Are we ready for on-line learning?

2
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 3

Introduction 3

Background 6

On-line learning at ITSON 7

Students´ attitudes 9

Motivation 10

Reading skills 10

Writing skills 11

Study skills 11

Personal attributes 12

Time management 12

Interaction 13

Technical skills 14

Faculty attitudes 17

Conclusions 20

References 21
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 4

The use of information communications technology (ICTs) is becoming widespread in higher education today.
Worldwide institutions and governments are committing themselves to maximizing the potential of the new
technologies, particularly computers, in enhancing the teaching and learning. The commitment to ICT in
higher education requires both an enabling policy framework and an understanding of the way it can be
integrated into the teaching and learning process.

Virtual schools have surpassed their status of "newness" to establish one more option to answer a need for
information and personal growth. The Internet and the interactive systems of communication are the keys to
extending the educative offer.

With the rapid advent of the Internet and World Wide Web, online learning is gaining more attention in higher
educational institutions (Wang, MacArthur, & Crosby, 2003). The primary benefits for using online learning in
education is the belief that it can (a) accommodate students with different learning styles and emotional
needs (Dede, 1990), (b) refocus educational institutions from teaching to learning and from the teacher to
student (Owsten, 1997), and (c) cater to an expanded audience and resources (Dede, 1990).

It is not surprising therefore that most countries in the world have an existing blueprint for the use of online
learning in education. In the state of Sonora, Mexico, for example, according to the “State of Sonora
Educational Technology Master Plan 2000-2006” is stated that Sonora will be a state of knowledge where
traditional education and modern technology combine to provide more and better educational opportunities.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 5

Use of information and communication technology is emphasized in education environments through all levels.
One of the government’s goals is that every teacher in the state should have at least basic knowledge of how
to integrate the use of new technologies in their everyday teaching activities. For this plan to succeed,
actions have to take place, such as research, support and training (SEP, 2000). More universities and their
professors have started to realize the possibilities and advantages of the use of new technologies in
education, but the teachers´ attitudes and skills are key issues when integrating them in their work.

Learning over the Internet has become a common term for students around the world: courses, books, and
programs are abundant. But not everywhere the situation is the same. In countries like México, research about
e-learning are scarce, as are the actual opportunities to enroll in a valid, good and accredited course.
Therefore, the opportunities given to students across countries are not the same. In Mexico, just a few
national universities have quality educative web-based programs; small, local or state universities have just
started to pay attention to this topic.

Among the institutions with greater presence in virtual education are:

• Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
• Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua
• Universidad de Guadalajara

• Universidad de Sonora, whose pages can be consulted over the Internet.

The present study reports the results of a survey of student’s readiness for online courses used with 152
freshmen and sophomore Education students at the Sonora’s Institute of Technology. The survey
considered several aspects, such as: motivation, reading, writing, and study skills, time management,
personal attributes, interaction, and technical skills, all of them related to success on on-line learning
environments. At the same time, 199 responses from a study with full and part time university faculty at
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 6

the same university reveal important and relevant data about the same topic.

The overall goals of this study are:

• Study the attitudes of undergraduate Education students toward on-line learning and its implications.
• Study the attitudes of part and full time faculty in the same University towards the use of new
technologies in education.

• Contrast the findings and provide an overall idea of how ready is faculty and students for e-learning.

Moving from a face to face environment can be a difficult task, and some exploratory studies like the one
presented, are considered beneficial before implementing new models.

Some raw date before we get started (INEGI, 2003):

Mexico’s total population: 101,457,200
Internet users (Dec-2002): 4,663,400 (4.6%)

List of Distance/On-line (exclusive) learning Institutions • Universidad Tampico

in México: • Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas
• Universidad de Educación Abierta y a Distancia • Universidad Veracruzana
• Instituto Politécnico Nacional IPN • Universidad Cancún
• Escuela Bancaria y Comercial, S. C. • Universidad Abierta
• Instituto Politécnico Nacional IPN
• Universidad La Salle, ULSA Others:
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM • Tecnologico de Monterrey
• Instituto Tecnológico de León • Universidad Contemporanea de Querétaro
• Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Cuautitlán • Universidad de Monterrey
Izcalli • Universidad Iberoamericana
• Universidad de Ecatepec • Universidad Regiomontana
• Universidad Mexicana de Educación a Distancia • Asociación Mexicana de Educación a Distancia
• Universidad Latina, S. C. • Red Satelital de Televisión Educativa
• Centro de Educación Continua • Instituto Latinoamericano de la Comunicación
• Universidad Tecnológica de la Mixteca Educativa
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 7

The Sonora’s Institute of Technology (ITSON in Spanish) was created 48

years ago with the support of the State Government, the county authorities
and the participation of the local community.

