Developing learning materials Developing learning materials efficiently for web access efficiently for web access

as well as for printing and for as well as for printing and for prprojectiojection in a classroomon in a classroom

Paul Nieuwenhuysen Paul Nieuwenhuysen

• Vrije Universiteit BrusselVrije Universiteit Brussel, , and and

• Universitaire Instelling AntwerpenUniversitaire Instelling Antwerpen, , BelgiumBelgium

pnieuwen@vub.ac.bepnieuwen@vub.ac.be

Presented at the Presented at the WEBNET 2000WEBNET 2000 conference conference in San Antonio, Texas, USAin San Antonio, Texas, USA

Paul Nieuwenhuysen Paul Nieuwenhuysen

• Vrije Universiteit BrusselVrije Universiteit Brussel, , and and

• Universitaire Instelling AntwerpenUniversitaire Instelling Antwerpen, , BelgiumBelgium

pnieuwen@vub.ac.bepnieuwen@vub.ac.be

Presented at the Presented at the WEBNET 2000WEBNET 2000 conference conference in San Antonio, Texas, USAin San Antonio, Texas, USA

Developing Learning Materials Developing Learning Materials ABSTRACT / SUMMARYABSTRACT / SUMMARY

• A strategy is presented for the development of A strategy is presented for the development of learning materials that are suitable learning materials that are suitable

»for the creation of printed study materials for the creation of printed study materials

»for projection during group meetings with the studentsfor projection during group meetings with the students

»for access through the WWWfor access through the WWW

• Maintaining and developing 1 master for each Maintaining and developing 1 master for each document saves time and avoids differences between document saves time and avoids differences between various versions.various versions.

• A strategy is presented for the development of A strategy is presented for the development of learning materials that are suitable learning materials that are suitable

»for the creation of printed study materials for the creation of printed study materials

»for projection during group meetings with the studentsfor projection during group meetings with the students

»for access through the WWWfor access through the WWW

• Maintaining and developing 1 master for each Maintaining and developing 1 master for each document saves time and avoids differences between document saves time and avoids differences between various versions.various versions.

StudentsReadersUsersReceivers

LecturerAuthorCreatorSender

Learning Materials: Learning Materials: Teaching Supported by Print-outsTeaching Supported by Print-outs

StudentsReadersUsersReceivers

LecturerAuthorCreatorSender

Developing Learning Materials: Developing Learning Materials: Printouts + ProjectionPrintouts + Projection

StudentsReadersUsersReceivers

LecturerAuthorCreatorSender

WWW

Developing Learning Materials: Developing Learning Materials: Through the Through the Web OnlyWeb Only

StudentsReadersUsersReceivers

LecturerAuthorCreatorSender

1 master 1 master documentdocument

WWW

Developing Learning Materials Developing Learning Materials Combination of Teaching Methods!Combination of Teaching Methods!

Computer Programs Used to Create Computer Programs Used to Create the Learning Materialsthe Learning Materials

The applied programs are common, cheap, well documented, The applied programs are common, cheap, well documented, and well updated:and well updated:

• For the Web site that serves as a framework for access For the Web site that serves as a framework for access through the WWW: through the WWW: Microsoft FrontPageMicrosoft FrontPage..

• For slide presentations:For slide presentations: Microsoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerPoint, saving each presentation as a PPS , saving each presentation as a PPS show file (the master) from which a version for the web is show file (the master) from which a version for the web is derived in XML/HTML.derived in XML/HTML.

• For other documents than presentations:For other documents than presentations: Microsoft WordMicrosoft Word, saving most files , saving most files in Rich Text Format or in XML/HTML format. in Rich Text Format or in XML/HTML format.

The applied programs are common, cheap, well documented, The applied programs are common, cheap, well documented, and well updated:and well updated:

• For the Web site that serves as a framework for access For the Web site that serves as a framework for access through the WWW: through the WWW: Microsoft FrontPageMicrosoft FrontPage..

• For slide presentations:For slide presentations: Microsoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerPoint, saving each presentation as a PPS , saving each presentation as a PPS show file (the master) from which a version for the web is show file (the master) from which a version for the web is derived in XML/HTML.derived in XML/HTML.

• For other documents than presentations:For other documents than presentations: Microsoft WordMicrosoft Word, saving most files , saving most files in Rich Text Format or in XML/HTML format. in Rich Text Format or in XML/HTML format.

