The World Wide Web has proven to be a valuable tool for education at all levels, including higher learning. A 2003 study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that websites created for college courses contribute significantly to the effectiveness of course instruction.

Content Management

The most effective arrangement is for course websites to be produced and maintained by a course web editor, a staff member who manages a department’s online course presence. The Physics Department added a course web editor to its staff in 2001.

The course web editor plays a vital role in the management of the course. Before the semester begins, he meets with the instructor to plan the design and content of the site. Here are some common content elements:

• Assignments (and solutions after the due date)
• Handouts
• Lecture Notes
• Exam Solutions (after an exam has been given)

The course web editor posts these items at predetermined dates and times. He also posts notices for the students, often originating from an email or phone call received from the instructor.

The course web editor is the gatekeeper of digital course content, not only during the course but also after it has been completed. The course web editor archives the site by moving it to a new URL accessible only to the teaching staff. The archived site becomes a reference for future semesters, allowing the instructor to easily review course content. If the course is taught by a different faculty member in a later semester, that instructor is given access to the archived site.

Advantages

There are many prepackaged content management systems now available from outside providers. Their makers claim their products can be customized to fit a school or department's needs, but they cannot compare to the department's course web service.

As a full-time staff member in the Physics Education Office, the course web editor far surpasses any features offered by a software package. He develops relationships with faculty members, students, teaching assistants, and uses that personal knowledge to truly customize site management for each course.

The advantages for instructors can be summed up in one word: simplicity. The course web editor only needs a few minutes before the start of the semester to discuss the site with the instructor. Then, once the course has begun, the instructor simply forwards course materials and notices to the course web editor. It's that simple.

Incorporating a website into a course at MIT helps both the students and the instructors. As it has shown in so many facets of daily living, the 24-hour access of the Web assists the teaching and learning process tremendously.