Distribution and use of digital learning materials: An evaluation of a virtual maths website and surrounding activities

The next generation of construction professionals are IT literate; they surf the web, access the latest news from multiple sources and use social networking websites to connect with their peers around the globe. The skills of the construction knowledge worker are changing and while IT skills for many are second nature, the standard of maths has been questioned. Many learning providers are using websites to deliver information and improve various skills, yet there is little knowledge on how to use web applications to help ensure potentially interested parties are exposed to the material. The construction industry is mathematically demanding and construction workers need relevant skills. In an attempt to tackle this, construction based maths resources were created in an interactive web environment. However, while the web resource exists, it does not mean that it will be found nor used. Research was undertaken to determine how the website applications and surrounding activities impacted on the use of the website and ultimately provided exposure to the maths tools. The use of the Virtualmaths website has been monitored with Google Analytics. The results have proved interesting in terms of the activities undertaken to promote the site and comparisons with the website hits. While the maths website ranks well in search engine results, much of the traffic to the site is by direct access, through social media and networking sites such as Twitter and YouTube. However, face to face workshops that were used to showcase the web resources were found to produce a significant impact with regard to direct access and user registrations. It is clear that the quality of the materials is important as is the promotion of open access web materials if they are to be used.