There are group projects which they work on when they can, sending their input to Lincoln to be distributed to the rest of the class. Unlike the Internet, which is so public, the class has seven layers of security, and codes change each semester. Howver, students do see each other's work. The teacher is the facilitator. And, he says, students often learn more than in a regular classroom.
Every student has to respond to every question.
Plus, he says, the entire curriculum, goals, methods - everything, had to be thoroughly thought through at the beginning. And, they found that race, gender and personalities are left behind as students get more to the heart of the issues under discussion, Seagren said. Now in its third semester, the course includes professors in Lincoln and one in Australia. On the computer, students need only log on for a couple minutes to get, or give their work assignments. The rest they can do off-line.