Teaching online to campus-based students: The experience of using WebCT for the community information module at Manchester Metropolitan University

Discusses the design, implementation and evaluation of online course materials used in combination with face-to-face teaching, with the aim of providing guidance to others. A university-wide fellowship scheme gave dedicated time for course creation, support in teaching online and using WebCT software. A feedback questionnaire showed high student satisfaction with predominantly online delivery. The majority of the 46 students performed well in both group and individual assignments. WebCT monitoring facilities showed that some accessed the course notes or used communication tools considerably more than others, with some correlation between higher participation and the achievement of higher grades. Revised plans include allowing more time for studying online, more face-to-face sessions and more explicit requirements for virtual attendance and use of the communication tools. Overall, online learning is considered appropriate for teaching this subject, given the extent of use of the Web by community information providers and the growth of community networks.