Asynchronous Learning Networks: Drexel's Experience

In the fall of 1994 Drexel University began offering courses over an asynchronous learning network (ALN). While "unconventional" course and curriculum design and delivery is by no means new to the university, this was its first foray into interactive network-based "anytime-anyplace" education. The project is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which has an ongoing program in asynchronous learning. Drexel's mission is to explore the potential for asynchronous learning in the domain of information and software systems design for part-time and full-time students on and off campus, as well as students participating in Drexel's cooperative education program. Drexel's ALN uses Lotus Notes to support communications and problem-solving. Students access the ALN via Windows-based PCs and Macintoshes. Each student has Lotus Notes and a suite of cross-platform compatible design tools. Lotus Notes is a "groupware" tool that permits students to interact asynchronously--that is, anytime, anyplace via a technique known as "replication," which permits Lotus Notes users to get on a network, send comments and messages, and simultaneously receive comments and messages that were sent since the last time they logged onto the network. Five courses have been offered thus far, with numerous others in the pipeline. The early results are encouraging and, in spots, even surprising. There is--based on preliminary data--every reason to believe that ALN-based education can be extended into additional domains and that whole (especially professional) degree programs can be delivered over ALNs. * Project Scope & Objectives Figure 1 shows the overall project structure. Objectives of the project include: * Provide asynchronous learning opportunities for students on-campus, students in and outside the region on co-op; * Demonstrate the integration of off-the-shelf computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools into Lotus Notes to facilitate group learning and problem-solving; * "Simulate" industrial information and software systems design on an ALN; * Measure the impact of asynchronous learning across a broad spectrum of indicators ("student satisfaction," "retention," "degree completion time," "cost-effectiveness," etc.); and * Implement self-pacing procedures. Information and software systems design and development is the domain. We have organized courses around the methods, tools and techniques that support the conversion of user and software requirements into maintainable information systems. The domain is "practice-oriented" and one from which the majority of students aspire to industrial careers. The student population includes part-and full-time students on campus, near campus and on co-op. Many of the undergraduates in the network have part-time jobs; most graduate students are employed full-time. The initial courses "converted" and delivered asynchronously include Systems Analysis & Design (4 times), Business Process Reengineering (twice), and Information Systems Policy & Administration (twice). Two other courses, User Computer Interaction and Information Systems Implementation, will be given shortly. The network is accessible to various kinds of students as well as the Lotus Educational Consortium--of which we are a member-and the University of Illinois, another Sloan grantee which hosts the Sloan ALN server that supports an on-going discussion of ALN issues, problems and challenges. A special feature of the project is its exploration of ALN-based self-pacing. As Figure 2 suggests, there are self-pacing opportunities for students that fall behind or proceed ahead of "average" students. This aspect of the project is important since ALN-based education (and training) should offer the same quality as conventional educational processes, but also provide some additional benefits. One may be self-pacing. Since the fall of 1994 we have made the course in Systems Analysis & Design "continuous," that is, we have offered the course term after term. …