Computer Programs Used to Create Computer Programs Used to Create the Learning Materialsthe Learning Materials

• Most work has been done Most work has been done with at least two of the previous versions and with at least two of the previous versions and with the present version with the present version 20002000 of these programs. of these programs.

• Most work has been done Most work has been done with at least two of the previous versions and with at least two of the previous versions and with the present version with the present version 20002000 of these programs. of these programs.

Network-supported Communication Network-supported Communication to Support Learningto Support Learning

• Communication student-lecturer + student-student is Communication student-lecturer + student-student is supported by supported by

»standard Internet electronic mail and by standard Internet electronic mail and by

»a discussion group through e-mail or the WWWa discussion group through e-mail or the WWW

• Everyone can use common client programs for e-mail Everyone can use common client programs for e-mail and for web browsing, that have already been set-up and for web browsing, that have already been set-up and mastered.and mastered.Nobody has to learn and maintain yet another Nobody has to learn and maintain yet another program.program.

• Communication student-lecturer + student-student is Communication student-lecturer + student-student is supported by supported by

»standard Internet electronic mail and by standard Internet electronic mail and by

»a discussion group through e-mail or the WWWa discussion group through e-mail or the WWW

• Everyone can use common client programs for e-mail Everyone can use common client programs for e-mail and for web browsing, that have already been set-up and for web browsing, that have already been set-up and mastered.and mastered.Nobody has to learn and maintain yet another Nobody has to learn and maintain yet another program.program.

Documents / Files Documents / Files Created and Made AvailableCreated and Made Available

• For each course, an For each course, an overviewoverview of the contents, the of the contents, the aims, and the evaluation procedure.aims, and the evaluation procedure.

• Series of Series of slidesslides (presentations) offer the course (presentations) offer the course contents, including questions, tasks, problems, contents, including questions, tasks, problems, practical exercises and links to external information.practical exercises and links to external information.Each presentation file covers a “chapter”.Each presentation file covers a “chapter”.

• One One table of contentstable of contents for all the slides. for all the slides.

• A A bibliographybibliography for each chapter. for each chapter.

+ a minimal set of HTML pages that serve as + a minimal set of HTML pages that serve as containercontainer for those documents on WWW.for those documents on WWW.

• For each course, an For each course, an overviewoverview of the contents, the of the contents, the aims, and the evaluation procedure.aims, and the evaluation procedure.

• Series of Series of slidesslides (presentations) offer the course (presentations) offer the course contents, including questions, tasks, problems, contents, including questions, tasks, problems, practical exercises and links to external information.practical exercises and links to external information.Each presentation file covers a “chapter”.Each presentation file covers a “chapter”.

• One One table of contentstable of contents for all the slides. for all the slides.

• A A bibliographybibliography for each chapter. for each chapter.

+ a minimal set of HTML pages that serve as + a minimal set of HTML pages that serve as containercontainer for those documents on WWW.for those documents on WWW.

Hyperlink Maintenance in the Hyperlink Maintenance in the Learning MaterialsLearning Materials

• Many of the created documents contain links to web-Many of the created documents contain links to web-based sources, and based sources, and FrontPageFrontPage can be used efficiently can be used efficiently to check those links and to repair the links, because all to check those links and to repair the links, because all the files made by the various programs are the files made by the various programs are incorporated in one incorporated in one FrontpageFrontpage ‘web’. ‘web’.

• Many of the created documents contain links to web-Many of the created documents contain links to web-based sources, and based sources, and FrontPageFrontPage can be used efficiently can be used efficiently to check those links and to repair the links, because all to check those links and to repair the links, because all the files made by the various programs are the files made by the various programs are incorporated in one incorporated in one FrontpageFrontpage ‘web’. ‘web’.

PowerPoint 2000 ’PowerPoint 2000 ’ss Yields Better Web Pages (1)Yields Better Web Pages (1)

• Microsoft PowerPoint 2000Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 allows saving slide allows saving slide presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic HTML that use the display better, because the pages HTML that use the display better, because the pages are like slides created with the particular limited are like slides created with the particular limited display format in mind, which is not the case with most display format in mind, which is not the case with most classical HTML pages that require scrolling for a classical HTML pages that require scrolling for a complete view.complete view.

• Microsoft PowerPoint 2000Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 allows saving slide allows saving slide presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic HTML that use the display better, because the pages HTML that use the display better, because the pages are like slides created with the particular limited are like slides created with the particular limited display format in mind, which is not the case with most display format in mind, which is not the case with most classical HTML pages that require scrolling for a classical HTML pages that require scrolling for a complete view.complete view.