As of today, the University has 15,705 students enrolled in one of the

following 37 academic programs attended by 1,135 full and part time
professors (Russo, 2003):

• PhD: Biotechnology.
Figure 1. Façade of ITSON´s Main Library.
• Masters: Natural Resources, Hydraulic Resources, Agribusiness,
Productive Systems, Electrical Technology, Construction, MBA, Education,
and Psychology.

• Undergraduate: Food Technology, Biotechnology, Chemistry,

Veterinarian, Electronics, Computer Systems, Information Systems,
Administration, Tourist Business, Education, Accountant, Business,
Finances, Psychology, Graphic Design, Physical Exercise, Nutrition, and
Productive Processes (pork).

• Associate: Shrimp Production, Early Childhood Development, Sales,

Visual Arts and Productive Processes.

The university is located on Ciudad Obregón, in the state of Sonora in Figure 2. Location of Ciudad Obregón, and the state of Sonora.
northern México, close to the borderline of Arizona, California, and Texas.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 8

Some efforts have been done regarding telecommunications at ITSON, but

still are not strong enough to consider as initiatives to start distance learning
programs or courses. There is a system that allows the different regional
campuses to connect via videoconferencing, but the main purpose has been
for faculty meetings exclusively, not for teaching and learning purposes.

ITSON has no distance learning programs to offer to its students or faculty. If

you want to experience on-line learning, you have to enroll at another
institution. That is the case of 20 full time faculty in the Department of Figure 3. Virtual Education Building.
Still used for Face to Face purposes mainly.
Psychology, who last August started their doctorate studies at Nova
Southeastern University. This doctorate program is a blended program
because they have to go to Miami once a year for one week and their
professors go to México once a year as well. The rest of the time they use
synchronous and asynchronous chats, on-line instruction and
videoconferencing.

Numerous laboratories with hundreds of computer terminals, some of them

connected to the Internet abound on ITSON´s four campuses: the labs are
very modern and sophisticated, but still, there is the feeling that the
Figure 4. CISCO Building that hosts more than 500 computer stations,
university is isolated from the rest of the educative system… and from the half of them connected to the Internet.
rest of the world.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 9

From some years now, a considerable amount of people have been left out of
the university because there is no more space: around a 1,000 students
cannot get in the system because there are not enough resources to provide
them classes, professors and classrooms. Would something like this be
happening if ITSON had on-line courses?

Offering online classes has many advantages:

Figure 5. Undergraduate students

• No physical classrooms in the university are needed. at the School of Ed computer lab.
• Resources can be shared by two or more sections of the same class:
instructor, materials.
• The possibility to reach to students who cannot accommodate regular
classes due their busy schedule.
• The possibility to offer a space for those students who are different
in age, learning purposes, learning methods, than those that
traditional education focuses on.
• Increased flexibility in completing homework assignments.
• The ability to communicate with classmates and instructor from the
convenience of home or workplace.
• Enhanced access to written materials ranging from discipline specific
internet resources to saved chats and instructor's class
announcements.

However, an online class is not for everyone. For instance, if you need the
discipline of meeting on campus several times a week and you enjoy the
interaction between other students and your instructor, you are more likely
Figure 6. Undergraduate students at ITSON.
to succeed in a regular class. And these are facts that both the university and
the students need to know before offering/taking this modality of education.

Is on-line learning suitable for the specific characteristics of the students at ITSON? To find out the answer, a 45 item Likert type
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 10

instrument was administered to 152 freshmen and sophomore undergraduate students at the School of Education of that institution. This
was considered a preliminary study whose main purpose is to investigate the specific student’s characteristics that are related to success
on on-line learning environments: motivation, writing-reading-study skills, time management, personal attributes, interaction, and of
course, technical skills. The results are offered in the next section of this report.

There are around 280 students in the School of Education on ITSON´s four
regional campuses. 152 of them were surveyed to find out if some of their
characteristics match successful on-line learning “traits”.

