Introduction to the Course
Welcome to the GSLIS Continuing Education online course, Creating Web Based Tutorials: A Designers Challenge. The course is scheduled to run for the month of July 2007. You can login at your convenience and complete the four modules at your own pace.
The goal of this course is to introduce you to a process for designing a successful online learning experience. It will do this by bringing you through instructional design elements necessary for a tutorial to be more than just a list of instructions on a web page. By the end of the course you should be able to outline the steps that will take you from a tutorial concept to a viable model; have a clear understanding that there are different types of learners and how you can accommodate their needs; recognize elements of effective web design; and devise tools for assessing learning.
Each module is structured in a similar way. It will contain a series of PowerPoint slides which introduce and explain the concepts for that particular module. Each module has a single reading in pdf format. The readings are meant to be informative and are not necessarily scholarly or research based. They should however give you some insight into various aspects of teaching and learning online and hopefully inform your thinking as you consider how to build an online tutorial. Each module has a corresponding assignment. They are not mandatory but for those of you who would like to participate fully I will offer feedback on your submissions.
Each page includes two e-mail links - one for me and one for all the class. Please feel free to contact me at any time via e-mail and I wil endeavor to respond within 24 hours. For questions or ideas you would like to ask and share with the group, use the class link. I hope you enjoy the course and find the content beneficial. I am always happy to hear your suggestions for changes and improvements. Any changes to the course pages during the month will be made Monday to Thursday only and you will be informed via the class e-mail link. At the end of the course please be sure to fill out the online course evaluation form (link in left menu bar on each page) for GSLIS CE.