The Selection and Implementation of a Web Course Tool at the University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

For the past 10 years, the University of Texas at Austin has pursued the goal of integrating information technology into instruction. Through the Center for Instructional Technologies and its parent organization, Academic Computing and Instructional Technology Services, the University has recently developed a centralized approach to Web course development by selecting and implementing a tool for voluntary use by the faculty. This case study illustrates some of the challenges encountered and the lessons learned in initiating such a plan, given the institutional and personnel constraints of a large, historically decentralized research university. Educators from universities of all sizes realize that technological change has created a new reality for higher education both by intensifying the need for ongoing education and training and by creating tools that have changed the teaching and learning process. This study indicates that a small staff, even without overt institutional support, can have a large impact on this process by choosing an appropriate tool, actively promoting it, and conducting effective training.