Beyond the media: Knowledge level interaction and guided integration for CBL systems

A pragmatic approach to designing computer based learning (CBL) environments that properly integrate with curricula, evolve as both the system requirements and curricula change and, perhaps more significantly, support additional and enhanced learning activities has been developed. The General-Purpose Integrated Learning Support (G-PILS)system is a tool-kit and "shell" that creates course/module specific learning support systems to manage the integration of courseware in a range of knowledge media (e.g. games, tutorial packages, simulations, electronic documents, interactive presentations) within tailored environments. The findings from a 2-year integrative evaluation of three such systems in pharmacology produced some intriguing results. One surprising and significant finding was that students valued on-line lecture notes delivered as word processor documents more than sophisticated tutorial courseware, because their contents could be modified and they could be used in multiple ways. The interpretation argued for here is that knowledge media should allow students to properly interact with the knowledge in the media (knowledge level interaction), thus enabling them to tailor knowledge representations to fit into their individual study habits. Further, as more knowledge media are used in curricula, it is argued that learners need instructional guidance about integrating them within their wider learning activities (guided integration). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.