USING WEB-BASED DELIVERY SYSTEMS IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

Mitzy Forbes

Principal Investigator

Adult Education and Training Graduate Program

School of Education

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado

Summer 2000

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

July 5, 2000 WE HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE PROFESSIONAL PAPER

PREPARED UNDER OUR SUPERVISION BY MITZY FORBES ENTITLED USING

WEB-BASED DELIVERY SYSTEMS IN DISTANCE EDUCATION BE ACCEPTED

AS FULFILLING IN PART REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF

EDUCATION.

Committee on Graduate Work

iii

ABSTRACT OF PROFESSIONAL PAPER

USING WEB-BASED DELIVERY SYSTEMS IN DISTANCE EDUCATION The purpose of this study was to establish strategies for educators to effectively

use Web-based delivery systems in higher education. These strategies were found to be

useful to educators who use web-based delivery systems to replace traditional classroom

teaching, or to augment it.

Institutions of higher education are faced with educating increasing numbers of

traditional-aged students as well as the added demands of educating knowledge workers

and lifelong learners. At the same time these institutions are dealing with shrinking

budgets and resources, and many are using distance education to handle the challenge of

doing more with less. A survey done by the U.S. Department of Education's National

Center for Education Statistics revealed that the number of distance education programs

increased by 72 percent from 1994 to 1998. The World Wide Web is rapidly gaining in

popularity as a delivery method for distance education courses because of its global

availability and ease of use for the student.

Web-based delivery systems are integrated programs that reside on a computer

that is connected to the Internet. These programs can display course materials, class

announcements, calendars, and syllabi, and provide different means of communication

between instructors and students. Instructors can optimize the effectiveness of Web-

based delivery systems if they understand the technology, start with good instructional

design, promote communication and high levels of interaction, and use ongoing

evaluation of the course and of their students’ progress.

Mitzy Sue Forbes School of Education Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523 Summer 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... iii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Introduction........................................................................................................ 1 Background to the Study.................................................................................... 2 Statement of the Problem................................................................................... 4 Research Questions............................................................................................ 4 Significance of the Study ................................................................................... 5 Definition of Terms............................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction........................................................................................................ 8 Description of the Search Process...................................................................... 8 The History of Distance Education.................................................................... 9 Introduction of the World Wide Web ................................................................ 11

The Advantages of Using Web-based Distance Education ............................... 13 The Disadvantages of Using Web-based Distance Education........................... 15 Web-based Delivery Systems ............................................................................ 18

Features of a Web-based Delivery System ........................................................ 19 Optimizing the Effectiveness of Web-based Delivery Systems ........................ 25 Preparation of the Instructor .................................................................. 25 Preparation of the Students .................................................................... 27 Design of the Web-based class .............................................................. 28 Dynamics of the Web-based class ......................................................... 30

The Future of Web-based Delivery Systems ..................................................... 32 Summary ............................................................................................................ 33

CHAPTER III: DISCUSSION

Research Question 1:

What are the Advantages of Web-based Distance Education?.............. 34 Research Question 2:

What are the Disadvantages of Web-based Distance Education? ......... 35 Research Question 3:

What are the Features of a Web-based Delivery System?..................... 36 Research Question 4:

Which "Best Practices" Can Be Used to Optimize the Effectiveness of Web-based Delivery Systems? .............................................................. 37

Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 38 Recommendations.............................................................................................. 38

REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 39

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The explosion of technological advances in the past thirty years has made a

profound impact on our lives. Computers, in particular, have provided the means for

communication and the dissemination of information in ways few people dreamed were

possible. With a computer, modem, phone line, the appropriate software, and an account

with an Internet service provider (ISP), anyone can gather and exchange information with

others anywhere in the world in a matter of minutes. Within the past seven years, the

education community has recognized the capability of computer technology and the

Internet to expand and improve the delivery of instruction.

Adults are discovering that the ideal of “life-long learning” is no longer a luxury,

but a necessity, and are searching for ways to fit continuing education into their busy

lives. According to McArthur and Lewis (1998),

. . . a broad shift from manual workers to "knowledge workers" means that

students will require more education; high school diplomas no longer

guarantee good job prospects. And many predict that job skills will need

updating every few years; if so, "lifelong learners" will continue to

demand education and retraining throughout their careers. (p. 1)

However, traditional campus-based education is not the answer for many adults.

According to Jorge Klor de Alva, president of the University of Phoenix (2000), there is

a “contemporary disconnect between what traditional higher education provides,

especially in research institutions and four-year colleges, and what society wants” (p.

34). He wrote that this disconnect is reflected in a 1998 poll of the fifty state governors

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titled, “Transforming Post-Secondary Education for the Twenty-First Century”. The poll

revealed that the four most important issues are:

• 97% encouraging lifelong learning

• 83% allowing students to obtain education anytime and anyplace via

technology

• 77% requiring post secondary institutions to collaborate with business and

industry in curriculum and program development

• 66% integrating applied or on-the-job experience into academic programs

(p. 34)

Institutes of higher education have seen the value of computer technology in

answering this challenge, and some of the most useful technological advancements for

education have been those that make distance education possible.

Background to the Study

While keeping up with technology has proven to be a challenge and even a threat

to some institutions, it may provide tools against more important threats to higher

education, such as the necessity to use shrinking budgets and resources to handle

increasing demands for education. Dunn (2000) warned, “the number of students

needing traditional higher education in the United States is predicted to climb from the

present 15 million to 20 million by the year 2010” (p. 36). Connick (1997) predicted

that,

Doing more with less will be the major agenda of higher education in the

immediate future. The labor- and facilities-intensive current structure will be

reassessed, and the result will be reorganization and downsizing in order to

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survive tight budgetary times and the competition from institutions that are more

technologically agile. (p. 12)

Several colleges and universities have offered distance education programs and

their numbers are increasing at a rapid rate. ED Initiatives, an online news service of the

U. S. Department of Education, reported,

A recent survey by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center

for Education Statistics (NCES) found that from 1994-95 to 1997-98 the

number of distance education programs increased by 72 percent.

