An Alternative Approach to WebBased Education: TechnologyIntensive, Not LaborIntensive

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An Alternative Approach to Web-Based
EducationTechnology-Intensive, Not
Labor-Intensive

• Linda V. Knight
• Theresa A. Steinbach
• James D. White

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In a nutshell

• The most feasible approach to large-scale
  dissemination of factual information online is
  through Web posting of unedited, automatic
  audio and video recordings of traditional
  classroom sessions.

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Outline

• Common approach to Web-based education and
  associated problems
• Alternative approach used by DePaul CTI
• Advantages, limitations, keys to success

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Typical Web-based education

• Text-based posting of class notes 88
• Streaming video 28

Source Shea et al., 2001
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Advantages of text-based online courses

• the most simplistic means of teaching a course
  over the Internet
• help reduce technology and resource costs
  including infrastructure, hardware, and software
  and technical support.
• Sharma and Gupta, ISECON 2001

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Disadvantage 1Labor-intensive development and
delivery

• Almost three times as long to develop (SchWeber,
  1998)
• 40 to 50 more work on the teachers part
  (Brown, 1998)
• The largest component of online cost
  is faculty time (Charp,
  1999)

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Why are online courses so labor-intensive?

• Because of the reliance on text-based
  communication and a lack of visual cues, every
  aspect of the course has to be laid out in
  meticulous detail to avoid misunderstandings.
  (Smith et al., 2001)

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Disadvantage 2Lack of economies of scale

• Marginal development cost for each course added
  does not decrease.
• Marginal implementation cost for each student
  added does not decrease.
• Building a virtual community

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Disadvantage 3 Difficulty maintaining current
content

• Currency is a particular challenge for IT-related
  courses
• Common practice of paying faculty one-time
  development fees discourages
  currency

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Disadvantage 4Potential lack of robust
interpersonal communication

• Largely asynchronous
• Loss of visual and auditory clues

• Less spontaneous
• Less sense of community
• Loss of some communication content

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Four disadvantages of text-based approaches

• Labor intensive development and delivery
• Lack of economies of scale
• Difficulty maintaining current content
• Difficulty generating robust interpersonal
  interaction

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Alternative approach

• Capture the classroom experience
• Video and audio of lecture
• White boards
• Computer projector
• Document camera
• Post on Web without editing

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CTIs experience

• 1998 Dean Epps vision
• Automatically recording traditional classes
• Managing large numbers of courses with a database
  driven system
• 2002
• Forty-eight classrooms equipped for automatic
  recordings
• Over 500 Web course enrollments per term
• Three totally online degrees accredited by North
  Central Association

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Mechanics of classroom recording

• Automatic recordings during scheduled class time
• Fixed microphones and cameras
• Electronic whiteboards
• All materials shown on classroom computer
• PowerPoint slides
• Web sites visited
• Programming code demonstrated
• Everything shown on document camera

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The finished product

• Unedited capturing of actual classroom experience
• User interface was written by CTIs support
  staff. Alternatives
• www.webct.com
• www.blackboard.com

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CTIs User Interface
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Watching a lecture

• Ability to fast-forward
• Ability to pause
• Ability to switch views between white boards and
  computer (PowerPoint)

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Viewing lecture and PowerPoint simultaneously
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Viewing lecture and white boards
simultaneously
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Control Panel
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Leverage technology Reduce faculty time

• Automatic recording
• Eliminates need for creating unique lecture notes
  for distance learning students
• Central Web repository
• Facilitates distribution of notes, assignments,
  etc.

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Addresses all four disadvantages of text-based
approaches

• Less labor intensive development and delivery
• Lack of economies of scale
• No difficulty maintaining current content
• Less difficulty generating robust interpersonal
  interaction

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Benefits to traditional classes

• All CTI classrooms have up-to-date projecting
  computer systems and document cameras
• Ability to view a missed class session
• Ability to complete a course or degree, even if
  transferred out-of-town
• Ability to review difficult material

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Success principles faculty

• Recognize faculty as key to success
• Facilitate experimentation with the technology
• Never use recordings for faculty evaluation
• Provide adequate technical and clerical support
  staff
• Address intellectual property concerns
• Pay for distance enrollment

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Success principles students

• Provide technical and support services on
  schedule appropriate for distance students
• Set expectations before
  enrollment

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Limitations

• Not suitable for classes involving extensive
  discussion and small group work
• Substantial fixed cost infrastructure
  investment can only be overcome by
  large implementations

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Keys to success

• Top level administrative vision and support
• Recognition of faculty as critical success factor

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Questions / Comments
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