Reviews

edited by Philip Barker

Web-Teaching - A Guide to Interactive Teaching
for the World-Wide Web by David W. Brooks,
New York: Plenum, 1997. ISBN: 0-306-45552-8.
Paperback, 214 pages. $30.

As a result of various paradigm shifts, the World
Wide Web (the Web) is changing both what we
teach and how we teach it. Consequently, from
the point of view of distributing resources, we
are now experiencing a significant change of
emphasis - from instructor push towards student
pull. Web-Teaching is a book about teaching,
especially interactive teaching, using the Web as
a communications medium. It deals with the
kinds of hardware, software and networks
commonly used on the Web to deliver and
support instruction and learning. Overall, it has
two basic thrusts: first, it gives descriptions of
what is possible on the Web; second, it identifies
instructional strategies that are likely to be
effective.

The book is organized into fourteen chapters, a
reference section, a glossary, a software list and a
set of URLs that are cited in various parts of the
text. Chapter 1 offers a basic introduction, both
to the contents of the book and to Web
technology. In Chapter 2 the author reviews •
relevant dimensions of learning theory and
discusses potentially useful research on teaching
and learning. Chapters 3 to 7 provide an
overview of what is currently possible on the
Web. These chapters are intended for those
readers who are starting out without much
knowledge about technology beyond word-
processing and email. The topics covered include

multimedia, Web-ready materials, and using
images, movies and other media.

Unfortunately, using the Web for teaching and
learning does not automatically guard against
the creation of purely passive learning resources.
Therefore, those wishing to use this type of
technology to best advantage need to become
aware of strategies for introducing interactivity.
Chapters 8 to 10 address some of the major
issues involved in developing interactive
learning. Chapter 8 focuses on strategies for
supporting both student-student and student-
teacher discussion and debate via the Web.
Chapter 9 describes the use of HTML
(HyperText Markup Language) forms for the
support of automated interactive assessment,
while Chapter 10 deals with mechanisms for the
promotion of self-regulated learning (or student-
managed learning).

In the following three chapters (11 to 13), the
author focuses on various management topics
related to the creation and maintenance of Web
sites. As well as treating hardware and software
issues, in these chapters he discusses the use of
CD-ROM, intranets for electronic course
delivery, access control and security, and
protection of a Web site. The final chapter deals
with ways to use Web software to create
multimedia lectures for in-class use, and provides
many useful suggestions for setting up
multimedia rooms.

According to the author, the intended audience
for the book includes teachers and trainers in

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Reviews

high school, college, graduate school, in-service
education, professional development, adult
education and industry. One would therefore
expect it not to be over-technical, and indeed this
is the case. But it contains a lot of useful
information, and is easily readable. In fact, its
only (minor) shortcoming from the point of view
of Windows users is that all the discussion and
examples relate to the Apple Macintosh. Despite
this, I am sure that Windows users will find the
techniques and principles of interest.

Philip Barker, University of Teesside

Designing Competence-Based Training by Shirley
Fletcher, London: Kogan Page, second edition,
1997. ISBN: 0-7494-2196-7. Paperback, 86
pages. £15.99.
This book makes an excellent, provocative
addition to Kogan Page's Practical Trainer
Series. It is aimed at trainers who 'want to take a
fresh approach and move away from traditional
forms of training and development', and there is
much to gain from it, for both the novice and the
already-committed.

For trainers and training manager it identifies
opportunities to focus programmes on training
outcomes rather than the delivery of content. It
also offers practical frameworks to develop
programmes using a functional analysis
approach rather than traditional task analyses.
The functional approach concentrates on
'identifying the purpose of the organisation and
its occupational roles together with the
standards expected of individual job holders'.
The results are that the responsibility for
training is moved onto the individual trainee.
Implications are that the training has to take
into account learning styles, learning strategies
and individualized learning programmes.

One of the strengths of outcome-based training
and development is that it is possible to employ
as much or as little as you want at any time to
augment existing courses or change whole
programmes. This book is a first-rate example of
such a flexible approach, making individual
processes simple enough to understand and
apply but treating them with sufficiently
thoroughness to facilitate the development of
whole frameworks. It is essential reading for
anyone who is planning to adopt competence-
based training techniques in an organization. It
is also excellent reading for those who wish to
find out about such training, whether they
require in-depth procedures for implementation

64

or an overview of the whole topic.

