Explanation to the analysis forms

This page provides an explanation to each element of the Course form.
Each element are highlighted with bold text, while the explanation of the element is written in plain text.

Communication

Communication between people is both preferable and necessary to support the course material.
Online education could both include synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Definition: connection; contact, E.g. between staff and pupils.
Source: Kunnskapsforlagets Blå Engelsk- Norsk dictionary

Elements

• E-mail: Can be used by the course participants in many ways. Asynchronous.
• Conferences: E-mail conferences / news-services or similar. Asynchronous.
• Video/Webcam conferences: One to one, one to many, many to many in real time. Synchronous.
• Audio: Use of microphones, for instance http://www.webphone.com
• Chat: We omit the term IRC because of the definition: Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a system for chatting that involves a set of rules and conventions and client/server software. (Source: http://www.whatis.com) and instead we use: Chat
  Definition: On the Internet, chatting is talking to other people who are using the Internet at the same time you are. Usually, this "talking" is the exchange of typed-in messages requiring one site as the repository for the messages (or "chat site") and a group of users who take part from anywhere on the Internet. In some cases, a private chat can be arranged between two parties who meet initially in a group chat. Chats can be ongoing or scheduled for a particular time and duration. Most chats are focused on a particular topic of interest and some involve guest experts or famous people who "talk" to anyone joining the chat. (Transcripts of a chat can be archived for later reference.) (Source: http://www.whatis.com)
  
• Bulletin board: Example http://www.nettskolen.com/alle/nyhet/ (Not necessarily a dynamic web page like this example, but it has to be regularly updated)
• Classlist: Show the participants at the course.
• Student presentation: Presentation of the course participants. May ease up communication by letting the paricipants know who they communicate with. May be text only, or provided with pictures.
• MOO: Multi User Object Oriented.
  Definition: MOOs are object-oriented environments where multiple users synchronously and asynchronously interact in the context of virtual worlds.
  Ref. http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/noticeboard/mooeworkshop.html
  
• Telephone: Student to teacher, tutor etc.
• Teacher/Tutor presentation: A presentation, may be very simple. Just name, education etc. May be a link to an outside webpage.

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Distribution

How the students get access to the course material.
Online distribution of course material could be cheaper and more efficient than sending the material via surface mail.

Elements

• Password: Does the course have access control.
• HTML: Is this site entirely based on HTML, or does it require use of plug-ins or any specialised software.
  Examples: Macromedia Flash, Real Media, WinZip etc.
• Other files: Are supplements in other formats - doc, pdf, txt etc.
• Enclosure: Printer friendly format, pdf, adjusted html etc.
• Read on screen, paper: What is the intention of the author - is it suitable for on-screen reading. This would typically be pages which uses next - previous buttons, and if you print them out each page would not exceed one /two A4 pages.

• Course materials on the web: Do you need books etc. or is the entirely course material on the web.

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Presentation

"One of the most conspicuous misunderstandings about online learning is that it is conducted entirely online. In fact, online students spend much more time studying textbooks and writing assignments than they spend online...." (SPICE 601)

Elements

• Text only: No use of graphics, animation etc.
• Pictures: Use of pictures supporting text materiales.
• Animation: Use of animated gif's, Macromedia Flash and similar.
• Video: Use of QuickTime video or similar.
• Audio: Use of sound to disseminate course content, for instance http://www2.software.ibm.com/developer/education.nsf/java-onlinecourse-bytitle
• Language: is the course provided in several languages?
• Off-line elements: Elements like video on ordinary VHS-tapes, CD-rom etc.
  Note that books are not intended to be included.

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Data processing

Course designers may utilise instructional software that is available online or installed on the student computers. Multiple-choice questions, simulations, balloting and search engines are examples of software that could be utilised for instructional purpose. Ref: SPICE 602 Real-time processing of student information and material with immediate feedback.

Elements

• Assessment: Onlinetests with immediate response. Eg. http://www.questionmark.com
• Statics: http://www.questionmark.com. In various ways.
• Simulating: E.g. Java-applet that let you change background colour by adjusting three different numbers.

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Information retrieval

Online education provides access to a host of online resources that could be of great value for a course. These resources can be used support learning. The resources could be provided and managed by the course provider or they could just be external resources that the course provider provides links to. The resources could include people, information and services.

Elements

• External search engines: Hyperlinks to http://www.altavista.com, http://www.bibsys.no etc
• Internal search engines: Search within the course material.
• External resources: Links to other relevant sites.
• Table of contents: Sitemap
• Contact person (s): System manager, web-editor, teatcher etc
• Course evaluation by students: Are students asked to give feedback
• Glossary: course terms.
• Library functions: Library on the web, provided by a link to it from the course material. Not from the institution main page.

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Course services

These are service elements related to the course provided by the institution.

Elements

• Online admissions: Students can be assigned to a course via a website without using surface mail, fax etc.
• Online payment: Is it possible to pay online - VISA, Mastercard etc.
• Scholarship: Allows students to review available scholarship and be able to apply for them online.
• Wailing Wall: Feedback to the course in any way.
• Technical support: FAQ's, telephone, e-mail, "How to" lists etc.
• Bookstore: Possibility to buy required textbooks and materials needed for this course. May be a link to http://www.amazon.com or similar.

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