Nuray GİRGİNER Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Bus. Administ. Dep., Turkey, Zehra KAMISLI OZTURK Anadolu University Open Education Faculty, Gürkan OZTURK Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Ind. Eng. Dep., Turkey Ali Ekrem OZKUL Anadolu University Open Education Faculty, Turkey

GOAL Selection of an appropriate courseware development platform for e-learning program using Analytic Network Process.

Which is the best of the different courseware development platforms for a e-learning program? Web-CT Fle3 Breeze

CONTRIBUTIONS Determination of main and sub criteria in courseware development platform selection problem To suggest a hierarchical approach including tangible and intangible criteria (clusters) to evaluate different courseware development platforms To indicate applicability of ANP for like this multi criteria decision problem in distance education

METHODOLOGY ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS The ANP can be used as an effective tool in those cases where the interactions among the elements of a system form a network structure. This network means the interaction (interdependency) between criteria. The ANP is a theory of measurement generally applied to the dominance of influence among several alternatives with respect to an attribute or a criterion.

ANP is also applied to evaluate the dominance of criteria with respect to a higher criterion and it is applied to evaluate alternatives with respect to a governing criterion. The structure of the ANP model is described by clusters of elements connected by their dependence on one another. A cluster groups elements that share a set of attributes. At least one element in each of these clusters is connected to some element in another cluster. These connections indicate the flow of influence between the elements. METHODOLOGY ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS

… … … … … elements Outerdepencies inner dependence loop alternatives

STEPS OF ANP Step 1: Model construction and problem structuring Step 2: Pair-wise comparisons matrices and priority vectors Step 3: Super-matrix formation Step 4: Selection of best alternatives

DEFINITION OF MAIN AND SUB CRITERIA FINANCIAL: Cost is an important dimension in the selection of the courseware development platform. Start-up Costs Ongoing Costs Upgrading Costs

INSTRUCTIONAL: Web-based course management programs let us to track, evaluate and grade student activities. In the instructional main criterion instructor element (sub criterion) forms the training dimension and the student forms the learning dimension. Instructor: The instructor will give his/her course with a courseware and also make the assessments. Because of this fact, for instructor criterion we handle two sub-criteria: course and course assessment. Course Instructional Designing Planning Management Revising Course Assessment Automated Grading Feedback Questions Pool Quizzes Student Tracking

Student: In the Web based education, in the field of learner the courseware development platform must support two main criteria: interaction and the tools that the students can use in the platform. Interaction: The related platform must include the components that satisfy the interaction of the students (course content, interaction with other students and with the instructors). Students can access to appropriate data, databases (in or out of the campus), linking of courseware, guided decision groups. Access Discussion File Submission Tools: Students can assess the instructional content and the program. They can also need a presentation area to make their presentations and to construct their study area. The platform also includes some tools that help students to track their progress and learn their notes online. Presentation Area Progress Tracking Self Assessment Student Skill Building

TECHNICAL: A Web-based courseware development platform must be supported wit some technical properties. These technical properties are handled in two groups as the properties essential for the development of the courses and essential for the management of the related education program Course Development Tools: Management Tools VENDOR: There are lots of vendors for the Web-based distance education intuitions to develop educational programs. Modification Reliability Technical Support Upgrade

ALTERNATIVES Web-CT Breeze Fle3

CONSTRUCTION OF DECISION NETWORKS Main decision network

Instructor sub-decision network

Student sub-decision network

PAIRWISE COMPARISONS The criteria are compared with respect to each alternative. We ask: Which of the alternatives satisfies a criterion more? Then we ask: Which of the two criteria is more characteristic of a given alternative? As it is seen, we have two types of questions in the comparisons: For a given criterion, which of two courseware development platforms is more desirable, and how much more? For a given courseware development platform, which of the two criteria is more dominant or desirable for that platform, and how much more? For the given criterion “course development tools”, which of the two courseware development platforms is more desirable; Breeze or Fle3, and how much more? And the first answer is given as Breeze is 4 times much more desirable.

RESULTS The report for how alternatives fed up through the system gives us the values. Also, the normalized and ideal weights can be calculated. According to our decision model, WebCT is determined as the most appropriate courseware development platform based on the various main and sub-criteria.

The results for the sub networks instructor The results for the sub networks student

CONCLUSIONS In distance as well as traditional education institutions, courseware development platform selection is a strategic decision. This managerial decision is important as it affects the success of courses. So by this study: three different courseware development platforms are evaluated according to multicriteria The applicability of ANP for this decision problem is demonstrated.

CONCLUSIONS We provide a contribution in designing a new training environment for distance education institutions based on some courseware development platforms. The group of specialists makes pairwise comparisons in accordance to defined main and sub criteria. In the conclusion of the study, the priorities of each criterion are obtained and according to these priorities the best courseware development platform is determined as WebCT. This methodology in our study can be used for selection of courseware development platform.