The book is carefully structured, guiding the
reader through five chapters beginning with
'What is competence-based training?',
continuing with chapters addressing standards
and training design, and finishing with
'Assessment, evaluation and accreditation'. Each
chapter is headed by what the book terms a
'summary', but which is really a list of expected
outcomes for the chapter. A far better summary
is provided by the 'review' at the end of every
chapter. I can highly recommend the excellent
Foreword and Preface.

Some of the early chapters pack an astonishing
amount of information into just a few pages:
several scans might be required to assimilate
some of this material, particularly if you are
unfamiliar with the jargon (there is a glossary at
the end of the book). Chapters 1 and 2 provide
solid background information, essential to the
understanding of the rest of the book. Chapter 2
includes some interesting comparisons between
US and European systems, and a brief
discussion of credit and credit accumulation in
the context of the qualification framework.
Chapter 3 introduces some useful examples of
real competence-based systems, and devotes
much space to explaining how to carry out a
functional analysis to arrive at your own
competence standards. Such detail makes heavy
going for newcomers; although a certain amount
of explanation is necessary, more • emphasis
might perhaps have been placed on applying the
existing, nationally recognized standards now
available for many occupational areas. Some
large organizations (for instance, BT) use these
national standards but augment them with their
own and therefore make extensive use of
functional analyses. Chapter 3 is rounded off
with two case studies featuring Whitbread
(Cellar Service) and BT. These case studies are
invaluable, and I was disappointed not to see
others used elsewhere.

Throughout the text there are numerous bulleted
lists of activities and topics for consideration but
only in Chapters 2 and 4 are proper checklists
supplied. The provision of such checklists
should have been more consistent as there are
very many useful activities buried in the text as
bullet points. If you are embarking on the
development of competency-based training
systems, I would recommend the extraction of
all these lists in their appropriate context.
Chapter 4 contains some examples of the sorts



Aa-J Volume 5 Number 3

of paperwork that can be used to develop and
support competence-based training systems. In
particular, the 'training design' and 'training
method' matrices looked useful, but I confess to
being a bit confused about their exact imple-
mentation.

As with Chapter 4, Chapter 5 on assessment,
evaluation and accreditation, could have usefully
been enhanced with more examples of the
resources which can be employed to enable these
activities. Although the final impression might
be one of burgeoning paperwork, the under-
pinning structure provided by the use of (for
example) planning and evaluation forms is
critical to competence-based training systems.
The discussion of evaluation in Chapter 5 is so
critical to the whole ethos of competence-based
systems that I was surprised that the chapter was
so short. Evaluation is also missing completely
from the key Figure 1.1 in Chapter 1, 'Model for
competence-based training design'. This is rather
unfortunate since, without evaluation, there is no
test of competence and therefore no complete
justification of the system! As the author herself
states, training is only effective if it produces
results. Evaluation against the expected out-
comes of the training is the only way to measure
results. This demands a clear understanding of
the expected outcomes (why are you doing the
training, how is it going to be applied) and a
workable method of evaluation. Once the
standards are clear and recording mechanisms
are in place, assessment and accreditation can be
offered as an integrated option. The NVQ
system in the UK can work well within this
context, despite some bad PR.

There is much interest in competence-based
systems, not necessarily under that name,
particularly in the higher-education sector with
the recent NCIHE report recommending the
integration into academic curricula of key skills
and planning and recording of achievement.
From page 1 this book helps dispel some potent
myths about competence-based training which
may help propagate its use not just in a work
environment but also in higher education at all
levels.

Give Betts, University of Exeter

Adult Learning: A Reader edited by Peter
Sutherland, London: Kogan Page, 1996. ISBN: 0-
7494-1971-7. Hardback, 208 pages. £35.00.

The stated aim of this collection, edited by Peter

Sutherland who is a specialist in adult learning
and cognitive development, is to explore
approaches to teaching and learning appropriate
to traditional and mature students in higher
education. The contributions are arranged into
six sections.

Section I (on cognitive processes) has three
chapters. Jack Mezirow reviews contemporary
paradigms of learning and the current debate on
the nature and meaning of learning. Gillian
Boulton-Lewis explores human information
processing and aspects of memory, cognitive
development with age and the implication for
adult learning. Barry Dart considers meta-
cognition and the use of metacognitive strategies
by adult learners in higher education, stressing
the importance of reflecting upon, under-
standing and controlling learning in the context
of complex cognitive activities and self-
directedness.

