Publishing versus Handouts: Contrasting approaches to courseware online

Dr Peter Sefton, NextEd Ltd, mailto:peter.sefton@nexted.com.

Keywords

Courseware, Learning Management System, Publishing

Abstract

This paper explores the publishing and management of course materials across multiple modes of delivery, including delivery to semi-autonomous education centres located away from the main campuses of major institutions. We look at two approaches to getting course materials on the web. One, which is close to classroom practice and commonly implemented in Learning Management Systems, we call the ‘handout’ model. The other is more similar to the distance education approach of preparing publications for distribution by mail, which we call a ‘publishing’ model, where standardisation and structure are valued. We comment on why we see the latter approach as important for distributed delivery.