Moreover, an additional 20 percent of the institutions surveyed plan to

establish distance education programs within the next three years. The

survey estimated that more than 1.6 million students were enrolled in

distance education courses in 1997-98. (p. 1)

These figures indicate an educational trend that cannot be ignored. Some of the

largest institutions such as Penn State, Stanford, the University of Wisconsin, the State

University of New York (SUNY), and the University of California at Los Angeles

(UCLA) have offered distance or extended education for decades (Munitz, 2000).

The most promising method of distance education has been Web-based, or online

education, which means that some or all instruction is done via the World Wide Web.

The first educators who used the Web had to be familiar with hypertext markup language

(HTML), the formatting language used for Web documents (Kearsley, 2000, p. 193), and

struggle with a multitude of different, and sometimes incompatible e-mail programs.

Fortunately, instructing on the Web no longer requires advanced computer knowledge

due to the development of Web-based delivery systems, which are integrated computer

programs that organize and mediate online communication and teaching.

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Statement of the Problem

The World Wide Web (Web) has been in existence only since 1989, and was not

widely used until after 1993 with the introduction of the first Web browser, so all

knowledge specific to Web-based education has been acquired during the past seven

years. Several colleges and universities have used the Web to enhance and expand their

existing resources, but those involved in setting up Web-based programs have been

pioneers who have had to struggle with a wildly evolving and often problematic

technology.

There is a vast amount of information available on Web-based (also called

“online”) education, but there is a limited amount of information on how instructors can

effectively use the Web for delivery of their courses. As a result, educators who ventured

into this new territory have had to operate by trial and error by using their students as

guinea pigs. The problem addressed by this study focuses on: How educators can

effectively use Web-based delivery systems in distance education.

Research Questions

Specifically the following questions were investigated:

1. What are the advantages of Web-based distance education?

2. What are the disadvantages of Web-based distance education?

3. What are the features of a Web-based delivery system?

4. Which “best practices” can be used to optimize the effectiveness of Web-

based delivery systems?

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Significance of the Study

The importance of the research arose from the fact that Web-based education is in

its formative stage, and although much has been written about it, there are few reliable

resources that define the best practices for educators. McGreal (1997) acknowledged the

confusion and posed some of the questions facing educators,

. . . the World Wide Web opens up a whole new world for learning.

Teachers entering this world are faced with few models of good practice

and little guidance. Do you use it to supplement your classroom activities?

Can you integrate Web-based material into your regular program? Can

you go totally online? How flexible can you be? What kind of support can

you provide students at a distance? These questions and others are open.

(pp. 73-74)

This study was conducted to identify from various sources the technology and

good practices that have a positive affect on teaching and learning outcomes on Web-

based courses. The study contains a review of the literature and information that should

be useful for the instruction of Web-based courses.

Definition of Terms

The following terms have been defined as they will be used in this study:

• Asynchronous – in online learning, an event in which people are not logged on at

the same time. For example, the instructor might publish a lecture on a website

and learners would read it when their schedules permit. Contrast with

synchronous. (Carliner, 1999, p. 105)

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• Bandwidth: the physical capacity of the transmission equipment in a network.

Bandwidth refers to the amount of information that can be transmitted at a time,

usually in bits per second. (Carliner, 1999, p. 105)

• Distance learning – any type of educational situation in which the instructor and

students are separated by time or location, or both. (Carliner, 1999, p. 107)

• Hyperlink - a highlighted graphic such as a button or illustration, or piece of text

that connects a user to another web site or source of information or file on the

Internet. (Provenzo, 1998, p. 10)

• Internet - a network of networks. The Internet is both a physical network

consisting of cables and devices that connect computers around the world, and a

set of software protocols, standards, and other applications. (Mambretti, 1999, p.

283)

• Internet Service Provider (ISP) - Company that provides local Internet

connections. (Kearsley, 2000, p. 194)

• Network – a connection of computers in several locations through wires, and

telephone or cable connections. (Carliner, 1999, p. 110)

• Online learning – educational material that is presented on a computer (Carliner,

1999, p. 105). However, this term was used to mean specifically “Web-based

learning” by several distance educators at the 2000 Training Director’s

Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, and was used in the more specific sense in this

study.

• Synchronous – in online learning, an event in which all of the participants are

online at the same time and communicating with one another. For example, an

instructor might schedule a guest lecturer to take questions at a particular time; all

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interested people would connect with the lecture when the guest is online.

Contrast with asynchronous. (Carliner, 1999, p. 105)

• Web browser – a graphical user interface that is used to view documents on the

Web. (Provenzo, 1998, p. 11). Mosaic was the first Web browser, followed by

others such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer.

• World Wide Web (WWW, or ‘the Web’) - The Internet-connected system of

servers that support the WWW protocols and which host Web sites. (Mambretti,

1999, p. 289) A browsing system that makes it possible to navigate the Internet

by pointing and clicking one's computer mouse. The Web connects diverse sites

by the use of hyperlinks. (Provenzo, 1998, p. 9)

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction

The use of Web-based education is fairly new to educators and trainers because

the technology that supports it has been in existence for only seven years. The review of

the literature contained in this chapter reveals the origins of Web-based education and

presents the advantages and disadvantages of Web-based distance education. This is

followed by a list of components needed for Web-based delivery systems, and provides

information on the best practices to optimize the effectiveness of Web-based delivery

systems in distance education.

Description of the Search Process

The search process began at Colorado State University’s (CSU’s) Morgan

Library. The library’s online search process was convenient, but actually going to the

library and visually scanning the shelves of the education section proved more fruitful at

first. References from books identified as the result of the scanning process gave insights

about keywords which resulted in more effective Internet searches. Additional resources

were obtained through CSU’s Interlibrary Loan service, which provided access to

libraries affiliated with CSU. A visit to the University of Northern Colorado was also

helpful due to its large collection of books on education.

The most recent books were found at the CSU Bookstore and local commercial

bookstores. While the selection of adult education books in bookstores was sparse, most

were more up-to-date than those found in the libraries.

Other information was gleaned from subscriptions to news and information

services delivered via E-mail, such as Educause, and online periodicals such as The

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Chronicle of Higher Education. Also extremely helpful were Web addresses suggested

by adult education professors at Colorado State University.

The History of Distance Education

The earliest known mention of distance education was in March 1728, when

Caleb Philipps placed an advertisement in The Boston Gazette for lessons on shorthand

to be delivered by mail. Not much was known about the course or the instructor, and

because of this some experts are reluctant to credit Mr. Philipps as the first distance

educator (Holmberg, 1986).

