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

John Fritz Director, Educational Technology SON, MCPHU Designed and now… Webmaster for SON website Nurses Learning Connection

What We've Done 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 Who is not yet using ? 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? * 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? 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? * 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? 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? 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? * Undergraduates Graduates Professionals Staff K-12 Media The Public

How Much Time Can I Spend? Planning Creating Maintaining Revising

How Much Time Can Other People Spend? Planning Creating Maintaining Revising

What "Resources" Does My Audience Have? * 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? 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 Faster = Better350MH+ Memory = Lots64MB+ Disk = Lots6GB+ Monitor = Big17"+ 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 Where Do I go from here???? Answer these questions Talk with your support staff Make the decision