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Usage of content in Web-supported academic courses.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

The use of the Internet as an instructional tool in higher education is rapidly increasing. We are witnessing the development of huge amounts of learning materials for academic web-sites. Still, there is little empirical evidence regarding the actual use of these contents by students. In this study, computer logs are used in order to evaluate how online contents are consumed, the individual differences among students in terms of contents usage are investigated as are the amount of contents that is presented in courses' web-supported sites. Finally, further implications of information related to content usage are discussed, and their relevance for the evaluation of ICT implementation in higher education institutes is shown.

Background

The use of the Internet as an instructional tool in higher education is rapidly increasing. Most universities, including leading academic institutes, are implementing advanced technologies as a part of existing teaching frameworks (Mioduser & Nachmias, 2002). Some models were developed for characterizing online courses (for example, Harasim et al., 1995; Bonk et al., 1999). Harasim (2000) claims that the invention of CMC on one hand and the Internet (specifically the WWW) on the other, led to the development of two main models for online learning: one based on cooperative learning and interaction, while the other relies on publication of information on the Internet. Indeed, we are currently witnessing the development of huge amounts of web-based learning materials (Bork, 2001) and web-based contents has become a major component in many academic courses (Nachmias, 2002). Cummings, Bonk & Jacobs (2002) believe that presentation of educational contents on the Internet is highly valuable for students, who enjoy visual presentation of information and supplements to materials taught in lectures. However, the authors worry that presentation of learning materials does not necessarily lead to their utilization by students in order to enhance their learning or course understanding. Another source of concern derives from the fact that the development of online learning materials requires investment of considerable amounts of resources, financially and in time and effort (Nachmias, 2002). Therefore, the extent to which these resources have added value must be examined (Soong, Chan & Chua, 2001).

The dominance of contents in course websites, the investment in preparing this material, and the lack of certainty regarding their utilization, emphasize the need to examine whether and to what extent students make use of learning materials presented in course websites. However, there are only few studies dealing with this issue (for example, Rafaeli & Ravid, 1997). Moreover, these studies have examined consumption of contents in specific courses and do not deal with fundamental questions relating to content usage in course websites. One of the few studies attempting to identify patterns of content usage in course websites was conducted by Sasson and Nachmias (1999). They analyzed the connection...

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