Section II (on learning and education) has four
chapters. Paul Hettich reviews four
epistemological theories of intellectual growth in
adults. Ronald R Schmeck examines student
individuality and orientation to work, and its
influence on learning tactics, pedagogic and
andragogic approaches to teaching. Glyn Owens
looks at behaviourist approaches to adult
learning. Peter Sutherland (the editor) argues
that the concepts of constructivism
('constructing a version of reality from [...]
experience') and experiential learning
('constructivism in an adult context') can be
blended into a fruitful union, particularly where
the teacher adopts andragogic strategies with
students, negotiating assignment topics based on
their prior experiences so as to enhance and
extend established constructs.

Section III (on adult learning in small-group
situations) contains only two contributions. Ian
Mowatt and Gerda Siann promote the benefits
of learning in small groups, advocating the
consideration of knowledge, ability and skills of
the group participants, the purpose to which the
desired learning is directed, and the extent to
which the needs of the individual members are
met by the group dynamics, and emphasis on the
role of the group as an instructional tool not as a
recreational activity in determining the quality
of the learning outcomes achieved. Keith
Topping considers the increased interest in peer-
tutoring in post-16 education and its
effectiveness as an alternative to traditional
curriculum delivery, and therefore as a strategy

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Reviews

for 'doing more with less'. Peer-tutoring is
valuable tool in the repertoire of adult educa-
tors, promoting learner-managed learning and
learner empowerment. Topping stresses the need
for caution before seizing peer-tutoring as a
universal, undifferentiated and instant panacea
to the ills of higher education.

Section IV (on the context of education) also has
only two contributions. Hitendra Pillay identifies
employer expectations and requisite skills for
effective performance in the workplace, and in
particular the need for employees to be cross-
skilled, high on up-skilling and able to engage in
high-order thinking, a 'cocktail of abilities [...]
known as multi-skilling' which can be developed
through training programmes and which 'ex-
plicitly illustrate the connection of scientific
principles and mathematical knowledge to work
practice'. Loraine Blaxter, Christina Hughes and
Malcolm Tight present as 'analytical vignettes'
the results of two projects, one looking at part-
time degree students, the at adults in six
medium-to-large organisations. Three broad con-
clusions are reached: (i) that while many adults
reject education in their early youth, full-time
education later assumes a more important, even
central, role; (ii) that the links between education
and other aspects of life (work, family, leisure) are
many and varied, and change over time, and while
these links are influenced by others (employers,
partners), the real meaning comes from the
individual; (iii) that the success of cultivating a
learning culture must be judged by the extent to
which individual perceptions are changed.

Section V (on the particular context of the mature
student in higher education) has four chapters.
Elizabeth Beaty and colleagues explore interviews
with female Open University students against a
hierarchy of six different views of learning which
culminate in personal transformation to achieve
increased competence and capability, confidence
through the adoption of multiple perspectives
and personal control to 'take hold of life and
make it go your way' - Mezirow's emancipation
(Section I). There follow three papers with varied
approaches to the issue of age as the dominant
variable in the mythology of perceived differences
between mature and traditional students in higher
education. John Richardson rebuts the prevalent
stereotype of mature students as inherently
problematic on three grounds: that there is no
evidence of a deficit of study skills in mature
students; that the deep approaches to learning of
mature students are in fact compatible with the
mission of higher education; that there is no

66

evidence to support the idea of age-related
deficits in the intellectual capacity requisite for
higher education. James Hartley and Mark
Trueman reinforce the view that mature students
are as variable a commodity as any other students
with differing goals for participation and social
situations, all of which impact on performance.
Stephen Newstead and colleagues identify three
motivational categories to study (stop-gap, means
to an end, personal development) which dominate
age in influencing differences between mature and
traditional students.

Section VI (on implications for teaching)
contains just one contribution by Peter Suther-
land himself. Drawing the collection together,
Sutherland uses the dichotomous model of
teacher as pedagogue and andragogue to explore
the previous contributions in terms of their
potential to develop metacognitive skills and
deep learning, and seeks to identify techniques
which promote reflection - learning diaries, peer
tutoring, etc.

The mission of higher education is to develop
deep approaches to learning, and requires the
development of metacognitive strategies which
mature learners participating for personal
development are often able to demonstrate more
easily than their traditional-age counterparts.
Higher education today is played out against
rising staff-student ratios and a decreasing unit
of resource which mitigate against a focus on the
individual student. This book seeks to promote
understanding and awareness of some of the
potential strategies by which educators of adults
can seek to facilitate the connection between
theory and practice that promotes adult learning
and multi-skilling.

