There was a time when the concept of an electronically-networked office seemed so strange, that it might have come straight out of an episode of The Jetsons. These days, the idea of a virtual office where you can work from home in your bathrobe is so common that it's the subject of television commercials. Will some classrooms soon follow suit?

The answer is a definitive "yes," according to Dr. Anthony Picciano, Professor of Curriculum and Teaching at Hunter College, developer of an experimental Internet-based graduate course in School Leadership at Hunter.

Funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the class may be the first of its kind at CUNY. Picciano, who has taught the course for several years, applied to the Sloan Foundation thinking this particular class would be the perfect venue for asynchronous learning since students who take it are generally a mature, professional group, most of whom have families and work full-time. This semester, one student is pregnant, due in April, and would not have taken the class at all had it not been given electronically.

Asynchronous Learning (literally, learning that can occur any place at any time) is the technical term used to describe such a classroom and the technology to achieve it. Its growth marks the logical next step in distance learning, but as a teaching method it is usually associated with engineering or other technical schools where experimentation with asynchronous modes has been underway for some time. Indeed, the term "Virtual Classroom" was trademarked by the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1994. Until recently, however, most of these classes required large, expensive "labs" equipped with the latest in electronic gadgetry to which students and instructors had extended access.

What is different about the class offered at CUNY is that it requires nothing but an Internet-linked computer which students might well have at home. That such classes are now being offered at large public institutions like CUNY demonstrates the fact that the technology has truly taken a leap into the mainstream.

Picciano, who has been involved with computer-based learning since 1970, has watched the evolution of educational technology and sees its enormous potential. He believes "it's just a matter of time before we all move into networked education." Other instructors are now beginning to see it as well, especially for mature students whose family and work responsibilities require flexible learning environments.

Colette Wagner, Director of the Open Systems Center, agrees. "We're at a point in our history where technology-rich education is no longer a frill; it's become a necessity." Michael Ribaudo, University Dean for Instructional Technology and Information Services at CUNY, charged with enabling students the wherewithal to succeed in an increasingly technology-reliant society, puts it this way: "We simply must offer our students a chance to enter the 21st century with this advantage. To do less would be completely unacceptable."

The explosive use of home computers and the University's commitment to Internet-based technology has created an environment that is more conducive than ever to understanding technology and using it effectively in the Information Age. Until recently, the number of students and professors with personal computers and Internet access wasn't large enough to make the electronic classroom entirely practical at CUNY, but in today's technology-rich society, virtual education is a concept whose time has come.

The Typical Class

Asynchronous Learning Networks (or ALNs) give faculty and students the ability to communicate with each other without having to be in the same place at the same time. In this class, students make use of the World Wide Web and an electronic mailing system known as a listserv,to which each student is subscribed as soon as they have registered for class and paid their tuition. Each week, a new "lecture" is posted on the Web page and remains on the Web throughout the duration of the course. Students' comments, etc. remain on the listserv until they choose to delete them. They are thus able to review the weekly lecture, ask questions, make comments or communicate with each other 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through any Internet-linked computer.

Since the amount of time spent online is entirely up to the student, discussions in these classes can continue almost without limit, a possible problem should the amount of time become excessive. Some students have, in fact, felt overwhelmed by the amount of time they spend online. Examining student logs reveals that students spend as much as twice the time online as they would in a traditional class. Picciano, however, is delighted by the amount of effort students have put into his class and feels that limiting the length of students' online responses is not the answer. He strongly believes that, "most of these issues will be worked out by students who will eventually learn to pace themselves."

In the meantime, students are already discovering ways of tagging responses to categorize them by subject, an act that would greatly decrease the amount of time spent wading through online material. As students continue to think up ways to make their online experience more convenient and efficient, they are rapidly appreciating the benefits of an electronic class.

More Interaction, Reflection and Fun

Virtual classes offer a great deal more than flexibility. They foster a fertile environment for scholarly discourse and often provide the impetus to go further than the course itself demands. Picciano has already noticed differences in his online students: "They think more about lecture material and their own and colleagues' opinions and therefore tend to respond in a more reflective way. In general, students appear to be much more engaged with each other. Discussions are apt to be livelier, deeper, and more interesting."

On average, 85 percent of the students have responded to discussion topics, significantly higher than would occur in a traditional classroom. Although the amount of contact between individual students has not been tracked, it is possible for students to pursue online contact quite easily. A conversation can be kept private by e-mailing each other directly, or made public by sending it to the listserv. A much richer and more extensive interchange of ideas results.

