The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15.
ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF A DISTANCE EDUCATION E-LEARNING PROGRAMME FOR TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS Barry, Chris Acton, Thomas Lavin, Patricia
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Dept of Accountancy and Finance National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland. Direct Dial: + 353 - 91 - 750301 Fax: + 353 - 91 - 750565
ABSTRACT It has been suggested that training and education may change dramatically due to the impact of enabling technologies such as the World Wide Web and multimedia (Ginsberg, Hodge, Lindstrom, Sampieri & Shiau, 1998). Higher educational institutions are expanding beyond traditional boundaries to introduce distance education initiatives in an effort to meet the disparate educational needs of the market. The prospective audience is composed of company employees and managers who may be working whole-time, physically situated far from college campuses, or unable or unwilling to avail of fulltime courses. Education for managers should be viewed as an ongoing responsibility to develop and improve skills (Murray 1998), indeed as a process rather than a series of one-off events (Kovach, 2000). One method of delivery of distance education is through e-learning. E-learning is heavily reliant on parameters such as the availability of and access to enabling technologies (Raymond, 2000), and an adequate level of end user computing competency amongst potential students. Despite the increasing interest in e-learning as a new and possibly effective method of education within the context of educational delivery, it may become dissatisfying and frustrating unless we design suitable educational models that can avoid potential complications (Cloete, 2001; Govindasamy, 2001). In this paper we describe the development of a distance education post-graduate e-learning programme in Ireland - an MSc in Technology Management. Interviews with the most senior academics and project managers involved revealed a belief in the importance of usability and ease of content modification as being critical design factors, that real value can be added to the educational experience of participants, but tempered with a firm contention that just because the programme is technology-enabled, it does not necessarily make it better.
INTRODUCTION It is only since the mid-1990s that the Internet's World Wide Web has been used as a medium for educational delivery (Reisman, Dear & Denzil, 2001). Within the third level sector much of the early use of the Web has been uncoordinated development by pioneering lecturers, who established, typically on their own initiative, alternative mechanisms for delivering content, receiving assignments and getting feedback from students. Observant colleagues were impressed by the “apparent” ease with which lecturer-specific Websites could be used for the deployment of newly developed and quickly amended content, and to communicate with students outside of normal lecture hours. Soon department-wide, faculty-wide and college-wide efforts were made to exploit these technologies. However, as anyone within the full-time third level sector knows, quality is patchy and inconsistent. Historically, distance education has been used to provide instructional access to students living in remote areas, where traditional education is not available. Furthermore, not all people today need or can afford a traditional residential university experience. Thus, educational institutions must now be prepared to take students in situ, often in the workplace, and engage with them in ways that take the best advantage of their available time, energies and interests (Carr-Chellman & Duchastel, 2000). Following on the experiences described above and perhaps combining them, higher educational institutions began to move across traditional boundaries offering e-learning based distance education initiatives. Essential to these
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15. initiatives is the importance of carefully designing courses that best utilize the available technologies. As competition among higher education institutes increases, the sector is starting to behave in a competitive manner, like other industries, striking out for the potential of international as well as domestic “outlets” (Duguet, 1995). In such an environment it is critical that the content is not simply the transportation of material developed for traditional distance education. This would, as Carr-Chellman and Duchastel put it, “… run serious risks of diluting the original instruction and possibly rendering it ineffective” (Carr-Chellman & Duchastel, 2000, p.229).
Background to the Study The Atlantic University Alliance (AUA) is the collaboration of three Irish Universities, the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway), the University of Limerick (UL) and University College, Cork (UCC). The AUA was established with the aim of pooling the individual expertise and resources of each University and making them available to indigenous small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the West, Mid-West and South of Ireland. Among the projects of the AUA is the development of a Masters Degree (an MSc) in Technology Management to be offered via e-learning. It aims to deliver the best international practice in technology and innovation management and to stimulate competitive advantage amongst participating companies. The Masters programme will develop knowledge and understanding of the increasingly important area of technology management, build the management and leadership capabilities of individuals in this area, and facilitate organisational change and sustainable improvements within the companies they work for. The paper examines how this e-learning initiative has been planned and developed within the university environment. In particular, it assesses the value of e-learning as a teaching model, analyses the course development process, and considers the views of the senior actors involved in the development of the programme.
