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