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Title:
Developing Web-Based Instruction - Planning, Designing, Managing and Evaluating for Results
Review:
Web-based instruction is one of the hot topics of the moment. It
offers the promise of minimising cost, maximising expertise and
improving services. The attraction to budget handlers, information
professionals and users is obvious. And the combination of the online
format and instructional content means this is going to end up in the
in-tray of the information professional.
This book aims to be the handbook of choice for just that occasion. It
covers everything - from the initial proposal through planning and
design to managing the service and final evaluation. First impressions
were - too much detail! I just wanted to cut to the design/development
information. Then I realised that was exactly what I could do.
The book is designed with its feet firmly on the ground, and the
three clear sections -- 'Planning and Management', 'Evaluation and
Assessment' and 'Design and Development' -- meant I could get to where
I wanted quickly and easily. Each chapter is written by someone with
practical experience in the area they are writing about. This shows.
I didn't get that suspicious feeling I sometimes have with practical
guides that I'm only being told about the bits the author knows about.
Chapters are thoughtfully organised for quickly dip in and out of. If
you're an expert in one area, you can easily skip that bit to
concentrate on the areas you need help with. That said, the advice is
well thought out, and acts as a neat reminder of areas you thought you
were an expert in, with useful hints, tips and new perspectives.
As I read on, I was impressed that the reality of the modern
information workplace was central to the book. The need to push for
new services, operate on limited budgets and time, and snatch expert
input from busy colleagues were all dealt with. A project is treated
as a holistic venture that needs to begin with a proposal for time
and resources and end with an assessment report to stakeholders. This
is a guide to unlock ideas and transform them into a working service.
What I'd thought was superfluous information proved to be essential to
the success of a project.
Advice is backed up with practical examples and the emphasis is always
on the practical. Difficult question are asked - such as whether the
web is the best medium for your users or not - the kind of things that
make the difference between success and failure. The design section
focuses on the foundations of good design and interactivity. It
doesn't get bogged down in details that are not only irrelevant to the
non-techies but are out of date in six months.
The only flaw was a tendency to liberally scatter the text with
foot-noted references. This seemed out of step with the generally
practical tone of the book and rather distracting. I appreciated the
resources sited, but would have preferred a comprehensive bibliography
for each chapter.
That is a small quibble, though. If you find yourself thinking big,
online thoughts over a couple of Christmas drinks with your
colleagues, put this book on your wish list. By this time next year,
you could be offering a new or improved service to your users.
Free Pint Reviewer:
Stephanie Taylor is a project manager with Fretwell-Downing Informatics,
a library solutions technology company. Her previous experience includes
working in academic libraries and electronic library management, document
delivery and inter-library loans. She can be contacted at
<stephanie.taylor@fdisolutions.com>.
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