NEW COURSES FOR USERS End User Computing End User Computing (EUC) is the direct use of computing resources by non-computer professionals to support their own personal business needs (Cragg & Zinatelli, 1995; Brancheau & Brown, 1993). At an individual level, EUC involves the development and application of essential computing skills to fulfil informational and computational needs (Huff, Munro & Martin, 1988). From an EUC perspective the end user acquires basic computing-related skills and applies them to new problems, thus developing the competence and confidence to acquire additional skills for more complex problems; and the learning cycle continues iteratively. Sophisticated and useful end user tools, falling computer hardware and software costs, continued improvements in performance, as well as a more computer-literate workforce have considerably extended EUC, improving user satisfaction and the quality of user-developed systems, reducing organisational computing costs and positively enhancing the careers of computer professionals (Howard, 1987). Today, the pioneering end user, developing spreadsheets without the Data Processing Department getting in the way has passed. Memories of turf wars over hardware and software budgets, and resource control issues have faded. Today EUC has long been embraced by organisations that witnessed the productivity premium that computer literate professionals brought to their job. In fact, even the term would be largely unfamiliar to younger professional and managers who assume the best that information technology can offer. It is most unlikely that were it not for the cumulative improvements in EUC competencies, a course such as that proposed in this paper would have little chance of success.
Approaches to the Design of Online Courses The role of instructors, teachers or lecturers who use e-learning technologies has brought about significant change in the skill-set required to teach successfully. Blythe (2001) suggests it is now commonplace to suggest that distance learning via the Internet compels teachers to become designers as well as teachers. It has been observed, for example, that instructors involved in e-learning who once simply walked into a classroom to teach must now construct a virtual classroom before engaging in distance learning. This has led some instructors to consider themselves as builders first and teachers second (Gillette, 1999). Such a view would be anathema to other teachers who would view technology, regardless of its sophistication, as just another teaching aid.
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15.
Designing Courses as Systems Instructors considering ways to design an online educational course need to be aware of distinctions between traditional and user-centred approaches to technology design (Blythe, 2001). Widely-used information systems design approaches, such as the lifecycle model, have represented standard practice in systems development. The emphasis in this type of approach is on creating a formal specification and subsequently developing (using programmers, network specialists and so on) a system that fulfils it. Traditionally, owners who commission these specifications influence and direct the design of the system, in consultation with the designers. Criticisms levelled at the relatively minor role that users had in the design process were warranted – after initial requirements gathering, they often did not see anything until the system was implemented. In this type of design, Blythe suggests the system has more power than the user, as the user has had little or no input in the design process. The importance of considering users in developing computer systems in general has been recognised since the 1970s (Abels, White & Hahn, 1998). The user-centred approach to online course design views the user as integral to the design process, providing requirements specifications and the benefit of their experiences. This type of approach gives users influence over and ownership in the system's design, and more practically it is likely to result in systems that users can use effectively. The traditional lifecycle approach is substituted by one that keeps users involved throughout the systems development process. Since online educational courses are student-centric, it follows that user-centred design is an appropriate technique for the development of an online course. Adler and Winograd (1992) maintain that direct user participation cannot be substituted in the systems design process. Blythe suggests a model for a usercentred approach to Internet-based course design that accommodates the input of students and administrators early in the design process. However, a user-centred approach does not easily translate to the design of a new Web-based course mainly because it is difficult to know, either in advance of course delivery or in advance of the finalisation of a student registration process for the course, who the users will be. Nonetheless, Blythe (2001) suggests that at the very least a user-centred approach can be adopted in the design process. These and other models, such as that put forward by Abels et al. (1998) emphasise user involvement and feedback across all stages of development. Other development models can offer useful guidance to course developers. Hughes and Hay (2001) suggest the use of the technique concept mapping in order to achieve project co-ordination and integration of the various team members. Concept mapping is a technique based on a constructivist education theory that suggests learning is built up from the learner’s perspective rather than being conveyed from an expert on high. The methodology is intended to build upon the perspectives of all stakeholders while simultaneously identifying any weaknesses in the design process. Hughes and Hay consider concept mapping to be a powerful tool in maximising the quality of output from a design team. In addition, Boyle (1997) advocates the importance of coordinated teamwork for e-learning projects that require expertise across a range of disciplines. Cloete (2001) advocates a four-tier electronic educational system (EES) model as a method of designing and delivering a specific e-learning project. Several layers are proposed to separate functions into logical units. The aim of the model is to aid designers with different e-learning objectives to plan and implement an effective e-learning solution. Hall (2001) proposes a number of criteria that should be used in evaluating an e-learning solution. These include content, instructional design, interactivity, navigation, motivational components, media usage, evaluation, aesthetics, record keeping and tone. Alternatively Khan (2001), in consideration of what is need to create a successful e-learning environment for diverse users, suggests that a framework with eight dimensions. These dimensions include: institutional, pedagogical, technological, interface design, evaluation, management, resource support and ethical considerations. The selection of approaches briefly described above indicates there are now many theoretical and some more practical approaches that may be used in the development of e-learning systems. Interestingly few of them draw on traditional systems development methods such as project management, user requirements modelling techniques or feasibility assessment. As often happens, when new technologies are deployed, experiences from related fields are overlooked.
