Selecting communication tools in WebCT was relatively easy since I could just go into build and choose which tools to activate in the course manager. The tools I chose were the voice board, discussion forums and chat rooms. After their activation so they showed up in the left navigation bar, implementing these tools proved to be a bit more of a challenge after I created the specific elements. The problems were not so much in editing the properties of each tool but with organizing them. For instance, in creating the category “Discussion Activity #1” and a sequence of topics underneath, say Group Discussions from Group 1 to Group 5, I thought I would have to start backwards with Group 5 and work towards 1 to have the topics show up in ascending order like one would have to do with discussion message creation. Turns out my backwards thinking was wrong for creating topics. The same thing happened with creation of the chat rooms where the organization completely messed me up. What threw me off with organization was trying to move chat rooms up and down to get them in the right spot. The “Move Selection Above” and “Move Selection Below” options were confusing and it took me a while to figure that out. Other than that issue, setting the properties for the discussion and chat rooms were quite straightforward. I like how there is an option for the discussion forums to be graded and a log option for the chat rooms.
Another tool I had considered for this assignment was Google Docs since it provides asynchronous editing of documents between team members. However, I did not really feel it should be categorized as a communication tool. I tend to associate communication as developing dialogue and conversation, whereas Google Docs is more of a productivity tool rather than a communication tool. Google chat may have been more of a relevant option but I felt that it was important to keep the communicating within Vista, especially for students without much experience with instant messaging.
In the past, I have designed websites and taken into consideration many of the design issues and elements brought up in the toolkit that are very significant in for development and construction of a site. While webpagesthatsuck.com provides examples of the eyesores and poor usability websites that exist in the realm of cyberspace, it also reminded me of the Smashing Magazine website – a great resource for tutorials on web design, templates and other design-related issues.
I think the storyboarding exercise that suggests making a drawing of the initial structure is another helpful thing to do with web design. It really helps outline the vision and, more importantly, organize where different elements such as navigation, content and imagery will appear on the page. This is actually something I am trying to create for a work project at the moment, especially since the storyboard can also act as a proposal to present at meetings and help other users understand the functionality of the web site. As well, it also helps determine whether or not the site can work within an existing site/structure (in the event that it has to) or if the site itself can go into a different or new site.
To further understand how storyboarding works from an information architecture standpoint, there is a tutorial at Web Monkey that shows a layout grid and how various elements could be spaced out. More advanced web development elements to consider is the 960 grid which uses a 960 px width for a more flexible framework that can adjust to different browsers and platforms. The grid itself is defined by either 12 or 16 columns that help separate different elements of the storyboard layout.
Overall, web design can be a very complicated and often, time-consuming process with many variables to consider. However, taking into consideration most, if not all, design elements can really help save time and costs.
The following proposal has been developed for a mock situation and non-existent company called Mocke Health Corporation.
Executive Summary
Mocke Health Corporation is seeking an online training solution to support over 3000 employees in 26 locations worldwide. To meet Mocke’s needs for a stable and secure online learning management system (LMS) that can be globally accessed, the proposed LMS for use is WebCT Vista. From an operational standpoint, WebCT Vista provides adequate technical support and secure server hosting that a large corporation like Mocke requires. Consequently, from an educational perspective, WebCT Vista offers a system that includes features such as asynchronous and synchronous communication (i.e., discussion forums, live chat, email to other users or trainers), assessments, feedback, content placement, and file uploads/downloads.
Background
For over 30 years, Mocke Health Corporation specializes in providing products and services to healthcare professionals worldwide. As Mocke Health continues to expand its offerings, the company is in need of an online learning system that can accommodate over 3000 employees who work in departments relating to corporate development, health services, research and development, and sales. The learning management system must also be available to a wide variety of clients including healthcare professionals and their colleagues.
LMS Selection: Why WebCT Vista?
According to Bates and Poole (2000), the SECTIONS framework helps facilitate the organizational decision for choosing suitable learning technology. The following uses the SECTIONS framework to consider the implementation of WebCT Vista:
• Students and Organizational Issues: The individuals using Vista are mainly employees located in various parts of the world including the Americas, Asia, Europe and Australia. Therefore, it is important that the users have an LMS that is conveniently accessible from various locations, even if they are employees on a business trip who would like to login to their online course at any time of day during the week or have materials readily available. Vista offers secure access that is available any day of the week at any time. Additionally, students are not expected to have advanced technical skills to use the LMS and can work on the courses at their own pace.
• Ease of use and Speed: As mentioned in the previous section, even novice students can use Vista for their courses. They are not expected to be experts in using the technology. The same holds true for trainers and course developers. Vista supports trainers, instructors and students with orientation sessions to help them get acquainted with the system. As well, the interface design is relatively easy to navigate and content, if organized in a meaningful manner, can prove useful for the users. Vista’s most important feature in terms of Mocke’s needs is its reliability. As a commercially available LMS used by other institutions and organizations, Vista servers are reliable with few technical-related issues (Bates & Poole, ). While version upgrades may affect costs and time, Mocke has a strong IT department that can provide adequate technical and professional support to its employees.
• Costs: The approximate cost to Mocke for the use of Vista would include licensing, training plus hosting in the first year. Costs for this would initially run at around $20,000. While some training is available for free, the costs of additional significant training have been included in the start-up costs. These costs are expected to be slightly lower in subsequent years since training will not likely be necessary and can be performed by existing Mocke staff in the future. Future costs would be more focused on licensing and hosting. The advantage to hosting with Blackboard, the company that runs WebCT Vista, is cost-effectiveness. Having Blackboard as a server host, at least in the first year, would remove responsibility that the IT department has towards network outages and data security (Blackboard, 2009). The estimated cost for placing and delivering materials online would be around $50,000 in a two-year time period. Because most materials are already electronically distributed, this would save time and costs. The return on investment can be measured by 1) the effectiveness of the courses in the first year and 2) whether the courses have had an impact on employee performance (Accenture, 2008).
• Teaching and Learning: Vista accommodates a variety of learning styles and can support different types of media. Learners can be assessed in discussion forums and through quizzes and assignments. Each trainer or course developer can customize the course as appropriate for the subject matter. In conjunction with the National Educational Technology Standards set by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2008), teachers should “engage in professional growth and leadership” by helping improve student learning as well as developing leadership and technology skills (p. 1). Using Vista as an LMS can help teachers and instructors do this.
• Interaction and Interactivity: The Vista LMS maximizes the opportunities for interaction and interactivity since it allows learners to globally access the courses and have discussions with one another. Synchronous communication platforms such as live chat can prove advantageous.
• Novelty: Vista has been compared with other LMS platforms and proves to be the best solution for Mocke. Upon consultation with other employees and directors of Mocke, Vista is a solution that will provide significant return on investment in the long-run.
References
Accenture. (2006). Return on learning, part 3: Measuring the return on investment in training. Retrieved June 7, 2009 from http://www.accenture.com/Global/Research_and_Insights/Outlook/By_Subject/Human_Resource_Mgmt/ReturnLearningPart3.htm
Bates, A. W. & Poole, G. (2003). A framework for selecting and using technology. In Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. New York: Wiley, John & Sons. Retrieved June 6, 2009 from UBC WebCT Vista: ETEC 565A.
Blackboard. (2009). Blackboard managed hosting. Retrieved June 7, 2009 from http://www.blackboard.com
International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National educational technology standards and performance indicators for teachers. Retrieved June 7, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf