ED-MEDIA 1999 Proceedings Book - Association for the ...

Webfuse: an Integrated, Eclectic Web Authoring Tool
David Jones
Faculty of Informatics and Communication
Central Queensland University
Australia
d.jones@cqu.edu.au
Introduction
Webfuse is an authoring tool for the World-Wide Web designed and constructed at Central Queensland
University to aid in the development of Web-based learning (Jones and Buchanan, 1996). Webfuse has been used in
the construction and maintenance of numerous websites for online learning and commercial purposes
(http://www.broncos.com.au/). It is currently the primary web authoring platform for the Faculty of Informatics and
Communication of Central Queensland University and is used by almost 100 staff to maintain a Web site with over
150 units and over 100,000 separate web pages.
A University developing a system for the support of online learning is not new with systems such as
WebCT (http://www.webct.com/webct) having similar origins. In fact, a number of Webfuse's characteristics are
similar to these other systems. While this paper briefly describes these familiar characteristics it concentrates on the
features of Webfuse which differ from similar tools. In particular it will examine how Webfuse draws on the lessons
gathered from the fields of hypermedia and operating systems to arrive at a structure which attempts to ease the
authoring bottleneck while providing the extensibility and adaptability required to keep up with the Web.
The Familiar Characteristics of Webfuse
Three familiar characteristics of Webfuse include: being server-based, offering server and client platform
indpendence and providing the standard functionality required of a Web-based learning system. A Web-browser is
the only authoring tool required to use Webfuse. The browser provides the interface between the user and the
collection of CGI scripts and other software residing on a Web server that provide all of Webfuse's functionality.
Why Webfuse is Different:
The major differences between Webfuse and other systems are the use of hypermedia templates and an
eclectic and integrated structure. The following section describes the importance of these differences.
Web authoring is usually carried out without a defined process, lacks suitable tool support, does little to
separate content, structure and appearance (Coda et al, 1998), makes limited reuse of previous work (Rossi et al,
1997) and requires better group access mechanisms and online editing tools (Andrews, 1996). The difficulty of
authoring on the Web often leads to the management of content for a web site being assigned to one person who
becomes the bottleneck for maintenance (Thimbleby, 1997). This can be a major problem in online learning where
simple, rapid and cheap maintenance of a site is essential for its on-going usefulness.
Hypermedia templates (Catlin and Garret, 1991) are an approach to simplifying the authoring process while
still ensuring the application of good information design principles. Hypermedia templates enable content experts to
be responsible for maintaining Websites and thus increases ownership, decreases costs and addresses the authoring
bottleneck problem. Hypermedia templates also aid in reuse which is a strategic tool for reducing the cost and
improving the quality of hypermedia design and development (Nanard, Nanard and Kahn, 1998).
It was recognised from the start of the Webfuse project that it would not be possible for a small collection
of part-time individuals to build and maintain a Web authoring tool. Not only would the amount of work required to
initially construct a useful system be onerous but a much larger task would be to continue upgrading the system in
response to changing requirements and changes in the Web.