Using situated learning as a design strategy for Web-based learning

Many writers argue for a place for the use the new educational technologies from the perspective of IT management (e.g., Holt & Thompson, 1998). This form of reasoning sees a technological, rather than educational, imperative as leading the move to embrace learning technologies. The technological imperative sees the need and place for information technologies in education being based on such organisational factors as opportunity, competition and efficiency. When such imperatives are driving change, the applications of learning technologies are more likely to be made through additive strategies which see existing strategies and methods being complemented by technology-oriented initiatives. Many writers argue for more integrated approaches which have the potential to redefine and transform the more fundamental aspects of teaching and learning (e.g., Collis, 1997), that is, a pedagogical imperative. Teachers are using the Web for a variety of reasons and the extent and scope of the usage differs significantly. A majority of current Web-based learning environments have evolved from face-to-face teaching programs in the additive form described above. Typically the first step in the evolutionary process is the creation of an electronic form of existing course content. This content usually takes the form of HTML with hyperlinks to related information within and beyond the immediate course. An added feature is often a communicative element enabling interactions between learners and the teacher. What is characteristic in much of this development is the absence of any particular Web-based instructional design. The purpose of this paper is to explore a possible Web-based instructional design model that seeks to make optimal use of the opportunities and advantages of the Web as a learning environment and which can return enhanced learning outcomes.