教育信息技術(shù)學(xué)院002814230張維斌

1、教育信息技術(shù)學(xué)院 002814230 張維斌Creating web-integrated learning environments: An analysis of WebCT authoring tools in respect to usabilityAllison Piguet and Daniel Peraya HYPERLINK /articledigest8/index.htm 論著選摘TECFA, University of Geneva This study focuses on the creation of web-integrated learning environm

2、ents, using WebCT HYPERLINK / More specifically, it targets the user, as a course designer, who interacts with several authoring tools in order to produce educational scenarios. Two factors were measured in terms of their significance within the user-interface interaction: user satisfaction and cont

3、rol. A positive linear dependence between users perception of satisfaction and control was observed for a variety of WebCT tools. In conclusion, this positive correlation could be explained both quantitatively, and qualitatively in terms of a tools perceived aspect of usability. IntroductionThe adva

4、nces in computer development along with the expansion of the world wide web have lead to the creation of new and innovative designs in technology based instruction. Today there are numerous authoring tools that have broadened the base of possible instructional developers and allowed non-programmers,

5、 especially teachers, to create their own instructional learning environments. Authoring tools, also referred to as course design tools, provide a vital purpose that give course designers the necessary utilities to create unique integrated web-integrated learning environments, without knowing extens

6、ive programming languages. This study highlights course designers using WebCT and their interaction with the warranted authoring tools, fundamental for creating web-integrated learning environments. Therefore, a closer look is given to the utilisation of various WebCT tools that positively influence

7、 these course designers by evoking high perceptions of control and overall satisfaction. More specifically, this study combines these perceptions of user control vs. overall satisfaction and applies them to further analyse the aspect of usability according to specific WebCT authoring tools. These tw

8、o variables, control and satisfaction were measured both quantitatively and qualitatively, providing the basis for the experimentation, analysis, and discussion included in this research study. Additionally, the attribution of usability is explained by considering these two elements in the user-inte

9、rface interaction. Fundamentals of a web-integrated learning environmentIntegrating all of the well established advantages of the world wide web (WWW), Wilson defines a learning environment as a place where learners may work together and support each other as they use a variety of tools and informat

10、ion resources in their pursuit of learning goals and problem solving activities (1995). A web based learning environment is a hypermedia based program or system that uses the attributes and resources of the WWW to facilitate learning. Likewise, it is a networked computer application that enables peo

11、ple to learn from a distance. Learners can be physically separated from teachers and from each other, and they can participate in the learning environment at their own time and pace. Simply, a web based learning environment is a place where learners and teachers interact.For the past two years, we h

12、ave explored different authoring tools, both commercial and non-commercial that facilitate the creation of web-integrated learning environments. WebCT, was a particular tool that attracted our interest for two reasons. First, was its ability to combine single function Internet based tools to create

13、varies multifunctional tools that could suit our particular teaching and learning purposes at TECFA. Secondly, WebCT provides an authoring environment that portrays a desktop model, where tools are available and unified from within a common restricted web based interface. As a result, we have implem

14、ented WebCT in one of the teaching and learning modules at TECFA. In the course, the students take the seat as the course designers and have the opportunity to author their own unique learning environments. Therefore, studying these two aspects, interaction between course designer and WebCT authorin

15、g tools, was of great interest to us in our research domain. Measuring usability in the human-computer interactionUsability is a reoccurring concept in the domain of human-computer interaction (HCI). Its popularity has given rise to numerous definitions concerning its functional meaning. One of the

16、first to recognise the relativity of this concept was Shackel (1991). He defined usability as the capability of a system to be used by humans easily and effectively. Nielsen (1993), extended this definition to include that usability can be operationally defined as the effectiveness, efficiency and s

17、atisfaction with which specified users can perform particular tasks in a given environment. Accordingly, Preece (1994) mentions that usability is a measure of the ease with which a system can be learned or used, its safety, effectiveness and efficiency, and the attitude of its users towards it. Appl

