APPENDIX B.7 : SUPERCAL

Contact

Kevin Macken
Staffordshire University Business School
K.Macken@staffs.ac.uk

Courseware Management using SuperCAL

The SuperCAL project of Staffordshire University and the University of Trieste, Italy describes a way of producing interactive computer aided learning materials for the Internet. (see http://www.staffs.ac.uk/supercal/supercal.htm). This document focuses on the use of SuperCAL as a Courseware Management System; a role which it is argued it performs naturally and comprehensively. This is primarily because of SuperCAL's separation out all aspects of courseware development (the academic texts, diagrams, images, multimedia files, interactive elements, the content from style) combined with the power and simplicity of Internet Browsers and the Internet document format, HTML.

Some familiarity with authoring tools and the Internet is assumed below.

Structuring Principles

The SuperCAL development process is illustrated below (Figure 1.). Because the courseware is only brought together in the Internet Browser, the various members of a development team (e.g. the subject expert, graphic designer, programmer) can operate semi-independently and mutual hold-ups are avoided. Courseware management is enormously simplified by this separation. As soon as the text exists, a courseware product of albeit limited interest will exist; further development is then an enhancement of this.

SuperCal: Figure 1. Development Process.

The courseware product is viewed using an Internet Browser, such as the Netscape Navigator, by developers, testers and even end-users while it is being constructed with comments emailed to individual developers using the Browser's email feature.

The SuperCAL development process allows the content to be separated from the style to a large extent. Style elements can be added or altered late in development thus minimising courseware management problems by permitting early concentration on content and near-launch-date focusing on appearance; a desirable and natural sequence.

SuperCAL development entails the separation of the courseware material into relatively many, small files. This helps to isolate bugs and render the courseware fault-tolerant. Defective parts can be rapidly decommissioned and repaired without taking the entire product off-line.

Being network-based facilitates group development and the production of networkable products. Template HTML files and authoring templates can be provided from a 'Authoring' section of the courseware package. In fact, this 'Authoring Topic' can be the first part of the courseware to be completed, so that the teaching package teaches the development team how to develop the teaching package; a kind of bootstrapping process.

Because SuperCAL is as flexible as a word-processing package, it allows the courseware content to dictate the structure. e.g. a unit could be defined by whatever piece of material ends with a multiple choice questionnaire.

Collections of Courseware Units

A courseware package in SuperCAL is a mass of HTML files, image and multimedia files, and authoring package files such as Asymetrix Toolbook. There are no restrictions on the file sizes, tools or platforms used. What makes this a collection of courseware units is essentially the existence of a menu giving access to specified files or groups of files in a logical fashion.

The files would probably be linked thematically using common design elements and artwork.

The Structure of Collections

The units comprising a SuperCAL application require no structure, but can be accessed in various and flexible ways as illustrated in Figure 2.

SuperCal: Figure 2. Accessing SuperCal Units.

SuperCAL as a Courseware Management System can be considered Open to the point of chaos. Order and manageability are imposed using a variety of relatively rapidly developed menu systems, maps, indexes or bookmarks. This is directly related to the anarchic nature of the World Wide Web which has no structure except that imposed by menus, maps, indexes etc.

The Design of Courseware Units

A SuperCAL courseware unit is defined as one or more HTML files with zero or more 'interactions' on a particular topic. (An 'Interaction' is software developed using a commercial authoring tool and accessed from a link within the HTML document.) These can be developed independently of other units - another instance of the separation of development processes in SuperCAL. Examples are

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/supercal/subs_tf.htm could be considered a part of a Microeconomics courseware package.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/supercal/poem1.htm could be considered as one poem in a collection of poetry, accessed via a menu or map.

SuperCAL as a Courseware Management System places no restrictions on what the development team choose to be their unit of courseware, except that it will always center on a single HTML file.

Linking

Navigation of a SuperCAL package is largely through HTML links.

Links are tested as courseware is developed or used. HTML shareware utilities are available which can test for broken links or lost files automatically. No cumbersome or restrictive link-management software is required. The development team can experiment freely to evolve the best strategy. e.g. have (relative) links only from menus to topics with no links between topics or from topics back to menus. This allows for alternative sets of menus accessing the same body of topics for different purposes.

The World Wide Web Server hosting the SuperCAL application can supply precise information on link usage.

Pick-n-Mix Courseware

As a direct result of how SuperCAL packages are constructed, rapid editing or re-purposing is possible. It is also trivially easy to link to other diverse courseware or information, bypassing non-relevant parts. This is emphatically not the case with authoring-tool centered packages.

Many different menus can access the same body of topics, tailored for different groups of users.

Arguably, courseware based on the Internet, as SuperCAL is, is the only truly Open Courseware. (Based as it is on an open document standard - HTML.)

Summary

SuperCAL as a Courseware Management System is only 'closed' to the extent that custom interactions rely on proprietary software rather than industry standard Internet browsers. Hence it is precisely as open or closed as the developers wish. There are no constraints.

Some experts predict the Internet Browser could become the computer interface of the future, replacing MS Windows, Macintosh Finder etc. This reinforces the idea of using Internet technology as the courseware management system, rather than proprietary CMS solutions.

SuperCAL and the Internet in general can be considered as an open CMS...

Open to incorporating and revitalising old courseware and computer aided learning materials.
Open to novice and experienced developers, students and academics.
Open to modification through easy alteration of HTML files, or re-purposing from courseware to computer aided learning.
Open to future developments in Internet Browser technology.
Open to any platform. (depending on the Browser/viewers the package is optimised for.)
Open to delivery on disk, CD-ROM or Internet.
Open by using world standards e.g. HTML, GIF.
Open to others to incorporate elements of in their own courseware.
Open to communication via email, mailing lists and newsgroups.
Open because it uses the security system from the host Web Server, rather than proprietary ones.

Managing courseware development with SuperCAL is simplified as it is document-centric or content-centric unlike much existing courseware which is authoring-tool centric. Authoring tools can be changed in mid-development without major restructuring as HTML probably provides the majority of the package's content, look and feel.

References

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/supercal/supercal.htm: The SuperCAL Project
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/supercal/subs_tf.htm: Courseware example: Trading Firms
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/supercal/poem1.htm: A SuperCAL Poem

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