Shaping applications knowledge of online learning platforms: an early adopter training perspective

What do you get when you blend one part education technologist with three-parts business and hospitality management professors, each with more than six-years of continuous online teaching experience? You get early adopters of online learning environments (OLE) who are long-term IPCC members and conference participants. The purpose of this paper is to present an early adopter perspective based on the actual experiences of the authors, who recall the methods used to develop and deliver Web-based courses during the preplatform era. What is the value of the lessons learned by these early adopters? The rapid evolution of technology in general and more specifically, online courseware management software renders a current scenario in which online educators and technical support personnel lack an awareness of preplatform course design considerations. The individual who chooses to become engaged in OLE methodologies is best served by being presented with a training module on the individual applications of courseware management functions that are currently bundled into popular online platform software packages such as, WebCT™, and Blackboard™. Just as knowledge of DOS facilitates an understanding of graphical user interfaces (GUI) for personal computer users, awareness of the individual applications handled by platform software does enhance the awareness on the part of the OLE educator. The authors conclude that this knowledge is required for users to understand the pros and cons of platform participation.