The next records of distance education appeared more than a century later with

advertisements for correspondence courses for composition in Sweden in 1833, and for

shorthand in the United Kingdom in 1840. A correspondence school for language was

established in Germany in 1856 (Holmberg, 1986).

In England during the mid 1850s, Reverend W. Sewell established the University

Extension System at the University of Cambridge which was an off-campus study

program which employed professors to lecture on a traveling circuit. This was done to

provide education to the labor class who could not afford the time or money to enroll in

on-campus classes at the university.

Anna Eliot Ticknor, considered the "mother of American correspondence study",

was inspired by the English extension system and established a correspondence program

called the “Society to Encourage Studies at Home”. The program enrolled 7,000 women

from 1873 until her death in 1897 (Sherow & Wedemeyer, 1990). According to

Mathieson, the curriculum included guided readings and frequent tests (Holmberg, 1986).

Countries around the world saw the potential of distance education and established their

own programs. Rayner wrote that in 1911, Australia was the first country to provide

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correspondence education in a systematic way by providing primary and secondary

education for children in remote regions (Holmberg, 1986). Radio emerged as a new

educational delivery method in 1920, when the University of Wisconsin pioneered the

first university radio station called the “School of the Air”. It was intended to supplement

correspondence study and other extension activities of the university. Other universities

followed the University of Wisconsin’s lead and by the early 1940s there were

approximately 20 educational radio stations (Sherow & Wedemeyer, 1990).

Radio delivery led to television as a means of bringing education to the masses. In

1952, 242 television channels were devoted to educational broadcasting. Use of

educational television grew in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and

China, but Sherow and Wedemeyer believed that “in general the use of television in

distance education throughout the world has remained limited in relation to its

educational potential” (p. 18).

The British Open University, which was established in 1969, offered courses that

used mixed media such as texts and video delivered by the mail system. Some classes

were delivered by broadcast radio and television, and each student had an assigned tutor

who kept in contact with them by telephone (Matthews, 1999). The British Open

University influenced distance learning efforts around the world, and education materials

developed there were used by several universities in the United States.

Later correspondence courses used videotaped lectures in addition to texts,

workbooks, and other printed material to deliver instruction. In some ways it was an

improvement over courses that relied solely on printed material, but too often what the

student received was several hours of a “talking head”. In other words, some videotaped

lectures consisted of instructors who stood in one place and spoke in a monotone voice.

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Fortunately, several videotaped lectures included shots of visual aids, and varied the

views of the lecturer.

Teleconferencing provided the first truly interactive distance learning in the 1970s

and 1980s. Audio teleconferencing brought distance learners and their teacher together

with telephone connections, and was popular because of its cost-effectiveness. Video

conferencing provides a two-way exchange of video images between two or more sites,

which provides a more personal experience, but can be expensive and laden with

technical problems (Garrison, 1990).

Peacenet was founded in 1971 in the Pacific Basin, was the first use of satellites

in distance education (Matthews, 1999). Significant distance education programs were

also established in South Africa and Canada (Harry & Perraton, 1999).

Throughout the history of distance education, the target group has been primarily

adults with occupational, social and family commitments (Holmberg, 1986; Dominguez

& Ridley, 1999). They are older than traditional students (Willis, 1995), and the majority

are white (Alijarrah, 2000). More women than men take distance classes (Hardy & Boaz,

1997), most of whom have children (Matthews, 1999).

Introduction of the World Wide Web

Distance education is changing rapidly because of technology. It has only recently

evolved to its current form with the emergence of the Internet, which was created in 1969

“for the purpose of enabling federal research laboratories, funding agencies, and

university researchers to transfer data, to send electronic messages, and to access (or

“log-on to”) one another’s computers from remote locations” (Mambretti, 1999, p. 20).

The capabilities that resulted were File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to send and receive

computer files across the Internet, telnet to log-on to a remote computer, and e-mail for

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instant communication using the transmission of digital text. The protocol that enabled

the connection of remote computers was TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/ Internet

protocol).

The National Science Foundation (NSF) began developing a national “backbone”

in the early 1980’s to connect supercomputing facilities, and research and education

networks. Some time later the NSF encouraged the commercial sector to establish for-

profit Internet Service Providers (ISPs). But the Internet was difficult to use with the lack

of “user-friendly” interfaces (Mambretti, 1999).

Timothy Berners-Lee, a researcher at CERN (the European Laboratory for

Particle Physics), developed a way to “post” documents on a local network server so they

could be read by users on remote computers. This ground-breaking development was

called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and was made available in 1989, marking

the official beginning of the World Wide Web. The first interface to use HTML was

called Lynx, which used only text (Mambretti, 1999).

In 1993, programmers working at the National Center for Supercomputing

Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois developed the first Web browser called

Mosaic (Ricart, 2000). This new interface freed users from having to know a computer

command language, and displayed documents in a more attractive format. Mosaic was

later enhanced to display graphics. Other Web browsers were soon developed, including

the popular Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Each new Web browser

brought attractive and interactive interfaces that had the capability to include sound and

display video clips and animated graphics (Willis, 1995).

With the availability of the Internet through the Web, educators who had been

using the mail system, broadcast radio, and television to deliver distance education had

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an alternative method. Web-based delivery became increasingly attractive as personal

computers became more affordable, and average families began seeing them as a

necessity. As a result of huge donations of computers from computer companies to

schools, children were becoming computer literate and parents started to see computer

skills as essential to their children’s future. Internet services such as America Online and

Prodigy marketed themselves heavily and enticed people to “get connected” to the World

Wide Web.

The Advantages of Using Web-based Distance Education

People who have schedules or other commitments that prevent them from

attending classes at specific times or who live at a distance from educational institutions

benefit the most from Web-based education. It provides increased options for educating

people who travel frequently, such as military personnel and their families (Carter, 2000).

This method of learning can truly be “anytime, anywhere” and provides the kind of

flexibility not possible with traditional classes (Morrison, 1999; Hall, 1997).

