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| Distance Education and the WWW | The Internet is the largest and most powerful computer network that unites personal computers and programs in all the world. Over four million computers are used as a part of the Internet. Problems can occur, because of the use of various computers and software in the internet. All the information is linked in a web-like structure. While using the WWW the resources of the Internet are effectively used. There is a software tool known as Mosaic that transmits text, graphics, sound and video. Mosaic is one of Web browsers. Other widely-applied browsers are Netscape (the first commercial browser desighned by some of the programmers, who were engaged in the Mosaic project) and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.
Web browsers are responsible for the connection to the Internet and access of information that is available on another remote computer. The Web browser provides you with an access to the information that is available on the remote computer. Created documents are formatted with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) that should be plain, bold and italic. Pages of information on a computer that are formatted with HTML and can be used through a Web browser are known as "home pages" or "Web pages".
The WWW and Web browsers are widely attended nowadays. Organizations and individuals have their own home pages and they can turn to other home pages on their own computers or to pages created by others on various computer systems. The home page gives information concerning the classes’syllabus, exercises, literature references and instructor’s biography. The instructor gives links to useful information on the WWW. The WWW gives many possibilities for distance teaching and learning. Other links are library catalogs, a discussion list or each student's individual home page. While using the homepage, an e-mail message can be sent to other students or an instructor.
Pay attention to the recommendations concerning creating a home page for Distant Students:
1) Pay more attention to the aim and content of the home page. It is more important than HTML, amusing graphics and background.
2) Think if a web page is used alone or together with other technologies such as video or audio.
3) You should know about new software tools for the creation of home pages. Some of them are HotMetal and HotDog. Such tools can be easily downloaded.
4) Make information formated for distribution on the WWW.
5) Pay attention to the available home pages. Some home pages make possible the entry to a course from the WWW and others can be used with lectures that are transmitted on-campus or by video or audio.
Try to avoid such possible mistakes as:
- Look at the WWW sites for information concerning home page layout and style. One of such sites is the Web Style Manual.
- Have a consistent format for each web page. You may apply colored or patterned backgrounds on homepages. If you apply grey or white backgrounds, you will read the text easier.
- See that the lenth of pages was short. When you have long page information, the student will look for the main index for a long time.
- Have more links to internal information and less links to external information, because the aim of home page is to give information concerning a certain subject area.
- Do not apply very large graphics or sound/video clips. Many Internet users have an access to the Internet with a 14.4K modem. Graphic images which are 20K to 40K can be applied by those, who have such modems. Do not apply pages that download for a long time, because students get tired of long waiting. If you apply graphics on your home pages, say about it to your students. If you are eager to apply sound or video clips, warn your students, because there are those, who do not have access to computers and possess sound and video cards installed in them.
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