Types of e-Learning The form of design, infrastructure, content and services offered by a course are dependent on the type of e-learning project to be delivered. E-learning can be divided into the following four main categories: a) knowledge databases, b) online support, c) asynchronous training and d) synchronous training (Obringer, 2001). The MSc in Technology Management is based largely on online support and asynchronous training, with some synchronous aspects. These are briefly described below.
Online Support Obringer (2001) describes online support as an interactive form of e-learning, which provides for detailed queries and immediate answers. There are a number of different types of online support including forums, chat rooms, online bulletin boards, e-mail or live instant-messaging support.
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15.
Asynchronous Training Asynchronous training is a precise method of e-learning manifested in self-paced learning through the use of CD-ROM or through Internet, network or Intranet-based activities. It may provide online access to e-instructors through e-mails, bulletin boards or forums; or may be self-contained with electronic hyperlinks to reference materials in place of a live instructor. In essence, asynchronous training provides a facilitator-directed communication medium to pursue discussion of individual topics related to the objectives of the course (Carr-Chellman and Duchastel, 2000).
Synchronous Training Synchronous training is performed in real-time with a live instructor facilitating the training. All participants might begin such training at the same time and communicate directly with the instructor and with each other. The training lasts for a predetermined amount of time, from a solitary session to sessions spanning several weeks or more. This type of training usually takes place via a Website using technology such as audio or video conferencing or two-way broadcasts to students in a classroom (Obringer, 2001). The advantages of synchronous interchanges include a more direct sense of collegial interaction, the immediacy of answers to questions posed and possibly a positive contribution to the team building required to sustain future student interactions (Carr-Chellman & Duchastel, 2000).
Issues in the e-Learning Environment Bernath (1996) maintains that there are three different types of educational institutions that can provide e-learning. These types include specialised institutions which have significant, long-term experience providing distance education through various correspondence methods; open and distance learning institutions that deliver instruction to degreeseeking students on a large scale; and dual-mode universities that combine significant distance teaching concepts with more traditional core academic programs. Bernath suggests that future developments in e-learning will generally focus on combining the research capabilities and teaching expertise available at conventional universities with distance-based teaching concepts from open and distance institutions. It is often the case that students enrolled in e-learning programmes are older than the average age of residential university students. When designing an e-learning system there are a number of instructional events that are necessary for effective adult learning (Little, 2001). These include: positive engagement with the learner, explicit identification of learning objectives, underpinning prior knowledge through stimulation of recall, effective presentation of content, ensuring availability of learner guidance and support, effective and appropriate provision of feedback, user performance assessment, and consideration of knowledge in context. These learning issues are all independent of delivery method. Little suggests that by understanding how people learn, and knowing the capability of online delivery, the educational designer can develop solutions that work, meeting the needs of the total audience and the individual.
