Teaching and Learning Using Internet On-Line Courses


Charles E. Ophardt, Professor of Chemistry,
Elmhurst College, Illinois, USA, email: charleso@elmhurst.edu


Abstract

A distance education Internet based on-line class which transcends the time and space requirements of a traditional class may be very appealing to a well motivated independent learner. In the "digital age" teaching model, the teacher acts as the guide or multi-resource person to students actively engaged in independent learning from many rich sources of information now readily accessible electronically. The subject content is learned using a mixture of media, multiple resources, problem solving and critical thinking methods.

An on-line course designer must look at methods to ensure that educational discussion and learning is facilitated. A main feature of an on-line course is the establishment of instructor to class communications which may take the following forms: Asynchronous communication using email, lists serves, and a web based discussion board for "any time" discussions; Synchronous communication using conferencing software (chat rooms).

Resources are currently available on the Internet to create a "virtual textbook" from a variety of reputable and primary sources. Electronic or virtual field trips may be constructed for various science and engineering applications. Tips on how to get started in putting various components of a course on-line will be discussed. A summary of advantages and disadvantages for on-line course delivery will also be discussed, as well as, a selection of Internet sites with science and engineering applications.

Rationale - Challenges to Learning:

As we enter the 21st Century, adult students (25 years of age or older) now make up close to 50 % of all college and university enrollments in the United States. There are similar statistics in other countries. Adult students see the need to enhance their education both at the undergraduate and graduate levels to enter, change, or advance in their careers. However, due to work and family schedules, attending a traditional class in a college or university may not be a good option. A distance education Internet based on-line class which transcends the time and space requirements of a traditional class may be very appealing to a well motivated independent learner.

Universities are able to deliver courses and entire degrees to students in distant locations without having to leave home, set foot in a class room, or interrupt their careers. The Internet has created a new medium for education. This new medium breaks down the barriers and provides opportunities more inter-institutional cooperation in course development and implementation. There are many examples of courses and whole degree programs already on-line.

Teaching in the "digital information age" environment requires a shift to a new teaching model. In the "digital age" teaching model, the teacher acts as the guide or multi-resource person to students actively engaged in independent learning. The subject content is learned using a mixture of media, multiple resources, problem solving and critical thinking methods. Student success may be measured when students solve problems, communicate ideas, present information, and learn how to learn. The teacher is no longer regarded as the primary source of knowledge, since many rich sources of information for learning are now readily accessible electronically.

Characteristics and Design of an Internet On-line Course:

An Internet On-line course provides access to hyperlinked or networked learning of course materials, which may be interactive, simulations, multimedia, homework, and quizzes. Information is available when students want it and they have personal control of the information with easy access. The Internet access enables them to use time more effectively, and at their own pace, to learn the subject matter.

In addition, such a course provides access to people via the Internet i.e. subject matter experts (faculty, TA, business, or government); and other students for peer interactions. On-line courses promote greater student communication with their instructors and with other students. In addition, the overall quality of these interactions is increased because there is more time for thought and reflection to make an appropriate response.

Instructor to student communication requires an "up-front" understanding of the course requirements, a detailed course syllabus, grading, and a realistic estimate of the time involved. Office hours should be posted when phone communication is ensured. In addition, a main feature of an on-line course is the establishment of instructor to class communications such as a Web Discussion Board (more on this later). The instructor needs to promote and facilitate student to student communication such as posting autobiographies, enable private communication, the use of email, or the Web Discussion Board.

Good teaching practice communicates high expectations which becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. An effective assessment system to monitor progress and provide prompt feedback may include a mixture of self assessments, graded assignments, open book tests, automatic on-line computer marked tests, and on premise proctored tests.

Online Discussion and Communication Methods:

If the World Wide Web is just used to disseminate materials, an on-line course is limited, isolated, and lacks the interaction necessary for students to learn from one another. Consequently, an on-line course designer must look at methods to ensure that educational discussion and learning is facilitated. Teaching and learning need to be stimulated and promoted by group collaboration and discussion among students and students/professor.

