The Virtual class on the internet

Rochester Institute of Technology

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3-1-2000

The Virtual class on the internet

Ja-Eun Shin

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Rochester Institute

of

Technology

A Thesis Submitted

to the

Faculty

of

the

College

of

Imaging

Arts

and

Sciences

in candidacy for

the

degree

of

Master

of

Fine Arts

THE VIRTUAL CLASS

ON

THE INTERNET

Ja-Eun Shin

Computer Graphic Design

APPROVALS

Chief Advisor

S,/JJJ

t!

James Ver Hague

Date

Associate Advisor

s--/

f--

dU

Robert Keough

Date

Associate Advisor

c;:f;J/2rn-Y

Heinz Klinkon

bati

Chairperson

S-hffqa

Nancy Ciolek

Date

I,

:Jet -

E

lJ

n

Sh

I

r)

,

hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library

of Rochester Institute of Technology to reproduce my thesis in whole or part.

Any reproduction will not be for commercial use or profit.

CONTENT

ABSTRACT

PART I. DISTANCE LEARNING OVERVIEW

I. A

Description

of

Distance

Learning

II. Types

of

Distance

Learning

Courses

III. The World Wide Web in Education

and

Training

IV

E-Mail,

Faxmail,

and

Voice Mail

as

Distance

Learning

Tools

V Instructional Development

for Distance Education

VI. Evaluation for

Distance

Educators

PART

2.

THESIS PROJECT

VII. The Virtual Class

on

the

Internet

SUMMARY

ABSTRACT

Distance

learning

is

nota new

subject,

but it recently has

come

in

vogue again.

With

theadvent ofnew

educationaland

training

technologies

andtheneed tomeet

the

needsof

learners in

a

fast-paced

world,

distance

learning

is

becoming

a necessity.

In

its best

sense,

it

can

help

educate more people anywhere at

any

time.

Our

renewed

interest in distance

learning

has

thepotential

to

change public perceptionof educa

tionand

its ongoing importance

throughoutour

lives.

In Part

I,

an overview ofthe

distance

learning

is

given,

from

theconceptto thevarioustools.

The

tools andproceduresare

primarily

emphasized,which offer usa

basic idea

ofthevirtual classroom.

An

extensive

description

ofthesoftwareandthe

learning

processes

is

thenprovided.

The

thesisproject

is

I.

A

DESCRIPTION

of

DISTANCE

LEARNING

'Distance

education'

is

a generic

term that

includes

the

range of

teaching/learning

strategies used

by

corre

spondence

colleges,

open

universities,

distance departments

of conventional colleges oruniversitiesand

distance

training

units of corporate providers.

It is

a

term

for

theeducation ofthosewho choose not

to

attend

the schools,

colleges and universities oftheworld

but study

attheir

home,

orsometimestheir

workplace.

From

theoutset

it

can

be

seen

that

this

form

of education crossesthesectoral

boundaries

into

which

the

study

of education

is normally

divided,

withmajor points of

focus

on:

Children's

education at a

distance;

Further

education at a

distance for

vocationalqualifications

(distance training)

higher

education at a

distance for university

qualifications

(university-level

distance

edu

cation);

corporate

distance

training

(in-house

courses

in

which

the

public

may

not

be

invited

to

enroll).

A

completetitle

for

the

field

would,

therefore, be

'distance

education andtraining'.

'Distance

educa

tion'

is

usedas a shorter

form

ofthis.

1. A

DEFINITION

OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

A

clear

idea

of what

is

thesubject of

discussion

is

essential

in

a

book

on an area of

study in

which

there

has been

muchconfusionaboutterminology.

A

clear

definition is

also

important in

therather

ill-defined

areas ofnon-traditionaleducation,openeducation,and

flexible

education.

It is important

to

be

able

to

say

whether

distance

education

is

to

be

regardedas

the

sameas or

different from

a

university

without

walls,

Definition

Scientific definitions i Stipulative definitions

General

definitions

_{Descriptive definitions}

1

Programmatic definitions

Figure

1

.1

Types

of

definition

in

education

A satisfactory

framework

for definition in

education

is

provided

by

the

American

educational

philosopher

Scheffler

(1968),

who presented

the

scheme shown

in Figure 1.1 for classifying different

types

of

definition.

Scheffler

sees scientific

definitions

as

being

based

on special

knowledge

which

is

used toconstruct

anetworkof

theory

adequatetoall available

facts

encompassed

in

the

definition,

whereas general

defini

tions

are statements

that

a given

term

is

to

be

understood

in

a certain

way for

the space of some

discus

sions or

for

several

discussions.

Scheffler

claims

there

arethree

types

of general

definitions:

stipulative,

descriptive,

and program

matic.

Stipulative definitions

statethata given term

is

to

be

takenas equivalent

to

some other giventerm

withina particular context.

This

is

notthe

type

of

definition

needed

here,

as a stipulative

definition does

notclaimtoreflectthe

previously

acceptedusageofthe

defined

term.

A

general

descriptive definition

answersthequestion

'What does

that term

mean?'

it

not

only

serves as a convention

for

usage

in discus

sion

but

also always explains

the

defined

term

by

giving

an account of.its prior usage.

A

programmatic

definition

is

a

definition

witha

purpose,

aprogram:

it

seeksto

include

additional

items

withinatermor

to

exclude

from

atermelements whichpeople

had previously

thoughtwere

included.

In Scheffler's

terms this

study

commences with ageneral

descriptive definition

and seekstoproceed

by

feedback

and refinementtowardsa scientific

definition

of

distance

education.

It

seems appropriate

to

begin

withasearchofthe

literature

for 'authoritative

or accepted

definitions

and

to

analyzethem

for

theircommon elements.

Distance

education,

however,

has

a

history

which spans a

hundred

years and

more,

andtheelementsof a

definition

that

can

be

established

by

this

process

do

not

thereforeexistas

abstractions;

they

mustcorrespond

to

thereality.

It is

proposed,

therefore,

to

examinethe

definition

being

developed in

thecontext of

existing insti

of

existing

institutions.

The

process

is

then

continued:

it is

cyclic andcontinuous.

If

the searchofthe

liter

ature

is

extensive and

if

the

case-studies of

institutions

towhich

the

nascent

definition

is

applied arewide

and

varied,

it

should

be

possible within

the

confines of

this

chapter

to

producea

definition instrument

capable of

delineating

all educational

institutions

either

into

the

category 'distance

education' and

hence

subjects withinthescope of

this

book,

or of

excluding

them

and

therefore to

regardthemasthesubjectof

other studies.

1)

EARLY

DEFINITIONS

G.

