With the change of social environment, rapid progress of information technology and the change of learning value, broadband network has become the largest information communication and most influential medium in modern time. Network instruction and digital learning also rapidly involve in the field of traditional teaching and learning. For the traditional publishers of elementary and high school textbooks, how to acquire pioneering advantages again in new wave of competition becomes the subject explored by this research. This research mainly uses methods such as questionnaire survey, in-depth interview and secondary data analysis to examine the developmental process, current situation of website, future trend of on-line learning websites operated by publishers of elementary and high school textbooks at present and the elementary and high school teachers¡¦ views and suggestions toward on-line learning websites of the publishers of textbooks. The research finding reveals that the developmental process of on-line learning websites of textbook publishers at present is affected by the policies of government which also directly influences the publishers¡¦ directions to participate in website development & research and operation. As to the requirements of content on websites, developing multimedia materials which are more interesting and comply with teaching is the direction the publishers should work for. With regard to future developmental trend, virtual and realistic integrations are the prospective developmental directions for most of the companies. The websites not only provide teaching resources but also function as the media for publishers¡¦ multiple uses such as marketing, advertisement and service. The teachers¡¦ satisfaction of website utilization also affects the willingness of selecting the textbooks. The above research findings can provide the direction of designing learning websites for the textbook publishers and function as the base for the policy planning of educational administration and the reference when the teachers use the websites.

This thesis reports on a study conducted to investigate the design, development and implementation of a learning website as part of a distance education course comprising a combination of media and technology. The website functions as a tool for teaching distance education postgraduate adult learners mostly from previously disadvantaged communities whatever knowledge of nutrition they need to manage the symptoms and general health of people living with human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Before ascertaining such factors, the limitations and concerns associated with the teaching and learning of the learners in question had to be established. The research problem is narrowed down to eight sub-questions in order to establish possible solutions. These sub-questions can be categorised as follows: · Pressures on South African distance higher education institutions, and Internet and computer technology as a solution · Interface design · Web usability · Utilization of a combination of media and technology The study addresses each sub-question by means of an analysis of the published literature, by analysing how the findings of the project shed light on each research sub-question, and how each sub-question illuminated (in a wider sense) the remaining sub-questions, and the research question in general. The answers to the research sub-questions will permit the researcher to determine how the teaching of adult learners from previously disadvantaged communities in the field of nutrition and HIV and AIDS could be made more effective by utilizing a distance education course that comprises a combination of media and technologies. This will then in turn lead to the formulation of strategies and guidelines for the design, development and implementation of e-learning as part a combination of media and technology in order to offer effective postgraduate distance education courses for developing countries. The results of the study could lead to the following possible applications: · A post-graduate distance education course comprising a combination of media and technology · A flexible, self-paced distance education course · An interactive learning website · Instant access to learning content · Offering authentic and reliable information · An alternative medium of offering content / Thesis (DPhil (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Information Science / unrestricted