Experiences in Running a Flexible, Web-Based, and Self-Paced Course

Abstract

With the advancement of computer and Internet technologies, web-based teaching and learning is an emerging mode of study. The Pervasive and Interactive Learning System (PI-Learning) is developed from the experience of running the broadening course, Foundations to Information Technology (FIT) at the University of Hong Kong. FIT is a self-paced course catered for thousands of students with different backgrounds, capabilities and expectations, under different time and venue. PI-learning supports to the running of the FIT course.

This paper describes how the FIT courses run, and how PI-Learning supports the most effective and most economical way of running the course. In particular, we describe how different features of the Internet facilitate different modes of learning and teaching to cater to the different needs of the students, how the course notes are linked with the assessments, how the assessment system is used for monitoring students’ progress, our experiences and future development in running the course, and finally, the essential factors to run this type of courses successfully.

This research was supported partly by the Area of Excellence Grant, 10300115.91430.99710.329.01.