Dohmen(1967)

Distance

education

is

a

systematically

organized

form

of

self-study in

which studentcounselling, thepre

sentation of

learning

material andthe

securing

and

supervising

of

students'

success

is

carried out

by

a

teamof

teachers,

each of whom

has

responsibilities.

It is

made possible at a

distance

by

means ofmedia

which can cover

long

distances. The

opposite of

'distance

education'

is 'direct

education'

or

'face-to-face

education': atypeof education

that takes

place with

direct

contact

between lecturers

and students.

(Dohmen

1967:9)

0. Peters

(1973)

Distance

teaching/education

is

a method of

imparting

knowledge,

skills and attitudes which

is

rationalized

by

the applicationof

division

of

labour

and organizational principles aswell as

by

theextensive use of

technical media,

especially

for

thepurpose of

reproducing

high quality

teaching

material which makes

it

possibleto

instruct

great numbersofstudentsatthesametimewherever

they

live. It is

an

industrialized

form

of

teaching

and

learning. (Peters

1973:

206)

(DM.

Moore

(1973)

Distance

teaching

may be defined

asthe

family

of

instructional

methods

in

whichthe

teaching

behaviors

areexecutedapart

from

the

learning

behaviors,

including

those

that

in

a contiguous situation would

be

performed

in

the

learner

presence,

so

that

communication

between

the teacherandthe

learner

must

be

facilitated

by

print,

electronic,

mechanical or other

devices. (Moore 1973:

664;

1977:

8)

B.Holmberg(1977)

The

term

'distance

education'

covers

the

various

forms

of

study

atall

levels

whichare not underthecon

tinuous, immediate

supervision of

tutors

present withtheirstudents

in lecture

rooms or onthesame

premises,

but

which, nevertheless,

benefit from

the

planning,

guidance andtuition ofatutorialorganiza

tion.

(Holmberg

1977:

9)

Analysis

of

these

definitions leads

to therecognition of certain common elements.

The

separation

ofteacherand

learner is fundamental

toall

forms

of

distance

education whether

they

be

print-based,

audio/radio-based, video/television-based,

or computer-based.

This

separation

differentiates distance

edu cation

from

all

forms

of

conventional,

face-to-face,

direct

teaching

and

learning. The structuring

of

learn

ing

materials andthe

linking

of

these

learning

materials

to

effective

learning by

studentsthroughan edu

cational organization

differentiates distance

education

from

private

study,

learning

from

interesting

books

or culturaltelevisionprograms.

2)

RECENT DEFINITIONS

Indicative

of more recent effortsto

define

this

area ofeducation are:

D. Garrison

and

D.

Shale

(1987)

Distance

education

implies

that the

majority

ofeducationalcommunication

between

(among)

teacherand

student(s)

occurs non-contiguously.

It

must

involve

two-way

communication

between

(among)

teacher

and

student(s)

for

thepurposeof

facilitating

and

supporting

the

educational process.

It

uses

technology

to

<t)

B. Barker

and others

(1989)

Barker

and

his

colleagues argue

for

the

broadening

of

the

definition

of

distance

education

in

the

light

of

thenew

telecommunications technologies.

They

write:

Telecommunications-based distance

education approaches are an extension

beyond

the

limits

of correspondence study.

The

teaching-learning

experience

for both instructor

and

student(s)

occurs

simultaneously

-it is

contiguous

in

time.

When

an audio and/orvideo

communication

link is

employed, the

opportunity for live

teacher-studentexchanges

in

real time

is

possible,

thereby

permitting immediate

responsetostudent

inquiries

andcomments.

Much like

a

traditional

classroom

setting,

students can seek on-the-spot clarification

from

thespeaker.

(Barker

et al.

1989:

25)

M.Moore

(1990)

Distance

education

is

all arrangements

for providing instruction

throughprint or electronic communica

tionsmediatopersons engaged

in

planned

learning

in

a place ortime

different from

thatofthe

instructor

or

instructors.

(Moore

1990:

xv)

P.

Portway

and

C. Lane

(1994)

The

term

'distance

education'

refersto

teaching

and

learning

situations

in

whichthe

instructor

andthe

learner

or

learners

are

geographically separated,

and

therefore, rely

on electronic

devices

and print materi

als

for instructional delivery. Distance

education

includes distance

teaching

-the

instructor's

role

in

the

process

-and

distance

learning

-thestudent's role

in

theprocess.

(Lane 1994: 195).

In

the

light

oftheseconsiderationsthe

following

definition

of

distance

education

is

proposed.

Distance

education

is

a

form

ofeducation characterized

by:

the

quasi-permanent separationof

teacher

and

learner

throughoutthe

length

ofthe

learn

ing

process(this

distinguishes

it from

conventional

face-to-face

education);

the

influence

of an educational organization

both

in

the

planning

andpreparationof

learning

materials and

in

theprovision of student support services

(this distinguishes it

from

private

study

and

teach-yourself programs);

the

use of

technical

media

-print, audio,

video or computer

-to uniteteacherand

learner

and

carry

the

content of

the course;

the

provision of

two-way

communication so

that

thestudent

may benefit from

or even

initiate dialogue (this distinguishes it from

other uses of

technology

in

education);and

the

quasi-permanent absence ofthe

learning

group

throughout

the

length

ofthe

learning

process so

that

people are

usually

taught

as

individuals

rather

than

in

groups,

withthe

possibility

of occasional

meetings,

either

face-to-face

or

by

electronic

means,

for both

didactic

and socialization purposes.

The definition

seeksto take

up

themiddle ground

between

theextremes of

defining

distance

educa

tion so

narrowly

that

it becomes

an abstractionwhich

does

not correspondto

existing

reality,or so

broad

ly

that

it becomes

meaningless asthe

basis for

analysis andthe

development

of groundedtheory.

Comparative

studies of

distance

systems showthat theelement of

face-to-face

contact

may be

either

non-existent, compulsory,

or voluntary.

The

volumeof

face-to-face

contactthatwould

be

consistent

withthe

definition

adopted

for

this

study is indicated

by

the

phrase

'the

quasi-permanent separation ofthe

learner

from

the teacherand

from

the

learning,group

through-out the

length

ofthe

learning

process'.

The g

ofvirtualclassrooms

by

satellite,

full

bandwidth,

compressed video or microwave

links

enables much of

thecontent of a courseto

be

taughtat a

distance.

The

goal of

this

chapter

has been

to

provide an accurate

definition

of

distance

education

but

not of

all possibilities of

educating

at a

distance.

The

rangeof

'education

at adistance'

is

too vast and comprises

both

distance

educationas

defined here

and a range of other resource-based

teaching

and

learning

strate

gies.

