XplanaZine

Laura Gibbs and I had an online conversation this month and the result was the following brief manifesto. This is, obviously, incomplete. On the other hand, it should serve as a nice beginning to some substantive conversations about what has to happen if we really want to see change in the way we do courses and course materials online.
1. A Brief History
1.1 First generation Web courses. The first generation of courses on the Web has failed for two reasons: educators have lacked the tools necessary to foster an easy exchange of dynamic information on the Web, and existing learning/courses systems are designed according to a traditional classroom model as opposed to a Web model. The result: Web-based courses still have not utilized the inherent power of the Web itself!
1.1.a Dynamic Web. The Web is and has always been a dynamic platform for distributed and flexible information. The Web creates a “centrifugal” force, sending information outward, and provides convenient distribution channels and hooks so that data can be sent, received, and responded to easily. As such, it is a self-reinforcing information system that evolves quickly.
1.1.b Static classroom. The traditional classroom is static by nature, a product of well-known historical and sociological influences. It is designed with “centripetal” energy, pulling learners to a central location where information is given out in a controlled manner with predictable outcomes.
1.1.c Static online classroom.There is no point in trying to recreate a traditional centripetal class within the centrifugal world of the Web - but this is just what first-generation Web courses have tried to do. Course Management Systems like WebCT and BlackBoard can offer only a static, non-distributable information system that replicates the centripetal classroom; the only advantage these systems have over the traditional classroom is asynchronous access to (static) content.
1.2 First generation forces. There are three main forces that have shaped these first-generation Web courses: the traditional model of classroom teaching, corporate and academic models for Information Technology, and a traditional commercial framework that has dictated how money can be made on learning.
1.2.a Wrong focus. The traditional model for classroom teaching, particularly in higher education, is increasingly driven by factors that have little or nothing to do with the students’ learning experience (tenure, budgets, tradition, etc.)
1.2.b Wrong scale. Both in the corporate world and in higher education, Information Technology management has favored large, portal-based, centripetal systems (i.e. enterprise-wide and campus-wide initiatives, synchronization with Human Resources and other large data systems, etc.)
1.2.c Dinosaurs.As a result, the publishing and software industries have adopted a commercial model that caters to the lowest-common-denominator when making design decisions, resulting in inflexible, proprietary models that can be profitable only on this large scale.
1.3 The result? The result is that educators are left without a real Web-based teaching tool that would allow them to move beyond the traditional classroom model. The students are using computers, but the platform is not integrated with dynamic Web technologies.
1.3.a Boredom. Because this model cannot succeed, teachers, publishers, and other content-providers are not able to generate real interest in their online materials.
1.3.b Frustration. Excellent teachers are not able to create excellent Web-based learning experiences; they need to have better tools that are easy to use.
1.3.c Wasted time. Study after study shows that teachers feel that they are wasting their time in designing online materials. It is sad, but true. Existing course management systems are not designed for efficiency. They are just bad classrooms, awkward and uncomfortable for teachers and students alike.
1.4 The time is now. The raw materials are readily available: there are enormous quantities of open source content, public domain and copyright-free texts and images, already digitized. The problem is a lack of open source tools that can transform this content into online learning experiences.
2. The Next Generation of Web Courses Will…
2.1 Emphasize collaboration and distribution. The next generation of Web courses and, in particular, course management systems, will utilize the strengths of the Web to create dynamic learning opportunities that focus on collaborative communities and distributed information.
2.2 Using existing technology. The first iteration of these next-generation courses can and should be built from already-existing technology, rearranged slightly and with very modest code modifications. To shift from centralized to distributed information, we need to re-design the information itself.
2.3 Be developed by a community of innovative educators. By creating a community of innovative educators, we can produce both distributable courses and models for courses. What we need is a tool designed to work the way we work. That will only happen if we build it to our specifications.
3. The Plan
3.1 Engine and tools. The plan is to produce a core engine and set of tools so that teacher can build learning experiences designed for Web distribution.
3.1.a Blogging all content. The key component will be a blog engine for content management. The blog engine will treat all data as dynamic XML so that both teachers and students can quickly and easy access and add data to the system. Web content will be categorized by data, sequence, and subject so that teachers and students can build complex courses based on simple blog entries. The standard format will enable content to be shared throughout the system, teacher-to-student but also teacher-to-teacher and student-to-student.
3.1.b Dynamic tools. In addition to the core blog for content management, there will be a set of tools to add features that enhance community-building (message boards, etc.) and student learning (quizzing and other assessments, etc.).
3.1.c Customization. Teachers will use the core blog to select and/or create course content and the range of channels that will be available to the students. Students in turn will choose the specific content and channels within the parameters set by the teacher. The blog architecture will allow students to contribute content to the course and to their learning community.