It is a reader, not a primer, and will, in part, be
really useful only for those who have already
started to consider the benefits and issues of
interacting with mature students and who, even
then, need to be equipped with a fairly powerful
dictionary. Adult Learning is, however, as its dust
cover suggests, 'an internationally accessible
collection', and will undoubtedly benefit all
those who teach adults.

Eleri Jones, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff

Design for Multimedia Learning by Tom Boyle,
London: Prentice-Hall, 1997. ISBN: 0-13-
242215-8. Hardback, 240 pages. £29.95.

Design for Multimedia Learning covers all
aspects of the area from trends in multimedia



ALT-J Volume 5 Number 3

learning theory to conceptual and presentation
design, along with information about
multimedia-resources project development and
evaluation. The book comes somewhere between
a 'how to' technical manual and an overview of
current academic thought in the field. In the area
of multimedia design, a broad cover of subjects
is inevitable, and getting the balance right
between depth and breadth cannot have been
easy, but this book manages it. Its four main
parts addresses the principal elements of the
subject in an informed manner.

Part 1 charts the background to the 'multimedia
learning revolution', explaining the reasons why
multimedia learning is a growth area. Develop-
ments in student-centred learning are cited,
along with software developments such as the
web and affordable multimedia hardware, as
reasons for this.

Part 2 looks at strategic approaches to
educational multimedia. A critique of current
constructivist learning theory is made, and a
history of its roots in the procedural-based
approach of CAI (computer-aided instruction).
The author asks if this new approach is 'too
woolly', and provides an interesting discussion
about the current conceptual design of multi-
media learning environments, citing the
establishment of context in learning environ-
ments as crucial for learning advances.
Illuminating points are made about using
paradigms from film and linguistics for
multimedia. In film, for example, 'communica-
tion spaces' are linked in the 'temporal domain',
and similar links can be used in multimedia. The
complexity of interactive media, and the
importance of maintaining coherence through
user-centred design, are recognized. The chapter
dealing with 'design action potential' approaches
the structuring of content, and is the real heart of
the book. It contains pertinent observations on
what is perhaps the hardest part of constructing
a multimedia learning environment: the
structure, especially for the novice designer.
Different ways of thinking about structure in
terms of hierarchy, networks and competency are
explored in some depth, with helpful diagrams.
However, some of the discussion is made less
elegant by the unfortunate term 'design action
potential'. Action potential has a specific
meaning in biology; in this context it has a very
different meaning of 'potential for action'.
Elsewhere, the author describes this as the
available 'design options', which is perhaps a
more helpful phrase.

In Part 3, a holistic perspective on presentation
design recognizes the close interrelation of and
the structuring and conceptual design of
learning environments. Comments about the
principles of composition in terms of tone,
colour and balance are made, along with the
importance of creating a 'flow' of attention for
the user. The description of multimedia toolsets,
media capture, editing and authoring tools will
date much more rapidly than other parts of the
book. It is, for instance, misleading for a new
developer to read that 8 Mb of RAM is specified
for a development machine (the specification
cited is that of 1995) However, there is useful
background information about the nature and
use of sound and digital video which should be
universally applicable.

Part 4 focuses on the area in which many
multimedia projects fail: their management and
the evaluation cycle. It outlines the iterative
prototyping and evaluation process, and uses the
example of the Dynamic Systems Development
Method as a flexible method of project develop-
ment. This involves the analysis and specification
of objectives, a vital but difficult part of the
process. Strategic views of evaluation are
covered, there are notes on how to go about
developing questionnaires, and observation
methods are described. Delivery scenarios are
explored in terms of the total environment that
the software will be used in, and the importance
of good packaging, installation and documenta-
tion are summarized.

This book, covering every aspect that a designer
should consider, will be useful for anyone new to
developing multimedia learning, although, the
focus unfortunately tends to waver in places:
some things are skirted over, and sometimes
aspects that would be better placed in a technical
manual are gone into in detail. On occasion, too,
the figures and screen shots used to illustrate
points are fairly dry, and sometimes even
misleading. For example, in the chapter on
presentation design, the importance of
composition on the screen is discussed, along
with important notions of directing and
maintaining attention for the student. The
importance of balance and the use of a screen
grid to create consistency is addressed and a
figure showing blocked out areas for two
identical work areas on either side is used.
Splitting the picture in half is visually difficult
unless elements are balanced with stronger
elements on one side or another. The author
does mention balancing the screen using

