Full Day Workshops

An Introduction to the Semantic Web - Steve Ball
Architectures for Effective Web Learning and Performance - Rod Sims and Deborah Jones
Web Management Principles - Claire Spencer and Margaret Ruwoldt
Writing for the Web - Dey Alexander

Outline: Why do we need a Semantic Web? What's wrong with HTML? What does XML offer? What will it do for users? This morning session will provide an easy to understand introduction to the concept of the Semantic Web and the underlying XML code that powers it. It will cover all standards, and proposed standards, that make up the Semantic Web.

Topics covered include:
• Machine understandable data vs human readable information
• Metadata
• RDF
• Topic maps
• Data sharing and reuse

Is the Semantic Web ready for prime-time?  This session shows how Semantic Web technology can be applied to real world problems by demonstrating its use in applications being used today.

Topics covered include:
• Podcasting
• Configuration data
• Enterprise modeling

Biographical Details: Steve Ball is the Chief Technical Officer of Packaged Press - the innovative electronic publishing company - and Explain.  He is author of Web Tcl Complete (McGraw-Hill), several magazine articles and numerous research papers.  Steve has developed and manages a number of Open Source software projects, including the DocBook round-tripping system, the XSLT Standard Library and the TclXML family of packages. Since 1997 Steve has been involved in XML standards and in developing best practises for engineering XSL stylesheets and designing XML-based systems.  He has been an Information Architect and XML consultant for several organisations, including the Federal Parliament of Australia, the ABC, State and Federal Government Departments.  Steve has been training Web authors and developers in all XML related topics, such as XML, XSL, XML Schemas, SVG and DocBook for many years. Previously, Steve was a researcher at the Australian National University and the Advanced Computational Systems Co-Operative Research Centre.

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Outline: The intended participants for this workshop are instructional, educational and curriculum designers from the training and education sectors, as well as lecturers and classroom teachers who want to better understand how to realise the full potential of Web-based learning environments.

At the end of this one-day workshop, participants will have:
• Reviewed and critically reflected on the critical components of effective Web-based learning;
• Analysed the major issues that confront and prevent designers from achieving the full potential of web-based learning;
• Synthesised the key elements required to construct Architectures for Web-Based Learning, including three-phase modelling, proactive evaluation and interaction metrics;
• Completed a case study on their own workplace environment to implement a functional Web-Based Learning Architecture; and
• A full set of resources and tools to develop and implement more complex Web-based learning architectures within their workplace.

The workshop is divided into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session will focus on the underpinning principles and practices that enable E-Learning Architectures to cater for different learning and performance environments. This will include the integration of the Three-Phase modelling strategy, the Principles of Online Pedagogy and Interactive Metrics. This overview will provide a context for implementing e-learning environments utilising one of the architectures. The afternoon session will involve a case-study where E-Learning Architectures are applied to settings associated with different learning outcomes and contexts. At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will have a complete set of tools, applicable for all workplace settings, to create e-learning environments that are both economic and outcome oriented.

Biographical Details: Dr Rod Sims has worked in the technology and education field for over 25 years. During that period he has seen significant change both in the technology we use and the ways in which we design educational environments to effectively use that technology. Rod has worked as both a consultant in educational technology as well as designing and implementing undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the University of Technology Sydney and Southern Cross University. Over the last three years Rod has been working as an Adjunct Professor with the US-based and online Capella University, with responsibilities for online teaching, course development and PhD supervisions in the field of Instructional Design for Online Learning. Rod has presented widely in Australia and internationally and is well known for his work on the design of web-based learning environments.

Deborah Jones is Academic Support Coordinator within the Information Education Services group at the University of Melbourne, where her role includes working with the implementation of the Blackboard LMS and consulting on effective online pedagogy. Prior to this Deborah led a team of designers for the Faculty of Business at RMIT University, creating online learning environments for offshore delivery. Deborah has employed her background in the arts to bring fresh insights to the design of web-based learning environments and is currently working with Rod Sims to develop the three-phase modeling processes that underpins Architectures for Web-Based Learning.

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Outline: This workshop introduces you to the emerging profession of web management:

• Identifying the goals and business requirements for your site, and making sure you get value for effort
• Planning and developing the site so that it meets your goals -- and those of your users!
• Practical methods for day-to-day management of the site, and preparing for future developments

Intended Audience: Web Management Principles is a non-technical workshop for designers, developers, IT specialists, small-business owners, administrators, teachers and trainers, and people involved with community or non-profit organisations. The course is also suitable for staff in university or government departments who are interested in moving into a more web-specific role.

Biographical Details: In the past seven years, Claire Spencer has worked in online advertising, web application and 3D design companies. She has represented a wide range of corporate clients such as NAB, Telstra, Ansell, Renault and Sorbent, and dabbled as a studio manager, content administrator, writer, editor, and online producer. Three years ago Claire moved into the higher-education sector and has never looked back. As a web consultant at the University of Melbourne, Claire now manages site and application development projects based on user needs rather than advertising budgets. She provides training and advice to help University departments improve their sites' usability and apply best-practice web development techniques. Claire is a usability advocate and an active member of the Web Accessibility Network for Australian Universities (WANAU).

In 1974, Margaret Ruwoldt wanted to be an archaeologist. In 1978 she wrote her first computer program. Despite dropping out of university (three times), Margaret has found rewarding careers in office management; international student recruitment; marketing and public relations; and assorted university student service areas. She has extensive experience in producing corporate publications, in print and on the web, and has nurtured a personal web site since 1997. Margaret currently manages the content, structure, design and maintenance of Melbourne University's main web site. She has no Internet connection at home.

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Presenter:Dey Alexander, Dey Alexander Consulting <dey@deyalexander.com.au>

Title: Writing for the Web

Outline:The web is full of poor-quality content that is vague, uses excessive jargon or complex language, and provides little in the way of real information. This confuses, frustrates and annoys people. And it costs the organisations who publish it valuable time and money.

This full-day workshop is tailored to meet the needs of authors and approvers of business content delivered via corporate, government or university web sites or intranets. It focuses on improving the usefulness, usability and accessibility of online content - helping you create content that works. It introduces techniques for clear and effective online communication and reinforces these with a series of hands-on exercises.

The workshop is divided into four sections and covers the following topics:

1. Introduction

• The challenge
• The goal
• The medium
  

• Site-wide planning
• Section-wide planning
• Page-level planning
  

• Techniques for effective communication
• Content design: dealing with layout and length
• Making the most of metadata and microcontent
  

• Content review and editorial processes
• Using checklists to review content
• Content evaluation through user testing

Biographical Details:Dey is one of Australia's most experienced web usability professionals. She has designed and evaluated web sites, applications and content since 1994. Most recently, she established and led the user interface design team at Monash University, where she was engaged as a usability specialist from 2001 to early 2006. Dey has provided training or consulting services to a number of organisations including Vision Australia, University of Tasmania, University of Melbourne, ANZ Bank, La Trobe University, Aspect Computing (now KAZ Technology Services), and Multimedia Victoria. An engaging speaker, Dey has given presentations, lectures and workshops around the country.

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