<78> The web is used for all the above except for administration. This is logical given the 

position of the web training courses in the high school. At this early stage in the project 

the emphasis has been encouraging these young students to use e mail for exercises and 

communications. The materials are presented on the web but this environment must not be 

too sophisticated as students are of high school age. In this context much attention is given 

to encouraging a more or less linear progression through materials. This is done by 

minimizing links and frequent updating of materials. An initial function of the web based 

materials was to teach the students how to use their PCs and prepare them for web training 

by this means. 

   <59> The students get a number of  lectures  on the web. These lectures are in text form 

with pictures (and graphics), no audio or video. Most of the subject matter is, for reasons 

of competition, hidden behind a password. There is also competition between state 

colleges, and it is experienced that it is too easy to copy if the learning material is open for 

everyone to see. I addition there is a  questions and answers  mailbox, open forum, many 

to many communication. Also assignment answers by students are sent to the open forum. 

Also IRC is used to some extent. Some subjects have  chat  facilities at a certain time 

every week. The web is not used for study administration. The system for student 

administration is on an older software platform. 

   <62> SEU offers courses mainly to teachers in the ordinary school system, but this is 

changing. Presently there are mainly 2 courses making extensive use of the web .The 

course in sciences makes the most use of the web, where information, assignments, 

submissions and guidance, and also discussion groups are organized on the web. I. e. the 

web is used for presentation, communication and teaching, but not for administration 

(except that the administrative functions are using e mail). At present no web based 

administrative system is applied. There are plans also to organize administrative functions 

on the web as a development project during the next year. 

Collaboration or Outsourcing 

Outsourcing is an option that does not seem to be much used by the analyzed institutions. 

Only one instance was identified: 

   Online Learning.net <125> is the umbrella provider of online courses for the University of 

California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The decision was taken to `outsource' the hosting of 

these courses. The product chosen is Embanet, produced and run by a small Toronto based 

firm using FirstClass conferencing at the back end. 

However, there are several examples of institutions that offer such services. Among them are 

eCollege.com (http://www.ecollege.com). 

In house Development 

Many of the institutions have developed in house administrative solutions in combinations 

with standard Internet software: 

   <5> The courses use a combination of www plus paper plus face to face. The web 

provision ranges from simple text delivery with teacher student communication, to 

complete delivery of interaction on the web. The university is using a corporate approach 

of developing its own system by using its very highly skilled technical staff. We will not 

be buying a proprietary kernel because it is too expensive when student numbers get high 

and because we would not pay a company for the use of the university s own intellectual 

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