Developing online tutorials: the methodology and the reality

The use of Web-based tutorials to deliver course content is increasing. Interface design guidelines are plentiful and easy to find. Design methodologies which focus on the pedagogical aspects of the tutorial are less available unless one has training in instructional design. This paper describes a methodology developed by the Center for Teaching and Learning at Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis, and the experience of the authors in using the methodology to develop an interactive Web-based tutorial on C# methods. The effectiveness of the resultant Web-based tutorial was assessed using a pretest-posttest experimental design. A significant increase was found confirming that students learned using the Web-based tutorial. While the methodology described here can easily be used by anyone to plan an effective online module, the full value comes from working through the method with an instructional designer