the formulation of an isdt for e-learning

http://eros.cqu.edu.au/

The formulation of an ISDT The formulation of an ISDT for e-learningfor e-learning

David Jones (CQU)Shirley Gregor (ANU)

http://cq-pan.cqu.edu.au/david-jones/

The QuestionThe Question

How do you design and support an information system for e-learning within

an institution of higher education?

First asked in 1996

Still an open question…..Still an open question…..

It is importantIt is important

The importance of information and communication technologies and e-learning in promoting open, distance and flexible education in contemporary universities cannot be denied (deFreitas & Oliver, 2005).

Overall % of schools identifying online educationas a critical long-term strategy grew from 49%in 2003 to 56% in 2005. (Allen & Seaman, 2005)

There are problemsThere are problems

Vendor identified, best-practice institutionsreport around 50% faculty adoption(Sausner, 2005)

Most HEIs are still struggling to engage a significant percentage of students and staff in e-learning (Salmon, 2005)

a relatively stable minority of Chief AcademicOfficers believe that their faculty fully accept the value and legitimacy of online education (Allen & Seaman 2005)

There are problemsThere are problems

…not particularly innovative, may limit the incentive to innovate, limited in quality and may restrict the ability to integrate with other systems

(Alexander, 2001; Anonymous, 2004; Paulsen, 2002)

…Web-based learning lacks a disciplined, systematic approach to the development process.….much of its construction is carried out without a true analysis of therequirements that are proper to Web-based learning (Hamid, 2002).

It is difficultIt is difficult

..complex systems incorporating a variety of organisational, administrative, instructional and technological components (Avgeriou, Papasalouros, Retalis, Skordalakis, 2003)

Absence of theory for e-Learning IS (Jones, Gregor and Lynch, 2003)

Scholars in Information Systems can offer vision on structures and processes to effectively implement technology-mediated learning initiatives (Alavi & Leidner, 2001)

Proposed contributionProposed contribution

• ISDT that provides 1 answer to the question– Greater adoption, customization, differentiation

• Based on 10 year action research cycle involving "real" system(1200+ staff, 22,000+ students)

• Demonstrates novel use of ISDT– To understand/improve EXISTING information

system

What we didWhat we did

PlanPlan

ActActReflectReflect

WatchWatch

1996-2003 3 generationsof action research

2002- Formulation of Information SystemsDesign Theory

WebfuseWebfuse24 research publications24 research publications

5 research publications5 research

publications

What we'll do todayWhat we'll do today

• Laid out the context • Describe three generations–Why and what (The ISDT)– Instantiation (Webfuse) and results

• Reflect– Value of ISDT applied to existing systems–What can be IS design science research?

Generation 1: 1996-1999Generation 1: 1996-1999Build it and they will comeBuild it and they will come

WhyWhy

• 1996 - the web is a "good thing"

• Design– Single academic one teaching free term

• Aim to support–Web-based learning and teaching– Faculty website

What - the ISDTWhat - the ISDT

KernelKernelTheoriesTheories

Not explicitlystatedNot explicitlystated

DE/educationliterature &experience

Hypermediatemplates, s/w wrappers

Flexibility &ease of useFlexibility &ease of use

"Waterfall""Waterfall"TemplatesTemplates

Possible to construct a usable systemWill be more flexible

Design Design MethodMethod

Meta-Meta-requirementsrequirements

Meta-designMeta-design

TestableTestablehypotheseshypotheses

Possible to construct a usable systemWill be more flexiblePossible to construct a usable systemWill be more flexible

What's needed?Flexibility &ease of useFlexibility &ease of use

Meta-requirementsMeta-requirements• flexibility and the ability to adapt to change• platform independence• use of Internet and other widely accepted standards• not reinventing the wheel• maximising the choice and flexibility provided to

students and teachers• providing the tools not the rules• minimising online time• minimising the new skills required to use the system• being freely available

(Jones & Buchanan, 1996;McCormack & Jones, 1997)

•Support for variety and change•No specific functional requirements•No support for specific learningtheory

•Basic support for • Information distribution•Communication•Assessment•Management•Design

(McCormack & Jones, 1996; Hansen and Frick, 1997)

Flexibility &ease-of-use

Product

Each course website starts witha default skeleton of

web pages

There can be different skeletons

Content + conversion + appearance

Edit link

Templates as wrappersTemplates as wrappers

Discussion forum Chat room Online quizzes

Templates as wrappersTemplates as wrappers

Discussion forum Chat room Online quizzes

Process

Expected outcomes

Generation 1 InstantiationGeneration 1 Instantiation

ImplementationImplementation

• Technology– Perl, Apache– CGI scripts

• People– On-going support Webmaster other general staff – New developments: mostly 1 academic + project

students

ResultsResults

• 150+ course websites, –With 100,000+ pages–Maintained by almost 100 staff

• Only 5 of 60 full-time academic staff making significant use of e-learning

• Usage dominated by system developer– 83% of content for 1 term 1998 from 1

course

Generation 2: 1999-Generation 2: 1999-Give them a reason to comeGive them a reason to come

WhyWhy

• Product focus and process ignorance

• Problems– Limited use– Not enough evolution

• Need to fix the process– Greater adoption– Greater evolution

What - the ISDT v2.0What - the ISDT v2.0

Diffusion theory, designpatterns

Adopterfocus, pattern

mining

Adopterfocus, pattern

mining

Possible to construct a usable systemWill be more flexibleMore acceptable = greater adoption

TemplatesTemplatesMeta-designMeta-design

Generation 2 - InstantationGeneration 2 - Instantation

ResourcesResources

• No significant addition of development resources

What to implement?What to implement?

