Implementing an Online Course in the Web-Based Environment.

In the summer of 1998, the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) offered an Exercise Physiology course over the Internet as the first step in developing a distance learning track within their exercise science curriculum. This class was partially supported with a grant from the University Outreach program and administered through the Center of Teaching Excellence at TAMUCC. The primary feature to this course was to present lectures and practice quizzes complete with QuickTime movies and graphic illustrations. Additionally, the use of electronic mail and exercise physiology lab experiences were required as a means of maintaining communication with students and providing them with application to what was being discussed in lectures respectively. In this article, we discuss the details and results of this pilot project.

Since TAMUCC opened its doors to a four-year curriculum in 1994, the natural constituency of potential students who desire non-traditional courses from the University has increased dramatically. Since a high percentage of our students are working part-time or full-time while attending college, it has become apparent that attending actual classes during regular working hours is difficult (if not impossible). Additionally, many of the adult students live in neighboring towns along the Coastal Bend, far away from the campus. As a state institution of higher education, we felt that we had a responsibility to try to offer some alternatives to the members of our regional community who were attempting to obtain their undergraduate degrees in Kinesiology.

To this date, there is no other course being taught in the area of exercise physiology via the Internet. So there are various questions that need to be answered as to whether or not such a field of science can be taught well enough to accommodate students needing distance learning. We have observed other courses such as the science of athletic injuries classes which seem to offer little more than reading assignments, sharp graphics and cute animations. There are few (if any) courses being distributed over the Internet, which offer combinations of learning environments similar to the traditional classroom, where socialization, interaction, and laboratory assignments are prevalent.

As we look to the future prospects of distance learning in the field of Kinesiology, we felt that this pilot course could provide us with first-hand knowledge and experience from which to draw on for future endeavors. In the final analysis, the pilot has been very successful. However, as with any new development in education, one should always proceed with some caution.

Software and Hardware Utilized

In the early stages of developing a web-based class in exercise physiology, it became apparent that the instructor had to have abilities not only to develop interactive web sites, but also to assure that the course content was being designed and delivered. As we soon discovered, teaching at a distance effectively was very different from the traditional lecture-based format, even for the most experienced. It is recommended that future distance learning instructors attend formal training workshops and/or clinics in order to properly prepare for the multifaceted aspects of putting together a web-based program.

Of greater importance is the need to have the proper hardware and technological support in place prior to designing the program. In our case, we were able to utilize two computer laboratories, a fully equipped human performance lab, and an audio/visual lab to assist in the delivery of course content. Because our lectures were web-based, students with home computers having Interact capabilities were able to logon from their residence. Additionally, it was necessary to have media and computer experts to assist with troubleshooting and advise us when problems arose either with the design or configuration of our web sites on the Interact.

The foundation to our web-based class in exercise physiology centered on the development of Internet-oriented lectures and practice quizzes. Additionally, students were instructed to view video-based presentations and perform outside laboratory assignments in exercise physiology on their own. The software we used in developing our lectures was Adobe Pagemill. This software was found to be the most user friendly. Most graphics, illustrations, digital movies, and other images can be dragged into Pagemill web pages without having a vast knowledge of HTML language. This saved the developers a significant amount of time and energy. Additionally, Microsoft PowerPoint 97 was used in creating outlined lectures in HTML format. The advantage to PowerPoint 97 is that the HTML saving feature allows web site designers to transfer traditional PowerPoint presentations to HTML presentations with the click of a button. PowerPoint directs one through a Wizard (series of questions) and upon completion, the presentation is created automatically into a bundled file, ready to be downloaded onto a server. Due to the complexities of integrating digital movies, audio advanced images, and e-mail links; some HTML language changes were made after the presentations were created.

Cognitive Evaluations

Student's cognitive abilities were evaluated through two written examinations and five web-based practice quizzes. Due to the nature of the exercise physiology course materials, the instructor required that the students return to campus and take their mid-term and final examinations. A preliminary investigation was accomplished by administering one hundred and thirty True/False and multiple choice questions to students and comparing the results to those from the same tests given in the Fall of 1998 when the course was offered in a lecture-based format. It was expected that students in lecture format would outperform a matched sample of students in web-based format on a midterm examination. A focused comparison of performance on a 130 item examination confirmed the hypothesis that students in lecture-based instruction generally outperformed students in web-based instruction. Students in the lecture-based format scored 74.09, SD=18.64 while students in the web-based averaged 70.29 SD=19.90 T(130)=1.58, p [is less than] .05. Further comparisons of performance at the individual item level revealed that students in the lecture-based format outperformed those in the web-based format on 57.7% of the test items. The investigators suggest that the pattern of performance on individual items will be useful in the future for exploring the extent to which particular curriculum items are more or less suited for web-based or lecture-based instructional formats. From the data analyzed in this preliminary study, it appears that the web-based class in exercise physiology was able to deliver content at a level comparable to that of the traditional class lecture-based format. However, item by item analysis of individual test scores between lecture-based and web-based class examinations reveal that additional strategies may need to be developed to improve retention levels on content in the web-based format.