Teachers, as well, can enjoy the mobility of Web-based teaching because it frees

them from the physical boundaries of classrooms and the time restrictions of schedules

(Charp, 2000). As Creed (1996) stated,

I’m off campus quite a bit, and I can log in from anywhere, access my

account, and respond to my students requests, monitor the discussion on

our electronic conference; I can easily update the material on my web site

when I want (or need) to, from wherever I happen to be. (p. 6)

Palloff and Pratt (1999) said the keys to taking advantage of this mobility are that

“institutions, faculty, and their students need to be willing to enter new territory and

experience the unknown” (p. 69).

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Web-based education has been hailed by some authors as “the great equalizer”

(Creed 1996; Palloff & Pratt, 1999). Gender, ethnicity, appearance, age, and disabilities

are not apparent in online communication, placing everyone on equal ground, although

extra care should be taken to ensure that Web pages are clear and readable for people

with disabilities (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2000). Introverts tend to

participate more often when they don’t have to compete for attention in class situations

(Creed, 1996; Morrison, 1999; Addesso, 2000). Web-based learning also helps people

for whom English is their second language because “most people are more able to write

than to speak in another language” (Mason, 1999, p. 34).

Educators who put instructional materials on the Web are able to augment text

with media elements such as graphics, sound and video clips. Winn (1990) wrote that

“media may not affect how well people learn. However, there is no denying that they

greatly affect the efficiency with which instruction can be delivered (p. 53)”. Media

elements provide clarification of the textual content, and add visual appeal and variety to

the course content.

Instructional material put on the Web can be used by concurrent or subsequent

classes, and can easily be refined and updated as needed, providing the student with

current information (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2000). Winn (1990)

stated,

While these technologies perform a useful archival function, they also

allow the recording and replication of superior instruction. It has been

claimed that this ultimately can lead to the improvement of education by

capturing the best instruction with a view to making it widely available.

(p. 54)

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Winn was referring to recording technologies such as audio and videotape, photographic

film and paper, but the statement is also applicable to digitized copies of these forms of

media that are incorporated in a Web page.

Instructional material placed on the Web has the capability of being far more

interactive than courses delivered by correspondence, radio, or television (Winn, 1990).

This interactivity promotes active learning and involves students with the content at a

higher level. Web-based instruction also provides a student-centered learning

environment (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2000).

The Disadvantages of Using Web-based Distance Education

One major disadvantage of using Web-based education is the amount of time it

requires for the instructor and students to learn the technology (Hall, 1997; Driscoll,

1998). Even when everyone involved is comfortable with the technology, this method

requires a substantial investment in time. Creed (1996) warned,

The time commitment with technology doesn’t end with learning it and

thinking through how best to use it. Electronic conferences, and

especially web pages, require maintenance and vigilance to remain

effective. If you have your class schedule as part of your course page, it

needs to be updated as changes are made, or at least every semester. Other

material can get out of date even faster. Not only do you need to be

vigilant about your own material, but hyperlinks sometimes disappear or

go stale quickly. (p. 14)

Simon (2000) cautioned that, because constant communication with students is

imperative, keeping up with the resulting amount of e-mail can be overwhelming. She

advised using time management skills to prevent burnout.

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There are special communication problems with the lack of face-to-face contact in

online learning, especially when conflict arises during threaded discussions or chat

rooms. Misunderstandings are common because of the absence of body language and

other visual cues. Some people tend to avoid conflict, but others feel less constrained and

may lash out in ways that would probably be avoided in person. In these cases, Palloff

and Pratt (1999) advised careful facilitation, because “resolution of conflict in this

medium takes patience and work” (p. 27).

Simonson et al. (2000) wrote that, “even if the Internet is available, many

potential students do not have ready access to computers” (p. 186). And even though

computer prices continually go down, McArthur and Lewis (1998) believed that a gap

between those who have access to the technology and those who do not will continue.

Blumenstyk and McCollum (1999) wrote that a report by the College Board questions

technology’s effects on students who don’t have Internet access. “While education is the

great equalizer,” the report says, “technology appears to be a new engine of inequality”

(p. 2). The wisest course of action would be to assess availability of computer hardware

and software to the potential pool of students before planning any Web-based course.

Even those who can afford computers will have to be prepared to maintain them.

According to Palloff and Pratt (1999),

Although it is clearly the wave of the present and future, and many of us

are working hard to stay on the crest of that wave, the fact that we are

dependent on sometimes faulty hardware and software can make the ride

more difficult than we anticipate. Those words on a screen are currently

our only connection to one another when using this medium. When we

are unable to gain or maintain access, we lose. (p. 69)

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Driscoll (1998) stated that Web-based education is not suitable for all types of

learning. She says that it is well suited for cognitive skills such as balancing a

checkbook, but it is not well suited for psychomotor skills such as using a table saw, or

attitudinal skills such as valuing diversity. Learning traditionally taking place in lab

settings, such as chemistry labs, would be difficult to facilitate unless there is some

hands-on component to the class.

Other experts claimed that there is a higher drop-out rate of distance students

compared to traditional students. According to Carr (February 2000),

Although there is significant variation among institutions – with some

reporting course-completion rates of more than 80 percent and others

finding that fewer than 50 percent of distance-education students finish

their courses – several administrators concur that course-completion rates

are often 10 to 20 percentage points higher in traditional courses than in

distance offerings. (p. 2)

Some educators believe that distance learning is not for everyone. Klor de Alva

(2000) wrote,

. . . it calls for a guidance, maturity, and discipline that is often well

beyond the reach of indifferent faculty members and unmotivated

students, and it is helpless in the face of a disorganized or illogical

curriculum. (p. 36)

Educators will not be able to use technology to cover up poor instruction, because

distance education requires sound design and diligent communication between teacher

and student. Likewise, students who have been able to pass courses by simply showing

up when required and passing exams by cramming the night before will find these

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methods won’t work for distance classes. On the other hand, Creed states that “breaking

the task into smaller, more frequent interaction with the material, produces stronger long-

term learning than does the same amount of exposure to the material in one longer sitting

(massed practice) (p. 7).”

One of the biggest concerns that educators have about teaching at a distance is the

risk of cheating. Dobbs (2000) complains that “instructors cannot monitor students during

tests, and it is nearly impossible to ensure that contributions made during live online

discussions are actually made by the students enrolled in the class (p. 12).” Some

instructors require their students to come to campus for exams (Cooper, 2000). In

situations where getting students to campus is not feasible, some institutions have set up

sites near their students for proctored exams (Palloff & Pratt, 1999; Hsu, Marques,

Hamza, & Alhalabi, 1999).

