Objective -to assist readers in developing effective educational websites by integrating principles of active learning with the unique features of the web.
Results
10 steps (these could be useful to plan for my individual assessment)
See mind map for list of steps and how they interelate and prioritise, not sure I agree with his order though I don’t think it’s meant to be prescriptive.
Quotes in green my questions arising in red
1. Perform a needs analysis and specify goals and objectives
2.Determine your technical resources and needs
Determine the technical resources and needs of your learners. Have they participated in an online course before?
Question could we/ should we have been assessed before the course began to determine such things as what level of equipment we are using, what software versions running, and any previous on- line experience or difficulties, what sort of time available for study.
3. Evaluate pre-existing software and use it if it fully meets your needs
4. Secure commitment from all participants and identify and address potential barriers to implementation.
Greenhalgh suggests targeting staff development to the needs of a given project……encouraging collaboration between content experts, educators and techical specialists, and actively working to change orgaizational culture.
Possible link with the mentoring thoughts week one activities
5. Develop content in close coordination with website design
The most effective websites creatively integrate content with the power and flexibility of the Web to enhance learning rather that merely replicate traditional methods.
Although Multimedia doen net necessarily improve learing it improves satisfaction with the learning experience.
Poorly structured webpages are unattractive, inefficient, and confusing -all of which limit learning,
6. Encourage active learning-self assessment, reflection, self-directed learning, problem-based learning, learner interaction, and feedback
Encouraging active learning is the most challenging but often the most interesting and enjoyable, aspect of developing an educational website.
The self directed learner asks and then seeks to answer his of her own questions
Asking learners to interpret evidence reinforces learning.
7. Facililtate and plan to encourage use by the learner
Plan ways to enhance learner participation
Webpages that are attractive, intuitive, and fuctional will encourage users to return.
Independant and problem based learning require “protected” time, and so does on line learning.
Rewards for completion and/or consequences for failure to complete may be effective but are not possible for all learning activeities. Teaching learners to regulate their own learning may also help.
8. Evaluate- both learners and course
9. Pilot the website before full implementation
Obtain input from several people including targeted learners, at various stages in the design process…. assemble a group similar to the targeted learners to test each component of the site informally.
10. Plan to monitor online communications and maintain the site by resolving techical problems, peridically verifying hyperlings and regularly updating content.
Conclusion
Harden and others have suggested that teachers of the future may be as much designers of learning experiences as lecturers and tutors-true “facilitaors of learning”.
