Online courses offered through several departments

by Terry Cipollini staff writer

The Internet continues to grow and influence the way we do many things. Research, shopping and keeping in touch with family members has all been changed by the Internet. Cabrini has recently begun to adapt to these changes by offering online courses. These courses will be offered in the graduate programs, undergraduate programs and an entirely new certificate program.

The first course to be taught online was Information Management and Technology, IST 125. The course was taught by associate professor Lee Harman. The course was organized with three face to face meetings. The first meeting was an introduction to get acquainted and check out the software. Then the students and the professor had weekly scheduled meetings in a chat room. Assignments were turned in via e-mail and turned back to the students generally within 24 hours. The second face to face meeting was a presentation that served as a mid-term, and the final was an in-class exam.

In response to the experience, "All of the students wrote that they had a better understanding of the web and its integration to their everyday lives," Harman said. "The majority of the students liked the open format. The only downside was that you need to have very good time management skills."

Over the course of the summer, Cabrini will offer six more online courses in sociology, education and history. In the fall, other courses will be offered in science and language. An accelerated degree program Spanish course will be the first language course to be made available. This course will combine the study of customs and culture to enhance the understanding of the language.

Most on line courses will be designed with minimal interaction, however a language class presents a unique situation. In order to evaluate a student's progress, the professor needs to hear them speak the language. "A chat room is not really a chat room," Dr. Cindy Halpern said, tificate program will begin in May with its first course, Electronic Commerce. This program is designed for information technology professionals to enhance their skills or for individuals joining the field. "

The certificate program will allow the information science and technology department to reach students beyond our geographical area and, therefore, enhance our reputation nationally," Dr. Rocco Paolucci said, associate professor and chair of information science and technology.

-Dr. Rocco Paolucci, chair of Information Science and Tecnology chair of romance languages. In addition to the three campus meetings and the chat room time, these students will send in audio tapes and participate in at least two question and answer phone calls.

The Web Systems Design cer-

Online learning and teaching can be very beneficial, however it takes on a totally new method and student. "The on line student should be self-motivated, selfdisciplined, organized and very comfortable with the use of the Internet and personal computers," Paolucci said.

Paolucci feels that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages to this form of education. He lists the disadvantages as lack of classroom interaction and instructors who may not know how to teach online. He lists the advantages as flexibility, self-paced, convenient, information rich, promotes exploration and discovery, interactive, 24/7 availability and much more.

The Internet and the use of the web can deliver a high-quality educational experience. "Personally, I like the asynchronous nature of online learning from both an instructor and a student's point of view," Harman said. "I have taken several classes from other institutions and enjoy the free form nature of the class.''

Approximately 70 percent of United States colleges and universities offer some form of online learning. In the future, "It [online learning] will transform higher education," Paolucci said.

"By the end of this decade, all courses will be available strictly on line or have a major online education component."