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Reviews

pictures, but the example simplifies the notion of
composition too much and could confuse the
novice reader. The subsequent example from the
DOVE program is better, with its use of real
images. However, how the different elements
interact through colour, movement, tone and
proportion is not properly explained. Again, in
the section on use of animation, the text
accurately describes the importance of using
animation in context to enhance the learning
objectives, but the example given is poorly drawn
and badly laid out. In fact, with the exception of
the Liverpool John Moores Cytofocus program
and some other examples, the illustrations in the
book do not fully sample the now growing
number of high-quality materials available in the
education and commercial arena. Surely a book
about good design should be an exemplar, and
use only the best examples to inspire and
illuminate this subject for multimedia designers
old and new? But perhaps this is a harsh
criticism of what is, on the whole, a very useful
book, and one which will be a welcome addition
to a learning technologist's bookshelf.

Emma Candy, University of Edinburgh

Researching into Learning Resources in Colleges
and Universities by Chris Higgins, Judy Reading
and Paul Taylor, London: Kogan Page, 1996.
ISBN: 0-7494-1771-4, Paperback, 156 pages.
£14.99.

This book is part of The Practical Research
Series edited by Kate Ashcroft, aimed at teachers
in further and higher education who are starting
research into various aspects of teaching and
learning. It is designed to support both
'reflective practitioners', taking a critical look at
their own professional work, and those
evaluating and researching education more
generally. The books in this series, according to
the editor's introduction, combine practical
advice in research methods and design along
with suggestions for likely research topics. This
means that this relatively slim volume combines
some aspects of a research methods manual with
an introduction to some of the educational
literature pertinent to the use of learning
resources.

The book starts with a lengthy introduction by
the series editor in which she outlines the
philosophy of the series. This is based on the
idea of 'insider research' - researching the
activities and institution in which one works (or
is otherwise involved). While this brings many

68

advantages, such as good background
knowledge and easy access, it also demands a
certain distancing, an open-mindedness, and
commitment and responsibility from the
researcher. Often such research involves just one
researcher, part-time, and the book essentially
addresses the needs of such people. As Ashcroft
points out, this commonly means the research is
small-scale, and even 'quick and dirty', and it is
important not to claim spurious objectivity for
results. On the other hand, it can be treated as
action research, in which results are fed back
rapidly into (one's own) practice, and the
research activity adjusted to accommodate the
changes.

The following six chapters are the meat of the
book. They cover the resource environment, the
institutional context, the link between teaching
and resources, the student as stakeholder, and
evaluation of the resource environment. As can
be seen from this list, the contents are examined
in a framework derived from the subjects being
researched, rather than - as is typical in research
methods books - around specific methods and
strategies. Throughout these chapters, there is
copious use of boxes and sidebars which contain
many practical suggestions for research and
evaluation activities.

In Chapter 2, after introducing the concepts of
resource-based, open, distance and flexible
learning, the authors discuss a range of
resources based on new communication and
information technologies (C&IT), along with
more traditional forms. The former includes the
Internet, multimedia and conferencing; the
latter, reading lists, laboratories, audio-visual
materials and libraries. These are dealt with only
in outline, but as in other chapters, there is good
reference to further reading.

Chapter 3 examines the wider, institutional
framework within which resources are delivered.
In quick succession, the authors consider
structure and culture in institutions and their
responses to recent changes. They present three
methods of analysis based on systems analysis,
open systems and SWOT, and then discuss
support staff, staff training and collaboration
between institutions.

In contrast with the preceding chapter, Chapter
4, on resources and teaching issues, takes a more
theoretical tack. It begins with a typology of
CAL approaches which are explained by the
following sections on various theories of
learning, such as behaviourism, cognition and



ALT-} Volume 5 Number 3

learning styles. In consequence, the suggested
research tasks are much better grounded and
address real conceptual issues.

Chapter 5 turns attention to the student's view of
things and, especially, to their needs and the
availability of resources. Groups that receive
particular attention are part-time students,
distance learners and disabled students. This
chapter contains the only (brief) reference to
cost-effectiveness. This is a pity, given the
emphasis now placed on the issue by many
institutions and funding bodies, not least the
Teaching and Learning Technology Programme
phase III.

The last substantive chapter examines the more
general resource environment. Rather oddly, this
starts with a discussion of approaches to
learning (deep, surface, etc.) which would seem
to belong with the discussion of theories of
learning in Chapter 4. There then follows a
useful discussion of teaching strategies includ-
ing reference to Laurillard's conversational
approach.