Educational research has linked several indicators of readiness with

successful distance learning. By evaluating our students on each indicator,
we gained a better sense of their level of readiness for distance learning.
More importantly, we discovered specific areas of weakness and strength.
Then, by addressing weaknesses and building on strengths, we will be able to
Figure 7. A group of sophomore students at the School of Education.
position our university on the right path for success.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 11

Motivation.
On this section of the study we tried to find out how students´ motivation
levels are related to taking on-line courses. This is important, because
58.15%
people can think that all modalities of education work for everybody, and
this is not true. Motivation is the first step to success: if students really want
to achieve their goals, few things will get in the way. 26.08%

13.55%

Some of the questions asked in this section were: 2.18%

• How important is it for you to complete a distance learning course or

Motivated Indecised Not motivated n/a
program?
• What is your ability to stay on task, work independently and manage
time effectively?
• Are you a self-motivated person?
Figure 8. Motivation.

And the results show that 58% of the students report being self-motivated
and consider on-line learning important to reach their educational goals.

Reading skills. 62.50%

The results of this section are offered in figure no. 9. Reading skills are one
of the core skills needed for distance learning: most of the materials used
are print based, making reading ability a real need for those who want to
21.75%
explore this world. Among the questions asked we have: 10.88%
4.85%
• How well do you read college-level textbooks and journal articles?
• Do you read college-level materials with satisfactory comprehension of Good Average Poor n/a
the author's ideas?
• Can you evaluate the author's ideas critically as you read?
• Are you able to establish a clear purpose for reading and select a reading
strategy to meet that purpose (e.g., skimming for main ideas)? Figure 9. Reading skills.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 12

Writing skills.
Distance learning requires a great deal of written communication, either
76.10%
when submitting homework or "talking" with other students and professors
via e-mail. The questions asked to the students were:
• How well do you write on a college level?
• Have you successfully passed a college-level writing course?
13.77%
• Are you able to write well-organized reports, memoranda and project 5.77% 4.30%

proposals?
Good Average Poor n/a
• Can you write a research paper with citations and references?

This is only an attitude approach to their skills, how they feel about it. To Figure 10. Writing skills.
complete this study it is recommended that other types of tests are run or to
ask other actors involved in the students´ academic life, such as professors.

Study skills.
60.85%
Students should evaluate ahead of time how they learn best. When learning
off-campus, their strengths and weaknesses become amplified, so that
knowing how they learn becomes extremely critical.
• How strong are your study skills? 21.75%

10.90%
• Can you draw up a plan of learning activities for a three- or four-month 6.50%

period and successfully implement this plan?

Good Average Poor n/a
• Are you able to reserve time for studying while managing multiple
priorities such as work and family or social responsibilities?
• Are you able to prepare yourself for and successfully take examinations Figure 11. Study skills.
without undue stress?
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 13

Personal attributes.
Discipline is the most often mentioned characteristic of successful distance
learners. Students have a tendency to put things off until tomorrow. 78.65%

Students must be disciplined enough to commit a substantial amount of time

each week to do the necessary work. Because distance learning allows so
much flexibility for the student, it also requires a much higher level of
discipline. 9.07%
7.60%
4.72%

Good Average Poor n/a

• Do your personal attributes or characteristics favor success?
• Do you often feel compelled to finish things you start?
• How highly do you value education and learning?
Figure 12. Personal attributes.
• Are you able to persist in the face of obstacles?
• Are you flexible and open to new ideas?

Time management. 75.22%

Are students organized enough to handle many things at once? Distance

students must be able to organize their time and resources. On-campus
students have the luxury of procrastination and can “scurry” to the campus
library the afternoon before an assignment is due, then pull an all-nighter. 11.30% 9.32%
4.30%
Not so for distance learners. They must plan ahead to be sure books and
materials are at hand. Good Average Poor n/a

• How well are you likely to manage distance learning along with
Figure 13. Time management.
employment, family and social responsibilities throughout the
independent study period?
• Are your employment and family responsibilities fairly predictable so
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 14

that you can schedule independent study periods with confidence?

• How well can you integrate distance learning activities while at
work: Is there a place or time to study at work?
• How much control do you have over your work, home or social
schedule?
• Can you alter your schedule to accommodate study?