If

theconfusion of

the

past

is

to

be

avoided and

if

the goal of

this

study is

to

be

achieved

(the

identi

fication

ofa

discrete

area ofeducational

activity in

sucha

way

that

it

can provide a

basis for

other schol

ars

to

build

a validtheoretical structure and guides

to

good

practice), then to

be

excluded

from

thecon

the

use of

printed,

audio-based,

video-based,

or computer-based

learning

materials

in

classroom,

lecture

theatres,

seminars,

tutorial,

and

laboratory

sessions

for

on-campus

programs;

the

use of

printed, audio-based,

video-based

learning

materials and computers

in

private

study.

2. THE BENEFITS OF DISTANCE LEARNING

Distance

learning

solutions can address

many

of

the

challenges

facing

education and

training

institutions.

The

following

examples are

only

a

few

ofthe

benefits

thatcan

be

accrued.

Distance

learning

can enhancethe

quality

of education

by

speeding

theprocess of

infor

mationtransfer

between

education providers and education receivers.

Distance

learning

offers

the

promise of

instant sharing

of

information among

members

of

the community,

speeding

theresearch process

and, consequently,

the

development

of

newproducts and services.

Distance

learning

can resolve some ofthe

financial

problems

facing

universities

by

pro

viding

themwith economies of scale.

Through

distance

learning,

a greater number of remote classes can

be

created,

giving

education providers the

opportunity

togenerate

more revenues perteacherortoreducethe tuitionper student.

By implementing

distance

learning

solutions,

a

university

can

differentiate itself from

otheruniversities

by

being

at

the

leading

edgeoftechnology.

Through distance

learning,

governmentagencies can reduce

the

cost of

retraining

the

structurally

unemployedand welfarerecipients.

Distance

learning

enables corporations

toupgrade

the

skills oftheirworkforces

to

effectively

compete

in

skill-intensive

indus

tries.

Distance

learning

can reduce

the

training

budgets

of corporations

by

reducing

costs of

travel

for

educational purposes.

Educators

andadministratorswho appreciatethepositive value of

distance

learning

are

investing

school capital and

operating

funds

in

DISTANCE

LEARNING

technology;

in many

schools andcolleges,

distance

learning

has

become

a

line item in

the

operating budget.

3. BARRIERS TO THE GROWTH OF DISTANCE LEARNING

While distance

learning

affords education providers and receivers with a number of

important

benefits,

a

number of

factors

are

likely

to

slow

the

potential growth ofthe

distance

learning

market:

Union

resistance.

Eager

toprotectthe

interests

oftheir members,teachers'

unions are

likely

to

resistthe growth of

distance

learning,

fearing

thatsuch growth would result

in

thereduction of

teaching

jobs.

High

capitalcost.

The

creation of

distance

learning

systems requires an

investment

by

educationproviders and receivers

in

the

creation, maintenance,

and operation of

distance

learning

systems.

Those

costs can

be

substantialand

in

some cases are

beyond

themeans

of

the

education providersand receivers

interested in

implementing

them.

Planners

must

understandthat

technology

acquisition without

budget

commitmentson

programming

(including

recurring

communications

costs)

and

training,

will not result

in

a successful

DISTANCE

LEARNING

experience.

Teacher-related factors. Three

teacher-related

factors

represent

barriers

to thegrowth of

distance learning. The first is

"technophobia,"a

teacher'

s

fear

of

dealing

with new

tech

nologies.

The

second

is

computer

illiteracy

in

aportionofthe teacherpopulation.

The

third

is

teacher'sreluctance

to

switch

from

traditionalmethods of

teaching

to technolo

gy-orientedapproaches,a switchthatsometimesrequires a significant amount of effort.

The

following

briefly

describes

the

roles ofthese

key

players

in

the

distance

educationenterpriseandthe challenges

they

face.

Students

-Meeting

the

instructional

needs of students

is

thecornerstone of

every

effective

distance

education

program,

and

the test

by

which all efforts

in

the

field

are

judged. Regardless

oftheeducational

context, the

primary

role ofthestudent

is

to

learn. This is

a

daunting

taskunderthe

best

ofcircumstances,

requiring

motivation, planning,

and an

ability

toanalyze and

apply

the

instructional

content

being

taught.

When instruction is delivered

at a

distance,

additional challenges result

because

studentsare oftenseparat ed

from

others

sharing

their

backgrounds

and

interests,

have few

if any

opportunities

to

interact

with

teachers

outside of

class,

and must

rely

ontechnical

linkages

to

bridge

the

gap separating

classpartici pants.

Faculty

-

The

success of

any distance

education effort rests

squarely

ontheshoulders ofthe

faculty.

In

atraditionalclassroom

setting,

the

instructor's responsibility includes assembling

course content and

developing

an

understanding

of student needs.

Special

challenges confrontthose

teaching

at a

distance.

For

example, the

instructor

must:

Develop

an

understanding

of

the

characteristics and needs of

distant

studentswith

little

first-hand

experience and

limited,

if

any,

face-to-face

contact.

Adapt

teaching

styles

taking

into

considerationtheneeds and expectations of

multiple,

often

diverse,

audiences.

Develop

a

working understanding

of

delivery

technology,

while

remaining focused

on their

teaching

role.

Function effectively

as a skilled

facilitator

as well as content provider.

Facilitators

-

The instructor

often

finds it beneficial

to

rely

on a site

facilitatory

toact as a

bridge

between

the studentsandthe

instructor. To be

effective, a

facilitatory

must understandthestudents

being

served and

the

instructor's

expectations.

Most

importantly,

the

facilitatory

must

be willing

to

follow

the

directive

established

by

the

teacher.

Where

budget

and

logistics

permit, the

role of on-site

facilitators

has

increased

even

in

classes

in

which

they

have

little,

if

any,

content expertise.

At

a

minimum,

they

set

up

equipment,collectassignments, proctor

tests,

and act asthe

instructor's

on-site eyes and ears.

Support Staff

-

These individuals

_arethe_silent

heroes

_of

the

distance

education enterprise and

ensurethat

the

myriad

details

required

for

program success are

dealt

witheffectively.

Most

successful

dis

tanceeducation programs consolidate support service

functions

to

include

studentregistration,materials

duplication

and

distribution,

textbook ordering,

securing

of copyrightclearances,

facilities

scheduling,

processing

grade

reports,

managing

technical resources,

etc..

Support

personnelare

truly

thegluethat

keeps

the

distance

education effort

together

and on

track.

Administrators

-

Although

administrators are

typically

influential in planning

an

institution's dis

tanceeducation

program,

they

often

lose

contact or relinquish controlto technicalmanagers oncethepro

gram

is

operational.

