What is the purpose of your course site?

The following ways of categorising learning sites will help you to think about what you want form a learning web site and enable you to confidently fill out your form.

Online environments utilise a range of features and tools to support teaching and learning functions. These allow lecturers and students to replace or supplement the information and interaction that takes place in the classroom. The features of your site will need to take into account the functions you want to provide (Column 1).

The Commonwealth Department of Education Science and Training recognises three types* of online learning sites, with one of these being further subdivided. The types are largely based on the extent to which success in the course relies on access to the site (Column2).

Teaching & learning functions

Course reliance

Class support site

Provides access to course documentation which is available to students by other means, such as a course outline document, lecture notes and PowerPoint slides, and particular class handouts.

Web supplemented site

Participation online is optional for the student. Enrolled students can access information on units of study that is additional to that available in the university’s calendar or handbook. The information may include course descriptions and study guides, examination information, assessment overview, reading lists and other online learning resources. The information is used to supplement traditional forms of delivery.

Assessment site

Provides the ability to do online assessment activities and/or submit electronic assignments. This usually includes the ability to view the grades allocated for each assessment task.

Web dependent site

Participation online for each activity described below is a compulsory requirement of participation although some face-to-face component may be retained:

(i) Web Content Dependent
Students must use the web to interact with the education content necessary for study

(ii) Web Communication Dependent
Students must use the web to communicate with staff and/or other students

(iii) Web Maximum Dependent
Students must use the web both to interact with content and to communicate with staff and/or other students

Resource site

Provides access to electronic resources and activities that extend the information base of the course. This can include:

resource links to other global web resources
resource lists that extend those referred to in class
the ability to share or co-develop student created resources.

Communicative site

Enables and supports meaningful communication among course participants and academic staff associated with the course, in the overall conduct of the course (beyond just clarifying administrative arrangements).

Fully online site

There is no face-to-face component so online participation is essential. All interactions with staff and students, education content, learning activities, assessment and support services are integrated and delivered on line.

* These categories were originally proposed in DEST Occasional Paper 02-A, Universities Online: A Survey of Online Education Services in Australia, March 2002.

Interactive site

Provides opportunities to enhance learning individually or collaboratively. This may be by means of:

self-help tutorials or quizzes that are optional class activities
'remedial' activities
animations or simulations that demonstrate or model processes which would otherwise be inaccessible, difficult to conceptualise, or impossible to experience
short term discussion activities such as role plays

Each site type uses the tools and features in different ways to support the learner. Of course, your site may be a blend of one of more categories in each column!

According to Ausburn* online course design elements most valued by adult learners include:

Course announcements and reminders from instructor
Course information documents (syllabus, schedules, outlines, grading procedures and policies)
Information about assignments and instructions for completing them
Course instructional/content documents and materials (handouts, PowerPoint slides, Internet sites)
Personal and contact information for instructor
Direct linkage to posted Internet sites for completing assignments or independent study
Communication with classmates and instructor via asynchronous and synchronous discussion boards and virtual chat
Email linkage to classmates and instructor

* Ausburn, J, 2004, 'Course Design Elements Most Valued by Adult Learners in Blended Online Education Environments: An American Perspective'.

Flexible Learning