18、ying these definitions, there has been a continuing effort to further define all of the multiple dimensions of usability. More concretely, a set of usability principles has been explained and agreed upon by several HCI researchers, including Shneiderman (1986), Norman (1988), Nielsen (1993), and Sha

19、ckel (1991). Each of their approaches defines the concept of usability by naming examples of system properties or qualities that influence usability (ie. consistency, presentation, error handling and recovery, memory load reduction, task match, flexibility, .). These functional operations of usabili

20、ty are measured only in terms of the systems operation.Besides from the usability of the systems operation, it also equally important to consider the point of view of the user in regards to usability. Therefore an attempt to study the experience of a user by introducing approaches that link usabilit

21、y and human emotion can also be introduced. These include, both the attitudes and perceptions of the user in terms of satisfaction and control.Further, user satisfaction is explained as the affective attitude towards a particular computer application by a user who interacts with the application dire

22、ctly. Along with this, there is also a practical assumption that user satisfaction with an information system results in some positive change in user behaviour, resulting in increased effectiveness. Additionally, user participation in design was found to be positively correlated with user satisfacti

23、on (Doll and Torkzadeh 1988). On the other hand, user control in a workspace concerns those aspects of interface and instructional design that provide users with functions in order to choose the nature of the feedback they receive the navigation paths through the content, the content to be engaged i

24、n and the pace of the engagement (Reeves, 1993). It has been suggested that giving the user control over system, process, and content generally increases intrinsic motivation to learn (Becker & Dwyer 1994).Perception of usabilityIn recent years, researchers have conducted several studies to examine

25、the relationship between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and the usage of other information technologies (Davis, 1989, Chau, 1996). Their research has supported the notion that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness can predict the usage of technology. Fishbein and Ajzens (1975)

26、 theory of reasoned action shows that beliefs influence attitudes which lead to intentions and therefore generates behaviours. Davis (1989) explains this theory of Technology Acceptance Model, or TAM, in relation to both a users attitude toward use and his/her behavioural intention to use. Attitude

27、towards use is the users evaluation of the desirability of employing a particular information systems application. Behavioural intention to use is a measure of the likelihood a user will employ the application (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980).An important topic of concern for these theories is the issue o

28、f perception, experienced by users when using authoring tools in a system. This study will focus on the users perception of control and perception of satisfaction when using different tools. It will be considered that course designers construe and create their own unique way of interacting with tool

29、s and construct their own interpretation of usability based on their own perception of satisfaction and control.譯文：創(chuàng)造整合web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境 關(guān)于WebCT創(chuàng)作工具可用性的分析Allison Piguet 、 Daniel PerayaTECFA，日內(nèi)瓦大學(xué)這項(xiàng)研究的中心在于整合web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境的創(chuàng)造，更特殊的是，它針對使用者，而使用者作為課程設(shè)計(jì)者，用多種創(chuàng)作工具交流以此創(chuàng)造出教學(xué)情景。根據(jù)在用戶界面里的交互性的意義，用兩個(gè)因素來衡量：用戶的滿意性和可控性。由各種WebCT工具可

30、觀測出，用戶感到滿意的程度和工具的可控性成正比。在結(jié)果里，這個(gè)正比關(guān)系將會(huì)根據(jù)一個(gè)工具被感知到的可用性的角度，在數(shù)量和質(zhì)量兩方面來解釋。介紹隨著計(jì)算機(jī)的發(fā)展以及全球信息網(wǎng)的擴(kuò)充，促進(jìn)了在基于技術(shù)的教育領(lǐng)域里，創(chuàng)新和革命的設(shè)計(jì)的創(chuàng)作。今天，許多創(chuàng)作工具都放寬了教育開發(fā)者的范圍，并允許非程序員，尤其是教師，去創(chuàng)建他們自己的教學(xué)環(huán)境。創(chuàng)作工具，涉及到作為課程設(shè)計(jì)的工具，要確定一個(gè)重要的目標(biāo)，就是給課程設(shè)計(jì)人員必需的功能去創(chuàng)建獨(dú)特的、完整的、整合web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境，而不需要設(shè)計(jì)人員具有豐富的程序語言知識。這份研究突出強(qiáng)調(diào)了課程設(shè)計(jì)者使用WebCT和使用正確的用來創(chuàng)造整合web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境的著作工具來進(jìn)行交