Effective distance

education administrators are morethan

idea

people.

They

are con

sensus

builders,

decision

makers,

and referees.

They

work

closely

withtechnicaland supportservice per

sonnel,

ensuring

that technologicalresources are

effectively deployed

to

further

the

institution's

academic

mission.

Most

importantly,

they

maintain an academic

focus,

realizing

that

meeting

the

instructional

needs

II. TYPES OF DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES

Distance

learning

incorporates

many different technologies,

which range

from something

as simple as a

mailed

document

to the

more elaborate

technologies

of computers and

broadcast

media.

Each

typeof

dis

tance

learning

can

be

effective and can

help

create a virtual

classroom;

however,

different

typesof pro

grams are

especially

well suited

to

different

audiences and situations.

Although distance

learning

is

not

new,

recently it has become

more popular

because

ofthe

Internet

and

World Wide Web but distance

learning

programs

involve

morethan theuse ofcomputers.

Distance

learning

programs

may involve

hardcopy

documents,

audiotapes,

videotapes,

disks, CDs,

broadcasts,

and

e-mail,

for

example,

usedalone or

in

combination.

The

history

of

distance

learning

is

an

illustration

ofthe

rise

in popularity

and common usage of

different technologies, but

the

future

of

distance

learning

depends

onthe ways newer

technologies

can

be

used most

effectively

toprovide

high-quality

educationandtrain

ing

tomore people at a reasonable cost.

Before

you plan a

distance

learning

course,

youshould

have

a good

idea

oftherange oftechnolo

gies you might employ.

Seldom

will you choose

just

one method of

sending

and

receiving

information;

most

distance

learning

programs

involve

several waystoconnect

learners

and educators/trainers.

However,

you

usually have

one

primary

means of

presenting

information,

with

secondary

methods used

to

supplement coursematerials or establish communication

among

course participants.

Knowing

your

options

is

agood

first step in planning

your

distance

learning

course.

The

nextsections

describe

some

common

forms

of

distance

learning.

The

virtual classroom can

be

created with

any

typeof

technology,

simple or sophisticated.

Some

courses and subject areas are

better

suited

to

some

distance

learning

technologies

than

others;

some

insti

tutionsor

businesses

prefer

designing

only

one or a

few

typesof

distance

learning

courses.

When

you

planto

develop

a

distance

learning

course, you

have

severaloptions.

The

following

sections

highlight

some commontypesof

distance

learning

courses.

1.

CORRESPONDENCE

COURSES

Although distance

learning

currently is receiving

a great

deal

of

publicity in

educationand corporate

training

circles,

it is

not a new method of

delivering

information. Correspondence

courses and

indepen

dent

studies

have been

used

for

years

to

provide mail-order educationthat

learners

cancomplete wherev

er and whenever

it is

easiest

for

them.

Early

correspondence courses allowed

learners

towritetorequest coursematerials,whichwere

thenmailed.

The learners

read

textbooks,

booklets,

and other

instructional

materials attheirownpace,

althoughtherewas

usually

a specified

time

frame

when materials neededto

be

received

from learners for

sometypeof evaluation.

The learners

completed assignments andtookexaminations

(which

sometimes

were proctored at another sitetoensure

that

the

learners did

their

own work without

inappropriate study

aids or assistance).

Completed

materials were

then

returnedto the

institution

that

originally

sentthemate

rials.

Graded

materials returned via mail completedthecycle.

Correspondence

courses

today

may

offer more

diverse

materialsthan theprinted

documents

sentto

and received

from learners in

the

past.

'Today's

courses can

involve

videotapes, audiotapes,

CDs, disks,

and

documents,

depending

onthe

types

of materials

that

best

present

information

about a certaintopic.

However,

the"correspondence"part ofthecourse remains muchthesame.

Learners

request

information,

which

is

sent

by

mail.

Of

course,

faxed documents

and e-mail can also

play

arole

in

this

correspondence,

but

mail

is

still a cost-effective

feature

ofthese typesof

distance

learning

courses.

The

effectiveness of

this

typeof

distance

learning

depends

onthe

learners. Participants

who

do

not

do

well withthe

first

set of materials

they

receive

may have

tore-do assignmentsortakeanother exami

nation

before going

on

to the

next set ofmaterials,

for

example.

Because

learners

workontheir

own,

they

may have

trouble

grasping difficult

concepts or

they

may

not understandthesignificance of one piece of

information

that

really is

a

linchpin

for understanding later information. Some learners

need occasional

guidanceas

they

complete materials.

However,

learners

who, thrive

on

independence

and are motivated

by

agenuine

interest

to

know

more abouta subject or

to

develop

a new skill often

do better in

a

distance

learning

course.

They

canwork

quickly

and make more progress

in

a shorttime

than

they

would

if

they

tookaclassroom-based course.

In

ungraded coursesthat

learners may

take

because

they're

interested in

a

subject,

not

because

they

need

high

school, college, or

university

creditor

job-preparation training,

participants

may simply

move

knowl-edge or skill.

Although

the

participantsare

using

materials

quickly,

they

really

aren't

learning

thesubject

matter.

Again,

the

individual learner

is

responsible

for mastering

thesubject matter.

Those

learners

who want

to

understand

the

materials will read

them

until

they

understandthe topic

or

they'll

seek assistance

to

help

clarify confusing

areas.

Motivated learners

willtake their

time

with

assignments and

exercises,

so

that

they

develop

their

skills and relate whatthey'vestudiedtopractical

applications.

As

with

any

typeof

instruction,

including

classroom-based courses or

in-house

training

ses

sions,

theeffectiveness ofcorrespondence

courses,

in

the

past and

today, depends

on

individual

learners'

interests,

ability

to

learn

well on

their own,

and

design

of

the

educational materials.

Correspondence

courses

may be

created

by

degree- or

credit-granting institutions

or

businesses

that

evaluatelearners'

level

of achievement.

For

example,

adults who want

to

gaintheequivalence of a

high

school

diploma

can

take

correspondence courses topreparethem

for

taking

the

GED

examination.

Other

institutions

or

individual

private vendors offer correspondence"classes"

to

help

people prepare

for

a new

career; university, college,

high

school,

or equivalence credit

usually

aren't offered

for

thesecorrespon

dence

classes.

The home

page of one

degree-granting

institution specializing in

correspondence courses

is

present

ed

in Figure 2.1. It

provides a new

look

at an older

distance

learning

technology.

As

with

any

educational or

training

endeavor,

participants should check outtheamount andthe

quality

of

the

instruction

being

offered.

