Developing Web‐based Instruction: Planning, Designing, Managing and Evaluating for Results

Citation

Anh Tran, L. (2004), "Developing Web‐based Instruction: Planning, Designing, Managing and Evaluating for Results", Online Information Review, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 163-164. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520410531718

Since the 1990s, Web pages have been common in many areas, such as business, banking, commerce, education and entertainment. This book provides basic train‐the‐trainer Web‐based instructions for creating, designing, revising, and evaluating Web sites.

The main content focuses on instructional design and educational technologies based around the three steps: planning and management, evaluation, design and development. Step 1 presents discussion and consideration of planning and management instructions for Web projects. Susan Carol Curzon (Chapter 1) explores the three key components of scope, timeline, and budget of successful planning. All three components are essential and must be managed effectively during the design process in order to create a road map of the Web project and bring it to conclusion. In Chapter 2 Deborah Murphy clarifies general terms related to Web projects used in education, business, and library literature. These terms include “teams”, “Web management team”, “members”, “partnership”, “leadership”, “communication” and “conflict management”, etc. Definitions of terms and their characteristics are well presented along with case studies. Clara Fowler (Chapter 3) discusses the main groups of people who are involved in a Web project. They include audience and stakeholders. Further concepts of pedagogy and andragogy, including behaviourism, learning styles, cognitivism, constructivism, and application are explored by Nancy Dewald in Chapter 4. She believes that new technologies offer new ways to approach tasks and help us to solve problems. In order to meet challenges facing us in both teaching and learning the Web design Scott Macklin introduces the evolution of educational technology, and the evolution of educational practice and educational science in Chapter 5.

Step 2 introduces various methods of evaluation and assessmentof Web projects and student learning. Trudi Bellardo Hahn (Chapter 6) introduces statistical and metrics techniques based on electronic data from a variety of sources. Another method, focus groups (Pat Davitt Maughan, Chapter 7), has been in common use in higher education, health care, public policy and libraries. The next step ‐ testing usability ‐ is essential to the development of effective Web‐based instruction products. It is important to link the Web contents and information to the target audiences, and explore the ways that they interact with the site or products in order to test the interface usability (Jerilyn Veldof, Chapter 8). It is extremely important that the assessment of student learning should be considered during the planing process and development of instruction. The discussion of this issue is presented by Trudi Jacobson (Chapter 9).

Step 3, on design and development, contains key aspects of Web and instructional design and development. This final step includes various ways to approach a Web project. Chapters 10 to 14 guide the reader step‐by‐step in designing a Web project:

1. 1.

   Specify goals and objectives (Craig Gibson).

2. 2.

   Create interactivity (Susan Sharpless Smith).

3. 3.

   Build content organisation and development (Sarah McDaniel).

4. 4.

   Design site structure (Nancy O'Hanlon).

5. 5.

   Put content online (Dennis Glenn).

This is a useful manual for students, librarians, and other educators involved in designing or managing Web‐based materials. It is an especially useful source for anyone who studies online instructional models, ranging from stand‐alone, short tutorials to full online courses.