Advantages and Disadvantages of e-Learning There are a number of reasons for institutions becoming involved in e-learning (Milheim, 2001; Hall, 2001). Elearning allows faculties to offer courses beyond traditional classroom walls without having to be in class at specific times. Access to content has cross-platform compatibility, which implies that it can be accessed by Web browsing software on any computing platform. There are also a number of specific advantages for students involved with this form of education (Daugherty & Funke, 1998). Many of these advantages relate to instructional convenience (e.g. twenty-four hour access, reduced travel costs, time savings and no scheduling conflicts) and increased exposure to technology-based applications. Muller, Matheson, Page and Gallup (1998) put forward a number of steps suggesting how a system can contribute to human goals and improve the human experience. They believe that the system should support rather than replace human skills while providing a pleasurable and respectful working experience. However, Webb (2001) while asserting that the availability of technology alone is not a good motivator in itself for offering a distance education course, it is an excellent enhancement. Conversely, some authors believe that there are inherent disadvantages with this form of education and that it may not be as revolutionary as some would suggest (Bullen, 2001; Martin, 1999). Of serious concern is the increasing commercialisation of education that online delivery seems to encourage. Perhaps related to this is the credibility of some of the institutions offering e-learning programmes. There is also disquiet about the growing focus on training instead of education – no doubt made easier using Web-based technologies. More fundamentally perhaps is the lack of human interaction that forms a major part of traditional delivery methods. Its inherent value is easily overlooked when institutions play a number’s games with enrolments. Furthermore it should not be assumed that Web-delivered “anything” yields immediate cost savings or increased productivity. Courses offered through an e-learning format may
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15. involve increased planning and preparation time on the part of designers, developers, and “deliverers” as well as significant changes in teaching styles.
Faculty Issues with e-Learning In light of the discussion above on the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning, University faculties need to be fully prepared for the adoption of programmes they advertise and are then obliged to fulfil. Apart from the legal contract they have with the student, there is the credibility of the institution in being able to maintain the same or better service levels using Web-based technologies that it does with traditional face-to-face taught programmes. Perhaps surprisingly, some of the most difficult barriers to the effective implementation of e-learning initiatives are increased time commitment, faculty member compensation and incentives, lack of money to implement programs, lack of shared vision for distance education in organisations, and lack of support staff (Berge & Muilenburg, 2000). While Savenye, Olina and Niemczyk (2001) sensibly promote not just the provision of hardware and software but the need for staff to have the necessary technical and writing skills. Of vital importance is the overall institutional support for the development and implementation of distance education (Milheim, 2001). However, some institutions have been uninterested and even sceptical of e-learning as a form of education. Others have an incoherent or inconsistent view of it – managing to promote it at an outward level, but failing to promote it internally. Issues also arise in respect of intellectual property rights and the specific ownership of the materials developed for this type of instruction. Given that e-learning is a relatively new educational concept, current institutional policies are somewhat unclear in this area. As a result, e-learning materials are sometimes compared to inventions where universities are the owner’s of patent rights, or textbooks where faculty might deal directly with the publishers, or journal articles where authors normally give copyright to the journal (Milheim, 2001). Faculty members would have obvious concerns about the loss of control over course material that they have invested time and intellectual capital in.
Deployment of an e-Learning Solution There is little doubt that e-learning has an important role to play across many sectors, and in particular the education sector. In addition to its assumed cost-effectiveness, its main advantages are its flexibility, convenience and accessibility to users, potential access to a worldwide audience, and its repeatability. However, institutions should resist the temptation to jump on the e-learning bandwagon and give careful consideration to the design and deployment of an e-learning solution (Young, 2001). According to Young, there are a number of issues to be considered in this regard. These issues include the type of deployment options that are available in order to reach the broadest possible audience (e.g. Intranet, Internet, extranet), whether the courses can be accessed at the users’ convenience with the least amount of effort, whether the course can be accessed using the current computing resources available in the institution, whether the course can be made available to the potential users through the current state of existing network resources, and whether there are options available for learners who do not have Web access. He describes three categories of learners in an e-learning context, including local learners, remote learners and nomadic learners. Young suggests that when designing a course, the needs of these three learning groups should be considered. Moreover bandwidth limitations and network traffic must be taken into account, particularly if hungry technologies like motion-video, highresolution graphics, audio and security features are going to be used.
E-Learning as a New Teaching Model? Although the Web can be utilised as a worldwide, efficient, and interactive technology for delivering instruction, little attempt has been made to establish the pedagogical advantages of this medium. Jung (2001) believes that while the Web and the Internet are relatively new technologies, the problems of providing instruction with these technologies are not entirely new nor can it be assumed that they are pedagogically innovative. Jung suggests that Web-based instruction (WBI) can be understood from the perspectives of existing theories such as cognitive flexibility theory, constructivism, and information processing theory. It can also be analysed in the context of multimedia or hypermediabased instruction, or indeed computer-based instruction in general. More importantly Jung proposes that WBI is the application of a new technology to the established field of distance education. This refreshing perspective is consistent with other research that suggests Web-based Information Systems are not new in any theoretical sense (Martin, 1999; Barry, 2000).