Similarly,

as

every university does

not provide the typeof

learning

experi

ence an

individual may

need,so

every distance

learning

center

does

not offerthemethod of

instruction,

subject

matter,

or amount of

interaction

individual learners may

need

to

learn

through a correspondence

course.

The quality

of correspondence

courses,

as

any

other

type

ofcourse,varies.

The resulting

education

often

depends

upon

individual

learners'

initiative

and

ability

towork well ontheirown.

Learners

who are

highly

motivated and needthe

flexibility

of

studying

and

practicing

when

it is

convenient

for

themare

best

suited

for

correspondencecourses.

2. AUDIO

TELETRAINING

AND

AUDIOGRAPHICS

1)

Audio

Teletraining

Audio

teletraining

is

one ofthesimplest

forms

of

interactive

distance learning. With

audio

teletraining

the

o

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17)7^if [image:20.544.47.499.45.442.2]

SEATTLE CENTRAL

COMMUNITY

COU.EOC

IS

A MEMBER OF

THE SEATTLE

COMMUNITY

COLLEGE

DISTRICT

Figure 2. 1

Seattle Central

Community

College Web

site.

http://seaccd.sccd.ctc.edu/~ccorresp/corres.htm

learners

can

hear

the

instructor

andthe

instructor

can

hear

the

learners in

an

interactive

environment.

This

is done

throughtheuse ofa

device

calledaconvener.

A

convener

is

similar

in

many

ways toaspeaker phone.

It

plugs

into

astandardtelephone wall

jack,

has

a

built-in keypad

for

dialing,

and

has

aspeakerthatallowsall

learners

to

hear

the instructorand

the

learners

at other sites.

A

numberofmicrophonescan attach

to

a singleconvener, and most ofthese

microphones come equipped withapush-to-talk

button. With

the

pushof

this

button,

a

learner

is

able

to

respondto an

instructor's

question or seekclarification.

The

convenerandmicrophones allow

many learn

ersto

interact

directly

withan

instructor.

Audio teletraining is

greatly

enhancedwiththe

distribution

of prepared

learner

materials,

such as

print-basedworkbooks, videotapes,

35-mm

slides,or other

to

these

materials as

they

teach.

Resident

training

coursesthat

already have

excellent

learner

materials are

likely

candidates

for

some of your

first

audio

teletraining

pilots.

At

the

beginning

of a

class, the

learners

and

instructor

use

the

convenerto

dial into

anaudio

bridge.

An

audio

bridge is

a piece of equipment

that

creates a conference call

among

the

instructor

andthe

learn

ers at all

the

sites.

The

audio

bridge

creates

the

virtual classroom of sound.

Organizations

canpurchase

theirown audio

bridge

or can use

bridging

services

from

a number of companies.

The

advantages of audio

teletraining

arethat

it is very inexpensive

and

easy

to

setup, andthe

equipment requires minimal

instructor

or

learner

training.

The

obvious

disadvantage is

thataudiotele

training

is

notappropriate

for

training

that

requires

the

use of

live

motion video or wherevisualrole mod

eling is important.

2)

Audiographics

Audiographics

takeaudio

teletraining

one

step further. In

addition

to

learners

andthe

instructor

being

able

to

interact

in

aso-called audio

classroom,

they

are abletoshare computer-generatedgraphics and slides.

Audiographics

training

requires

that

the

instructor

and

learner

sites

have

theequipment needed

for

audio

teletraining

as well as a personal computer

(PC),

audiographicssoftware,a special modem,and an

inter

actiontablet.

The

personal computer,

software,

and

interaction

tablet

allowthe

learners

and

instructor

tocreate

graphics and sharethemwith each site.

The

interaction

tabletperforms

many

ofthesame

functions

as a

computer

mouse,

allowing

theusertoselect menu

items

as wellas

annotating

slidesthatare

being

dis

played on screen.

The

modemused

in

audiographics

training

is

similar

to

modemsthatare

commonly

sold with

PCs.

It

allowsthe graphics

to

be

transmitted

from

the

PC

overphone

lines

to theaudio

bridge

and

from

the

audio

bridge

to

theother

PCs. Unlike

other

PCs,

the

graphics modem allows

both

the computer graphics

and

the

voiceof

the

instructor

or

learner

to

be

transmitted

simultaneously

overthe same phone

line.

A

classthatusesaudiographics

is initiated

thesame

way

as an audio

teletraining

class.

The learners

and

instructor

use

the

convenerto

dial

into

the audio

bridge. The

instructor

thenusesthe

interaction

tablet

tocontrol whatthe

learners

atremotesites are

seeing

ontheir

PC

monitors.

The

advantages ofaudiographicsarethat

they

are

relatively inexpensive

and

easy

toset

up

and

that

they

require moderate

training

for

an

instructor

and minimal

training

for learners.

They

alsoenable

learn

ers and

the

instructor

toshare graphics and charts

in

a real-time environment.

The disadvantage is

that

like

audio

teletraining, it

is not appropriate

for

training

that

requiresthe useof

live

motion videoor where

visual role

modeling is

important.

3. INTERACTIVE TELEVISION

Interactive

television

is

the

most

widely

used

distance

learning

technology

whenthe

training

audience is

dispersed

over a

large

geographic area and when

live

motion video

is

required.

It is

sometimes called

business

television

or video

teletraining.

The learners

can

both

see and

hear

the

instructor

by

watching

a

televisionmonitor.

It is different from

statictelevision

in

that

the

instructor

receives

immediate feedback

from

the

learners

either

from

an audio system

(it

is

thesame system as audio

teletraining), keypad

viewer

response

system,

telephone,

fax,

or a combination oftheabove.

The keypad

viewerresponsesystem

is

a

device

aboutthesize ofa

desktop

calculator.

Usually

a

keypad is

at each

learner's

desk. The keypad has

alphanumeric

keys

thatallow each

learner

to

input information

that

is

then

transmitted

to

the

instructor

site.

At

the

beginning

of each

class,

for

example,

learners

usually

use

the

keypad

to

input

their

identification

numberortheirname.

Some

viewerresponse pads also

have

a

built in

microphone, whichconsolidatestheconvener andtheviewerresponsepad.

The instructor has

aconsolethat

displays

thenames of

the

learners

andtheirresponsestoquestions.

For

example, the

instructor

mightaska multiple choicequestion,andthe

learners

would usethe

keypads

torespond.

The instructor

canthenvieweithertheoverallresponse

(how many

answered

A,

how many

B,

andso

on)

orthe

individual

responses.

The

consolealso provides a visual cueto the

instructor

when a

learner

presses thecall

button

toask a question.

