Developing a Web-based Internet kit for teaching, learning and
research activities at The University of Queensland
Helen Darch, Library Research and Development Manager, The University of Queensland Library
St. Lucia Campus, Qld 4072
h.darch@library.uq.edu.au
Jaga Indulska, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Computer Science;
Tracey Swann and Rana Singh, The University of Queensland.
Introduction
QUIK! Queensland University's Internet Kit is
an initiative of The University of Queensland's Department of Computer
Science and The University of Queensland Library that aimed to develop a
computer based training and information package to teach The University of
Queensland's staff and students how to efficiently identify, access, exploit
and evaluate Internet tools, resources and services.
It was funded by a grant from The University's 1995 Teaching and Learning
Quality funds. QUIK! is currently available via the Library's
Web server at no cost to the University's staff and students.
Aims
The QUIK! project's aims were to develop a flexible teaching
package that could be
- delivered in both networked and non-networked environments
- integrated into teaching programs in the classroom/lecture theatre
- used by students for independent study in their own time, at their
own pace both on-campus and off-campus
- extended to incorporate future teaching modules
- modified to produce customised Internet training products.
Product design
QUIK! is a user-friendly, easily portable
Internet training package that consists of a series of interconnected
introductory and specialised teaching modules deliverable in both networked
and non-networked environments. A modular approach was taken to facilitate
self-paced learning and provide users with the flexibility to select and
use the resources and services most appropriate to their training needs.
QUIK! consists of a series of HTML files or World Wide Web (WWW)
pages. It was decided to design the kit as a series of World-Wide Web pages
because of the Web's ability to :
- operate on a number of hardware platforms (PC Windows, Macintosh, Unix, etc.)
thus minimising portability problems;
- accommodate both text (e.g. Lynx) or graphical (e.g. Mosaic, Netscape)
browsers. As these are public domain software and are available for
many platforms, they are easily accessible;
- provide an integrated interface to other Internet services, enabling all
Internet services to be invoked during a learning session, a feature unique
to the WWW;
- handle multimedia information, enabling audio and visual mediums
to be used for teaching purposes.
Using a Web-based design allowed the package to be used in two ways: on the
Internet or locally (if there is no connection to the Internet) thus
providing the option of non-network delivery. It also allowed interactive
sessions to be built which could be designed to provide feedback to users
about their progress.
Another advantage in a Web-based design is the availability of document
translators/converters which can convert one document format
(e.g. WordPerfect, LaTeX) into HTML, and vice versa, thus allowing for
easy translation of existing teaching materials on the Internet into HTML
format.
QUIK! consists of an extendable series of Internet training
modules, which at present includes the following:
- an introduction to the Internet which covers
- what is available on the Internet
- the Internet in Australia
- Internet addresses
- access requirements
- legal issues
- a communication module which covers
- electronic mail - what is it, how to find addresses, how it works
usenet news - what is it, how it works, how to access Usenet,
World-Wide Web browsers
- a services module which covers
- the World-Wide Web - what is it, how it works, Uniform Resource
Locators
- Telnet - what is it, how it works, how to use it, trouble shooting, finding addresses with hytelnet
- Gopher - what is it, how it works, how to use it, using Veronica to
search Gopherspace
- File Transfer Protocol - what is it, how it works, how to use it,
which FTP program to use, anonymous FTP and software archives
- Archie - what it is, how it works, software archives
- a finding information module which covers
- finding general World-Wide Web based resources - developing a
search strategy, search tools
- finding software
- finding electronic publications
- an advanced World Wide Web which covers
- a QUIKstart to Web publishing
- an introduction to HTML
- advanced HTML and Common Gateway Interface programming
- a glossary
- a series of subject-oriented Internet resource modules (e.g. law,
dentistry resources)
A number of quizzes and practical interactive exercises are scattered
throughout each module to provide users with an opportunity to put into
practice what they are learning, to ensure that competency has been achieved
and to provide users with feedback on their progress.
QUIK!. The evaluation form seeks feedback on the package's content, layout and suggestions for improvement.
The Future
Although the availability of QUIK! has not been advertised to
the external (ie. non University of Queensland) community, considerable
interest was generated when external access was provided to the Web site.
Interest was shown by a wide variety of higher education institutions,
schools, professional bodies and individuals, so much so that the
University's commercial arm, Uniquest was invited to investigate the
feasibility of marketing QUIK to the broader educational, industry,
professional and community markets.
The investigation confirmed the existence of a commercial market for the
product and a CD-Rom version of QUIK! is scheduled for
production. As well as the major QUIK CD-Rom, a variety of spin-off products
will be produced, for example, a version of QUIK for Dentists, QUIK for
Physiotherapists, QUIK for Lawyers.
Monies generated by the commercial venture will go towards maintenance and
further development of QUIK.
Copyright
H.Darch ©, 1996. The authors assign to Southern Cross University
and other educational and non-profit institutions a non-exclusive licence to use
this document for personal use and in courses of instruction provided that the
article
is used in full and this copyright statement is reproduced. The authors also
grant a non-exclusive licence to Southern Cross University to publish this document
in full on the World Wide Web and on CD-ROM, and for the document to be published on
mirrors on the World Wide Web.
Any other usage is prohibited without the express permission of the authors.
AusWeb96 The Second Australian WorldWideWeb Conference
"ausweb96@scu.edu.au"