Web-based Delivery Systems

Web-based delivery systems are integrated programs that reside on a computer

server that is connected to the Internet. These programs can display course materials,

class announcements, calendars, and syllabi, and provide different means of

communication between instructors and students. To access these programs, a student

needs a computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser that is compatible with

the delivery system.

Soon after the introduction of Mosaic, the first Web browser, several browsers

appeared on the Internet scene, vying to be the "killer application" that everyone will use.

After the dust cleared, two browsers emerged as the winners, and the vast majority of

computer users who access the Web use a browser from either Netscape or Microsoft.

Web-based delivery systems are experiencing the same struggle for dominance. Scigliano

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and Levin (2000) reported in a June 2000 article that the selection of delivery systems

included LearningSpace, TopClass, PlaceWare, LearnLinc, Convene, Web Course Tools

(WebCT), and Blackboard.

In a conversation with Craig Spooner, multimedia specialist for Instructional

Services at Colorado State University, the two systems regarded as the industry leaders

are WebCT and Blackboard, and this seems to be constant with information shared by

practitioners at conferences devoted to distance education. Like Netscape and Microsoft,

WebCT and Blackboard are engaged in a horse race to be the superior product. When

surveys showed Blackboard to be easier to use and WebCT more customizable, both

companies quickly redesigned their succeeding versions to correct their products'

perceived deficiencies.

With the availability of Web-based delivery systems like WebCT and Blackboard,

educators no longer have to be computer experts to put instructional material on the Web

or struggle with obscure computer commands to communicate with students via the

Internet. Web-based delivery systems are designed with the functionality to facilitate

online communication between members of the class. They also provide an interface for

posting course information, instructional material, and quizzes for students to access, and

a means for students to submit assignments.

Features of a Web-based Delivery System

If used to its full potential, a Web-based delivery system can help instructors

provide their students with:

a seamless networked learning environment that integrates voice, video,

and data connections among learners, instructors, experts, virtual libraries,

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the Internet, and support services. At the center is the distance learner,

connected with real-time and non-real-time links to these resources

(Chute, Sayers, & Gardner, 1997, p. 75).

Figure 1 graphically represents the type of learning environment referred to by

Chute, et al. It shows a learner-centered model that connects learning resources

such as instructors, subject matter experts, the Internet, libraries, support services

and other learners.

To create this type of environment, a Web-based delivery system should have the

following features (Simonson et al., 2000; McGreal, 1997):

1. home page

2. course requirements

3. calendar

4. asynchronous communication

5. synchronous communication

6. online tests

7. test results and student progress

8. area to download documents

Figure 1. The Networked Learning Environment

Distance Learner

Facilitator/ Instructor

Other Learners

Support Services

Subject Matter Experts

Virtual Library

Internet

21

9. course content

10. student pages and presentations

The home page is the first screen in the delivery system seen by students upon

opening the site. Buttons, or links to the other parts of the course are located here. It

should be uncluttered, but with simple attractive graphics and text that convey a sense of

welcome. The entire page should fit on the screen, so scrolling to see the bottom of the

page is not necessary. The home page is a good place to put timely class announcements

or reminders of assignments due that week (McGreal, 1997).

A short description of the course and the syllabus should be posted on a separate

page where students can refer to them during the course. The grading scale, assignment

descriptions and due dates as well as exam dates should be included. This is also a good

place for the instructor to clearly state expectations of student participation, such as how

often to post comments to online discussions, and what happens if assignments are turned

in past the due date.

A course requirements page should also be included and contain information for

contacting the instructor, teaching assistants, or technical support, with phone numbers,

office hours, and e-mail addresses with expected response times (McGreal, 1997;

Fullmer-Umari, 2000).

A calendar that lists assignment due dates, exams, presentations or special

activities should also be posted where they can be easily found. If possible, this should be

available in both day and month views so that students can get both the overall view and

a more detailed view of how to plan their study time (McGreal, 1997).

One of the most important features of a web-based system is asynchronous

communication, which means that the instructor and students are not in the same place at

22

the same time. E-mail is a type of asynchronous communication because a message sent

at a certain time can be read later at the receiver’s convenience.

Another form of asynchronous communication is a threaded discussion, also

called a forum, or a bulletin board. Kearsley (2000) gave the following explanation of

bulletin boards,

topics and subtopics are created, and people post messages under any

topic/subtopic desired. Messages include the sender’s name, a subject title

for the message, and the text of the message. To read the messages, you

select the topic/subtopic of interest and click on the messages available.

(p. 30)

Threaded discussion lists organize messages by topic and archive them to be read again at

a later date, if desired. To reduce clutter, only unread messages are visible, and

previously read messages are hidden, but they can be viewed again by selecting that

option.

The downside to asynchronous communication is the possible delay in response

time (Badger, 2000). Depending on how often the receiver checks messages, it could be a

few minutes or months before getting a reply. The advantage is that people may

communicate at their convenience, without having to struggle with busy signals, being on

hold, playing phone tag, or missing the person altogether.

Another important feature of a Web-based delivery system is synchronous

communication, which takes place in real time, with everyone involved logged into the

system at the same time, but the participants do not need to be physically in the same

geographical location. Examples of asynchronous classroom tools used by Web-based

delivery systems are chat rooms (or chat sessions) and whiteboards.

23

In a chat session, participants type comments or questions that can be viewed

instantly by everyone logged-on to that session at that time. Each message is identified by

the sender’s name to tell who said what . Reponses are made the same way, and the

messages are displayed in the order they are received by the system. The messages scroll

to the top of the screen as new ones come in, making it possible to miss a message if a

large amount of messages are coming in at once. Problems can occur if too many topics

are discussed at the same time, so it is important to have a moderator to keep participants

focused (Kearsley, 2000). Chat sessions are a good way to have guest speakers who

might otherwise be unavailable because of distance or tight schedules.

