Web-Based Instruction

Overview

Nada Dabbagh

George Mason University

Characteristics of the WWW

• “Network of networks”• Vast, ever-increasing resources• Ability to reach widely dispersed and diverse

people• Uniformity of address and scripting language

(HTTP, HTML)• Power of cross-platform capabilities• Ease of use through a common user interface

based on the concept of hypermedia

Overall Use of the WWW

• Information resource/Information access• Research & data collection (online databases,

surveys, etc.)• Communication through the use of

complementary Internet capabilities such as:– email, listservs, newsgroups, IRC, etc.

• Viewing information in multimedia format• Shopping• Increased focus on instructional applications

Basic Types of Web Pageshttp://www.science.widener.edu/~withers/webeval.htm

• Informational

• News

• Personal

• Business/Marketing

• Advocacy

• Instructional?

Current Instructional Use of the WWW

• Only beginning to be utilized for instruction– Some use in higher education and public

education– Very limited use in corporate training

• Overall highest use for communication & collaboration

• Also used for research and data gathering• Downloading/Uploading material for instructional

use

Potential Instructional Use of the World Wide Web

• Could revolutionize instructional delivery• Ability to reach widely dispersed and diverse

learners• Ability to teach at different times for different

learners• Students can download instruction for later use• Increased multimedia potential (e.g. virtual reality,

MOOs and MUDs) – http://www.wested.org/tie/dlrn/moo.html

• Increased involvement by instructor and learner

Instructional Framework

• Level 1- Information delivery– Simple delivery of information to students– Syllabus, class notes, assignments, etc.– Allows for material delivery locally or at a

distance– All Web courses implemented at this level

• Example:– http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~myoung/sitcog.html

Instructional Framework

• Level 2 - Information delivery with pre-defined resources

– Provision of pre-defined links for students to explore

– Outside resources related to current topic

– Range of activities

• Simple exploration of outside sites

• Required instructional activities at specified sites

• Example:

– http://www.bk.psu.edu/academic/hled/main.htm

Instructional Framework

• Level 3 - Information delivery with on-line interaction– Involves computer mediated communication– Primarily text-based interaction; – On-line interaction between students and

instructor; – Asynchronous communication:

• Use of email, listservs and newsgroups;

– Synchronous communication: • Internet Relay Chat (IRC).

Level 3 - Information delivery with on-line interaction

• Examples:– Grief in a Family Context

• http://www.indiana.edu/~hperf558/

– Cultures of the Book• http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/texts/cultures.html

– Strategic Management• http://www.cs.tcd.ie/courses/ism/smis/smis.htm

Instructional Framework

• Level 4 - Pre-designed instructional delivery– Self-contained instructional modules available

on WWW; – Web-based course management tools; – Available for individual access or downloading; – Use of authoring systems with WWW;– Increased speed of WWW for information

delivery.

Level 4 - Pre-designed instructional delivery

• Examples:– Colores

• http://leia.ursinus.edu/~jarana/colores.html

– Psychology Tutorial• http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/sen_tut.html

Instructional Framework

• Level 5 - Information Synthesis and Creation of Resources– Student synthesis and creation of WWW resources

– Instructor provides some instruction on HTML tools

– Student creation options: • Individual representation of course information

• Location of external course-related resources.

• Examples:– http://www.u.arizona.edu/~kari/ws200.htm

– http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/courses/newmedia.html

Instructional Framework

• Level 6 - Immersive Collaborative Environments:– Text-based and visual instructional environments; – Accesible simultaneously by multiple users; – Expands the level of potential interaction; – Allows for manipulation of instructional variables; – Simulations on the web; – Virtual reality.

• Example:– http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~babydoll/coursematerial/spring96/index.html

Conclusion

“This instructional framework is only a guide to designing and understanding the instructional processes utilized within instruction delivered via the WWW.”

“It is the instructional design methods and strategies that ultimately determine a specific site’s effectiveness in producing effective learning.”