31、流。因此，一個(gè)比較接近的看法傾向于通過激發(fā)對管理和各方面的滿意的感知來對這些課程設(shè)計(jì)者有積極影響的，各種WebCT工具的利用。更明確地說，通過總體上的滿意程度比較，將用戶控制方面的這些感知結(jié)合起來，并根據(jù)特定的WebCT創(chuàng)作工具，應(yīng)用它們?nèi)ミM(jìn)一步分析可用性方面的問題。這兩個(gè)變量，可控性和滿意性，將通過數(shù)量和質(zhì)量兩方面來衡量，如果實(shí)驗(yàn)、分析和討論被包括在這項(xiàng)調(diào)查研究里的話。另外，可用性的歸因可解釋為用戶界面交互性里的兩個(gè)因素的考慮。整合web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境的原理結(jié)合了環(huán)球信息網(wǎng)（WWW）所有的、已知的優(yōu)勢，Wilson定義（1995），學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境就是學(xué)習(xí)者可以共同協(xié)作和互相幫助的地方，因?yàn)樗麄冊诮虒W(xué)目

32、標(biāo)追蹤和解決問題的過程中使用各種工具和信息資源。一個(gè)基于web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境是一個(gè)基于超媒體的，利用環(huán)球網(wǎng)的特征和資源去促進(jìn)學(xué)習(xí)的程序或系統(tǒng)。同樣地，它是一個(gè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)計(jì)算機(jī)的應(yīng)用程序，能夠使人們進(jìn)行遠(yuǎn)程學(xué)習(xí)。學(xué)習(xí)者不必與教師和其他學(xué)習(xí)者一起學(xué)習(xí)，他可以根據(jù)自己的時(shí)間安排、進(jìn)度來自主學(xué)習(xí)。基于web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境只不過是一個(gè)學(xué)習(xí)者與教師相互作用的地方。在過去的兩年里，我們已經(jīng)研究了不同的創(chuàng)作工具，包括促進(jìn)整合web的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境的創(chuàng)建的商業(yè)的和非商業(yè)的工具。WebCT，是一個(gè)特別的工具，它引起我們的注意有兩個(gè)原因。第一，它可以結(jié)合基于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的具有專門功能的工具，去創(chuàng)作各種各樣的，多功能的工具，可以適合我們在TE

33、CFA里的個(gè)別的教學(xué)和學(xué)習(xí)目標(biāo)。第二，WebCT提供一個(gè)模擬“桌面模式”的創(chuàng)作環(huán)境，在一個(gè)共同的有限的基于web的界面里有會(huì)利用到的，標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的工具。所以，我們已經(jīng)在TECFA的其中一個(gè)教與學(xué)模塊當(dāng)中使用了WebCT。在課程中，學(xué)生扮演課程設(shè)計(jì)者的角色，有機(jī)會(huì)去創(chuàng)建自己獨(dú)特的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境?？紤]到這兩方面的問題，程設(shè)計(jì)者和WebCT間的交互，在我們的研究領(lǐng)域中有極大的重要性。衡量人機(jī)交流的易用性可用性在人機(jī)交互領(lǐng)域（HCI）里是一個(gè)新提出的概念，它的流行使得許多關(guān)于它功能含義的定義被提出。其中首先承認(rèn)這個(gè)概念的相對性的是Shackel（1991）。他定義可用性就是一個(gè)系統(tǒng)被人們?nèi)菀椎?、有效地利用的能力。Nielsen（1993），使這個(gè)定義擴(kuò)展至包括：可用性可以按照操作被定義為效力、效率和個(gè)別用戶在特定的環(huán)境里能夠完成特定任務(wù)的滿