A whiteboard is “an application that enables two or more users to share a Web-

based “chalkboard” device” (Driscoll, 1998, p. 275). It is a graphical tool which learners

can use to write, annotate, draw, and paste items for other participants to view at the same

time. It is a great tool for brainstorming and diagramming, but they require that learners

are familiar with the software, which may be confusing at first (Driscoll, 1998).

A feature that is gaining in popularity is the online test, which can be in the form

of true/false, matching, multiple choice, or essay questions. Tests can be timed so that

the student must complete it within the time-frame determined by the instructor.

Instructors can make tests available only on certain dates, or make them accessible a

given number of times.

It is important to provide feedback on tests quickly to help the learner gauge his

or her progress or mastery of a topic (Driscoll, 1998). Web-based delivery systems that

provide online testing have the capability of automatically scoring tests and making the

results available immediately, or when the instructor wishes to release them.

24

The downloading of documents is another important feature of Web-based

delivery systems. This is a page that provides a place for the instructor to post documents

for students to download, and make the distribution of handouts and supplemental

reading material more convenient. These documents can be in any format that students

can use after downloading them.

It is important to make sure that all of the students in a class can open the

documents they download. For example, if the instructor posts a document created in the

latest version of WordPerfect, students with older versions of WordPerfect or Microsoft

Word will not be able to open it.

In a course that is delivered entirely on the Web, the listing of the course contents

is an important component in the Web-based delivery system. The course content page

should be created in a Web format (html) which gives the ability to incorporate graphics,

audio, video, animation, and links to other web pages, and most Web-based delivery

systems provide tools to help instructors set up simple pages. More elaborate pages may

require Web authoring software such as Dreamweaver, Homesite, or Frontpage or some

knowledge of html.

The course content page is the area where the instructor can be creative and

innovative, but it is also where she or he has to be very organized and selective about

content. Good instructional design and clear navigation controls are essential in guiding

the learner through the pages.

To promote a sense of community and help students get to know each other

better, some distance educators ask students to put up a personal Web page with a brief

biography and, if possible, a picture of themselves. This is important if there is no face-

to-face contact in the class. According to Palloff and Pratt (1999), “the ability to include

25

pictures and visual images helps participants connect the words with a real human being,

thus humanizing the process (p. 67)”.

Student presentations posted online are a good tool for collaborative learning.

Students can share what they’ve learned from individual assignments with their peers,

and learn from presentations other students have posted.

Optimizing the Effectiveness of Web-based Delivery Systems

There are four components to understanding how to use Web-based delivery

systems successfully in distance education:

1. preparation of the instructor

2. analysis and preparation of the students

3. design of the Web-based class

4. dynamics of the Web-based class

Each component is important in the planning and delivery of Web-based education, and

each has a different focus. The first two components deal with preparation of the

instructor and students for the Web-based class, and while there are similarities to the

traditional classroom, there are also important and profound differences. The third and

fourth components pertain to the design and delivery of web-based education.

Preparation of the instructor

Web-based delivery systems rely entirely on dependable technology and the

ability of instructors and students to use it. Instructors must be prepared to support

learners with the learning curve (Creed, 1996). According to Palloff and Pratt (1999),

In order to successfully conduct classes, meetings, workshops, or seminars

in this environment, participants must have access to and familiarity with

the technology to be used. Comfort with the technology (both hardware

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and software) contributes to a sense of psychological well-being and thus

to a greater likelihood of participation. Additionally, wherever computer-

mediated distance learning is incorporated into the curriculum, it is

important to pay attention to the learning curve involved in the use of the

technology by participants as well as faculty or facilitators. This should

be incorporated into the learning process. (p. 18)

To prepare for the first Web-based class, the novice distance educator should practice

with the delivery system as much as possible. Prototype development and testing will

help the instructor become familiar with it. If possible, mentors and user groups, both

online and on-campus, are also valuable toward solving problems as they are

encountered.

Because online classes are labor intensive, time management skills are very

important. Priorities have to be determined and time must be set aside to accomplish

them or the instructor could easily become overwhelmed. Simon (2000) advised that

beginners should start small and work up,

The learning curve effect is as real in the world of online teaching as it is

anywhere else. If this is your first time teaching an online class, it is wise

to start with no more than one class. Once you devise a study schedule and

develop a routine, you will be able to add more classes to your online

learning foundation. (p. 77)

Because much of the online course material is reusable, each subsequent class takes less

preparation, and the instructor can focus on fine-tuning and improving the course and

sharpening skills to do more in less time.

27

Preparation of the students

Students who are new to the online class will have a better chance of succeeding

when they are fully aware of what is expected of them. Palloff and Pratt (1999)

explained,

When teaching and learning leave the classroom, it is up to the instructor

to create a container within which the course proceeds by posting goals,

objectives, and expected outcomes for the course, initial guidelines for

participation, thoughts and questions to kick off discussion, and

assignments to be completed collaboratively. (p. 17)

Once that is done, the role of the instructor is more of a facilitator and guide, but even

then, Palloff and Pratt warned, it requires a high level of communication and feedback.

Distance educators must create a sense of “connectedness” with their students, explained

Zielinski (2000), “many distance learners want to feel plugged in and watched over" (p.

72).

For the class to succeed, students may need help while they are learning to use the

technology (Creed, 1996), and ongoing technical support must be provided for problems

that occur along the way. This is extremely important, wrote Ken White (2000), because

“an online student prevented from logging on to the classroom is comparable to a onsite

student driving up to an educational facility to find the doors locked. Being unable to

reach an online classroom, for whatever reason, rates as an emergency that must be

resolved quickly" (pp. 71-72). Failure to provide technical support will cause high

dropout rates. Furthermore, experts insist that educators test their online course material

on the actual students, and not colleagues or other instructional designers, because “when

28

the actual target learners confront the course, they are far less impressed—or far more

confused—than the “users” in the beta test” (Zielinski, 2000, p. 75).

Students can easily be overwhelmed by the vast amount of information on the

Web (White, C., 2000), so one of the best lessons instructors can give is how to discern

reliable and factual sources from the useless ones. Students need to be informed that

anyone can put up a web page, so they have to learn how to spot fraudulent sources.