The book ends with another substantial chapter
by the series editor. This covers the issues of
writing and submitting research for publication.
The chapter contains a very useful listing of
educational publishers, educational journals
(including, of course, ALT-J) and other
education-related journals.

Does the book succeed in its attempt to review
of research approaches and to consider the
substantive issues resource-based learning
raises? In the end, my feeling is that it does a
better job of the latter than the former.
Although the authors make plenty of reference
in the annotated reading lists, and in many of
the boxes of research tasks, to further reading in
research methods, I think that too often they
give the impression that research is mere
observation or data collection. There is little
reference to careful analysis or to issues of
reliability, validity, generalizability, and so on.
This is in marked contrast with the last chapter
which gives the impression that reflective
practitioners, who seem to be the readers
addressed by most of the book, should be
getting their research published in academic
journals. These journals are likely to demand
more than the mere stories which many of the
research task boxes refer to.

Perhaps, though, it is the last chapter that is out
of line. Most of the book, in my view, forms an

excellent introduction to any teacher or lecturer
reflecting on their practice for the first time,
especially if they have no background in
educational or learning theory. In fact, if the
proposal of the Dealing Report for teacher
training in higher education is acted upon, the
book could be very timely in meeting the needs
of teachers who might have to produce reflective
portfolios for assessment.

Graham R. Gibbs, University of Huddersfield

Facing up to Radical Changes in Universities and
Colleges by Steve Armstrong, Gail Thompson and
Sally Brown, London: Kogan Page, 1997. ISBN:
0-7494-2129-0, Paperback, 186 pages. £18.99.

The past 10 to 15 years have seen significant
changes in higher education, and there have been
many factors which have had (and continue to
have) an impact on teaching and learning.
Factors such as the level of national investment
in education in real terms, huge growth in
student numbers, the change in the type of
student entering higher education, material
being taught, unitization programmes, and the
technology available for teaching, have all had
an effect on the nature of teaching and learning.
In fact, the change in the nature of higher
education has meant that a veritable revolution
has been taking place. The book is published as
part of the Staff and Educational Development
Association's (SEDA) development series, and it
grasps the radical nature of the changes in
higher education and tackles clearly and
concisely issues very close to the heart of anyone
working within it. There are problems and issues
examined and discussed which will ring true with
practitioners in higher education all over the
country. One of the main benefits of texts like
this one is the realization for the reader that he
or she is not alone. That in itself is reassuring,
and gives the book great value.

The book, organized into four main sections, has
18 chapters, each written by a different author,
and the range of authors gives the book a
valuable breadth of experiences and opinions.
Taken as a whole, it provides an interesting
spectrum of perspectives, all moving towards the
central theme, namely that since there is a huge
and significant change taking place in higher
education, practitioners have much work to do
in order to manage it. The book is clearly
written, and the notes and reference sections at
the end of each chapter are very useful as
indicators for further study.

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After a very perceptive introduction from Gail
Thompson, who discussed the current situation
in higher education in the UK, the first section
(Chapters 2 to 5) deals with the use of
technology to support teaching and learning. It
examines many of the concepts and issues raised
in the use of information technology as a means
of dealing with the changes in higher education.
The blend of chapters very nicely links practical
examples with educational theory. The theme is
positive throughout, and perhaps examination
from another point of view (the dangers of
information technology) would have given the
section even more balance.

The second section (Chapters 6 to 10) deal with
the strategies and policies in use in higher
education. Again, there is an interesting mix of
practical example and theoretical discussion,
and Chapter 10 introduces an interesting
perspective: that of education managers.

The third section (Chapters 11 to 14) con-
centrates on dealing with the changes in the
student population. This is a fascinating topic of
discussion, where a tremendous amount of work
will need to be carried out in the next few years if
higher education is to prosper. The contributors
to this section offer an insight into many of the
current student issues. The concept of an
educator moving from an expert to a facilitator,
tackled in Chapter 14 is particularly interesting.

In Chapters 15 to 17 (most of the final section)
there is a discussion of some of the measures
available to lecturers in coping with the changes
in education. These are valuable insights based
on experience. The concept that the radical
changes in education will have to be met by
radical changes in approach to teaching and
learning is a message which should become very
clear in the next few years. Chapter 18, by Sally
Brown, nicely pulls the whole book together in
an interesting and informative manner.

