfhttp://edorigami.wikispaces.com/http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/http://www.elearninglab.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/elab_virtual_campus.pdfhttp://www.elearninglab.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/elab_virtual_campus.pdfhttp://designing.flexiblelearning.net.au/gallery/activities/chat.htm
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    HiSoftwarehttp://www.contentquality.com/(Accessed :6/26/2010 3:45:01PM)

    Honey and Mumford (1982) Typology of Learnershttp://www.peterhoney.com/(Downloaded 2/05/2010)

    Isyaku, K (2006) Teacher Training Initiative For Sub-Saharan Africa (TTISSA)Priority Actions For Nigeria (Downloaded 04/12/2009)

    Kolb (1975) TheLearning process.www.learningfromexperience.com(Downloaded 22/4/2010)

    Lynch, M M (2002) The Online Educator: A guide to creating the virtualclassroomLondon: Routledge/ Falmer

    Nielsen, J (1993) Usability EngineeringAmsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann

    Ofemile, A (2010) Affordancesof cloud computing for Language TeacherEducation in National Open University of Nigeria. (Unpublished)

    Papert, S & I, Harel (1991) Constructionism. London: Abex PublishingCorporation

    Preece, J (1994) Human-Computer InteractionNew York: Addison-Wesley.

    Preece, J; D Benyon, G, Davies, L Keller, & Y Rogers (1993)A Guide tousability. Human Factors in ComputingLondon: Addison-Wesley.

    Rubin, J (1994) Handbook of Usability testing: How to plan design andconduct effective tests. New York: John Wiley & sons Inc.

    Unesco (1996) The four pillars of Educationhttp://www.unesco.org/delors/fourpil.htm(Downloaded 12/04/2010)

    Unesco (2002) Information and Communications Technologies in Teacher

    Education. A Planning guide(Downloaded 18/04/2010)

    Unesco (2009) overcoming Inequality: why governance matters. Paris: OxfordUniversity Press. Pp 76

    University of Missouri (2007). Phases in Use case scenariohttp://fipse.missouri.edu/scenarios.html, (Downloaded 20/6/2010)

    Valiyaveettil, J (2010) An Investigation into the suitability of conducting NeedsAnalysis: The Case of Qatar Aeronautical College

    Wedell, M (2009) Planning for Educational Change. Putting people and theircontexts first.London: Continuum.

    http://www.contentquality.com/http://www.contentquality.com/http://www.contentquality.com/http://www.peterhoney.com/http://www.peterhoney.com/http://www.learningfromexperience.com/http://www.learningfromexperience.com/http://www.learningfromexperience.com/http://www.unesco.org/delors/fourpil.htmhttp://www.unesco.org/delors/fourpil.htmhttp://www.unesco.org/delors/fourpil.htmhttp://www.learningfromexperience.com/http://www.peterhoney.com/http://www.contentquality.com/
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    Appendix1: ict4teachers Homepage

    Appendix 2: ict4teachers My course page

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    Appendix 3: ict4teachers Learning contract

    Appendix 4: Introduce yourself on Google docs

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    Appendix 5: ict4teachers Resources

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    Appendix 6: ict4teachers Contact Us

    Appendix 7: ict4teachers Class Blog