PowerPoint 2000 PowerPoint 2000 Yields Yields Better Web Pages (1 illustrated)Better Web Pages (1 illustrated)

• Classical web HTML pagesClassical web HTML pagesthat require scrollingthat require scrolling

• Classical web HTML pagesClassical web HTML pagesthat require scrollingthat require scrolling

• Web pages created with Web pages created with PowerPoint 2000PowerPoint 2000

• Web pages created with Web pages created with PowerPoint 2000PowerPoint 2000

PowerPoint 2000 ’PowerPoint 2000 ’ss XML / HTML XML / HTML Yields Better Web Pages (2)Yields Better Web Pages (2)

• Microsoft PowerPoint 2000Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 allows saving slide allows saving slide presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic HTML that offer most features of a slide presentation HTML that offer most features of a slide presentation such as such as

»a table of contents,a table of contents,

»additional text notes displayed under each slide,additional text notes displayed under each slide,

»graphics that can be animated and that are resized graphics that can be animated and that are resized together with the text and other parts of the slide,together with the text and other parts of the slide,

»slide transition effects,slide transition effects,

»full screen display if wanted,…full screen display if wanted,…

• Microsoft PowerPoint 2000Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 allows saving slide allows saving slide presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic presentations as web pages with XML and dynamic HTML that offer most features of a slide presentation HTML that offer most features of a slide presentation such as such as

»a table of contents,a table of contents,

»additional text notes displayed under each slide,additional text notes displayed under each slide,

»graphics that can be animated and that are resized graphics that can be animated and that are resized together with the text and other parts of the slide,together with the text and other parts of the slide,

»slide transition effects,slide transition effects,

»full screen display if wanted,…full screen display if wanted,…

Word 2000Word 2000’s XML / HTML’s XML / HTML Yields Yields Powerful DocumentsPowerful Documents

• Microsoft Word 2000 Microsoft Word 2000 allows saving documents as allows saving documents as XML/HTML pages XML/HTML pages

»that can be displayed by a browser that is available free that can be displayed by a browser that is available free of charge and that is already present on most public of charge and that is already present on most public access pc’s,access pc’s,

»that can contain active hyperlinks when viewed on the that can contain active hyperlinks when viewed on the Internet,Internet,

»that can be printed (using that can be printed (using Word 2000) Word 2000) with with formatting (such as page breaks) as intended by the formatting (such as page breaks) as intended by the author !author !

• Microsoft Word 2000 Microsoft Word 2000 allows saving documents as allows saving documents as XML/HTML pages XML/HTML pages

»that can be displayed by a browser that is available free that can be displayed by a browser that is available free of charge and that is already present on most public of charge and that is already present on most public access pc’s,access pc’s,

»that can contain active hyperlinks when viewed on the that can contain active hyperlinks when viewed on the Internet,Internet,

»that can be printed (using that can be printed (using Word 2000) Word 2000) with with formatting (such as page breaks) as intended by the formatting (such as page breaks) as intended by the author !author !

Some Problems Solved during Some Problems Solved during Development of the System (1)Development of the System (1)

• The conversion of The conversion of PowerPointPowerPoint version 95 files to version 95 files to version 97 files caused an version 97 files caused an inversion of many arrowsinversion of many arrows in in the images on the slides…the images on the slides…

• The conversion of The conversion of PowerPointPowerPoint 97 to 2000 caused two 97 to 2000 caused two colors of the existing colors of the existing color schemescolor schemes to be taken as to be taken as indicators of unvisited and visited hyperlinks. indicators of unvisited and visited hyperlinks. Consequently, colors indicating links were not Consequently, colors indicating links were not suitable, but changing these colors caused unwanted suitable, but changing these colors caused unwanted changes in other parts also…changes in other parts also…

• The conversion of The conversion of PowerPointPowerPoint version 95 files to version 95 files to version 97 files caused an version 97 files caused an inversion of many arrowsinversion of many arrows in in the images on the slides…the images on the slides…

• The conversion of The conversion of PowerPointPowerPoint 97 to 2000 caused two 97 to 2000 caused two colors of the existing colors of the existing color schemescolor schemes to be taken as to be taken as indicators of unvisited and visited hyperlinks. indicators of unvisited and visited hyperlinks. Consequently, colors indicating links were not Consequently, colors indicating links were not suitable, but changing these colors caused unwanted suitable, but changing these colors caused unwanted changes in other parts also…changes in other parts also…

Some Problems Solved during Some Problems Solved during Development of the System (2)Development of the System (2)

• For some presentation files that had been developed For some presentation files that had been developed with earlier versions of with earlier versions of PowerPoint,PowerPoint, the the conversion to conversion to the the PowerPoint 2000 PowerPoint 2000 formatformat was impossible. was impossible. It was found out that this was due to particular slides It was found out that this was due to particular slides that contained charts. that contained charts. When these were deleted, conversion was possible.When these were deleted, conversion was possible.

