SSM-Based IS Support for Online Learning

Abstract

Imagine attending a class where the instructor, after giving an introduction of what the course is entailed, invites you to visit the Web-based course support environment (Vat, 2001). On entering the online environment, you are offered the privilege of creating your own personal space in the form of a customizable information system (IS), guarded by your personal self-assigned identifier and password. Within the personal electronic space, you are furnished with a whole set of tools to experience your learning in the subsequent course enactment (Vat, 2000). Perhaps, you may discover that this support environment is just one of the many environments available for each course offered. Indeed, each such environment is embedded inside the course organizational space, and your personal space is designed such that once inside your own electronic space, you can manage as many courses as you want. Your personal space is like your private workspace, in which you have to perform, keep track of and manage your learning activities. More excitingly, you are given the opportunity to participate in teamwork in the course you are enrolled. This is demonstrated by the provision of possible group spaces associated with the course. Each group space is often called the course collaborative space. Consequently, in your personal space, you can have access to many course organizational spaces, and the respective collaborative spaces installed for such courses (Vat, 2004). Let us further assume that group-based project work is considered as an essential component of the course you are taking. And your instructor has just uploaded the latest information on problem-based learning (PBL) to the course organizational space for your first research assignment. Thereby, it should be worthwhile to begin exploring the context behind the IS support (Vat, 2002a, 2002b), which aims to develop in the learners their abilities to learn, to engage in collaboration, to appreciate multiple perspectives, to evaluate and to actively use and construct knowledge in such an environment.