October 2006 Volume 9 Number 4

espective institutions. The primary groups are final year Earth Science undergraduate students at HKU (30
students) and, separately, extramural (Diploma in Civil Defence) students at the collaborating institution
(Massey University, New Zealand). Given its accessibility in terms of both content and pedagogy, the course has
also been offered in past years to HKU medical students (MBBS degree; 25 to 30 students) as a Special Study
Module for completion over their summer vacation. In this course, the assessment methods have been carefully
chosen to allow examination of the learning that has taken place in the online environment. They include
participation in group-based discussions using the course forum (bulletin board), synthesis essays, and research
posters or companion website projects. For third year earth sciences students who regularly attend campus for
other courses, viva voce-type interview assessment is also used.
Volcanic Processes, the most recently developed course, is also a modular course developed through
international teaching collaboration with Greenwich University (UK). This online course was first made
available to HKU students (30 students) in 2003-2004. It utilizes both distance-education and classroom-based
teaching and learning modes. The theory content and exercises are made available online. Students engage in
independent learning of content and group-based discussions on set-topics using the course forum (bulletin
board) with the teacher (who resides at Greenwich University) facilitating discussions from a distance. At a later
date the teacher visits HKU to run a series of condensed workshops (assessed) with HKU students using the
web-course as the basis for content.
Access for all three courses is through a registered collective domain (www.e-HKU.net) hosted on an external
commercial (US) provider at a sparing cost of around USD10/month. This allows easy, common access and
equally rapid transmission for all three collaborating institutions.
Course development is not static, but followed a purposefully reflective iterative approach (Figure 1), with
subsequent course development and modification being driven by post-course reflection, significantly directed
by data obtained from the students. For most students involved, the author’s courses have provided them with
their first foray into online learning.
Post-course surveys
Figure 1. Reflective iterative development approach used
Data from students was obtained by the use of post-course surveys. Survey questions were categorised into six
specific areas of focus: student skills upon enrolment, technology availability, perceptions of different learning
environments, value-added attributes of an online learning environment, pedagogy, and future course
development.
Given the mix of quantitative and decision/acceptance data being solicited, questions were largely presented
through a Likert-type format (Trochim, 2002) which allows easy interrogation of both types of data. The surveys
conclude with an open-ended comments request allowing free commentary on non-defined aspects.
Survey forms are sent to students by email, with the choice of return by email attachment or printing and
posting, should anonymity be desired.
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