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 Technology
SON, MCPHU
• Designed and now…
• Webmaster for SON website
• Nurses Learning Connection
http://nursing.mcphu.edu
What We've Done
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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
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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? *
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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?
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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? *
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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?
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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?
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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? *
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Undergraduates
Graduates
Professionals
Staff
K-12
Media
The Public
How Much Time Can I Spend?
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Planning
Creating
Maintaining
Revising
How Much Time Can Other
People Spend?
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Planning
Creating
Maintaining
Revising
What "Resources" Does My
Audience Have? *
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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?
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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
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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
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Where Do I go from here????
Answer these questions
Talk with your support staff
Make the decision