Authoring Visual Software to aid Student-Managed Learning.
Peter Edwards, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
The article, for which this is the abstract, appears in Hodskinson, M, (ed),
Proceedings of the 3rd National Conference on Product Design Education,
published by the University of Central Lancashire
ISBN 0 906694 94 9
Abstract
A homogeneous academic background in any cohort of undergraduates is no longer assured. Widening access is just one of the many factors to complicate teaching and learning to such an extent that extended degree programmes are becoming commonplace. However, such a solution cannot guarantee success if it fails to ensure a sound knowledge-base.
With pressure on time and availability, many lecturers supplement teaching with commercially produced student-managed materials, of which there is no apparent shortage. However, no two courses are ever the same and tailor-made commercial packages are hard to find. It is no surprise, therefore, to find some lecturers producing their own material to try to ensure compatibility between the requirements of a course and the knowledge-base of its students.
The author of this paper teaches analytical subjects to Design students and, over recent years, has seen a measurable decline in the mathematical ability of incoming students. In order to accommodate such students, use has been made, inter alia, of diagnostic testing on entry and the use of computer aided learning (CAL) packages.
This paper discusses the necessity of sometimes having to produce student-managed materials in-house and, in particular, indicates how visual development languages and authoring software can produce professional-looking CAL packages in a relatively short time - packages that take full advantage of the widely known Windows user interface.