RESEARCH METHOD To provide an adequately detailed study of the development process of the Atlantic University Alliances MSc in Technology Management by distance education, the research approach chosen was that of a case study incorporating structured interviews. Five interviews were conducted with key figures from the Board of Directors of the AUA who
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15. are directly responsible for the establishment of the programme. Interviews were conducted with each of the three Academic Directors from the respective colleges and with two of the Programme Directors. Minor differences in the questionnaires were made for each respective group. Each questionnaire consisted of a series of closed questions, each of which had an open-ended commentary to elicit deeper elaboration and discussion of their response. The questions used a Likert-scale type rating, where the respondents were asked to tick the category that best described their opinion on a given statement.
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT PROCESS MSc in Technology Management Course Structure The multidisciplinary nature of the technology management activity within organisations demands an interdisciplinary and innovative approach to programme design and delivery. The cross functional nature of the technology management process demands that course participants develop a holistic perspective on the nature of the organisation, its competitive strategy and the role and function of R&D Management within that framework. The target audience of the MSc includes senior managers, chief executives, and other individuals whose position requires a thorough knowledge of technology management. The programme is a targeted response to a clearly identified need in specific occupations and sectors of the economy. Since SMEs typically have difficulties with respect to staff flexibility and the resources to participate in conventional education programmes, open learning was seen as the most suitable and accessible mode of delivery. The AUA project consists of three separate actions: Action 1: Action 2: Action 3:
Production of the MSc in Technology Management - the most substantial component. Training of Trainers - training and exposure to best international practice in Innovation and R&D Management Networking - designed to include interaction, demonstration and sharing of information with the aim of assisting and encouraging companies to make full use of the new tools and techniques learned in the training and consultancy sessions and to embed new and improved innovation management practices in member companies
The online MSc will be Web-based and composed of separate modules. By delivering the programme through distance education, it is argued that participants will be able to access it remotely at any time - by conventional means and via the Web. The material is intended to be relevant and appropriate to SME needs, and where possible the programme will provide electives for specific industrial sectors. The programme will be delivered on a part-time basis over two years, comprising online tuition, organised study, and formal examinations. It is intended to organise periodic daylong tutorials for each module on the programme. Printed notes will complement the Web-based learning system that will include the following educational support tools: a Web-based technological infrastructure, on-line enrolment, tutoring, communication, and assessment and administration procedures. Students will also be able to access research material from the University’s Electronic Library. It is intended that the MSc will be offered from January 2003 as a pilotproject postgraduate programme.
FINDINGS The Demand for an MSc in Technology Management There was a strong level of agreement among the interviewees that there is a significant need for an MSc in Technology Management to be delivered via distance education in Ireland. One of the major factors influencing this need, according to one of the Academic Directors of the programme: “…was the perception that levels of productivity and organisational efficiency in indigenous companies in Ireland was relatively low, in comparison in particular with the inward investments and that an MSc in Technology Management would make a significant contribution to the innovation process within these firms”. Fundamentally, it was the interviewees’ opinions that the need for the MSc in Technology Management has been driven by demand from the business environment. At present, there is a significant level of foreign investment in Ireland. In the next number of years as this investment is likely to slow, it is a concern that indigenous companies who depend on this investment will find survival difficult. It is hoped that a course such as the MSc, will help senior personnel in these companies with the necessary skills to continue to operate profitably.
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15. There was consensus among the interviewees that the most effective way to deliver this MSc was via the distance education/e-learning model. It was the overall opinion that, given the environment and the issues companies have with the release of staff for training, this was the most successful way to develop the skills necessary to promote innovation needed in industry. It is interesting to note the view that these skills could be developed in-house or through campusbased courses, but that distance education was likely to be the most effective, as it would reach people who are busy at work or who are in geographically remote places and would find attendance at a campus-based course difficult. Although often cited as a reason for Universities adopting distance education/e-learning initiatives, the increasing competition between higher education institutes was not considered by the interviewees to be a driving force for the use of this medium of delivery. It was noted, that although the candidates were aware that there are other e-learning opportunities available, it had not been a major factor in influencing the decision to offer this programme or the decision to offer it via distance education. Indeed, one of the Academic Directors felt that the AUA were fulfilling the primary role of the university, which is to provide knowledge. Nonetheless, the interviewees did consider the MSc in Technology Management to be a competitive product vis-à-vis other Irish Universities and Institutes of Technology.