Overall, this book is an excellent addition to the
growing library in the Staff and Educational
Development series. It is readable, and tackles
many of the issues and concerns shared by
practitioners in UK higher education. The
contributors have used their experience to
discuss and analyse the current position of
higher education, and to develop that under-
standing into a means of coping positively with
a future fraught with hurdles and difficulties. It
is a text everyone working in higher education
should read if only to realize that the problems
they are facing are faced by others, and that

70

people are putting forward ideas which will
allow us to cope with radical change.

Alastair Irons, University of Northumbria at
Newcastle

Technology-Based Training - A Comprehensive
Guide to Choosing, Managing, Implementing and
Developing New Technologies in Training by
Serge Ravet and Maureen Layte, London: Kogan
Page, 1997. ISBN: 0-7494-1975-X. Hardback,
306 pages. £35.00.

'Technology' and 'Training' are words which are
used in many and varied contexts. Therefore, the
task of writing a single text to synthesize current
information about the uses of technology in
training is enormous, and brings to this book
both its principal strength and its principal
weakness. As a broad introduction to
technology-based training (TBT), the coverage
tackled by the authors is commendable, and there
are plenty of pointers to examples and further
information. There need to be. Anyone seeking
depth of knowledge may feel disappointed and
frustrated with the lack of detail.

The book has four sections, each divided into
manageable chunks, with good use of tabulated
summaries and illustrated with case studies or
examples easily identified by their boxed
presentation. But exactly what the authors
intend or mean by training is not specified; the
emphasis seems to be on training within a work
context, but many examples and case studies are
drawn from formal educational settings.

The first section looks at the context of
technology and the impact it has on everyday
life, and at its advantages as a training medium,
the list presented being familiar and unad-
venturous. The term 'computence' is introduced
to mean the competence of the computer to
execute certain tasks.

Section 2 discusses the merits of using
multimedia as a training medium. The Internet
is described, and Chapter 5 includes a full-page
introduction to hypertext aimed at novices, but
by Chapter 7 the reader is expected to under-
stand object-orientated programming, Java and
virtual reality, each of which are discussed with
little or no explanation beyond the terms
themselves. Chapter 8, however, is most wel-
come, addressing issues so often omitted from
texts in this area: using technology to empower
and facilitate access to learning for individuals
with disability.



An-J Volume 5 Number 3

The remaining two sections look at the issues
surrounding the design and development of
computer-based training packages. Important
design factors are identified, and the skills
needed among all members of a design team are
clearly presented. Legal considerations, such as
copyright and data protection, are mentioned in
different chapters of this section, but once again
detail is somewhat scarce. Chapter 14 describes a
typical multimedia workstation, starting with
definitions of the role of the CPU, ROM and
RAM, moving on through modems (apparently
the only means of getting access to the Internet)
to a basic list of common input devices. The
following chapter deals with network issues,
mentioning bandwidth, computer conferencing
and different network structures. Authoring
tools are compared in general terms, and a
checklist of useful features presented for
consideration. In Section 4, on design principles
and methods, five layers of TBT are defined and
described: model, process, knowledge, resources
and guide, which all interact with a user-
interface. Each element is discussed in turn, with
general issues, particularly simulations, being
tackled at the end.

The book finishes with a series of short
information sections: useful addresses (all but one
in the UK), more than eight pages of useful
URLs, grouped into sections (any list of this
nature is always likely to be incomplete and out of
date, but it seems peculiar that TLTP and CTI
merit no more than a passing mention, and that
there is only a single contribution under the
heading of computer-assisted assessment);
authoring and development tools (listing the
principal features of each); a glossary of terms; a
bibliography; and suggestions for further reading.

The case studies and examples presented
throughout the book are generally useful
additions, but I was frustrated by the attempt to
cover both sides of the Atlantic. I found myself
wondering whether the book is aimed at a US or
a European market.

However, the book provides a useful
introduction to the use of computers as a
training medium (even if I remain to be
convinced that TBT in education and commerce
can really be tackled as a single issue). It is
written in a clear, flowing and relaxed style, and
is nicely laid out. It is likely to prove most
appropriate to those with an early and general
interest in the uses of technology for training,
rather than those who already have a

professional involvement. The claim on the
cover that it is 'a comprehensive guide to
choosing, implementing, managing and
developing new technologies in training' may be
justified, but perhaps it would have more
appropriate to present such a guide in four
separate, detailed volumes, where the many
serious and interesting issues could have been
addressed in a more challenging - and more
memorable - form.

