The document outlines 6 levels of instructional use of the World Wide Web, from basic information delivery to immersive collaborative environments. Level 1 involves simple delivery of course materials. Level 2 adds predefined external links for students. Level 3 incorporates online interaction through tools like email and chat. Level 4 provides self-contained online course modules. Level 5 has students synthesize and create their own web resources. Level 6 creates virtual text-based and visual environments for simultaneous collaboration. The conclusion notes this is a framework to guide web-based instructional design and effective learning depends on the instructional strategies employed.

1. Web-Based Instruction
Overview
Nada Dabbagh
George Mason University

2. Characteristics of the WWW
• “Network of networks”
• Vast, ever-increasing resources
• Ability to reach widely dispersed and diverse
people
• Uniformity of address and scripting language
(HTTP, HTML)
• Power of cross-platform capabilities
• Ease of use through a common user interface
based on the concept of hypermedia

3. Overall Use of the WWW
• Information resource/Information access
• Research & data collection (online databases,
surveys, etc.)
• Communication through the use of
complementary Internet capabilities such as:
– email, listservs, newsgroups, IRC, etc.
• Viewing information in multimedia format
• Shopping
• Increased focus on instructional applications

4. Basic Types of Web Pages
http://www.science.widener.edu/~withers/webeval.htm
• Informational
• News
• Personal
• Business/Marketing
• Advocacy
• Instructional?

5. Current Instructional Use of the
WWW
• Only beginning to be utilized for instruction
– Some use in higher education and public
education
– Very limited use in corporate training
• Overall highest use for communication &
collaboration
• Also used for research and data gathering
• Downloading/Uploading material for instructional
use

6. Potential Instructional Use of the
World Wide Web
• Could revolutionize instructional delivery
• Ability to reach widely dispersed and diverse
learners
• Ability to teach at different times for different
learners
• Students can download instruction for later use
• Increased multimedia potential (e.g. virtual reality,
MOOs and MUDs)
– http://www.wested.org/tie/dlrn/moo.html
• Increased involvement by instructor and learner

7. Instructional Framework
• Level 1- Information delivery
– Simple delivery of information to students
– Syllabus, class notes, assignments, etc.
– Allows for material delivery locally or at a
distance
– All Web courses implemented at this level
• Example:
– http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~myoung/sitcog.html

8. Instructional Framework
• Level 2 - Information delivery with pre-defined
resources
– Provision of pre-defined links for students to
explore
– Outside resources related to current topic
– Range of activities
• Simple exploration of outside sites
• Required instructional activities at specified
sites
• Example:
– http://www.bk.psu.edu/academic/hled/main.htm

9. Instructional Framework
• Level 3 - Information delivery with on-line
interaction
– Involves computer mediated communication
– Primarily text-based interaction;
– On-line interaction between students and
instructor;
– Asynchronous communication:
• Use of email, listservs and newsgroups;
– Synchronous communication:
• Internet Relay Chat (IRC).

10. Level 3 - Information delivery with
on-line interaction
• Examples:
– Grief in a Family Context
• http://www.indiana.edu/~hperf558/
– Cultures of the Book
• http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/texts/cultures.html
– Strategic Management
• http://www.cs.tcd.ie/courses/ism/smis/smis.htm

11. Instructional Framework
• Level 4 - Pre-designed instructional
delivery
– Self-contained instructional modules available
on WWW;
– Web-based course management tools;
– Available for individual access or downloading;
– Use of authoring systems with WWW;
– Increased speed of WWW for information
delivery.

12. Level 4 - Pre-designed instructional
delivery
• Examples:
– Colores
• http://leia.ursinus.edu/~jarana/colores.html
– Psychology Tutorial
• http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/sen_tut.html

13. Instructional Framework
• Level 5 - Information Synthesis and Creation of
Resources
– Student synthesis and creation of WWW resources
– Instructor provides some instruction on HTML tools
– Student creation options:
• Individual representation of course information
• Location of external course-related resources.
• Examples:
– http://www.u.arizona.edu/~kari/ws200.htm
– http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/courses/newmedia.html

14. Instructional Framework
• Level 6 - Immersive Collaborative Environments:
– Text-based and visual instructional environments;
– Accesible simultaneously by multiple users;
– Expands the level of potential interaction;
– Allows for manipulation of instructional variables;
– Simulations on the web;
– Virtual reality.
• Example:
– http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~babydoll/coursematerial/spring96/index.
html

15. Conclusion
“This instructional framework is only a guide
to designing and understanding the
instructional processes utilized within
instruction delivered via the WWW.”
“It is the instructional design methods and
strategies that ultimately determine a
specific site’s effectiveness in producing
effective learning.”