Interaction.
If students are classroom-and-people-dependent, they may not make good
distance students. Face-to-face interaction, discussions and feeling part of a
group are important characteristics that students often value from 58.33%

traditional environments. That kind of student will miss those attributes in

on-line learning.
24.98%
• Having face-to-face interaction is important to me.
• Classroom discussion is helpful to me. 11.22%
• When an instructor hands out directions for an assignment, I prefer 5.40%

figuring out the instructions myself.

• I think that high quality learning can take place without having face Not dependent Average Dependent n/a

to face interaction.
• Feeling that I am part of a class is very important to me.
• Face-to-face social interaction is important for me when taking a
course. Figure 14. Interaction.

The results on figure 14 show that, no matter what, students still feel that
face to face interaction is a very important factor in their academic life.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 15

Technical skills. 50.00%

Distance students should be thoroughly comfortable manipulating the

Internet and not frustrated by inevitable technical difficulties. They should
26.77%
be willing to spend an hour or two a day sitting in front of a computer 18.10%

screen.
5.03%
• I feel comfortable with computers.
Good Average Poor n/a
• I know how to use the computer.
• The words "software download and set up" don't normally send me
into a total panic.
Figure 15. Technical skills.

Internet.
• I can go to a specific site on the World Wide Web given a URL
(Universal Resource Locator).
• I can use a browser's functional buttons, such as Back, Forward, 76.83%

Reload/Refresh, Home, Print and Stop.

• I can use a web browser to browse a web site (e.g., follow
hyperlinks, move forward and backward).

• I can save the URL of a Web site so I can return to the page at a 7.97% 10.13%
5.03%

later time ("bookmarks", favorites", and “hot lists").

Good Average Poor n/a

• I can use an Internet search engine (e.g. Yahoo, Alta Vista, Infoseek)
to find specific information.
• I can download and save files from the World Wide Web (e.g., text, Figure 16. Internet skills.
graphic, PDF files).
• I can download and install browser plug-ins, such as Acrobat Reader
and Real Audio.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 16

E-mail. 76.83

• I can read email messages.

• I can compose and send electronic messages.
• I can reply to an email message (reply to all or to an individual).
• I can manage my electronic mail by copying, saving, forwarding and 7.97 10.13
5.03
deleting messages.
Good Average Poor n/a
• I can send and receive attachments through email messages.
• I can print a received attachment and save the attachment in an
appropriate place.
Figure 17. E-mail skills.

Motivation, reading-writing-study-technical skills, personal attributes and time management, scored high on the survey. This becomes a
very important set of data for future reference and decision taking. Having students who feel that they “can do it” is a first step. But is
interesting to contrast the above results with the ones regarding interaction: students still are very dependent on face to face contact
with each other and their professors. There are several explanations I can offer to explain the situation, but I think the most important is
the huge tradition they bring to the university of traditional educational environments. Few of our students have ever participated in
open educative programs, where the professor no longer plays the main role in the process.

And the questions are still: are we ready? Are they ready? Is there an answer that can assure the professors and administrators that
opening on-line classes will derive in success? Perhaps the best way to know if students have what it takes to learn from an online class is
for them to take one in something the students truly enjoy and see how they do.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 17

Figures 18 to 21 offers more ideas about how many potential on-line students exist to take on-line classes because they (1) have
computer at home, (2) can connect that computer to the Internet, (3) are willing to participate in online courses as part of their
formation.

na
na 7%
7%

I don´t know
No 33%
33% Yes
49%

Yes
60%
No
11%

Figure 18. Computer at home.

Figure 19. I would like to take an online course
as part of my undergraduate education.
na
Yes
4% I don´t know
Yes 22%
27%
28%

No No
68% 51%

Figure 20. Internet at home. Figure 21. An online course is easier than a face to face.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 18

No
This section of the project is based on a quantitative study where the data 13%
was collected using the Faculty Attitudes toward Information Technology
questionnaire. This questionnaire consisted of a twenty-five item attitudinal
scale, rated on a four-point scale (1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Agree,
and 4=Strongly Agree). The twenty-five attitudinal scale comprised of four
subscales: positive attitudes towards the use of technologies of information in
Ye s
the education, enjoy and availability, anxiety and evasion, and negative 87%
attitudes towards the use of IT in education. Twenty-one identification and
demographic questions were also included in the questionnaire in order to
obtain background information (e.g. department affiliation) of the Figure 22. Do you own a computer at home?
participants.