(A

little icon

witha raised

hand

appears on

his

screen)

So,

you

have

the

learners

watching

televisionat anumberof

geographically

separated classrooms

located

throughoutyour area of

training

responsibility.

They

have

a push-to-talk microphone and a

keypad

viewer response system

in front

ofthem.

The instructor

asks a question andthenadjustthe

instruction

to

the

revels ofcomprehension

the

learners demonstrated

by

the

responses

level

of

comp

they

provide with

The

advantages of

interactive

television

include

the

ability

to

transmitthe

training

toa

large

number

of sites at one

time,

high-quality

video and audio

signals,

cost-efficiencieswhen

dealing

witha

large

num

ber

of

sites,

and

the

ability

to

use

many

of

the

distance

learning

facilities

thatare capable of

receiving

interactive

television

events.

The disadvantages

arethecost oftheequipment

necessary

touplinkthe

sig

nal, the

complexity

oftheuplink

equipment,

andthe

training

required at remotesitestoensure

quality

reception ofthesignal and

quality

return audio.

4. TELECONFERENCES AND DESKTOP VIDEOCONFERENCES

1

)

Teleconferences

Teleconferencing

is important

not

only in business

communication and

in-house

orconsortium_meetings,

but

also

for

education

in

general.

Many

universities, colleges,and

high

schools,

for

example,

usetelecon

ferencing

to

link

classrooms at great

distances

or

to

connectclassroomswith

businesses

or organizations.

One

educator can reach

many

more

learners

at one

time

and

the

participantsat

every

site can

hear,

see,

and

discuss,

just

as

they

would

face-to-face. Cameras

withintheeducator's roomcan zoom

in

toprovide

close-ups ofa

demonstration,

for

example,and

transparencies,

handouts,

photographs,and othervisual

information

can

be highlighted

ona

TV

screen.

Teleconferencing

allows educators andtrainers topresent

information

shown ontelevisionscreens

in

aremote

location,

so

that

participantscan see what's

taking

placeatthesite

originating

the transmission

and

interact

with peopleatthe

originating

and

linked

sites.

Broadcasts like

thisarethemost common

form

of

teleconferencing

today, but

softwareand

hardware

have

made

desktop

conferencing

possible and

increasingly

more affordableanduser-friendly.

2)

Desktop

videoconferencing

Desktop

videoconferencing

can

link

participants

working

atstand-alone computers

to

see and

hear

each

other.

Because individual

computersareused,each unit must

be

equipped with a camera

to

show who's

working

atthatcomputer.

In

addition,

depending

uponthesoftwareand

hardware

used

for

the

ference,

participants

may be

able

to

send e-mailtoeach other

during

thevideoconferenceand shareonline

documents.

Learners

may

use

desktop

videoconferencing from

their

home

oroffice;

they

don't have

to travel to

apredeterminedsite

to

participate

in

the

teleconference,

whichcan

certainly be

a

benefit. The quality

of

desktop

videoconferencing depends

on

the type

of equipment and software

used;

low-end

technology

may

not give participantsthe

quality

they

would

like

orthatateleconferencecan provide.

However,

thecosts

of

teleconferencing

may

place

it

out of reach

for individual learners

or small

businesses

andacademic

institutions.

Videoconferencing

has been

used

for

several years

instead

of

face-to-face

meetings,

primarily

among

a small number of sites.

However,

it

now

has become

one ofthemore common methods oftrain

ing

at a

distance

as well.

The learners

can see and

hear

the

instructor,

andthe

instructor

can see and

hear

the

learners. It is

sometimes referred

to

as

"two

way, two

way,"

referring

to the

two-way

transmissionof

both

an audio and a video signal.

With

videoconferencing, the

equipment

is

oftenthesame at

both

the

instructor

or source site and

the

learner

or remote sites.

This

providesthe

flexibility

for any

ofthesiteswithinthesystemto

become

an

instructor

site.

Let's look

at some oftheequipment

typically

found

within a

videoconferencing

class

room.

Cameras

at each site capture whatthe

instructor

or

learners

are

doing. There

are

usually

threecam

eras: one orientedtowardwherean

instructor

would

sit,

a second overhead camera

directed

wherethe

instructor

would put visual aids

(paper

slides orthree

dimensional

objects), and athirdcamera pointed

where

the

learners

sit.

The

cameras can

be

controlled

by

those

physically

atthesite or

by

someone at one

oftheremote sites.

An instructor may

choose

to

limit

theremote site control of camerasto

only

certain

preset views.

A

remotecontrol,similarto that

for

a

TV

or

VCR,

allows an

instructor

or

learner

tochoose which

camera

is displayed

aswell asthecamera'sangle orzoomcontrol.

A

number of other

devices

are also

availabletocontrol camerasautomatically.

One device

causes

the

camerato

automatically

zoom

in

on

whoever

is

talking.

Another

device,

the

wand

device,

can

be easily handed from

one

individual

toanother

and causesthecamera

to

zoom

in

ontheperson

holding

it.

A

camera's videosignal

is fed

to the

"brains"

of

the site,

an electronic

box

called a

codec,

short

for

changes

them to

digital

information.

All

that

means

is

that

instead

of asignalthatour

TV

sets would

understand,

thevideo and audio signals are changed

to

Is

and

Os

thatrepresentthesightsand sounds of

theclassroom.

This

information

is

then sent,

usually

over

high-capacity

phone

lines,

to theremote sites.

After

they

have

received

the

digital

information,

the

codec atthosesites convertsthe

digital

signal

back

to

a signal

that

can

be displayed

on a

television

monitor.

Two large

television

monitors allow people at

the

sitestosee

both

whatthecameras attheirown

site

(outgoing

video)

are

seeing

and whatthecameras attheremote site

(incoming

video)

areseeing.

Other

audiovisual sources can also

be linked into

thecodec.

Most

sites are equippedwitha

VCR

sothata

videotape can

be

viewed and

the

signal

transmitted to

theother sites.

A

specialtypeof

35-mm

slidepro

jector commonly

used at video

teleconference

sites

displays

slides as video signalsthatare

fed into

the

codec and not as

images

thatgo

through

a

lens

to

awall or screen.

This

technology

allowstheuse of

existing

archives of

35-mm

slides

during

an

instruction

or

training

period.

A

touch-screencontrol panel tocontrolthe various audiovisual components atthesource site

is

oftenusedwith

videoconferencing

as well.

It

enablesthe

instructor

toswitch

easily among different

audiovisual

devices

and cameras without

having

to

juggle

an armful of remote controls.

The

advantagesof

videoconferencing

are

that

learners

and

instructors

can see each other and

that

any

site

in

the system

may be

an

instructor

origination site.