Practice quizzes utilized during the semester were intended for students to test their knowledge of the content and review those areas where they had identified weaknesses. The practice quizzes were developed with Pagemill and linked to a database made with Claris FileMaker Pro. The computer professionals involved with overseeing the server where the exercise physiology program was located, helped us with the UNIX language needed to grade and provide feedback to students taking the quizzes. The advantage of having quiz results placed onto a FileMaker Pro database was that the results could be observed and monitored by the exercise physiology instructor who had access to these files. In order to assure that students were taking the practice quizzes, 10% of their grade was based on their performance. The instructor allowed students to take the practice quizzes as many times as possible, until they had scored well enough to feel they had mastered the content.

Laboratory Tests and Assignments

Seventeen laboratory experiences were required to ensure that students would be able to make practical applications from lecture material. Students were able to download their lab forms off the Internet then perform their laboratory assignments either in their home locations or on campus in the Human Performance Laboratory. Such assignments as learning to take resting or active blood pressures and sub-VO2 Max tests could easily be accomplished in a clinic or at home. When laboratory assignments were completed, students were instructed to attach their lab forms (Word or WordPerfect format) to an e-mail and forward them to the instructor. At the end of each lab assignment were questions pertaining to their results and how the results applied to what they had learned through the lectures.

Student Interactions

At any time while observing web-based lectures and practice quizzes, the students were encouraged to ask questions through e-mail. E-mail links are provided on each presentation slide as well as the daily agendas. The instructor was available during the morning and afternoon hours of the semester to answer student questions and provide advice and further direction. This method of delivering course content is commonly known as "Asynchronous Distance Learning." Asynchronous refers to a method of communication where the learner and instructor do not interact in real time. In this case interaction took place on the Internet at a time that was convenient for each person. Students were also encouraged to interact among themselves, their laboratory partners, and the laboratory assistants who where monitoring the human performance lab.

Student Interactions were encouraged through e-mail and during group activity in the laboratory setting. There was some lab assignments that required students to return to the Human Performance Lab (e.g., Astrand Ryhming Bicycle Ergometer Test). The instructor and lab assistants were on hand in the laboratory to answer questions and encourage group discussions concerning the accuracy of the tests and how they applied to what was presented in lecture.

Post-Class Surveys

At the end of the semester, the instructor conducted a survey and collected comments and suggestions pertaining to student perceptions of the web-based class. The results of the web-based course survey were very encouraging. For example, 88% of the students (n=26) felt that the class was worthwhile and would take another Interact-based class if given the opportunity. A summary of the findings is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Post-Class Survey of Students

88%   Would take another Internet-based course given the
      opportunity.
88%   Did feel that this class in Exercise Physiology was
      worthwhile.
40%   Thought the lectures were excellent, while 40 % felt they
      were good.
60%   Felt that the graphics and illustrations were excellent,
      while 28% indicated them as good.
68%   Believed the content of the Exercise Physiology class was
      excellent, while 20% felt that the content was good.
52%   Strongly agreed that on the whole, this course was a good
      course, while 36 simply agreed.
84%   Strongly agreed that on the whole, the instructor was good,
      while 8% simply agreed that the instructor was good.
12%   Of the class felt that the lectures were either difficult to
      comprehend or totally unclear.
12%   Of the class indicated they were either undecided or unclear
      about some of the graphics and illustrations.
12%   Of the class felt undecided or sometimes unclear about the
      content of the Exercise Physiology class.
12%   Of the class disagreed or strongly disagreed that the course
      was, on the whole, a good course.

Future Implications

There is good evidence that the Internet has changed the way educators teach and students learn in our society. Furthermore, research is revealing that the delivery of information through technology can be an effective tool in student motivation and the learning process. In a preliminary study comparing students taking an undergraduate exercise physiology class from a lecture-based and web-based format, it was found that the pattern of performance on individual test items was useful for exploring the extent to which particular curriculum items are more or less suited for web-based or lecture-based instructional formats. From the data analyzed in this preliminary study, it appears that the web-based class in exercise physiology was able to deliver content at a level comparable to that of the traditional class, lecture-based format. However, additional strategies may need to be developed to improve retention levels on content in the web-based format. Additionally, post-class surveys revealed that students enjoyed the process of learning exercise physiology via the Internet, and given the opportunity would take additional web-based courses.

With our student populations demanding higher access to Internet-based courses, colleges are shifting their focus on learning rather than teaching. Because of this demand, there is a need for additional support in training educators in technology and providing the financial support for hardware and software needed in the development of distance learning courses. As we enter the 21st century, we must begin to accept the idea that the Internet is a tool, which can be effectively used to augment the learning process.

Robert Pankey, Ed.D., is the Chair of the Kinesiology & Health Department. He has been actively involved in the development of web-based course work and tutorials in Kinesiology, Biomechanics and other exercise sciences for the past ten years. <http://eve2.tamucc.edu/~kinweb/index.html>.