Amy Geffen, Ph.D.
Risk and Insurance Management Society
New York, N.Y.

Abstract:
Work done on two pilot projects, Team Building at NYNEX and Managing Business Risk at the Risk and Insurance Management Society, led to the identification of key issues facing organizations wishing to implement asynchronous learning. These issues include finding a champion to spearhead the drive to cultural change, enhancing the computer literacy of their employees, overcoming resistance form the human resources department, and promoting the perception of value and effectiveness of this delivery system as a training tool.

Thomas G. Cleaver
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292

Abstract:
A custom-designed ALN (Asynchronous Learning Network) was introduced as an enhancement to an electrical circuits course at the University of Louisville. The goal was to combine ALN techniques with traditional classroom methodologies. The experiment was a mixed success. While students reported that they found the ALN elements to be effective in their learning, there were no significant differences in test and homework scores with the addition of ALN. This paper documents the study, and provides a discussion of the design and selection of ALN features that may be helpful to others integrating ALN into small classes.

Richard B. Kettner-Polley
Professor of Business Administration
International School of Information Management University
501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 350
Denver, CO 80218

Abstract:
The role of the professor is changing dramatically. Lectures endure despite the fact that they were outmoded as soon as books became readily available to students. This is a case study in the transformation of one traditional professor into a virtual professor. On one level this is only one person’s story. On another level it is a sign of the times. Jorge Klor de Alva’s choice to leave one of the most prestigious universities in the country for the University of Phoenix is a signal event. Traditional academia will change, and it is the quiet transformation of traditional professors into virtual professors that tells the true story behind this revolution.

Kheir Al-Kodmany
Assistant Professor
Urban Planning and Policy Program
University of Illinois at Chicago
R. Varkki George
Assistant Professor
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Angelica Marks
Neighborhood Housing Services, Chicago
Joseph Skach
University of Illinois at Chicago

Abstract:
The state-of-the-art in communication technology has made it possible to bridge distances of many kinds. In this paper, we will describe and reflect on our attempt to use videoconferencing, the Internet, and hypermedia technology to simultaneously teach students located on two campuses 150 miles apart: Chicago and Urbana-Champaign. We embarked on this project in order to explore the possibility of complementing our individual and departmental strengths, and to provide our students with a richer learning experience. In Spring 1997, students enrolled in an urban design course offered on each campus separately but taught as a single course. Every week, both groups of students came together via a videoconference link to participate in a lecture-discussion conducted by one of the instructors. Following each joint session, small teams of students worked on an urban design project located in a third city, ESL; students’ work was presented and monitored over the Internet. In this paper, we draw on our experience as instructors and the experience of our students and outside observers, to evaluate the extent to which this approach met our objectives. Several factors came into play: the type of student at each location; the reliability of the technology; the availability of adequate technical support. We do not describe the technologies in any great detail because this has been done elsewhere. We conclude by evaluating the costs and benefits, both tangible and intangible, encountered while teaching this course.

Linda Lacey, Ph.D.
Professor: Department of City and Regional Planning
Research Fellow: Carolina Population Center
Associate Dean: the Graduate School
200 Bynum Hall, CB # 4010
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, N. C. 27516

Abstract:
This paper discusses how asynchronous learning tools can be applied to distance learning as well as the research agenda of faculty. It begins with a description of the type of training and skills that are required to transform a traditional class into an interactive distance education course. The author describes the types of training and strategies that were required to promote interactive learning among distance education students. Next, the paper describes how these same tools and skills can be used to promote collaborative research in a multi-country healthcare evaluative research project. It discusses how the MEASURE Evaluation Project, which is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development, is using asynchronous learning tools to engage scholars in 14 countries in collaborative research. It describes the type of training that is required as well as the type of support services that are needed to assist scholars in developing countries to take full advantage of web-based tools in their research and teaching.

Mark Sapir
Professor of Mathematics
Department of Mathematics
Vanderbilt University
Nashville TN 37221

Abstract:
This article describes the on-going project to create comprehensive Web-based mathematics courses. These will include HTML books, interface to Computer Algebra Software (Maple), and software for administering non-multiple choice Web-based tutorials and tests. Featured is the Linear Algebra Web course, which serves as a prototype for future courses including Basic Algebra, Calculus, and Differential Equations.

Larrie E. Gale, Ph.D.
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah 84602

Abstract:
This article describes the principal features of an interactive multimedia (IMM) and Internet authoring tool, Quest Net+, and gives an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. A simple, short comparison with Authorware is also included.