Creating and nurturing distributed asynchronous learning environments
| Date | 01 August 2000 |
| Published date | 01 August 2000 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520010350632 |
| Pages | 280-294 |
| Author | Thomas R. Kochtanek,Karen K. Hein |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Creating and nurturing
distributed
asynchronous learning
environments
Thomas R. Kochtanek and
Karen K. Hein
Introduction
During the fall semester of 1998 and again in
the winter 1999 semeste r, the University of
Missouri School of Information Science and
Learning Technologies offered a Web-based
distributed course (IS334 ± ``Library
Information Systems'') supported by
asynchronous communications tools.A total of
60 students were enrolledin these two courses.
Of those students, only a handful were in-
residence, the remainder being off-campus
and, in some cases, out-of-state. Each
semester's offering of the course provided
students with the opportunity to participate in
project-based learning experiences.
Approximately five projects were gathered
each semester, with five to seven students
forming each project group. Communications,
both synchronous (chat) and asynchronous,
were supported by FirstClass
TM
a client-server
based proprietary communications tool.
This article focuses on the evolution of that
course from a face-to-face experience to a
Web-based asynchronous learning
environment. The authors, an instructor and
his graduate teaching assistant (TA) chronicle
the design and development of this
asynchronous learning environment giving
emphasis to the establishment of a student
learning community independent of distance
and time. Of special interest is the fact that
this learning community continued well after
the course and the semester had ended.
Another noteworthy fact is that the instructor
and his graduate TA were based in two
different universities for the second course.
This paper will also discuss collaborative
arrangements initiated by students operating
in project groups attempting to meet the
objectives of each project group. Collectively,
the projects were melded together into a single
cohesive set of Web pages by the instructor
and the TA. Insight into the asynchronous
interactions between students engaged in class
discussions and group projects will be
presented as they relate to the learning
objectives set forth by the instructor. This
paper will attempt to qualitatively document
how asynchronous communications might
support increased student learning and
collaborative opportunities representative of
those professional team problem-solving tasks
The authors
Thomas R. Kochtanek is Associate Professor at the
School of Information Science and Learning Technologies,
University of Missouri, Columbia,Missouri, USA.
Karen K. Hein is Electronic Services Librarian at the
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska,
USA.
Keywords
Internet, Learning, Computer networks, Distance learning
Abstract
The introduction of Web-based course instruction into an
existing degree programme offers the opportunity to re-
examine models supporting learning and the transfer of
knowledge among students enrolled in such courses. By
removing the barriers of time and place, instructors can
create and sustain student learning communities
supported by interactive communication tools grounded in
asynchronous learning models. The instructor's role
moves to that of a facilitator who seeks to stimulate
interactions between students and between students and
the instructor, in the pursuit of improved learning and
knowledge base construction.
Electronic access
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com
Refereed article received 12 July 2000
Approved for publication 19 July 2000
280
Online Information Review
Volume 24 .Number 4 .2000 .pp. 280±293
#MCB University Press .ISSN 1468-4527
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