Teaching and Learning with Web Course Management Systems

Five Lessons Learned From a Graduate Level Web-based Course

Cirecie West-Olatunji (Division of Education)

The eCollege system was utilized to investigate the effectiveness of a Web-based course with masters level counseling students in an advanced course. In preparation for this project, it was necessary to:

Select a model of instructional design
Determine the Web-based course management system
Design the site
Evaluate student-learning outcomes.

The five lessons outlined in this paper serve as guidelines for other graduate faculty in the development of future web-based courses.

Planning a Web-based Course

Three instructional models were considered: traditional, constructivist, and culture-centered. The traditional instructional model prohibits students from directing their learning and does not foster critical thinking skills. The constructivist instructional model focuses on a more holistic design in which students and faculty co-construct the course design and methodology. The instructional model chosen for this project was the culture-centered approach in which students are encouraged to use their ethnocultural worldviews in theorizing about the course content. In this model the instructor is reciprocally engaged and connected with the class members throughout the learning process.

Designing the Course Website

Before integrating the Web-based resources into the course experience, I determined the teaching methods appropriate for the intended learning outcomes of the course. Interactive methods used in the course included: role-plays, case illustrations, videotaped vignettes, and films. In addition, students were required to conceptualize three client cases using different counseling theories for each and present a group project on culture-centered counseling theories.

The eCollege system allowed students to participate in:

a threaded discussion in which they critiqued each other's theoretical statements,
document sharing in which students worked in teams to prepare for their group presentations,
journal writing to reflect their attitudes regarding the course experience and content,
on-line testing in which student complete optional and required quizzes,
internet searches to locate articles that can be added to the webliography and,
synchronous communication to allow real time chatting among class members.

Of all the software resources that helped to make the tasks easier for me, having a presentation program for designing and uploading electronic lecture materials was most valuable. The most useful resource, however, was the collegial and administrative support provided by the university. Technology faculty, staff, and graduate students were available to provide assistance throughout the planning and implementation stages. Despite the support provided, what was missing was a mentor who could anticipate questions or concerns prior to their existence.

Surviving the Course Experience

Implementing a Web-based course is labor intensive. Faculty who are interested in pursuing this avenue of instruction need to be aware of four major hurdles:

Web mastering takes up a tremendous amount of time in which the instructor continues to monitor and freshen the web site
For some students who are not technologically competent to handle to web-based assignments, the course is extremely frustrating and thus stressful for course members as well as the instructor
Murphy's Law is in effect for the duration of the course so anticipate the unexpected with equipment, web sites, servers, and software programs
Always have a Plan B when things go awry (this, too, is labor intensive).

Five Lessons Learned

About halfway through the course, students indicated a need for more face-to-face interaction with me. Students' journal entries demonstrated a desire for less on-line experiences and more traditional classroom interaction. Students complained that they did not feel connected to their peers and barely knew each other's names. They also did not feel that they had developed enough rapport with me to be able to complete the assignments in a meaningful manner. Class members with the least technological competencies expressed feelings of being overwhelmed with all the barriers to accessing course information. More technologically competent students were bored and frustrated with the novice learners.

For faculty who are considering web-based instruction, five lessons can be of value:

Less is better so begin small with supplementary materials available between classes rather than designing a course in which some classroom instruction is substituted by on-line materials
Work around theme-based learning experiences rather than traditional models of class periods (think out of the box)
Incorporate a high amount of collaboration between teacher and learner at the front end of the course
Create new venues for on-line student engagement and connectedness so that students are less likely to feel alienated or overwhelmed balancing between the course content and the technology competencies
Consider establishing an instructional technology prerequisite to the Web-based course in order to attract course registrants with the minimum required technology skills.

The lessons learned from this experience suggest that faculty focus on student engagement while facilitating growth as a result of the tension between course content and the process of acquiring technology competencies. The five lessons outlined in this paper hopefully serve as guidelines for other (graduate) faculty in the development of future Web-based courses.

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