E-learning as a Teaching Model There was a firm level of consensus among the interviewees that an e-learning model of education delivery was not inherently superior over the traditional classroom-based methods. There was nonetheless agreement that the e-learning model adds pedagogical benefits. It was felt that the e-learning model could provide capabilities that simply cannot be provided as efficiently through the classroom method. One of the Academic Directors noted that the e-learning model has the capacity to provide access to course materials, electronic libraries and databases that cannot be offered as effectively in the classroom model. An attractive aspect of the programme was seen as the proposed sequence and pace of the learning process and the ability of the students to access materials in their own time. It was the general view that this feature of the e-learning model adds particular pedagogical value. There was not agreement among the interviewees as to whether the e-learning model accommodates different learning styles more efficiently than traditional classroom methods. It was the opinion of one Academic Director that e-learning caters for different learners as the student can work at their own pace. Another Academic Director was of the view that the slower learner might benefit by self-paced instruction. The interviewees agreed that students appreciate the traditional classroom format and the amount of interactive learning that can take place in that context and the ability to immediately communicate with the teacher and the students. It was the opinion of one Academic Director that this cannot be faithfully replicated in an e-learning system. Nevertheless, this Director did note that for some students it may be the only way they will have realistic access to learning, and that that in itself is preferable. Although some of the interviewees contended that the e-learning model could facilitate different levels of learning, there was strong consensus among interviewees that the e-learning model would not be a suitable replacement for face-to-face styles of education. It was felt that the e-learning model should support rather than replace human skills and that it would be more effective when integrated with classroom-based learning. The interviewees did not share the notion that elearning is the future for learning for people of all ages.
E-learning as a Communication Tool The interviewees agreed strongly that the e-learning model would enhance faculty-to-student communication. It was felt that e-mail would become the normal means of communication, thereby making the student more accessible to the instructor and vice versa. It was also the opinion that if designed and guided correctly, discussion boards or chat rooms could enhance the communication between faculty and students. The interviewees were more dubious about the notion of the e-learning model enhancing student-to-student communication. It was felt that this type of communication would have to be structured and managed correctly in order for it to be of any real benefit. There was firm consensus that ongoing evaluation of the student’s reaction to this form of delivery is essential. It was noted that it is important to focus on the objectives of the course rather than the medium and it is essential to keep in contact and have regular interaction with the students to assess how well these objectives are being met. It is anticipated that the success of the course will be measured with criteria such as this.
Faculty Preparations for e-learning Contrary to popular opinion, there was agreement among the interviewees that the e-learning model would not reduce the faculty workload. The view was, that if anything, the workload would increase dramatically, especially in the
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15. development process. It was asserted development generally and in particular the development of modules, is an enormously labour intensive process. On completion of the development process, it is expected that there will be a constant need for updating materials, communicating with students and between departments and universities and also managing the technology platform. Furthermore, as the MSc combines e-learning with tutorial elements, this must also be managed. In addition, once all the base material has been prepared, more material will be added and updated. For these reasons it is anticipated that the faculty will need to prepare for higher academic and administrative workloads.
The Design and Development of the e-learning Web System Specific design parameters were established for the e-learning system. The ability to facilitate two-way communication between students and tutors was considered to be an essential function of the system. It was expected that this type of communication would be facilitated through the use of email, discussion boards, and chat rooms. Perhaps anomalously, it was the view of interviewees that this capability may not necessarily add value to the learning process. In order for it to be of benefit to all parties it was the general view that discussions and feedback between students and tutors (and indeed between students) would have to be implemented with care. Interviewees felt that multimedia (e.g. sound, video and graphics) was not an essential component of the Web system. It was remarked that to add these types of capabilities to a Web system is an enormously expensive process. Furthermore, it was noted that with the present bandwidth limitations in Ireland, there would be severe restrictions on the amount of multimedia that could be added to the Web system. However it was not expected that this would limit the capabilities of the Web system and that over time multimedia elements could be added to the system. There was strong agreement amongst interviewees that a crucial function of the Web system is to monitor user activity. Features such as recording the length of time users are logged onto the system, the pages visited within the Website and the facilities used should all be monitored. It is expected that the systems will generate summary reports on these and other aspects of user activity. The usage patterns of different students could then be used to determine whether parts of the system are not being used, if certain feature are more frequently accessed than others or whether students are not using, perhaps prescribed, parts of the Website. Overall, it was felt that this type of systems functionality would be critical in evaluating the success of the system. Since it is expected that the Website will be routinely updated, the system is being designed so that content authors will be able to edit, add or delete material independently of the systems developer. Thus it will be essential that authorised personnel be well trained in how to use relevant functions of the system.
