Using the World-Wide Web in Chemical Education
Brian M. Tissue, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0212; tissue@vt.edu
Introduction
The World-Wide Web (WWW, Web) is an internet-based client-server system that provides a graphical platform for distribution of electronic information.[1,2] Web clients (browsers) provide an integrated information retrieval tool that support Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and older distribution methods such as Gopher, Usenet Newsgroups, and File-Transfer Protocol (FTP).[3] The most current sources of information about the WWW are found in introductory documents on the Web itself,[4] and in a WWW-FAQ (frequently-asked questions) file that is posted to the alt.hypertext and comp.infosystems.www.users newsgroups. This article briefly describes WWW-based hypermedia and how it can be applied in chemical education. The discussion addresses use of the Web as a means of information distribution, and as a medium for developing educational hypermedia.
Hypermedia
A hypertext application is a collection of information in computer files (documents) that contains highlighted words or phrases (anchors). The anchors define hyperlinks that lead to other documents or other sections of the same document.[5] Hypermedia is a superset of hypertext that incorporates other media forms such as graphics, audio, and video.[6] The hyperlinks allow random access to information, and using a hypermedia application is usually referred to as navigating or browsing.[7] A hypermedia user can click on a link and go to a new document, browse it, return to the original document, or click on another link and proceed along a different path to more information. It is the reader who actively decides on the path to take through the information and how in-depth to read each document. This random access and user control is a major distinction between hypermedia applications and conventional textbooks, which are usually designed to be read sequentially.
As an Information Distribution and Retrieval Method
Web browsers provide an integrated and easy-to-use (point-and-click) retrieval tool. Small graphical icons can identify larger images or files, and search capabilities provide a research tool.[8] For information providers, distributing material via an internet server has several advantages compared to print or CD-ROMs. Server-based material can be updated or corrected instantly, and e-mail provides a rapid means of interactive communication between users and developers. Access to the material is world-wide, available 24-hours-a-day, and cost-effective (neglecting the large indirect cost of the network infrastructure, which exists for many reasons).
The major disadvantages of distributing educational material over the internet are that many would-be users do not have internet access, and the bandwidth of the internet limits the size and/or number of files that can be transferred effectively. Distribution of many large files and/or extensive video for real-time use usually requires a local-area network or CD-ROM. The advantage of network distribution in distant-learning environments is obvious, although there could be hidden disadvantages for on-site students if it provides excuses to not attend lectures, and thereby miss the teacher-student dialog.
As an Educational Medium
The hypermedia format of the WWW does not differ greatly in principle from multimedia programs on CD-ROM (in practice the network bandwidth limitation noted above applies). The advantages of hypermedia educational materials include: in-context access to related, remedial, or advanced information; incorporation of graphics, audio, and video; and illustration of the connections between advanced topics and basic principles.[9] Programming capabilities allow production of interactive exercises such as drill and practice problems or simulations. Computers have great potential to perform tedious tasks such as grading and free up instructor time for conceptual discussions. Once individual documents are written, it is easy for an instructor to piece different topics together and tailor tutorials for specific courses or subjects. Providing hyperlinks to remedial material is especially attractive since learning science so often depends on previous learning of basic concepts. In the same way hyperlinks can lead to advanced material for enrichment.
The caveats are that browsing is not the same as learning, visualizing is not the same as understanding, and hypermedia cannot provide all aspects of the learning process.[10] The interpretation of graphical information by novices is not the same as by experts who already understand underlying concepts, and effective multimedia use depends on effective descriptive text that explains the concept that the multimedia is demonstrating.
Summary
The WWW provides an easy-to-use platform for delivering and retrieving hypermedia material over the internet. The network bandwidth (including the end users' computers and network connections) places limits on the sophistication of the information that can be transferred for real-time use. The Web is expanding rapidly and new capabilities are in development, such as virtual reality modeling language (VRML).[11] VRML provides a format for transferring and manipulating objects that can provide sophisticated three-dimensional visualization of chemical molecules and reactions. The caveat in this case is that solid objects are only an approximation of dynamic molecules. The challenge of applying such new technology effectively will be to enhance rather than to substitute for a student's thinking and imagination.
Literature Cited
1. Schatz, B. R.; Hardin, J. B. Science 1994, 265, 895-901.
2. Rzepa, H. S.; Whitaker, B. J.; Winter, M. J. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1994 1907-1910.
3. Varveri, F. S. J. Chem. Ed. 1993, 70, 204-208.
4. http://www.w3.org/.
5. Nielson, J. Hypertext and Hypermedia; Academic: Boston, 1990.
6. Z Cotton, Bob; Oliver, R. Understanding Hypermedia: From Multimedia to Virtual Reality; Phaidon: London, 1993.
7. Woodhead, N. Hypertext and Hypermedia, Theory and Applications; Sigma: Wilmslow, England, 1991.
8. http://home.mcom.com/home/internet-search.html.
9. Tissue, B. M. J. Chem. Ed. 1996 (in press).
10. Laurillard, D. Rethinking University Teaching, a Framework for the Effective Use of Educational Technology; Routledge: London, 1993.
11. http://vrml.wired.com/.
This hypermedia page is maintained by Brian Tissue