The

disadvantages include

the

high

costs

for

establishing

therequiredtransmission

lines

and equipment.

In both

teleconferencing

and

desktop

videoconferencing,

individuals

or groups of

learners

can

be

linked

toa

discussion

and seethepresentation of educational or

training

materials

in

realtime.

Teleconferences

canprovide

instruction

to

individuals

or several groupsof

learners

at one

time;

videocon

ferencing

can

link individuals (with limits

asto thenumber of participants who can

be linked

at one

time).

When

teleconferencing

or

desktop

videoconferencing is

used

in distance

learning,

thecourse

may

be

highly

structured,

so

that

participants meet at a specifiedtimeand

location. A

whole course

may be

conductedthrough teleconferencesorvideoconferences.

In

addition,

periodic use of

teleconferencing

or

videoconferencing

can enhance acorrespondence courseor other

form

of

distance learning.

Teleconferencing

and

videoconferencing

can

be

used

to

offer

the

best

of on-site education ortrain

ing

and

independent

study.

For

example,

learners may

workon

their

own

to

master concepts and complete

assignments,

but periodically

they

can

discuss topics,

ask

questions,

view

demonstrations,

and otherwise

participate with a group.

Thus,

learners

work alone attheirownpace

for

muchofthe course,

but

they

also

become

part of a

group

of

learners

taking

a course at

the

sametime.

5. COMPUTER

CONFERENCING

AND TRAINING VIA THE INTERNET AND

INTRANETS

The Internet

and

intranets

provide ways

for

organizations

to

create an electronic campusthat the

learner

can navigate

to

interact

with other

learners, instructors,

reference

materials,

and

training

sessions.

Rather

than

using

tennis shoes,

the

learner

uses

his PC

tomove

from

one site

to

another.

Unlike

the

university

campus, which

is limited

toa collection of

buildings

at one

location,

theelectronic campus

may have

resources separated

by

thousands of miles.

A little background

might

be helpful

as you consider whetheryourorganization might usethe

Internet

or an

intranet

to

deliver

training.

The Internet began

in 1969

as a

U.S. Department

of

Defense

experiment

connecting four

computers

to

testcommunication capabilities

between

computer networks.

Since

that

time, it has

growntomore

than

a million computers

linked

worldwide.

Up

until

just

a

few

shortyearsago,

accessing information from

other computers onthe

Internet

was

not a

user-friendly

process.

Although

important information

was

available,

it

tooka

high degree

of com puter andnetwork

literacy

to

know how

toget

it. With

the

establishment ofthe

World Wide Web

and

browser

software, the

doors

to

the

Internet

were

suddenly

flung

open

to

all who wanted

to

travel

its

reach

es.

The browser

softwarereplacedcomplicatedtextcommandswith,

easy

tousescreensthatallowed

userstopointand clicktheir

way

to the

information

they

wanted.

Browsers

also allowed users

to

view

photos, graphs,crude

quality

video,

and even sound overthe

Internet,

information

thatwas

previously

hidden

ascomputer

files

with

hard

tounderstand names

became

accessibleas

Web

pages.

These

pages are

graphical

documents

that

display

the

requested

information

in

an easy-to-read

format. Figure 10

onthe

nextpage

is

an example of a

Web

pageas

it

would appearon a

PC

screen.

Organizations

soon

found

that

they

could usethesame softwareand

the

same computer

setup

that

was

working

on

the

Internet

andcreateanetworkof computers called an

Intranet

thatwas accessible

only

to theirauthorized employees.

The primary

use

initially

was

to

share

information

such as project reports

policy

manuals,and

company databases.

worldwide scope and can

be

traveled

by

anyone

having

accessthrougha

PC

and aconnectionto the

Internet. The

computersconnectedto

it

are

intended

to

be

used

by

external organizationsand

individuals.

The

Intranets

are

usually

intended

for

a restricted audience-those who

have

authorized access,

usually

the

employees of

the

organization

that

owns

the

intranet. The Intranet may be

connectedto the

larger

Internet

so

that

employees can

have

access

to

information

from

the

Internet.

However,

a

firewall,

orcomputer

security

system,

prevents external organizations or

individuals from accessing

the

Intranet.

It did

not

take

long

before

educators and

trainers

began

tousethe

Internet

and

Intranets

for instruc

tionand

training

purposes.

Some

of

the tools that the

Internet

and

Intranet

made availableto trainers

include

the

following:

Bulletin Board Discussions

Learners

and

instructors

ask a question or make a remark

by

posting

an e-mail messagetoa

bulletin

board in

much

the

same

way

that

they

would pina note on a cork

board. Everyone in

theclass can seethe

messageand respond or comment

if

they

feel

so

inclined.

Direct E-mail Communication

Learners

sende-mail

to

the

instructor

or another

learner

individually

to

seek assistance or comment on

some aspect ofthetraining.

Online Course

and

Reference Materials

Rather

than

distribute

paper copies of course

texts,

practical

exercises,

case

studies,

or other reference

materials, the trainerpoststhe

documents

to

the

Net (abbreviation for both

the

Internet

and

intranet),

and

learners

can accessthem

directly.

Of

course,

learners

can always print out a

hard copy if

they

prefer.

Live Computer

Conferencing

An instructor

can set

up

a

live

conferenceroom or chat room

for

all

the

class membersto

log

into

atthe

same

time.

Anything

a

learner

types

on

his

or

her PC is displayed

on

the

screen

for

all

to

see

along

with

that

learner's

name.

This

type

ofconferencecould

become

a mixture of

disconnected

sentences and

thoughts

if

uncontrolled.

Protocols

areestablished

to

facilitate

the

orderly flow

of

discussion. The discus

sion

text

can also

be

stored so

that

participantscan

later

review

it.

At

thepresent

time,

print, graphs,

and still photos can

be distributed

overthe

internet

or

Intranet

rathereasily.

Video

and sound are not

easily distributed. The

amount of

information

that

has

to travel to

deliver

a

high-quality

60-second

video

clip

chokes

the

capacity

of

the

computer network and ends

up

looking

like

an

early Charlie Chaplin film. Rapid

advances are

being

made

in

thisarea

however

and

may

soon allow

trainers to

use

the

Nets for

transmission

of

training

video as well.

Your

organization or compa

ny may already have

an established

local

area network

(LAN)

or wide area

network(WAN)

thatconnects

thevarious computers and

PCs. In

additionto

that,

what

is

neededtousethis

existing

asset

for

training

purposes?

The

instructor

and each

learner

will needto

have

accesstoa

PC

that

has

an

Internet

or

Intranet

connection.

The PC

will need

to

have Web browser

software

installed. Of

course,

youwillwanttopro

vide

training

to thepersonnel onthesoftware.

