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Planning for the Web
• Questions for Faculty Contemplating use of the World Wide Web in their Classes– Prepared for “Beyond the Online Syllabus”
6 May 1999
James E. Mitchell
• Associate Professor - Civil & Architectural Engineering
• Chair - Computer Advisory Council
• Experimenter with Web-Based Communication
• http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~mitcheje/
John Fritz
• Director, Educational TechnologySON, MCPHU
• Designed and now…
• Webmaster for SON website
• Nurses Learning Connectionhttp://nursing.mcphu.edu
What We've Done
• Created Web Syllabus
• Placed all Course Information on Web
• Created on-line Databases for Course Use
• Use student web page creation as heart of course
• Created Distance Education Web Site– Academic – Continuing Ed.
How We’ll Conduct This Session
• We’ll be asking you to discuss our suggestions• We Welcome Questions
– We’ll also stop discussion when it’s getting too detailed.
• We’ll try to Finish All Our Slides– But your participation is more important– If we don’t finish everything you can see the other
questions on the website.
Surveys
• Who is not yet using Email?
• Who is not yet using a Browser?
• Who has their Personal Web Page?
• Who has a Course Web Page?
• Who is Contributing to a Web Based Project?
• Who came here to design a Web page?
How This Relates to John Morris Talk • Same basic approach, but looking at it on a
project/individual basis?
• The levels we'll show relate to his "categories".
Questions To Ask Yourself
• We suggest that there a number of questions you should answer for yourself before starting on a project
Why am I doing this? *
• Because someone is pushing me?
• Because I think it might be a good idea?
• Because I have a specific, pressing need?
• Because I think I might learn something?
• Because it may facilitate learning?
Who's Available to Help Me?
• No-one
• A graduate student
• An undergraduate student
• A full-time professional
• A full team of professionals
What Do I Expect my Web Based Effort to Do? *• Provide some standard information in a new way?
• Provide all standard information in a new way?
• Increase the frequency of communication?
• Supplement the way I teach an existing class?
• Change the way I teach an existing class?
• Replace the way I teach an existing class?
• Create a new class organized traditionally?
• Create a new class taught a new way?
• Introduce new material taught without a traditional class structure and techniques?
Does the "Content" Already Exist?• In my head
• On paper
• Electronic form
Legal Issues
• Are any of you materials copyrighted by others?– This includes text, images and programs.
• Is any of your material commercially valuable?• Is there a possibility of re-use by others?• Does Drexel or MCPHU
have a clear policy on "Ownership"?– As of 5/3/99 the answer is "No"
What do I get Out of This?
• A check on someone's list?
• The ability to do my job better?
• A warm glow?
• Satisfy my curiousity?
• Fame?
• Riches?
What do Other People Get Out of This?• A better education?
• A check on someone's list?
• The ability to do my job better?
• A warm glow?
• Satisfy their curiosity?
• Fame?
• Riches?
Who are My Audience? *
• Undergraduates
• Graduates
• Professionals
• Staff
• K-12
• Media
• The Public
How Much Time Can I Spend?
• Planning
• Creating
• Maintaining
• Revising
How Much Time Can Other People Spend?• Planning
• Creating
• Maintaining
• Revising
What "Resources" Does My Audience Have? *• Computer Access - How Often? Where?• Computer Capability - Speed, Monitor, Storage• Network Capability - Speed, Reliability, Modem• Software – HTML editor, graphics, other• Printing Capability - B&W, Color• Do I have to work to the lowest common
denominator?
What Support is available?
• To answer questions?
• To resolve hardware problems?
• To resolve software problems?
• To install hardware?
• To install software?
• To maintain and revise data?
• How rapidly and reliably will I receive it?
Is the Result Worth the Effort?
• Don't do it if you don't see the results to be worthwhile!
• It will take at least twice as much time as you predict!
• You have to be prepared to deal with technical problems!
Tools
• Although the details (and sometimes the big picture) change daily there are some things one can say.
Computer Requirements
• Faster = Better 350MH+
• Memory = Lots 64MB+
• Disk = Lots 6GB+
• Monitor = Big 17"+
• Mac/PC - At Drexel PC is most common– Macs still have many excellent graphic
programs
Network Requirements
• Ethernet = Minimum
• Take advantage of IRT servers where possible
• A “Static” IP address is necessary if you’re running own server
Software Requirements
Web Browser
• Internet Explorer 5.0 (IE)– Drexel Recommended because of our servers
• Netscape Communicator 4.5
Web Server
• We recommend taking advantage of IRT servers– There are good instructions on the IRT site.
• Can create your own server – Either on your own machine or commercial
Web Page Creation Program
• Simple Page Creation– MS Word 97 - No fanciness, but works– Claris Homepage is very easy & currently free– Editors are built into IE and Netscape
• Site Creation - Beneficial for anything serious– MS FrontPage is easy - put pro's dislike its code– Dreamweaver is JEM's current Favorite
• He has switched about 4 times in 3 years
– Many others - all with benefits
Office 2000 is the coming thing
• Heavily web-integrated
• May be completely sufficient for individual/casual use
Recommendations
• Where Do I go from here????
• Answer these questions
• Talk with your support staff
• Make the decision