Communication in On-line courses may take the following forms: Asynchronous communication using email, list serves, and a web based discussion board for "any time" discussions; Synchronous communication using conferencing software (chat rooms), and MOO's ( Multi-user Object Oriented) for multi-party "same time" on-line discussions. Students are able to participate in class discussions with peers and the professor.

Since the normal lecture/discussion in a traditional classroom is missing, an On-line course must involve the students in discussion of content and issues. Students are able to ask more questions that probably would not have been asked in class. They are able to understand different points of view. Dispersed students are enabled to communicate interactively across time zones and borders.

Web Discussion Board for asynchronous discussion:

An Internet web discussion board enables students/faculty to post messages/discussions directly onto the internet with no need for email. There are many commercial, shareware, and free software programs that are used as discussion boards. An example of a web discussion board is Discus, a freeware program from Hope College, Michigan, USA (1) and implemented at Elmhurst College (2). These discussion boards allow a versatile set up of topics, monitoring, use various formats, equations, graphics, and reference URL's. Good discussion board software facilitates "threaded" discussions where all similar messages on the same topic are grouped. All messages are visible or at least available for easy access under a particular topic. Follow up responses by faculty and students are easily facilitated. Unlike email, a discussion board, preserves and maintains all of the messages in a public forum. The instructor need answer a question only once and post it on the discussion board for all students to benefit.

The instructor should pose a mix of questions including open-ended, opinion based, and specific application. Two to three questions per week plus other graded assignments may be optimal. The instructor should be careful about giving highly critical public assessments of on-line comments, but rather give behind the scenes feedback through email. The instructor should use feedback comments to motivate, stimulate, gently prod, or be generally encouraging and non judgmental.

Creation of a "virtual textbook" from sources in the Internet:

A major motivational factor in "building" or developing an On-line course is the ability to be selective in choosing the course materials which you, as the instructor, use to stimulate the learners. There is no need to "reinvent the wheel" by writing new materials when a wealth of materials is already available on the Internet from a variety of reputable sources. In the course design, it is possible to search for the best materials available, not just what happens to be present in the text book. Many primary sources of information are available from government agencies, the business community, the academic community, and special interest groups. Electronic or virtual field trips may be constructed to for various science and engineering applications.

The downside to creating hyperlinks to good information is that it may behave as "vapor ware" - the site may be taken off or moved from a server without a trace. The availability of internet sites needs to be continually checked and rechecked.

Advantages and disadvantages for on-line course delivery:

Why Teach an On-line Course?
Advantages Disadvantages
Faculty become facilitators of learning Faculty role is not face to face teaching
Adult students with busy schedules May not actually have time for course
Need Mature, self motivated student Some can not learn independently
Any time delivery - Asynchronous None
Chat room discussion Time when all are available
Computer Technology Computer literate, computer access
Advanced software, "plug-ins" Less than "state of art" computer avail.
Promotes Increased Communication Lack of personal contact w/students
Students Interact more w/content Need independent study skills
Create "virtual" text book Good internet sites may "disappear"
Graphics, simulations, audio avail. Need "plug-ins" for student computers
Very current, up to date content Time consuming searches, HTML
page set up, continuous monitoring

How to get started on putting various components of a course on-line:

Faculty need motivation, quality training in new technologies, access to hardware and software, institutional support structure, and time to learn software and develop materials. A possible list of software may include the usual word processors, spreadsheets, and databases. Software to create and manipulate graphics, photos, video, sound, and computer movies or animations is essential. Finally, a rudimentary knowledge of HTML programming language is helpful, although there are many software programs that automatically convert documents into HTML are available. For more advanced course developers a knowledge of Shockwave, cgi scripts, and JAVA programming are useful.

