Using Web Pages to Create A Learning Community

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Using Web Pages to CreateA Learning Community

• Prof. Phillip R. RosenkrantzIndustrial
  Manufacturing Engineering DepartmentCalifornia
  State Polytechnic University, Pomona

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The Learning Organization

• Based on Dr. Peter Senge's book THE FIFTH
  DISCIPLINE (1990)

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Vision

• Create significant initial interest in the
  subject and then carry the learning experience
  well beyond the last lecture.
• Students become involved with creating web pages
  that share their findings with others.

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Examples

• Classes
• Senior Projects
• Proposed strategies and enhancements

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The Disciplines of the "Learning Organization"

• Building shared vision
• Mental models
• Personal mastery
• Team learning
• Systems thinking

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Characteristics of the Learning Organization
(Garvin)

• Systematic problem solving
• Experimentation with new approaches
• Learning from experiences
• Learning from best practices of others, and
• Transferring knowledge across the organization
  quickly

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Three Examples From Engineering Curriculum

• Direct involvement of the instructor in creating
  the web pages ranged from none to almost 100

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Example 1IME 499 Engineering Colloquium

• Weekly topic related to a theme
• Guest speakers
• Student/faculty prepared web pages
• Theme "What a young engineer should know about"

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Six Topics Were Covered

• Qualifying For and Getting a Good Job
• Graduate School
• Career Strategy
• Becoming a Consultant
• Corporate Culture and Company Politics
• High Performance Work Habits

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A Web Site Was Created to Share the Results

• http//www.csupomona.edu/rosenkrantz/ime499/ime49
  998.htm

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Results

• The results were very good
• Students looked forward to the finished web page
  each week
• Students were proud to see their names on the top
  of the page
• Other benefits

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Lessons Learned

• This level of customization is too time consuming
  for the instructor
• Students build the web pages or use a standard
  format
• Students could volunteer to learn how to author
  web pages

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Example 2Topic Papers

• Students prepared two-page topic papers on a wide
  variety of subjects
• Pages available for viewing and printing
• Students can return to the site any time for
  updating and continuing education
• Exposure motivates students to do a better job
• http//www.csupomona.edu/rosenkrantz/ime415/topic
  papers

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Example 3Senior Project

• A team of students is preparing a web site as a
  resource
• Information about ISO-9000, QS-9000, Malcolm
  Baldrige National Quality Award, and similar
  standards
• Information about the standards and what it takes
  for successful implementation
• Companies interviewed and the results presented.
• Resource for current, past, and future students

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Other Ideas

• Threaded discussions on related topics
• Surveys about practices with results posted
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section
• Lists of contacts and resources
• Annotated Bibliography or Webliography
• Links page
• Downloadable PowerPoint Presentations for use by
  members of the learning community
• Chat rooms to discuss topics or issues

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Summary

• Web pages can be used to create a network among
  students and alumni to foster lifelong learning,
  networking, and updating of knowledge and
  beliefs. This is a very valuable activity as we
  enter the knowledge based twenty-first century.
  (Drucker, 1999) Faculty can generate student
  interest and involvement using web pages as a
  medium for publicly sharing the results of their
  work.