No
The demographics portion of the survey included a total of ten computer use 33%

questions. Four dichotomous questions asked respondents if they owned a

computer at home, if they had access to the Internet at home, if they had an
e-mail address at home, and if they had a web page for one or more courses Yes
67%
that they taught. The majority of the respondents (87%) indicated that they
own a computer at home and over 67% had access to the Internet at their
homes. Over 91% said that they had e-mail addresses, while only about 18%
Figure 23. Do you have access to the Internet at home?
had web pages for their courses.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 19

Six questions targeted the frequency of usage of certain computer Yes

18%
applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and the Internet.
Respondents could either indicate that the frequency of usage of a particular
application was: daily, 1-3 times a week, 1-3 times a month, 1-3 times a
semester, or never. Over 73% of the faculty reported using a computer on a
daily basis. In terms of computer application usage, a majority (58%) used
No
word processors (e.g. Word and Word Perfect), electronic mail (64%) and 82%
Internet (54%) on a daily basis. However, only a relative few faculty members,
27% and 8%, use spreadsheets (e.g. Excel and Lotus 123) and presentation
programs (PowerPoint and Flash) on a daily basis, respectively. Figure 24. Do you have a web page for one or more of your classes?

Three additional questions were added specifically for this study, but only
asked to 44 full time professors in the same university. The questions were:
Yes
41%

• Is taking an on-line course easier than taking one face-to-face? 18

No
professors answered “yes” and 26 answered “no”. 59%

• Is teaching online easier than teaching face-to-face? 32 out of 44

answered “yes” and 12 out of 44 answered “no”.
Figure 25. Is taking an on-line course
easier than taking one face to face?

• Would you take an online course to complete a degree or for personal

growth? The majority responded “yes” (40) and only 4 said “no”.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 20

No
9% No
27%

Yes
73%
Yes
91%

Figure 27. Is teaching online easier than teaching face to face?

Figure 26. Would you take an online course to complete a degree or for personal growth?

The data gathered provided valuable insights into the attitudes of faculty toward on-line learning. Professors still struggle with the use of
new technologies, as we can see by the small percent (18%, or 36 out of 199) of those surveyed that have a web page for their students,
where they post syllabus and class materials. That is a low percentage considering that having a web page for a class could be considered
as the first step in building an on-line course. At the same time, 82 professors still think that online courses are easier to take, and one of
the explanations could be their inexperience on this matter, the majority has taken/taught their courses face-to-face. Surprisingly
enough, 145 out of 199 think that teaching online would be easier than face-to-face. The reasons? A lot of them think that most of their
time is spent in the classroom with the students, for most of them up to 12 hours a week… and some think that the computer can offer
more “free” time so they can use that time for other academic purposes. They do not know that online teaching is equally/more
demanding than a traditional course, because instructors still have to prepare for class, read assignments, answer questions, and grade
students. There is still much to do about the conceptualization of online learning and its purposes.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 21

Of the information presented here we can deduce that the future development of online/distance education
in our institution through the use of information technologies can be promising if we work carefully on it.

In Mexico, we must work on the innovation of education, in spite of government, budget and tendencies.
According to COFETEL (2003):

• Mexico has fallen from 42nd place to 43rd place in the year 2000 in money invested in the expansion of
the Internet (the eighth within Latin America).

• On the other hand, in 2000, Mexico spent only 1.1% of its gross internal product in information
technologies, which is very much below the international index of 2.3%.

As the efforts already made in the field of information technologies and online/distance education in Mexico
continue to grow, several decisions in the political and economic areas must be taken. The breach between
the countries with high connectivity and the countries with low access grows in dramatic form. Mexico is still
very far from the ideal: where its programs of on-line/distance education are the vanguard and among the
best in the world.

We may think that we still have a lot to do, but a very critical factor is there right now and ready to
participate: the students, their desire to participate in these changes and these new educational
environments. The basis for all dreams is having a real desire to accomplish a high goal, and we have it. Now,
as a university, we need to work hard to achieve our dreams.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 22

Dede, C. J. (1990). The evolution of distance learning: Technology-mediated interactive learning. Journal of Research on Computing in
Education, 22(3), 247-264.
Gilmore, E. (1998). Impact of training on the Informational Technology attitudes of university faculty. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation. University of North Texas.
INEGI (2203). Information Technology and Communication Indexes. http://www.inegi.gob.mx
Marcinkiewicz, H. R. (1993-1994). Computers and teachers: Factors influencing computer use in the classroom. Journal of Research on
Computing in Education, 26(2), 220-237.
Russo, O. (2003). Informe de Gobierno 2002-2003 ITSON. Unpublished. Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora.
Wang, M., MacArthur, D. A., & Crosby, B. (2003). A descriptive study of community college teachers’ attitudes toward online learning.
TechTrends, 47(5), 28-31.
Woodrow, J. E. (1992). The influence of programming training on the computer literacy and attitudes of preservice teachers. Journal of
Research on Computing in Education, 25(2), 200-218.