Design of the Web-based class

There are a multitude of instructional models instructors can use for developing a

Web-based class. Most models have been used for decades to design traditional

instruction, and are almost all are a variation of the basic Instructional Systems Design

(ISD) model of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (Seels &

Glasgow, 1998). Web-based course design must incorporate more evaluation than

traditional courses because the instructor is not present when students run into problems

with the material. Prototypes are helpful, because they provide the instructional designer

with an idea of the functionality of an educational program so they can begin evaluation

during the early stages of design. Driscoll (1998) explained, “developers use prototypes

to identify obvious errors in the instruction and to gauge learners’ reactions to the

program before building the entire course” (p. 209).

Sound instructional design is essential to the success of Web-based education.

Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2000) insisted that you have to start off with

“well-conceived and well-organized courses” because “it is impossible to take weak

teaching from the conventional classroom and improve it simply by moving it online” (p.

188).

29

However, keeping the learning objectives in mind must take precedence over

strict adherence to an instructional design model. While the guidelines given by the

different instructional design models are helpful in keeping the design project organized

and on-track, critics argue that they can produce bad solutions if the focus is on the

design process and not on the learner (Gordon & Zemke 2000).

Using diverse instructional materials keeps students interested (Cooper, 2000),

and most Web-based delivery systems are designed to incorporate graphics with text.

Simple animations and short video clips heighten interest if done appropriately, but the

instructor has to make sure his or her students are able to download and play media

elements on their computers, or put them on a separate CD-ROM or other media to avoid

the problems of slow download times or browsers that are not set up to plan certain media

types.

Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2000) wrote that handouts are “an

essential communication link with students” (p.124), and instructors need to spend the

time necessary to create quality handouts. Instructors also need to keep in mind that

students will more likely print them than read them directly on-screen, so it is important

for ecological and economical reasons to design the handouts to require as little paper as

possible.

An important part of the instructional design process is evaluation, which helps

keep the instructor and students on the right path during the course, measures the

students’ progress, and serves improve future courses. Evaluations can be formative or

summative.

Formative evaluations are done as an on-going process. Because of the inability to

validate the test-taker’s identification, some instructors may not choose to administer

30

online tests that count toward the student’s grade. However, online tests are a good way

to provide feedback to students (Kearsley, 2000). Bill Gates (1996), co-founder of

Microsoft Corporation, believed that online quizzes are a good way for students to

evaluate their own progress,

A self-administered quiz is a form of self-exploration, like the tests Paul

Allen and I used to give each other. Testing will become a positive part of

the learning process. . . . There should be less apprehension about formal

tests and fewer surprises; ongoing self-quizzing will give each student a

better sense of where he or she stands, make it easier to ask the teacher for

help, and - perhaps most important of all - make it easier for the teacher to

give the right kind of help. (p. 227)

Teachers can also monitor students’ progress by keeping track of their participation in

threaded discussions.

Dynamics of the Web-based class

Good communication encourages student participation and improves the

effectiveness of any distance education course. Constant feedback is essential, and Hiss

(2000) believed educators should give students feedback and grades on a regular schedule

every week. Bischoff (2000) concurred,

Online students tend to have high standards for their own performances,

especially if they are adult learners who have returned to school after

succeeding in their work lives. Like any learners, they need to know

where they stand in order to gauge how best to improve. Substantive

feedback helps them perform at higher levels and thereby earn higher

scores in subsequent courses. (p. 64)

31

One of the criticisms of distance education in general is the absence of face-to-

face contact. Instructors can compensate for this by creating high levels of interaction in

their online courses. According to Jansen and Lewis (1996),

In distance education the same types of interactions can take place as in

the traditional classroom but they are less likely to be spontaneous.

Therefore, it is important that the level of interaction be carefully

considered and designed into the development of all distance education

courses. (p. 8)

Jansen and Lewis also wrote that instructors can allow participation, encourage

participation, or require participation, depending on the group of students and the

instructor’s style.

Class size is an important factor in participation, because too few students result

in a low amount of discussion and interaction, and too many students causes a

communication burden on the instructor. Porter (2000) stated that "online classes

function best when enrollment is 9 and 13 students, due to the high degree of interaction

between students and faculty on almost a daily basis" (pp. 85-86).

To promote an optimum learning experience, educators must encourage a sense of

community among learners. Creed (1996) wrote,

The kind of learning that is important to me requires active rehearsal, and

one of the best forms of active rehearsal is to talk to someone else about

what you know. While learning is based on what we have individually

acquired, the consolidation comes about best when we discuss our ideas

with others--I think learning is primarily a communal event. (p. 3)

32

Wagner (1997) believed that interaction within a group of learners promotes

discovery, exploration, clarification of understanding, and closure. These learning

activities are brought about by new interpretations of information, cross-

fertilization of ideas, articulation of ideas to others, and engaging in dialogue.

The Future of Web-based Delivery Systems

McArthur and Lewis (1998) claimed that educators may have avoided web-based

education because the technology is not currently at its full potential, but they must forge

ahead anyway,

On the surface, possibly the greatest barrier to moving higher education on

to the Internet and Web in a big way is technical feasibility. Many higher-

education institutions are now developing and implementing plans for

distance learning around technologies having much less functionality than

the Web will shortly offer--for example videotape sent through the mail,

one-way TV (over cable channels) augmented with two-way audio

(through telephones), or two-way video-conferencing using special-

purpose hardware. To some of them, a proposal to use the Internet and

Web for fully interactive, high-bandwidth, and multimedia courseware

must look very premature. (p. 92)

Interactive Web-based education rich with sound, video, animation, and large

amounts of graphics is currently possible, but not feasible for most people. The main

limiting factor is slow modem connections over outdated telephone lines, but technology

is rapidly advancing in directions such as cable modems, direct telephone connections,

and two-way satellite links which will make learning from real-time media-rich

educational Web sites as common as watching television.

33

Learning communities are a natural outcome of online programs that involve

cohorts of distance learners who take classes together over a span of several months or

years. Members of these cohorts have the opportunity to develop a “network of

colleagues that they can draw on for advice and support in their job and career pursuits”

(Kearsley, 2000, p. 58).

Summary

Web-based delivery systems can be used as an alternative to traditional education

or they may be used to augment it. The technology is new and in some ways immature,

but if used correctly, Web-based delivery systems can provide powerful tools for

educators. There are advantages as well as disadvantages to this delivery method, and the

keys to successful implementation are good instructional design and the ability of

instructors and students to use the technology.

