Technologies supporting highly interactive learning resources on the web: an analysis

Advances in desktop computer technology have made possible the development of interactive learning resources, which allow the learner to explore, experiment, and construct within graphical environments. Such resources are consistent with contemporary educational theory, and in particular the constructivist view of teaching and learning, which emphasizes learners actively con-structing their own knowledge representation. However, there seem to be very few examples of web-based learning resources employing these interactive techniques. This article analyses the technological capabilities of the Web as a delivery platform for highly interactive learning resources, consistent with a construc-tivist view of learning. The analysis shows that all of the re-quired software capabilities can be implemented by web technol-ogies, but that developers will need to master a number of com-plex techniques. The article also discusses some of the barriers to the use of the Web as a medium for such resources, including bandwidth, the lack of standardisation of web browsing software and the complexity of web technologies.