Using Web Pages to Create A Learning Community Prof. Phillip R. Rosenkrantz Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

The Learning Organization n Based on Dr. Peter Senge's book THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE (1990)

Vision n Create significant initial interest in the subject and then carry the learning experience well beyond the last lecture. n Students become involved with creating web pages that share their findings with others.

Examples n Classes n Senior Projects n Proposed strategies and enhancements

The Disciplines of the "Learning Organization" n Building shared vision n Mental models n Personal mastery n Team learning n Systems thinking

Characteristics of the Learning Organization (Garvin): n Systematic problem solving n Experimentation with new approaches n Learning from experiences n Learning from best practices of others, and n Transferring knowledge across the organization quickly

Three Examples From Engineering Curriculum n Direct involvement of the instructor in creating the web pages ranged from none to almost 100%

Example 1 IME 499 Engineering Colloquium n Weekly topic related to a theme n Guest speakers n Student/faculty prepared web pages n Theme: "What a young engineer should know about…"

Six Topics Were Covered n Qualifying For and Getting a Good Job n Graduate School n Career Strategy n Becoming a Consultant n Corporate Culture and Company Politics n High Performance Work Habits

A Web Site Was Created to Share the Results: n

Results n The results were very good n Students looked forward to the finished web page each week n Students were proud to see their names on the top of the page n Other benefits

Lessons Learned n This level of customization is too time consuming for the instructor n Students build the web pages or use a standard format n Students could volunteer to learn how to author web pages

Example 2 Topic Papers n Students prepared two-page topic papers on a wide variety of subjects n Pages available for viewing and printing n Students can return to the site any time for updating and continuing education n Exposure motivates students to do a better job n

Example 3 Senior Project n A team of students is preparing a web site as a resource n Information about ISO-9000, QS-9000, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and similar standards n Information about the standards and what it takes for successful implementation n Companies interviewed and the results presented. n Resource for current, past, and future students

Other Ideas n Threaded discussions on related topics n Surveys about practices with results posted n Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section n Lists of contacts and resources n Annotated Bibliography or Webliography n Links page n Downloadable PowerPoint Presentations for use by members of the learning community n Chat rooms to discuss topics or issues

Summary n Web pages can be used to create a network among students and alumni to foster lifelong learning, networking, and updating of knowledge and beliefs. This is a very valuable activity as we enter the knowledge based twenty-first century. (Drucker, 1999) Faculty can generate student interest and involvement using web pages as a medium for publicly sharing the results of their work.