Relevant Issues for the Design of a Successful Web-Based Instructional System

Abstract

Instructional systems are aimed to support and partially automate the instructional process on a subject domain, ranging from a simple lecture to a whole degree. The interest in designing Web-based Instructional Systems (WbIS) needs no more to be outlined. In the last few years, there has been a huge diffusion of such an approach to support and partially automate the instructional process. The term Instructional Systems Design (ISD) refers to the process of instructional program development from start to finish. Many models exist for use by different levels of instructional designers and for different instructional purposes: what is missing in the current literature is to show how these models could be used to implement “real-life” examples of Instructional Systems. This chapter is aimed to fill this gap, by discussing each phase of the ISD with respect to the implementation of a WbIS for training Specialists in Motor Disability Assessment (MODASPECTRA). The project ended in the implementation of a successful WbIS; in fact, the Dublin School of Physiotherapy received approval from the University College Dublin, Ireland, to offer one of the courses belonging to the MODASPECTRA educational package as a distance learning certificate course from the coming academic year. The course has been renamed to “Outcome Assessment in Motor Disability.” Directed mainly at physiotherapists throughout Ireland and Europe, the course consists of standardized and validated measures to be used before and after treatment to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. It could also be relevant to the practice of other health professionals. Therefore, we strongly believe that this chapter may be of great interest for any Institution willing to start its own effort in building WbIS.