Faculty members received grants for projects ranging from the comprehensive redesign of courses to stand-alone tutorials to supplement instruction. Since 1996, faculty from approximately sixteen different disciplines have learned technologies to develop instructional tools by making effective use of instructional and interface design principles. A few faculty have entire courses taught via the web. These examples demonstrate how faculty members in several disciplines have implemented web projects in their classes. At St. Edward's University, we encourage faculty to create web pages with interactive features that provide more than online syllabi, course assignments or links to pages of text and pictures.
Faculty try to avoid designing pages and pages of text -the equivalent of an online lecture.
To accomplish this, some faculty members learn to use various tools to construct their site ranging from javascript feedback, delivery of audio and video using RealMedia, delivery of interactive instruction using embedded shockwave pieces, and threaded online discussion forums. In fact, most course web pages now use discussion groups and forms that send e-mail to the faculty member and other students. Faculty members evaluate the effectiveness of their products in a variety of ways. Many use informal surveys requesting feedback on students' perceptions of using the web-based materials. Some have online feedback forms.