Example of
Practice
Presentation

Chemistry IT Workshop 16 November 1998

The Web - a Tool for the Educational Environment

Overview

Web technologies can be blended with traditional practices. The adoption of web technology need not involve the complete conversion from current practices of teaching methods. Utilisation of the web should be to meet predefined learning objectives.

The web may be viewed as a teaching aid that serves to help the teacher and students communicate, impart and distribute information, and provide means of assessment (both formative and summative). Since individual students and groups of students have different needs and learning styles, the web can aid in customising the course for these differences. In this regard, the use of the web depends on the creativity and flexibility of the implementers, and can give the students: more control over their own learning; intrinsic motivation; and promote independent learning practices.

Communication

As a communication medium, the web can be used for communication in synchronous and asynchronous modes regardless of distance and location. This additional flexibility can enable students to conveniently express themselves, engage in dialogue, present a diversity of viewpoints, and partake in creative activities in ways that large classrooms do not permit.

Readily available technologies to facilitate communication include discussion forums, chat sessions, email and mailing lists. Technologies that may also be useful but not so easy to implement include: Net Meeting; voice communications and video conferencing.

Assessment

The web can be used to provide self-assessment and instant feedback, including alternative explanations. From the student's perspective, the most useful type of assessment is that which helps with learning, i.e. formative assessment. User-tracking can assist the teacher with: saving time in marking; helping to refine learning resources determine points that need more clarification; and identifying students needing further attention.

Educational resources

The web represents a huge resource of information at several levels. Students can be exposed to current industry information and practices on a global scale. This access to information and expertise is beyond the scope of any one university and is valuable particularly where circumstances have reduced contact time between students and academic staff. The web also provides a means of sharing learning resources between universities. The National Teaching and Learning Database (http://ntld.nettl.usyd.edu.au/) has been set up to facilitate the direct acquisition and re-use of learning materials between tertiary institutions.

Future directions

The web has modified student catchment area concepts. Student population need not be restricted by proximity to institution and are now on a national or global scale. The progressive advancement in computer literacy means that computers are no longer specialised pieces of equipment in some countries.

Developments at large may be contributing to the dissolution of campus walls. Not only are cohorts made up of on-campus students, but also can include people in the workforce and in professional employment. Further education for specialised or general purposes is now facilitated through the web.

The teacher's role

Contrary to some opinions that information resources such as the web will make teachers redundant, the web should be seen as a tool and the teacher is the facilitator who assists with learning and the acquisition of knowledge. The teacher: provides and updates relevant content (although not to the exclusion of the student contributions); helps develop critical thinking; structures the learning experiences; guides the learning processes; and provides assessment strategies.

An analogy may be made with the public resource of a book library. All the information for any degree may be present in that library, yet the teacher is essential to the process of the student utilising that resource to become qualified. Web resources and the communication facilities it provides need the teacher more than ever to support, mediate and set the standards for the learning experiences.

On-line deployment

Utilising the web for learning objectives does not guarantee automatic success, especially where the environment differs to student expectations. The teacher must actively promote the web components that should be inter-woven throughout the course otherwise they are perceived to be unimportant. The web components should be deployed with explicit purposes in the course so that the students appreciate the reason for using it. In the interests of equity and realism, learning material must be optimally adapted to suit web delivery and access. It should not need stating but the use of technology should have educational value, not merely be used because it can be. Adequate time should be allotted for planning, development and implementation with regular evaluations at each stage. The iteration provided by regular evaluation is essential to the development cycle.

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