A Case Study
By Matt Dyki
School of Commerce
Charles Sturt University

• Provides Flexibility in Teaching
• Better Integration of Subject Content
• Enhanced Communication

• Two subjects – two different ways
• ACC222 External Reporting
– Focus is Interaction with Subject Content
• MGT220 E-Commerce
– Focus is Student to Student Interaction

ACC222 External Reporting
Interaction with Content

• 2 nd Year Financial Accounting Subject
– Basically an introduction into writing annual reports
• Designed to meet professional requirements
• Covers a range of different topics
– Sometimes unrelated to previous topics
• 2 Assessment items, 1 Exam
– 15% Generic Skills, 15% Technical, 70% Exam

• Modules Tool
– Primary tool used
• Announcements
• Resources
• Chat
• Polls
• Schedule
• Web Content

Chat Room
Polls
Announcements (1 way)
Schedule (1 way)
Lecturer
Modules
Student
Modules
Content

• Separate Module for each topic
• Broken down into sections
• End of each section an exercise
– Question on the section
– Web Link to explore
• Worked examples – with Audio
• End of each module
– Audio Lecture
– Link to OASIS for a formative quiz on the topic

Interaction in the Modules Tool
• Student with Content
– Identifying Key Points
– Web links to find out more information
– Exercises to test understanding
• Including online spreadsheets
– Use of Audio to cover different learning styles
– OASIS quizzes to reinforce knowledge

Interaction in the Modules Tool
• Lecturer with Content
– Interaction through integration of materials
• Developing Interactive spreadsheets MP3 audio lectures
• OASIS
• Modules based on lecture notes/exercises
– Modules tools makes integration of these separate resources easier and structured

• Announcements
– Separates my more important messages from the clutter of the forum
– If it is an announcement take note…
• Resources
– Similar to flexible publishing used the same way
• Chat
– Useful to answer questions in a more informal way.
– An hour chat session may save two-three hours of answering emails or forum posts.
– Complete archive which is useful if student misses session

• Polls
– Used for getting feedback on various things
• Schedule
– Good for highlighting due dates, and class activities
• Web Content
– Link to subject forum
– Online learning modules

• “I have just been through Interact and its fantastic. I am currently going through readings for topic 2 and going through interact has really clarified a lot for me.
I have just started and have found this subject already full on and knowing that we have access to additional material has allowed me to relax a bit.”

MGT220 E-Commerce
Student to Student Interaction

• Elective Subject
• General Overview to E-Commerce
– Types of E-Commerce
– Laws, Business Strategies
– Latest Developments
• Assessment includes 3 group assignments

• Announcements
• Resources
• Chat
• Polls
• Schedule
• Web Content
• News
• Most importantly, separate Project Sites for each group

• Used in very similar ways to ACC222
• Also News - Links to E-Commerce Times
RSS feeds
• Web Content – Link to Turnitin, students are required to submit assignments to
Turnitin and EASTS

• Main use of Interact in this subject
• Groups have complete ownership
– Each member has full admin rights
– Thus group can configure and use the tools they wish.
• Aim is for Student to Student Interaction

• Basically the same tools as I use
• Announcements
– Sending messages to each other, recorded on line
• Resources
– Uploading and modifying group work
– Creates a central storage point
• Chat
– Used for group meetings

• Schedule
– Clearly identities group deadlines
– Who does what when
• Web content
– Link to group sub-forum
• All of these are used to create, and achieve,
Student to Student Interaction

• Schedule
– Clearly identities group deadlines
– Who does what when
• Web content
– Link to group sub-forum
• All of these are used to create, and achieve,
Student to Student Interaction

• Significant improvement in quality of group work
• Groups are communicating much easier
• Genuine bonding seems to be occurring when compared to previous offerings.

• ACC222
– The modules are based on already prepared material
(or material in production) reformatted into Interact
• Can be reused next session
• Some extra time setting up, long term savings
• Material was not developed just for Interact
• MGT220
– Group set up takes a few minutes longer per group
• There has been less group issues then in the past thanks to
Interact
• As such the extra time taken to set up as been offset

• Interact provides
– Great flexibility
– Better integration of resources
– Better communication
– Better teaching