Teachers are encouraged to be facilitators and guides in the process of learning and students are encouraged to take more initiative to pursue a topic of interest, an unpopular position or argument, or engage in deeper inquiry investigations that challenge their interests and current understanding. There is also an Introduction which familiarizes participants with our Lotus discussion area. The local study groups are designed to address the isolation many participants feel in traditional email courses. Our premise is that through netcourses we can deliver high quality teacher enhancement programs at less cost than through traditional methods. Participants must be members of projects or schools already engaged in the process of reform of mathematics and science instruction.
Professional development is then a logical part of the school's effort.
At each site there needs to be a team of at least four teachers. An administrator will also need to participate in selected activities to understand and support the individual participants' efforts. Each individual participant must have their own Internet e-mail account and access to a graphical World Wide Web browser. The course requires 125 hours of involvement, but the schedule is flexible. Asynchronous access and locally planned meetings serve to provide the flexibility needed to fit professional development into teachers' already hectic schedules.