Nora Mogey, Heriot-Watt University

Implementing Computer-Supported Co-operative
Learning by David McConnell, London: Kogan
Page, 1994. ISBN: 0-7494-1237-2. Hardback,
220 pages. £34.00.

This book discusses the use of computers to
create collaborative environments that support
the process of learning - a very topical subject
since, certainly within both further and higher
education, there is a great deal of interest in how
to support students who ate learning
independently or at a distance. The role that
technology can play in independent learning is
the subject of much debate, both in terms of the
underpinning infrastructure needed and the
pedagogy and educational approaches which it
could enable. I was keen to see what this book,
by someone with extensive experience in this
area, could add to my understanding of the
subject. I was somewhat disappointed, but this
statement requires some qualification.

The book is nicely structured, and each chapter
carefully introduces the topic to be developed in
the context of what has gone before.'The reader
is never in any doubt where the specific chapter
is going or how it relates to the rest of the book.
I found this particularly helpful since the book
itself is broad ranging and, at times, I wanted to
be more selective about the topic I was
following.

Chapter 1 introduces the concept of co-
operative learning, not from a technology
perspective, but focused on the learning process,
the way in which individuals can work as a
group, and the possible beneficial outcomes of
making learning a group activity. There is a
smattering of educationalist jargon, but not
enough to make the thrust of the argument
inaccessible to a lay reader.

The stage having been set, Chapter 2 goes on to
discuss the technologies which can support co-
operative learning, particularly group working.

71



Reviews

McConnell discusses the possible classification
of computer-supported co-operative learning
(CSCL) into a number of different categories
based on the form of the interaction, the
geographical location of the users and the degree
of structure imposed by the system. A point
which McConnell makes, and with which I
totally agree, is that the real costs of imple-
menting CSCL lie in the development of the
pedagogy and the development of materials
rather than in the computers themselves. The
weakness of this chapter, and also the later
sections of other chapters that illustrate the use
of the technology, is that the book was published
in 1994 and the technologies referred to are
already very out of date.

Chapter 3 looks at the way in which people work
together in online environments, either as peer
groups or in a tutor-student relationship. The
chapter is based on the author's own experiences,
and gives a useful insight into the dynamics of
working in this way. Particularly interesting is
the analytical comparison of the strengths and
weaknesses of face-to-face and virtual student
groups.

Having covered these important issues the
author goes on, in Chapter 4, to discuss the
different ways in which courses need to be
designed in order to maximize their success
when delivered using CSCL. This chapter draws
heavily on research into the differences between
traditional (didactic) and co-operative learning
and, rightly, concentrates on examining the
learning process in a generic way rather than
using technology as the driving force for
redesigning courses. The problem with this
approach, however, is that McConnell is then in
competition with other, more established,
authorities who publish books on the learning
process.

Chapter 5 allows the author to describe the use
of CSCL within an open-learning MA in
Management Learning. This case-study

approach allows us an insight into the attitudes
and responses of the students engaged in the
course, and is a clear and informative example of
theory into practice. It also looks at the role of
the online tutors and their experiences of
teaching in this new medium. The limitation,
again, is that the case study is based on out-of-
date technology, although much of the
discussion still has relevance.

For the same reason Chapter 6 is largely
redundant, dealing as it does with 'recent'
developments in the technologies for CSCL. The
final chapter looks at ways of researching group-
work in CSCL environments. The author, quite
rightly, considers that there are a number of
important questions about CSCL which need to
be answered, and proposes a structure in which
this could be accomplished. Granted, much of
this has been attempted since the book was
published, but it is interesting to look down the
list of questions and note how many still do not
have definitive answers.

So, I found this book interesting, but disappoint-
ing. The discussions concerning the way in which
courses need to be designed for CSCL, and the
underlying pedagogy of such an approach to
open, independent learning are useful, but can
largely be found in any of the recent books
dealing with open and flexible learning. The
discussions about the technology itself are now
out of date and potentially misleading to the
uninformed. The title of the book implies a
practical guide to the use of CSCL although in
reality it is a useful review of the issues
surrounding its use. Of course, it is not fair to
the author to be too critical of a book which
published three years ago and which draws on
work that he had previously published elsewhere
the year before that. However, taken overall, I
could not really recommend this text as a good
starting point for someone interested in
developing courses which use CSCL.

C.J. Wookton, University of Hull