Start small and develop a system of copying good URL's into a word processor document with titles and comments. Find some good sites that can be used to initiate discussion. Some existing assignments can be converted to web based assignments. Existing word processed documents can be converted to HTML format "easily" - using software that converts it automatically to HTML, such as Adobe Page Mill. Set up a small site to get started.

Selection of Internet sites with science and engineering applications:

One of the most extensive examples of engineering degrees and course offered as Distance learning as least partially on the Internet is a Texas Tech University, College of Engineering (3,4). Seven different Masters Degree in various fields of engineering are offered in this manner. The lectures are delivered by VCR tapes, some material is delivered with CD-ROM. The Internet component requires 6-8 other pieces of software. Other examples of distance education courses are from Iowa State University College of Engineering, where again the courses are offered primarily through video tape (5). Distance Education at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Software offers a Master of Software Engineering through the Internet (6). A course on Electromagnetism from MIT contains samples of animations of mathematical equations related to electromagnetism (7). Two important "plug-ins" that may be useful are Math Reader for Mathematica (plug-in) and Formula One/Net for live spreadsheets. Other references will be made available on the Web page for this presentation.

Case Study: CHEMISTRY 110: CHEMISTRY AND ISSUES IN THE ENVIRONMENT (8)

Course Requirements:
Lecture/ On-line Web Board Discussions -13:
A detailed topical outline in provided with notes from the professor, as well as, many other Internet sites. Students are to respond on the Web Board to three questions from a selection of 7-10.

Issues: Debates/Role Plays -6: On-line Web Board Discussions
A technological issue is examined from many points of view by assigning students a "role" to research and examine from the scientific, economic, social, and ethical viewpoints. Informational searches use the Internet sites, Examples are: Global Warming, Nuclear Power Plants, Chlorine Ban in Industrial Synthesis, Ozone Depletion, Water Pollution Case Study, Solid Waste Disposal Plan for Du Page County.

Laboratory - 6: "Take home" labs.

Personal Resource Assessments - 6: Somewhat equivalent to laboratory experiences
Examples include: Elements and Compounds Used in Everyday Living, Energy Use, Industrial Chemicals, Acid Rain and Ozone Depletion, Water Use, Solid and Hazardous Household Waste.

Quizzes - 6: Take home using the textbook as a source and N.Y. Times supplement newspaper articles.

Laboratory, Assessments, and Quizzes are submitted electronically by email or by FAX.


References:

1. Web Discussion Board - Discus Freeware program from Hope College, Michigan, USA
2. Implementation of Discus at Elmhurst College


3. Texas Tech University College of Engineering

4. Example Chemical Engineering Course from Texas Tech University


5. Iowa State University College of Engineering Course

6. Distance Education at Carnegie Mellon University School of Compter Software Master of Software Engineering

7. Course on Electronmagnetism from MIT


8. Ophardt, Charles, CHEMISTRY 110: CHEMISTRY AND ISSUES IN THE ENVIRONMENT,


General References:

9. IDE - Inovations in Distance Education - Guiding Principles and Practices for the Design, and Development of Effective Distance Education,

10. Burks, Oakely II, University of Illinois,World Wide Web - Applications in Higher Education


11. Distance Education in the College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison

12. Klaus, John, University of Wisconsin - Several papers on distance education.

13. Paul Whelan, Preliminary Investigation into the Use of the WWW for Remote Access Teaching, School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University

14. Ronny Lohuis, Final report in connection with the study at the Faculty of Educational Science and Technology at the University of Twente, The Netherlands,


15. Dr. Christian Stryker,Teaching Successful Telecourses, Montana State University,


16. David Thomas, Visualization and Communication Tools for Mathematics and Science Teaching, Department of Mathematical Sciences at Montana State University,


17. Tarek G. Shawki, Mechanics on the Internet, Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics,


18. Klaus, John, Distance Education On-line Courses on the Internet, (links to world wide sources)

19. Globewide Network Academy - listing of 15,000 Distance Education Courses,


20. Math Reader for Mathematica (plug-in)

21. Formula One/Net (plug-in for live spreadsheeets),