Development of an ECB on computer networks based on WWW technologies, resources and usability criteria

According to Baas, van den Eijnde, and Junger (2001) an electronic course book (ECB) is a learning module consisting of menu-driven hyperdocuments with a functional use of interactivity and multimedia, presented on the WWW and/or CDROM. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a model for the development of a computer network ECB based on (a) the integration of several tools, which are dispersed in the WWW as university course materials and that for their multimedia nature could not be inserted in a paper book, and (b) on WWW usability criteria, which make the design of the book very different from that of a printed book. The ECB will be useful both to teachers (while giving their lectures) since they will take advantage of the slide-based presentation of the text and of the several simulation tools included in the ECB, and to students (while studying the material) since they will be able to learn by reading, by doing and by answering.