As they work through the text, students take unsupervised assessments over the network to evaluate their progress. After demonstrating mastery of a chapter, they move on. When students complete a unit they take a supervised, on-line test that counts toward their grade. Although students proceed at their own pace, there are specified dates by which certain activities must be completed. Students also earn required points by completing selected learning activities that include computer exercises, videos, journal articles, public lectures, and research participation.
Students communicate with the instructor by e-mail and have full access to their own course records.
Over the past three years, approximately 350 students have enrolled in this course. Each semester students are asked to provide feedback. We have also maintained comprehensive records on these students. Partly as a reaction to these observations, and partly as a result of learning about the full potential of the new technologies, a substantial number of modifications have now been made. Although new technological advances have certainly occurred in the past three years, most of the course changes have resulted more from learning to take advantage of existing technology than from the application of new developments.