E-learning within the University Environment Technology management by its nature is multidisciplinary; therefore the MSc in Technology Management combines the expertise of various faculties within the three partner universities. It was the consensus of the interviewees that this multidisciplinary approach was one of the major strengths of the course. There was agreement that collaborative difficulties between educational institutions were mainly procedural and administrative, and could be overcome. There was consensus amongst all interviewees that the AUA will offer further degree courses via distance/e-learning education in the future. It is expected that the first three years of the MSc in Technology Management will act as a pilot program. It was observed that the addition of more degree courses would be less arduous given the extant platform, its infrastructure and the embedded organisational knowledge.
CONCLUSIONS The primary objective of this study was to ascertain how an e-learning initiative was planned and developed within a university environment. The authors used in-depth personal interviews to achieve this objective, within the context of a single case study involving the AUA MSc in Technology Management e-learning initiative. Overall, the interviewees expressed strong support for the inter-university collaboration between NUI Galway, UL and UCC and viewed this and the multidisciplinary approach to the MSc amongst its major strengths. There was strong consensus that there is a need for such a programme and that the course should be delivered via a Web-based e-learning system. Interviewees felt that the success of the project would depend on a well-designed system with high-quality usability and good administration, amongst which the monitoring of user activity would be crucial. Ease of content modification for content providers/instructors was also deemed a critical design factor. The notion that a systems design and method of instruction should be based on a users learning style is consistent with early suggestions from decision support systems and end user computing literature ((Sprague, 1980; Bohlen & Ferratt, 1993).
The International Conference on Informatics Education and Research, Barcelona, Spain, December 13-15. There was a firm level of consensus amongst interviewees that the e-learning model of education delivery is not inherently superior to traditional classroom-based methods. Indeed, there was a widely-held belief that traditional instructor-led and classroom-based delivery methods are pedagogically sound, and the implicit view that there may be some contextual difficulties with innovative e-learning methods is supported by literature elsewhere (Leuthold, 1999; Squires, 1999). Certainly, the findings from this study suggests that key developers are fully aware of the dangers of assuming technology-led initiatives are, ipso facto, better than other approaches. None of the interviewees were of the opinion that the e-learning/distance education model would be a suitable replacement for face-to-face styles of learning, a finding consistent with reservations previously expressed (Bullen, 2001; Martin, 1999). Moreover, some of the interviewees felt that traditional classroom methods were simply better, and that e-learning courses would be expected to be more effective when integrated with classroom-based learning. Such concerns point to mature reflections about the potential of such systems upon the outset, rather than a headlong rush into a milieu of technology and opportunism. Nevertheless, the interviewees were of the opinion that e-learning does have pedagogical benefits, particularly in circumstances where students are geographically remote or are unable, because of employment commitments to attend residential university courses. There was agreement that e-learning enhances student-to-faculty communication and vice versa. The interviewees believed that the e-learning model would not however reduce the faculty workload; rather, if anything it would increase. This expectation is not inconsistent with the view that faculty staff may seek some form of compensation for their involvement in e-learning initiatives (Milheim, 2001). It was also generally agreed that an imperative to use Webbased technology should not be the overriding driving force for the introduction of an e-learning programme. This research provides a snapshot of the current status of one e-learning initiative. Given that the area of e-learning is new and that much research needs to be conducted, the authors suggest that this case study be re-visited and evaluated when the e-learning Web system is fully operational. The major actions of the AUA programme each need to be appraised in light of the ambitious objectives of the project. Apart from the original interviewees, the Web developers, the content authors and the students should all be consulted to fully evaluate their experiences with the development process, the programme content and the administration of the course. Contrasting the expectations of key individuals involved at the outset of the project with their subsequent experiences should provide valuable insights into the usefulness, or otherwise, of the initiative.
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