• Usually, driven by – Technology– Strategic planning– Pedagogy

• We adopted diffusion theory–Maximise chance of adoption, minimise

effort

Rate of adoptionLevel of Reinvention

Diffusion theoryDiffusion theoryPerceivedattributesPerceivedattributes

Innovationdecision

CommunicationChannels

SocialSystemSocial

System

Change AgentEfforts

(Jones, Jamieson & Clark,2003)(Jones, Jamieson & Clark,2003)(Jones, Jamieson & Clark,2003)(Jones, Jamieson & Clark,2003)

Relative advantageCompatibilityComplexityTrialabilityObservability

OptionalCollectiveAuthority

Mass-media or interpersonalCosmopolite or localMass-media or interpersonalCosmopolite or local

Social structureCommunication structureSystem norms

Client contact: effort, timing. Rapport, empathy, credibility and homophilyClient contact: effort, timing. Rapport, empathy, credibility and homophily

Diffusion theoryDiffusion theory

Rate of adoptionLevel of Reinvention

PerceivedattributesPerceivedattributes

Innovationdecision

CommunicationChannels

SocialSystemSocial

System

Change AgentEfforts

"Pattern" Mining"Pattern" MiningAcademicStaff

TemplateRepository

The expected

The unexpected

"Pattern" Mining"Pattern" MiningAcademicStaff

TemplateRepository

The expected

The unexpected

"Pattern" Mining v2.0"Pattern" Mining v2.0AcademicStaff

TemplateRepository

The expected

The unexpected

"Pattern" Mining v2.0"Pattern" Mining v2.0AcademicStaff

TemplateRepository

The expected

The unexpected

Generation 2 - ResultsGeneration 2 - Results

ResultsResults

• Some improvements

• But resources not appropriate

• Limited ability to adapt

• …more covered in generation 3

Generation 3: 2001-Generation 3: 2001-Build what they want, fasterBuild what they want, faster

WhyWhy

• Generation 2 limited by – Inadequate resources– Poor technology– Poor process

• Context changes– 2000 new Dean– 1999-2001 - 33% growth in students

What - the ISDT v3.0What - the ISDT v3.0

.. Agile, emergent,ateleological

..XP, emergentdevelopment

Possible to construct a usable systemWill be more flexibleMore acceptable = greater adoption

….OO designpatterns….OO designpatterns

…designpatterns…designpatternsMeta-designMeta-design

Generation 3 - InstantiationGeneration 3 - Instantiation

Product and ProcessProduct and Process

• Development team– 1 lead developer– 3-5 other developers

• Patterns (e.g.)– Model/View/Controller web development– Greater use of factory pattern

• Extreme Programming aspects– Test driven development/Unit tests– Public User Stories– Stand-up meetings

Generation 2 - ResultsGeneration 2 - Results

The key to easy use of OASIS is that it is not a off the shelf product that is sooooo (sic) generic that it has lost its way as a course delivery tool.

CustomisationCustomisation

..the precedent of other IT systems made available in Infocom (…) suggests that it would be extremely user friendly for people with very limited computer competence/confidence.

my positive experience with other Infocom systems gives me confidence that OASIS would be no different. The systems team have a very good track record that inspires confidence

Building trustBuilding trust

I identify myself as coming from the technophobic extreme of the faculties (I have an Arts background) but even I find the systems the team have set out relatively easy to use

Ease-of-useEase-of-use

OASIS - ease of use/usefulnessOASIS - ease of use/usefulness

Non-users: 19% (n=22)Users: 37% (n=99)

Number of Staff UsersNumber of Staff Users

Generation 1

Generation 2

Generation 3

Generation 1 Generation 3

Generation 2

Shadowy and feral lead topossible system shutdownShadowy and feral lead topossible system shutdown

Generation 1 Generation 3

Generation 2

System accepted at organisational levelSystem accepted at organisational level

Student PortalStudent Portal

Staff Portal - # usersStaff Portal - # users

Staff Portal - # requestsStaff Portal - # requests

(* until Feb 18, 2006)

Online assignmentsOnline assignments

Implications for design Implications for design science research and ISscience research and IS

Usefulness of ISDTsUsefulness of ISDTs

• Applied to existing information systems– Emphasize unspoken assumptions– Open them up to question– Provide method to connect to behavioral

research - relevance– Compare different approaches

Question for youQuestion for you

• What can be classed as design science research within Information Systems?

• McKay and Marshall (2005) suggest– Computer science = machine domain– Psychology = human behavior domain– IS = 'situatedness' of the machine in the social system

SummarySummary

• We built a system for e-learning

• Formulated an ISDT– It has some advantages

• The work raises questions/implications about design science research in IS

the formulation of an isdt for e-learning

metarequirements flexibility

usable system

novel use of isdt

elearning isjones

real system

staffin elearning salmon

value of isdt

online time

Education

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