Course production can be tailored to suit:

  • the needs of the student;
  • the requirements of the institution or trainer;
  • economics.

Course Structures

The most simple course structure is to use the components straight from the shopping cart and join them together with the minimum of added material. Clearly the raw learning objects will not join seamlessly together. In general, complete coverage will not be achieved from the selection available. A small section of the course might have a simple ribbon structure, like figure 1.

Struct01.gif (10891 bytes)

Figure 1    Minimum courses development model

Such a course would be:

  • quick to build;
  • easy to maintain;
  • simple to update.

However it would not have:

  • a homogeneous corporate look and feel;
  • all learning objects looking the same;
  • a fully integrated structure

A partial example of this type of course is shown below:-

OULogo02.gif (1085 bytes)

Open University
Welcome to T123NET

Getting into Visual Basic
   
ID 1234567
Password Dummy
Click here to proceed
Figure 2    Represents the student's entry point to the course

This is the point beyond which only registered students can go.

 

Full or partial integration would require more work and might look like figure 3

Struct02.gif (8188 bytes)
Figure 3    Objects are integrated with the course structure

Such a course would be:

  • slower to build;
  • harder to maintain;
  • more difficult to update.

An example of this type of course is shown below:-

OULogo02.gif (1085 bytes)

Open University
Welcome to T234NET

Smoother Visual Basic
   
ID 1234567
Password Dummy
Click here to proceed
Figure 4    Represents the student's entry point to the course

Other institutions have completely different ideas about course structure.

UULogo01.gif (7579 bytes)

Faculty of Engineering
Directed Laboratory
B.Sc. 1A - Visual basic
ID 1234567
Password Dummy
   
Click here to proceed
Figure 5    An alternative model for directly supported learning