In addition, educators can optimize the use of Web-based delivery systems by

knowing how to create high levels of interaction and communication, how to foster a

sense of community among learners, and how to effectively evaluate the students, the

instructor, and the course.

CHAPTER III

DISCUSSION

Distance education, and especially Web-based distance education, has attracted a

tremendous amount of interest from educators in the past few years. The emergence of

the World Wide Web and the growing number of households with personal computers

present educational possibilities that are limited only by the imagination. At a time when

institutions are faced with using shrinking funds to educate traditional students as well as

life-long learners, educators are looking to the Web to expand their resources. The

ubiquity of the Web allows colleges and universities to reach learners who live at a

distance or who have career and family commitments that prevent them from taking

classes on campus.

A vast amount of literature on Web-based education exists, but the field is young,

and few models exist to guide educators who want to use this exciting and promising new

instructional delivery method. The research contained in this study compiled the best

practices for teaching via the Web from innovative educators who dared to experience the

"bleeding edge" of technology.

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the information that was reported in the

review of literature, and to provide the researcher’s viewpoints on how this information

may be used by future instructors. The format for this discussion is based on the four

research questions identified in chapter one.

Research Question 1: What are the Advantages of Web-based Distance Education?

Web-based distance education enables institutions to provide education to

underserved populations of potential students who live in remote locations, or have

schedules that prevent them from taking classes at prescribed times. Universities and

35

colleges will no longer be limited to serving only students who live within a few hours

driving distance to campus. The World Wide Web extended the scope of the student

body for any online institution to the entire world. No longer "place-bound", students can

select institutions for their programs rather than their location.

Another important advantage is that Web-based education has provided a high

level of interaction not possible with most previous methods of distance education. The

main drawback to correspondence study, radio and telecourses was that they were based

on one-way communication. Interactive audio and video courses provided interaction, but

were expensive and often technically undependable. It has been the researcher’s

experience in several classes that the connection between sites using interactive

compressed video was broken in the middle of a class. This causes a high level of

frustration for both teacher and students.

Research Question 2: What are the Disadvantages of Web-based Distance Education?

Time is one of the major drawbacks to converting traditional class to Web-based

distance classes. Instructors spend more time communicating with students via e-mail and

bulletin boards than they did in classroom settings. However, although putting course

material on the Web is initially time-consuming, a relatively small amount maintenance

and updating is necessary for subsequent classes, which takes much less time than

repeating lectures every semester.

Good time management skills can help optimize the time spent communicating

with students. An instructor can establish a schedule for taking calls and answering e-

mail, or enlist the help of teaching assistants to help with basic questions. Prioritizing

tasks ensures that the most important tasks get done and the unimportant tasks don’t

consume the instructor’s precious time and energy.

36

Research Question 3: What are the Features of a Web-based Delivery System?

Most Web-based delivery systems are accessed by an Internet browser, and have

ten main features. The first three features are a home page, and pages for course

requirements and a calendar. The next two are the ability for the class to engage in

asynchronous and synchronous communication. The final five features are pages for

online tests, test results and student progress, downloading documents, course content,

and student pages and presentations.

The home page and pages for course requirements and a calendar are important to

keep students informed and organized. During the first class, instructors should make

sure students know how to use the system and how often they are expected to access it.

Any new announcements or additions to the pages should be indicated on the home page.

Some educators prefer to use the test feature for student self evaluation rather than

for grading because of the risk of cheating, and they give midterms or finals in a

proctored environment. However, other educators use online tests for grading, albeit for a

smaller percentage of the grade than they would in a traditional class. Due to the

increased amount of interaction required of students in the online environment, the

researcher believes that the quality and diligence of the student’s online participation are

better measures of the student’s progress than midterms and finals.

Research Question 4: Which "Best Practices" Can Be Used to Optimize the Effectiveness

of Web-based Delivery Systems?

The literature indicates that four factors are of utmost importance to the success of

the Web-based class: technical support, good instructional design, constant

communication with students, and the establishment of a safe and stimulating community

37

of learners. All four factors are instrumental in providing students with the best

educational experience possible for learning at a distance.

Technical support is one of the most crucial factors in the success of an online

educational program, and an area probably given the least amount of attention by

educators. If the learner’s success is the primary goal, the institution should include

technical training and support in the program budget for hardware and software, and

make it available during weekends and evenings, the times distance learners will need it

most.

Good instructional design means more than good organization and solid content

that meets instructional goals. The fact that online education has the capability to include

media elements in additional to text poses opportunities as well as the responsibility for

the instructor to be creative and make the content interesting and as enjoyable as possible.

Good feedback and communication is essential in the absence of face-to-face

contact. It reinforces learning and clarifies expectations, thus enabling the instructor to

be more a facilitator of learning than a provider of information, giving the learners more

responsibility and ownership for their learning.

Finally, establishing a safe and stimulating community of learners will result in

learners who are motivated to learn. Also, students who acquire a sense of community

and personal safety will have a higher level of participation.

Conclusion

The researcher heartily agrees with Kearsley’s (2000) view of the importance of

online education,

Because online education is a brave new world, we don’t know where it

will take us. We don’t even know how to do it very well yet. But it is

38

clearly an imperative, not an option. As technology races ahead at

breakneck speed, transforming our lives, we need a way to keep up with it,

to stay in control. The world is changing too quickly and there is too much

information for our old methods of instruction to work any longer. We

need to embrace online education for our personal and collective well-

being. (p. 11)

Online education is not a trendy fad that institutions can ignore and wait for the hype to

die down. It is the future of education, and a signal that colleges and universities must

reexamine their policies and practices. Failure to do so may result in their inability to

meet the needs of society, and being replaced by commercial enterprises that will.

Recommendations

Further research needs to be done to assist educators in identifying new practices

for Web-based education as the field evolves. Important questions should be investigated,

such as:

• How can the drop-out rate of distance learners be reduced?

• How can communication with distance learners be managed more effectively?

• What media elements make learning more effective?

This is an uncertain era for educators, but also an exciting time for those who are

willing to meet the challenge that technology poses. We are at the threshold of a new

paradigm for teaching, and we are certain to see many more changes as technology

provides us with more powerful tools.

39

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