Papers in PDF format

When installed at the user end, students enter via a local home page from which they are able to access the reading
materials on their CD-ROM. This is made possible since the drive identifier for the CD-ROM was inserted into the
client’s home page as a hidden argument, at the time of installation of the package. Access to the Web course server is
achieved after connection to the Internet. Security is achieved by password protection using standard .htaccess files with
passwords supplied by each student.
Equipment
The course runs on a Unix (Linux) platform using the freeware Apache server. It is housed on a Pentium 100 Intel PC
with a 1Gb hard drive.
Use of Internet
To be eligible to take the course students must either have access to the Internet from a local provider, or a modem to
connect to the University Intranet. We normally recommend the direct Internet connection route which saves on toll
charges, except when a student resides close to the University, within the free-call telephone zone.
Students connect each week to the Silicon Soils server to obtain lecture material, news, and project information, to
submit assignments and laboratory reports to the instructors, or to communicate through the “asynchronous” chat
facility. The course coordinators are also available at set times during the week to handle, synchronously, queries about
the course via the same chat facility. If students have queries outside these times, a message is left in the appropriate
chat, for later attention. All correspondence in chat is via text entry only. Students also have the opportunity to
correspond by email which acts as a backup facility and an alternative means of communication for them, especially in
the early stages of the course, until such time as they have negotiated the installation phase.
Assessment
At this early stage, course evaluation is by the usual extra-mural system which involves an invigilated examination at a
recognized, appropriate venue. Assignments and exercises are submitted via ftp from within the Netscape environment.
Conclusions
An introductory course in Soil Science has been developed for extra-mural, distance education study at Massey
University for delivery via the Internet. Where possible freeware and shareware packages were used, including the
server itself, to author an attractive, professional, yet economical set of scripted html documents.
Future Directions
The next step will be to create a front-end for the course to provide a user-friendly template for authoring other courses
which follow this model. Also, assuming a favorable response from students, other “distance-less” courses are planned
along these same lines including some with a more global perspective.
Acknowledgments
This course was prepared using a grant from the “Fund for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching” at Massey University. The most
valuable assistance of the following staff at Massey University is acknowledged:
Dr M.J. Hedley, Ms Marion Trembath (Department of Soil Science) and Mr K.M. Harris (Ag/Hort Multimedia Studio)