Will these New York City students miss their traditional windowed classroom with its colorful urban street scenes? In anticipation of this, Picciano has scanned photographs of campus surroundings onto the Web for his students' amusement and pleasure. "I like the creativity the Internet affords; it adds an element of fun to the classes which we all enjoy, and it also allows greater freedom of expression." He foresees a time when classes will be presented on audio-video media which will allow students to interact with each other as though they were producing an ongoing film, but realizes that interactive video education has a few hurdles to surmount before that time comes.

Rochelle, a student in Picciano's class, shares her professor's enthusiasm: "I really look forward to reading everyone's comments on the weekly topic. It seems like we all have more of a voice in the discussion." Paulette, another student, said, "Personally, the autonomy gives me a greater sense of control and also more self-esteem." Judy feels "a greater sense of camaraderie with online classmates." Shelly, another student, had this to say: "the reflection and intelligent discussion has been incredible, both my own and what I've read from others." And Bonnie exclaims, "personalities are stronger and clearer online.... I feel like I know my classmates better than I would in an ordinary class." All agreed they would take the class again and would like to see more online classes in the future.

Instructors' Concerns

While some teachers and students are excited by the possibilities of electronic learning, others believe that virtual classes will reduce exposure to an important human element that only face-to-face interaction can provide. Instructors unfamiliar with asynchronous learning may also fear it will create an environment where students can "slack off" since they do not have to show up in a classroom each week. This does not seem to be the case, as Mike, another student in Picciano's class, notes: "In theory, you don't have to participate but if you don't contribute it becomes pretty evident since there's a record of everyone else's work." And Judy agrees, "If you aren't keeping up with your reading, you simply can't keep up with the discussions, and there's no faking it."

Students who have more difficulty writing than expressing themselves orally might find online discussion more challenging than responding in a traditional class. One student admitted to being "phobic" about writing and less willing to expose her thoughts online especially since these thoughts now become subject to public scrutiny. Another feels differently: "I don't think as quickly on my feet and feel much more shy in a regular class than I do online where I've had more time to formulate my thoughts."

The concern that electronic learning will create more work for instructors might not be so easy to allay. Picciano readily admits this: "There is no question about it; more work will be involved in the development and instruction of an asynchronous class. For one thing, instructors have to reorganize their material into a network-based format. Then, due to the quantity of information online, I find it necessary to summarize both students' comments and my responses to their comments. Frankly, for me, it's much more interesting to teach this way, and once a class has been formatted for an electronic medium, future classes become easier to prepare. Initially, however, it's much more work."

Fears that ALN classes might replace experienced teachers may not be as well-founded. Instructors who teach networked classes find that they need to be more experienced in their disciplines to rise to the challenge of the in-depth level of inquiry likely to occur in an ALN class. Furthermore, they need to become more proficient in the use of educational technology, a fact which will require more training and a greater level of skill.

Finally, some instructors worry that overall educational quality will suffer and that students' individual needs will be overlooked in a setting which is so high-tech. But students in Picciano's class agree that they have greater access to their instructor in an electronic environment and feel they receive more, not less, individual attention. Moreover, because of the increased amount of time spent online, and the signficant quantity of material generated by both the students and instructors, ALN classes could require a higher teacher to student ratio, providing an even greater amount of individual attention to students.

Other Benefits

While the virtual classroom may appear to be a bit cumbersome at first, especially for those unfamiliar with the Internet or its possibilities, thus far its advantages seem to far outweigh its disadvantages. One envisions a time when the ability to offer a much wider range of classes to a much broader audience will increase experiences for those universities positioned to take advantage of this technology. Since the only equipment required is an Internet-based computer, ALN classes have the potential to save universities vast sums of money currently spent on real estate, equipment, and supplies. And the likelihood is that more and better trained teachers will be in demand. All of these factors could make electronic education a much richer learning experience for all.

We don't know precisely what the future will look like. However, depending on the specific academic discipline and the instructor's experience with electronic media, without doubt, more and more classes will be offered in asynchronous modes. "And when that happens," says Picciano, "faculty and student absenteeism will be a thing of the past. I have to be at a conference in Salzburg, Austria for two weeks this semester, but that will be no excuse to miss my class."

(The URL for this course is http://www.cuny.edu/tony/ad702297.html)