Appendix 1
Survey’s questions.
MOTIVATION
1. I am a self motivated learner.
2. I am a self directed learner.
3. An online course is easier than a face to face class.
4. Having the freedom to choose, day-to-day, when I
attend class and when I study, suits the way I like to
work.
5. In the last semesters, there was a class I wanted to
take, but couldn't fit it into my schedule.
6. Sometimes, after I've left either a meeting, or a class, or
a discussion, I think of just the thing I should have said
at some critical juncture. By then, of course, it's too
late.
7. I am a self-motivated person.
8. I am a self-disciplined person.
9. To complete a distance learning course or program is
important to me.
READING SKILLS
10. Reading is not a nightmarish struggle for me.
11. As a reader, I would classify myself as good- (I usually
understand the text without help).
12. I enjoy reading.
13. I read college-level materials with satisfactory
comprehension of the author's ideas.
14. I can evaluate the author's ideas critically as I read.
15. I am able to establish a clear purpose for reading.
16. I am able to select a reading strategy to meet that
purpose.
Are we ready for on-line learning? 23
WRITING SKILLS
17. Sometimes I find that when I write, I can take the time
to organize my thoughts better than when I talk.
18. I am comfortable communicating in writing.
19. I am able to write well-organized reports, memoranda
and project proposals.
20. I can you write a research paper with citations and
references.
STUDY SKILLS
21. I can make 10 -15 hours (on average) available for study
each week.
22. I've never had any particular problem working
independently.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
23. I often feel compelled to finish things you start.
24. I value my education and learning.
25. I am able to persist in the face of obstacles.
26. I am a person who is open to new ideas.
TIME MANAGEMENT
27. I am a procrastinator when it comes to schoolwork and
deadlines.
28. I would classify myself as someone who often gets things
done ahead of time.
29. I need faculty to constantly remind me of due dates and
assignments
30. I can draw up a plan of learning activities for a three- or
four-month period.
31. I can successfully implement this plan.
 Are we ready for on-line learning? 24

32. I am able to reserve time for studying while managing
multiple priorities such as work and family or social
responsibilities?
33. I am able to prepare myself for take examinations
without undue stress.
INTERACTION
34. Having face-to-face interaction is important to me.
35. Classroom discussion is helpful to me.
36. When an instructor hands out directions for an
assignment, I prefer figuring out the instructions myself.
37. I think that high quality learning can take place without
having face to face interaction.
38. Feeling that I am part of a class is very important to me.
39. Face-to-face social interaction is important for me when
taking a course.
51. I can you download and save files from the World Wide
Web (e.g., text, graphic, PDF files).
52. I can you download and install browser plug-ins, such as
Acrobat Reader and Real Audio.
53. Email
54. I can read email messages.
55. I can compose and send electronic messages.
56. I can reply to an email message (reply to all or to an
individual).
57. I can manage my electronic mail by copying, saving,
forwarding and deleting messages.
58. I can send and receive attachments through email
messages.
59. I can print a received attachment and save the
attachment in an appropriate place.

EQUIPMENT
40. I have ready access to a computer at home.
41. I have access to the Internet at home.

TECHNICAL SKILLS
42. I feel comfortable with email.
43. I feel comfortable with computers.
44. I know how to use the computer.
45. The words "software download and set up" don't
normally send me into a total panic.

Internet/Web
46. I can you go to a specific site on the World Wide Web
given a URL (Universal Resource Locator).
47. I can you use a browser's functional buttons, such as
Back, Forward, Reload/Refresh, Home, Print and Stop.
48. I can you use a web browser to browse a web site (e.g.,
follow hyperlinks, move forward and backward).
49. I can you save the URL of a Web site so you can return to
the page at a later time ("bookmarks", favorites", "hot
lists").
50. I can you use an Internet search engine (e.g. Yahoo, Alta
Vista, Infoseek) to find specific information.