One

oftheadvantages of

using

the

Internet

or

Intranet is

thatonce you

have

trained

personnel on

the

use ofthe

browser,

thatsame software can

be

usedto partici

pate

in

and accessseveral

different

training

courses.

Those

readers without an organizational network can

turn toa commercial provider

for

theseservices.

Several

online services provide space on

dial-in

comput

er networks as wellasthe

necessary development

expertise

if

needed.

You

will also need someone

to

preparethe

Web

pages andmaintaintheelectronic

training

site.

This

person

is

often referred

to

asthe

Webmaster. The

same

browser

softwarethatallows your

learners

to

view

the

Internet

or

Intranet

can

be

usedtopublishthe

Web

pagesthatcontain

the

coursetextsand varied refer

ence material.

Depending

on yourorganization,you

may

chooseto

have

someone receivetheappropriate

training

to

do this,

oryou

may

contract or outsourcethecreation ofthese

Web

pages.

Training

courses

thatare

largely

text-basedor self-paced are

ideal

candidates

for

delivery

viathe

Internet

or

intranet.

Advantages

ofInternet- and

Intranet-based

training

are

that

learners

can accessthematerials

from

anywhere as

long

as

they

have Internet

or

Intranet

connectivity.

The

cost of

training

delivery

is already

covered

by

the

existing

infrastructure

requiredtoestablish

the

computer network.

Materials

can

be easily

modified orupdated, andonce usersaretrainedwith

browser

software,

they

can usethesame software

for

need-edtocreate

training

Web

sites,

limitations

ontransmissionof video orsound,and

security

measures need

ed

to

prevent external use of a

training

site.

III. THE WORLD WIDE WEB IN EDUCATION AND

TRAINING

The World Wide Web

(WWW,

Web)

has become

one ofthemostpopularmethods of

disseminating

dis

tance

learning

programs.

In

fact,

if learners

and educators/trainers

don't

need

face-to-face

communication

during

the course,

it is

one of

the

best

methods of

providing information for learners.

Information

stored on a

Web

site can

include

hypermedia (such

as video

clips,

animation,sound

effects,

music, voice-over, photographs,

drawings,

and

documents),

hypertext (documents

and static

[non-moving] graphics),

and unlinkedtextor graphics.

The

prefix

hyper simply

meansthat the

information

has

been designed

to

link

thatchunk of

information

with a related chunk of

information. The benefit

ofthe

Web

is

the

useof

hypertext

and

hypermedia

to

link

plain

documents

or multimedia

information.

More

learners have

access at

home

or

in

theofficeto the

Web,

as well as other parts ofthe

Internet.

Although

the

basic

coursework might

be

completed

by

using information

and resources

linked

through the

Web,

many

educators/trainers who usethe

Web

as an educationaltool also assumethat

learners have

accessto e-mail,

mailing

lists,

bulletin

boards,

and other

Internet

services.

Therefore,

other

Internet-relat

ed activities are often an expected part of a

Web-based

course.

1. WEB-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

For

educators/trainers,a

benefit

ofthe

Web is

that the typesof

information

thatcan

be

used

in

a course

arealmost

limitless. Because

the

information

is

storedelectronically,

learners

with access

to the

site can

download

or use online

the

information

as

long

as

it is

storedthere.

That

makes

it easy for learners

to

workattheirown pace and

to

visit

the

siteas

frequently

as

they

like,

whenever

they

have

time.

Some

information

can

be

stored atthesite

indefinitely,

but

other

information

can and should

be

updated

fre

quently.

Electronic

storage makes

it

easier

for

educators/trainerstoprovide the

information learners

need

throughout the course, as well asassignments, examinations,and samples

that

may be

useful

to

have

at

thesite

only for

a

limited

time.

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Chunks

from

Rochester

Institute

of

Technology

Web

site

http://www.distancelearning.rit.edu

but

cyberspace

is

also a good place

for

sample

documents

andsimulations.

Multimedia demonstrations

andsamplesaretwo typesof

primary

materialsthateducators/trainers

may

usetopresent

basic informa

tionaboutthecourse'ssubject matter.

In

additionto reading, seeing,

hearing,

and

interacting

with

Web-based

information,

an

instructional

site can also

help

learners

communicate withtheir

instructor.

Depending

uponthe typeof

hypertext

links

set

up

withinthe site,

learners

also

may be

abletosende-mail messages

directly

to theeducator/

trainer,

institution,

or

business

through amailto:

link. Learners

therefore

don't

have

to waituntil

they

entertheir

e-mail systems

to

discuss

information

they

found

onthe

Web

site;

they

can askquestions, send

comments,

andrequest

information

while

they

work onthe

Web.

Because

thecourse's

Web

sitemight

link learners

withrelatedsites

for

additional

information

or

activities,research andreinforcementactivities can

be easily developed

in conjunctionwith

the

original

Web

site.Educators/trainers

may link

some sites

they

want

learners

to visit,as wellas

merely list

other

resourcesthat

learners

may

want

to

locate

ontheirown.

2.

CHUNKING INFORMATION

Educational information designed

for

the

Web

should

be

morethan

documents

uploaded and

linked

elec

tronically.

Course

content should

be designed specifically

to

be

used withan

interactive,

electronic medi

um

that

is

capable of

accommodating

different

types

of audiovisual

information.

When

people read a

hardcopy

document,

they

generally

read

from

the

top

th

the

bottom

ofthe

page.

In U.S.

-based

culture,

they

read

from

the

left

to the

right side of a

line. Although

they

may skip

from

sectionto

section,

read

the

last

chapter

before

the

first,

or use an

index

to

locate information

they

wanttoread

first,

most people

employ

a

linear

approachto

reading

a

document,

reading from

the

front

coverto the

back.

However,

users approach

electronic,

hyperlinked

information very differently.

They

seldom read

paragraph after paragraph and scroll

through

screen after screen of

text

and/or graphics.

Instead, they

pre

fer

to scan a screento

find

the

bits

of

information

thatare most

important

to them.

If

the

information

takes too

long

to

load,

if

the

first

screen

lacks

the

information

they

want,or

if

thescreen

design doesn't

capturetheirattention and makethemwant

to

investigate

thesite

further,

they

simply

movetoanother

site.

This scanning

process

may

take

fewer

than

five

seconds,

but Web

usersare

notoriously impatient.

They

like

to

find information

quickly;

they

wantthe

links

to work; and

if

they're

frequent Web

users,

they

know

what's

trendy

as well as

functional

in

pageand screen

design. When

you

design information for

the

Web,

you needtomakethesite

both

attractive andusable, and youneed

to

brea