• For some presentation files that had been developed For some presentation files that had been developed with earlier versions of with earlier versions of PowerPoint,PowerPoint, the the conversion to conversion to the the PowerPoint 2000 PowerPoint 2000 formatformat was impossible. was impossible. It was found out that this was due to particular slides It was found out that this was due to particular slides that contained charts. that contained charts. When these were deleted, conversion was possible.When these were deleted, conversion was possible.

Some Problems Solved during Some Problems Solved during Development of the System (3)Development of the System (3)

• The transition from The transition from FrontPageFrontPage 98 to 2000 forced us to 98 to 2000 forced us to convert the web from mixed case to convert the web from mixed case to lowercaselowercase only, as only, as we use Unix servers that are case sensitive…we use Unix servers that are case sensitive…

• Saving Saving Word 2000Word 2000 and and PowerPoint 2000PowerPoint 2000 files in HTML files in HTML format (including XML) has become more powerful but format (including XML) has become more powerful but also more complicated.also more complicated.Insufficient helpInsufficient help is provided by the software package is provided by the software package to understand the process and to make reasonable to understand the process and to make reasonable decisions…decisions…

• The transition from The transition from FrontPageFrontPage 98 to 2000 forced us to 98 to 2000 forced us to convert the web from mixed case to convert the web from mixed case to lowercaselowercase only, as only, as we use Unix servers that are case sensitive…we use Unix servers that are case sensitive…

• Saving Saving Word 2000Word 2000 and and PowerPoint 2000PowerPoint 2000 files in HTML files in HTML format (including XML) has become more powerful but format (including XML) has become more powerful but also more complicated.also more complicated.Insufficient helpInsufficient help is provided by the software package is provided by the software package to understand the process and to make reasonable to understand the process and to make reasonable decisions…decisions…

Topics of the Learning Materials Topics of the Learning Materials Created and Made AvailableCreated and Made Available

The topics / contents are all related to The topics / contents are all related to information literacy, information literacy, mainly focusing on mainly focusing on

»applications of information technology, and onapplications of information technology, and on

»information retrieval.information retrieval.

The topics / contents are all related to The topics / contents are all related to information literacy, information literacy, mainly focusing on mainly focusing on

»applications of information technology, and onapplications of information technology, and on

»information retrieval.information retrieval.

Use Use of the Materials Developedof the Materials Developed

• The courses for which this The courses for which this strategy is developed, strategy is developed, tested and applied are organised at the tested and applied are organised at the

»Vrije Universiteit BrusselVrije Universiteit Brussel and at the and at the

»University of AntwerpUniversity of Antwerp in Belgium.in Belgium.

• The courses for which this The courses for which this strategy is developed, strategy is developed, tested and applied are organised at the tested and applied are organised at the

»Vrije Universiteit BrusselVrije Universiteit Brussel and at the and at the

»University of AntwerpUniversity of Antwerp in Belgium.in Belgium.

Availability of Learning Materials Availability of Learning Materials DevelopedDeveloped

• Up to now the starting point is Up to now the starting point is http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/nieuwenhuysen/courses/http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/nieuwenhuysen/courses/

• Accessible by anyone free of charge.Accessible by anyone free of charge.

• This web site This web site makes available now about 100 Mbytes makes available now about 100 Mbytes in more than 10 000 files in more than 10 000 files in more than 100 folders/directories.in more than 100 folders/directories.

• Up to now the starting point is Up to now the starting point is http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/nieuwenhuysen/courses/http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/nieuwenhuysen/courses/

• Accessible by anyone free of charge.Accessible by anyone free of charge.

• This web site This web site makes available now about 100 Mbytes makes available now about 100 Mbytes in more than 10 000 files in more than 10 000 files in more than 100 folders/directories.in more than 100 folders/directories.

Thank you Thank you

Any Any questions?questions?

Thank you Thank you

Any Any questions?questions?