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collaboratively produced report about a selected topic, <strong>in</strong> the form of a set of Web pages <strong>in</strong> which <strong>in</strong>dividual<br />

contributions are <strong>in</strong>tegrated. The <strong>in</strong>dividual contribution of each member of a project group consists of a page<br />

<strong>in</strong> which that member presents himself, and a number of pages <strong>in</strong> which the acquired knowledge is presented <strong>in</strong><br />

the form of an essay. The course takes n<strong>in</strong>e weeks each consist<strong>in</strong>g of two sessions of four hours each. A group<br />

arranges its own work, mak<strong>in</strong>g sure that the next week's commitments are kept. Access to other equipment or<br />

access beyond hours is possible and may be necessary to achieve the desired goals. Tutorial sessions for the<br />

course stress the relation of the project to the content of the course textbook. Supervision contacts are<br />

ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed with each local subgroup, to check progress; to account for the commitments due; to stimulate<br />

improv<strong>in</strong>g the work; and to ensure that delivery of the f<strong>in</strong>al document is guaranteed. Self evaluation by the<br />

students is carried out electronically by means of an evaluation tool embedded <strong>in</strong> the course Web site.<br />

After hav<strong>in</strong>g successfully followed the course, students' knowledge of the role of <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion systems <strong>in</strong><br />

organizations, failure and success factors of applications of <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion technology, <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion sources and<br />

Internet applications should have <strong>in</strong>creased. Furthermore, students should be able to formulate an <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion<br />

request, to collect <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion, to use <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion technology for collaborative document process<strong>in</strong>g and to cooperate<br />

effectively. International co-operation, tak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>itiatives <strong>in</strong> order to achieve goals, th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g critically<br />

and constructively and respect<strong>in</strong>g the requirements from with<strong>in</strong> an organization are other important aspects of<br />

the course.<br />

Use of Web-based Tools and Environments for Process Support <strong>in</strong> the AIT Course<br />

In the 1995 version of the On-L<strong>in</strong>e Learn<strong>in</strong>g course described here, the Web was used as the platform for the<br />

products of collaborative work and well as the environment that was the focus of study of the collaborative work<br />

itself. However, the Web site for the course was <strong>in</strong>tended more as the product and archive of the course rather<br />

than as a tool for support<strong>in</strong>g the process of project work dur<strong>in</strong>g the course. Separate communication<br />

environments support<strong>in</strong>g various forms of communication and file transfer were the tools for this support. In<br />

the AIT course, the Web is used both as a management and work site and a product-related environment,<br />

although the product is realized more <strong>in</strong>dividually compared to the Onl<strong>in</strong>e Learn<strong>in</strong>g course. Of particular<br />

process support <strong>in</strong> the AIT course are functionalities <strong>in</strong>tegrated with<strong>in</strong> the course Web site relat<strong>in</strong>g to mail<br />

archive, to shared workspaces, and to evaluation tools. In the follow<strong>in</strong>g, the functionalities of these features are<br />

described and their <strong>in</strong>tegration <strong>in</strong>to the overall AIT course site expla<strong>in</strong>ed. Thus we discuss these <strong>in</strong> some detail<br />

here.<br />

A Web environment was created which was explicitly meant to be a start<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t for students follow<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

course. The same environment was available for both the Dutch and F<strong>in</strong>nish students to assure the same basic<br />

<strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion. This Web environment served several purposes:<br />

1. provid<strong>in</strong>g practical <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion of the course: plann<strong>in</strong>g, time schedules, goals and phases were available<br />

2. provid<strong>in</strong>g local course <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion such as manuals, papers and an example of a Web environment created<br />

by one of the last year's AIT groups<br />

3. support<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong><strong>format</strong>ion-search process (l<strong>in</strong>ks to the local on-l<strong>in</strong>e library, Web search eng<strong>in</strong>es and<br />

electronic journals)<br />

4. support<strong>in</strong>g both synchronous and asynchronous communication among both local and <strong>in</strong>ternational group<br />

members, with other groups and with and among the tutors<br />

5. provid<strong>in</strong>g feedback on communication by a group memory (mail archive) for every group<br />

6. support<strong>in</strong>g collaborative document process<strong>in</strong>g by <strong>in</strong>tegrat<strong>in</strong>g shared workspaces <strong>in</strong>to the Web site<br />

7. present<strong>in</strong>g the (<strong>in</strong>termediate) results and the end products (Home Pages)<br />

8. support<strong>in</strong>g self evaluation by students through an embedded evaluation tool<br />

The tools for purposes 5, 6, and 8 are further described.<br />

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