The Role of Virtual Learning Environments in the Online Delivery of Staff Development

Report 1: Review of Experiences of Delivering TALiSMAN Online Courses

email: colin@icbl.hw.ac.uk
URL: http://www.icbl.hw.ac.uk/jtap-573

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7  APPENDICESS

Appendix A: Example Course Flyer

(see also:http://www.talisman.hw.ac.uk/online/www.html)

Online Course: Using the WWW for Teaching & Learning
by Colin Milligan

Launch Date :10 March 1997. 2nd cohort runs from 12 May 1997
Duration :6 weeks Hours :Approximately 3 hours each week

Overview
The Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) offer great potential for delivery of high quality courseware and resources on the WWW. It is vital that those wishing to use WWW based resources are able to find and evaluate existing resources and courseware effectively. The ability to evaluate material is best learned by extensive practical research. This course shall encourage that research and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas - allowing all participants on the course to learn together.

Aims:
By participating in this course you will investigate how the Internet can be used for teaching and learning, evaluate the effectiveness of the Internet as a delivery mechanism and exchange ideas with other educators in your community.

Course Objectives
After completing this course, participants should be able to:

• find and assess educational resources on the Internet,
• exploit WWW based resources such as search engines, information gateways, virtual libraries and on-line databases,
• access and utilise mailing lists and newsgroups to keep informed of developments and new material,
• discuss via a computer mediated conferencing system the use of the WWW in Teaching and Learning,

Who should attend:
This course is intended to highlight the potential benefits of the WWW to teaching and learning and is suitable for staff from all sectors of the Scottish HE community with an interest in issues of teaching and learning. Participants should have access to the WWW and some experience of using it. The course will be run wholly On-line and therefore participants should ideally have their own email address and access to a forms capable WWW browser.

Cost
Staff from Scottish HEIs may participate in this course free of charge. Members from outside this community may participate if there are places left and will be charged course fees.

Last updated by Colin Milligan 12/3/97 - Produced by TALiSMAN

Appendix B: Course Structure

(see also:http://www.talisman.hw.ac.uk/online/120597)

Week One - 16.5.97
Introduction; current uses, initial thoughts, and reservations, what we might hope to learn.
Week Two - 23.5.97
Finding Available Resources; avoiding search engines, knowing your sources.
Week Three - 30.5.97
Evaluating WWW Resources; quality criteria, good and bad practice.
Week Four - 11.6.97
Evaluation from the Student Perspective; technology for the sake of it, resources, relevance.
Week Five - 20.6.97
Using It; provision, implementation and integration of WWW based learning material.
Week Six - 27.6.97
A Synthesis; the future - Scotland, the MANs.

Appendix C: Course Feedback Forms

(see also http://www.talisman.hw.ac.uk/online/onlinefiles.html)

If you are not using a forms-capable browser, please email your response to this form to: colin@talisman.hw.ac.uk

Having taken part in the TALiSMAN Online Course, 'Using the WWW in Teaching and Learning', we would now like to ask for your comments on the course. Can you please answer the questions below. Some of the questions require answers. For others, response is optional.

1. Name: _________________________
2. Position: ________________________
3. Institution: _______________________

4. Would you object to your comments being used in future by TALiSMAN?
[ ] No (if attributed)
[ ] No (if unattributed)
[ ] Yes

Previous Experience
5. Have you previously used computers (inc. computer based learning material) in your teaching?
[ ] Not at all
[ ] For Preparation of Teaching Material
[ ] For Delivery of Teaching Material

6. Had you used the WWW before participating in this course?
[ ] Not at all
[ ] For Browsing
[ ] For Browsing and Authoring HTML

7. Had you previously used discussion forums before participating in this course?
[ ] Not at all
[ ] Informally
[ ] Formally (in a course etc.)
[ ] About the Course

8. What were your expectations of the course?

_________________________________________

9. Did the course meet your expectations?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Dont Know

10. Would you recommend the course to others?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Dont Know

11. Would you suggest changes to the scope or level of the course?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Dont Know

If Yes, what would you change? (optional)

_________________________________________

12. On average, how much time do you think you spent on the course each week?
[ ] less than 2 hours
[ ] 2-3 hours
[ ] more than 3 hours

13. What do you think was the best aspect of the course? (optional)

_________________________________________

14. What do you think was the least useful aspect of the course? (optional)

_________________________________________

15. Did you find the tutor support provided adequate?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Dont Know

16. Did you find the course useful in relation to your work?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Dont Know

17. Do you have any immediate plans to use the WWW in your Teaching and Learning? (optional)

_________________________________________

18. Do you have any general comments? (optional)

_________________________________________

About Dialogue
The Dialogue software provided a very simple conferencing area for course discussions.

19. Did you find 'dialogue' easy to use?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Dont Know

20. Did you find 'dialogue' robust enough to cope with the level of discussion?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Dont Know

21. TALiSMAN is about to run this course again with modifications to content and delivery. We are keen to improve the course, can you suggest any improvements for this or future TALiSMAN OnLine courses? (optional)

_________________________________________

Thank you for filling in the form, if you have any further questions regarding the course, this feedback, or any of TALiSMAN's activities, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Colin Milligan

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