Shareworks: A web platform to support project courses

Shareworks: A web platform to support project courses

Van Haaren, F.J.M.

Mulder, I.J. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Design Conceptualization and Communication

Design for Interaction

2012-06-27

The continuous rise of internet solutions in everyday life and business is resulting in a growing awareness that higher education should embed more Web2.0 technologies in the learning process. 65% of higher education institutions now say that online learning is a critical part of their long-term strategy (Allen & Seaman, 2011). Blended learning is interesting in this respect because it combines the best of both worlds: face-to-face and online instruction. As a result, higher education institutes and their members expect blended learning software that is increasingly interactive, advanced and user friendly. These expectations can no longer be satisfied by Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard and Moodle for two main reasons: these systems lack interactivity because they are administration-oriented and they simply can’t keep up with all the developments and needs because it is an ‘all-in-one’ solution. A new wave of more social, niche learning software supports this vision. However, due to the marginal size of project based learning in the average university, learning software for project related courses are still missing. That’s why project courses are dependent on solutions such as print, email, wikis, blogs or Learning Management Systems that are designed primarily for content courses with lectures and exams. Content courses are intrinsically different from project courses. Consequently, project courses use solutions that do not optimally satisfy today’s needs and opportunities within higher education project courses. A web platform dedicated to project courses and the associated student projects seems more capable to fulfill existing or future requirements, needs and opportunities within project based learning and project course management. The goal of this graduation project was to find and validate benefits for educators and students: What are the benefits for educators from having a web2.0 community to support the project course? What are the benefits for students from having their student project in the ‘cloud’? The main research has been done using a prototype web platform which piloted with four project courses at the faculty of Industrial Design, involving more than 250 students and teachers during their complete course. Using online & offline feedback, website statistics and insights from each pilot, the web platform was improved on a continuous basis. The findings resulted in a final concept, an interaction model, a conceptual business plan and a prototype web platform, called Shareworks.

project courses
application
shareworks
blended learning
online learning
virtual learning environment

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a2fa974a-00bd-4eb7-862b-94b375a4668e

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2012 Van Haaren, F.J.M.