Applying the prototyping methodology to develop a student centred, integrated eLearning resource

The prototyping model is one that is familiar from the software development world. In it a specification is considered to be evolutionary rather than fixed. From a simple initial specification, a system offering limited functionality is developed. This provides a subset of the anticipated full feature set. The prototype is then deployed and feedback from the users of the system informs and guides the development of the next iteration of the system. This mechanism contrasts with the top down, tutor centric approach taken in the development of many eLearning systems. This paper describes how the prototyping methodology was applied to inform the development of an integrated eLearning resource. This re-source was initially developed to apply lecture capture technology to create a resource that allowed hearing impaired students to revisit and review captured lecture content through embedded subtitles. As the product evolved it became clear that traditional lecture capture resources available at the time did not fully meet the needs of the general student body. In particular the existing resources only addressed elements of the behaviourist and cognitivist learning theories but did not support constructivist or social constructivist learning theories. In addition they only supported certain of the learning styles identified in the literature. The authors set out to develop an eLearning system based on the initial work but within a flexible structure. This allowed enhancement and extension of the system as the feedback from its deployment was received. The paper discusses how feedback from both student and staff users was incorporated into the design process and how the development of the prototype was guided through these iterations to ensure that the application would map strongly against the core learning strategies identified in the literature.