Strategic Design for Web-Based Teaching and Learning

Deakin University has established and integrated a major, corporate technology infrastructure to unify and enhance its on campus and distance education. This environment is called Deakin Online. Efforts to realise its potential for creating enduring teaching and learning benefits are understood in the context of the University’s commitment to ’relevance, responsiveness and innovation’. How are these values and benefits realised in an evolving, educational enterprise using the new digital, corporate technologies and new concepts of organisational structure and function? We argue for the transforming influence of a new academic teacher role, new forms of academic development and open collegiality. Moreover, changes in role and process need to be grounded in systemic, organisation wide and program wide approaches to designing and working within comprehensively conceived, contemporary learning environments. We argue for system wide education design, situating e learning within broader curricular and pedagogical concerns to create enduring benefits in the learning environments of higher education.

Using Web-Based Technologies for Transformative Hybrid Distance Education

This paper shares the experiences and lessons learned from an experimental graduate class using web-based technologies that resulted in the development of a state-wide entrepreneurship knowledge portal. Research suggests that real-world relevant projects greatly enhance online learning experiences. Our class experience supports that model, demonstrating the power of a shared vision and perceived need for the entrepreneurship portal. This paper also explores emerging web-based technologies, issues and challenges associated with teaching a complex course using web-based technologies and trends in online education.

E-Learning and New Teaching Scenarios

This paper analyzes the reciprocal influences between various teaching methodologies supported by information and communication technology (ICT) and the teaching objectives that are pursued by means of these methodologies. The authors present the main characteristics of the conceptual model which has led to the definition of the teaching objectives and the results of the experience of the “eLearning@LIUC” project, where the validity of the hypotheses underlying the model has been tested through their application within concrete contexts. They believe that the presented model, with its analysis of the possible correlations between teaching objectives, teaching methodologies and technological tools, can provide a new awareness of the opportunities offered by the adoption of ICT in teaching.

In the Future

Earning and learning go hand-in-hand. In a business environment that is constantly growing and changing due to new innovations, advanced technology and market conditions, organizations must find new ways to enable rapid responses to the needs of their customers and the marketplace. This means having an adequately educated workforce that will not only respond to evolving issues, but even foresee upcoming trends and proactively pursue these arising challenges.

A Field Study on the Role of Assistive Learning Technologies

Assistive Learning Technologies (ALT) have gained increasing research attention for supporting physically-disadvantaged learners to realize their potential in the educational process. This paper reports on a multiple-case study that sought to explore the underlying mechanisms (i.e., the how and why issues) relating to the role of ALT in helping students with special needs to circumvent their disabilities and integrating them into the mainstream schools. It is found that the use of ALT enables the subjects to access the electronic learning environment, as well as improve their time management. The end result is that these students can perform their everyday (learning) tasks on par with their peers in school. The study has also unveiled moderating factors influencing the usage of ALT; examples are the ease of use of ALT, and the subjects’ desire to enhance their academic and social competency.

Improving Teaching Effectiveness Using Distance Education Tools

Distance education is now an integral part of offering courses in many institutions. With increasing access to the internet, the importance of distance education will only grow. But, to date, the specific benefits that distance education brings to student learning objectives remain unclear. We first propose a framework that links student performance and satisfaction to the learning environment and course delivery. Next, we empirically evaluate our framework using data from a Business Statistics course that we offer in the traditional classroom setting and as a distance-education course. Our results show that while a well-designed distance-education course can lead to a high level of student satisfaction, classroom-based students achieve even higher satisfaction if they are also given access to online learning material. This indicates that material for an effective distance-education course can also be used to supplement in-class teaching to increase satisfaction with student learning objectives.

Asynchronous Learning

This paper presents a discussion of emerging pedagogical, technical and regulatory issues in asynchronous learning. Based on discussions with several faculty members with more than six years of e-teaching experience, as well as administrators and business advisory board members, the paper presents several ongoing experiments and discusses the authors’ experiences with asynchronous learning. The paper should be useful for Universities considering asynchronous learning, as well as businesses entering the asynchronous learning software market. The paper discusses the needs and opportunities for developing products compatible with emerging standards such as SCORM, up-and-coming mobile broadband network technologies like 4G and identification technologies such as active RFID.

Evaluating Learning Management Systems

This paper maintains that the use of multimedia content in Web-based instruction - facilitated by the proliferation and standardization of learning management systems (LMS) - calls for the extension of traditional multimedia design and evaluation guidelines to the Web. The compliance with these guidelines needs to be thoroughly evaluated by any institution using (or planning to use) Web-based learning management systems. In addition to providing criteria and examples for the evaluation of these systems, the paper discusses survey questions that can be used for university-wide assessments of the design effectiveness of technologies that support learning. As an example, the proposed evaluation instrument is applied to a learning management system developed at a large university in the United States. While the assessment refers to one system, the model, the instructional and design evaluation criteria, and the questionnaire are built for use in any organization conducting a formative and summative evaluation or a selection of learning technologies.

Web-Based Education Diffusion

Web-based education is diffusing across universities, disciplines, globes and educational levels. Many institutions are at the crossroad whether or not to adopt web-based education (WBE). In many cases their survival may depend on how successfully they can adopt WBE. In this regard they can learn from the early adopters of WBE, and from their experiences both good and bad without reinventing the wheel. This paper has two specific purposes: Describe WBE diffusion at a upper level university in the US, and the second is to discuss its diffusion experiences so that other universities can benefit from it This paper relates diffusion of innovation theory and the 4P’s of marketing to discuss web education diffusion. We feel this is a first attempt in this direction. This paper should be useful worldwide for universities planning to start WBE and are looking for some guidance on “how”, “where” and “what” to follow to initiate the process.

Academy-Industry Collaboration

Bridge-eLearning is a consortium aiming to bring together Human Resources professionals from large companies and experts from training organizations (internationally recognized business and engineering schools). The consortium provides a framework enabling its partners to share best practices in management and technology, to share eLearning content of a high technological and educational quality, innovative online learning experiences and approaches, and eLearning opportunities and needs. The basis of the project’s business model is the development of a shared catalogue of eLearning courses that is enriched by partners over the years. Bridge-eLearning is administered by a Steering Committee, together with the eLearning Committee at the operational and functional level. The paper presents the objectives and functioning of Bridge eLearning, the achievements of the first year of existence and the perspectives for the next years.