Netcourse (net kors): n. A body of study offered via worldwide digital electronic communications; derived from network, referring to a system of associated computers for sharing information.

hen a set of ideas becomes sufficiently mature, important, and distinctive to deserve its own moniker, new terminology is necessary. This premier issue of @CONCORD is devoted to encapsulating the "netcourse" concept, its definition and significance.

Netcourses are not new. Over a decade ago, as soon as the first dial-up connections began supporting electronic mail and conferencing, a few college-level educators started incorporating netcourses into their teaching. Since then, there has been a slow growth of networked courses of various kinds. Only within the last year, however, have technologies emerged that can support scalable, high-quality courses. Only recently, too, has research and experimentation with netcourses matured to the point that we can formulate a set of netcourse design principles that result in effective learning in a format that is scalable.

The network is very good for communications that do not require the sender and receiver to be present at the same time.

What it is NOT
When new technologies become available, it takes time to realize their potential. Hence, the first use of steam in boats was only to steam wooden boats out of the doldrums. The first use of engines for personal transportation was horseless carriages. The full utilization of a new technology requires re-thinking the problem and developing an infrastructure to support the solution. It took time for new technologies to result in large, all-metal steamboats and modern automobiles. Large steamboats had to wait for the development of deep-water ports and efficient transshipping facilities; automobiles needed paved roads and neighborhood service stations.

The first idea that pops up for the educational use of networks is a simple transfer of traditional courses into the net environment. Future commentators will judge these courses to be as misguided as steam sailboats. One often hears about the need for full-motion video in the same breath with educational applications of the Internet. Presumably, this is because the underlying educational model is to use full-motion video to reproduce classroom interaction. This is not feasible on a large scale and it is not pedagogically sound. Our goal is not to reproduce the lecture hall on the 'net, but to do something far better.

Another misguided idea too often voiced is using the network to replace teachers. There is no "teacher-proof" technology that can replace the thoughtful attention and educational guidance provided by an experienced teacher. The network removes geographical constraints on interaction but it does not change the teacher's central importance in learning. Student-teacher ratios will probably not change as we move to netcourses. But there may be many more teachers as well as students.

What it IS
A number of netcourse design characteristics have emerged that are a good match of technology and quality education:

Asynchronous. The network is very good for communications that do not require the sender and receiver to be present at the same time. So called asynchronous technologies include electronic mail, conferencing, and news groups. Synchronous technologies, such as two-way voice and video, real-time chats, and shared applications, require two or more users to be present at the same time. Asynchronous communication is more convenient, more adaptable to a person's schedule, works far better internationally, can result in more thoughtful interactions, and usually requires less and lower bandwidth technology. Some synchronous technology is useful in netcourses, particularly for group-building, decision-making, and formal presentations. The best design probably relies primarily on asynchronous communication but occasionally moves into synchronous forms for special events.

Seminar model. Many teachers who experiment with online courses report being overwhelmed with enrollments as small as ten or twelve because they set up e-mail conversations with each student. "It's like having unlimited office hours," one professor reported. This model, which places the teacher in the center of numerous private conversations, is not feasible, nor is it necessarily good teaching. (See Fig. 1.) The better model is more like a seminar, where the teacher determines the topic and activities, encourages substantive interactions among students, monitors and shapes the conversation, but refrains from extensive direct interactions. (See Fig. 2.) This model is scalable, results in more conversations, is far more likely to be constructivist, and is able to take advantage of the rich learning that takes place in groups.

Fig. 1 When the teacher is the focal point of all communication, teaching is cumbersome and less productive.

Fig. 2 Using the seminar model, the teacher facilitates learning and communication among students.

Technology-rich. Few current courses can presume that all students have easy access to computers and the network. But access is a requirement for netcourses, making available a large number of other options that have the potential to transform the learning experience. All the rich resources of the Internet‹data, images, references, current events, expertise‹can be utilized. Students can collect data and publish their results. Teachers can create gaming simulations. Netcourses assume all students have comparable computer software, so shared graphics, music-generating software, or hypertext authoring software can be used.
Netcourses have some obvious disadvantages that also need to be addressed:
Lack of face-to-face communication. Personal communication is far richer than electronic communication. Responses are immediate, non-verbal cues enhance communication, and group dynamics become an important part of the message. Learning often requires taking risks, and personal communication can be used to reduce the risk and avoid misunderstanding.

Hands-on activities. Labs and real-life investigations are an important part of learning, but they are harder to arrange for a single learner at the end of a wire. Equipment costs, safety concerns, and the need for adult supervision all mitigate against attempting to provide hands-on experiences in netcourses.
To date, the most successful netcourses have found ways of avoiding or ameliorating these shortcomings. In the INTEC professional development netcourse (see "Professional Development Course in Math and Science") at least four teachers within a school work as a unit within larger virtual groups. In the Virtual High School (see "The Future Is Now"), we encourage several students from a school to take a netcourse together. Our Hands On Physics project specifically addresses the laboratory question by integrating into the netcourse safe, low-cost kits with detailed instructions.

Potential Reach
Netcourses have a number of built-in advantages compared to traditional courses: the asynchronous communication can be richer and more inclusive than classroom discussions, the seminar model provides for richer cross-cultural and international collaborations, and the full use of information technologies yields many advantages. But the largest advantage is that they can be offered anytime and anyplace. This freedom from time and place makes netcourses uniquely able to reach new audiences, utilize new teachers, and tailor instruction to specialized groups.

Netcourses can utilize interesting combinations of experts as faculty. The faculty of a netcourse can easily be a worldwide team of experts in teaching, technology, group dynamics, and various sub-specialties. The best people can be "assembled" for the task. Retirees, industry specialists, experts in developing countries, field biologists, recent students, jungle explorers (see "MayaQuest"), and astronauts, all can be part of teaching teams. This means that netcourses make it feasible for far more people to share their time and knowledge with many more interested learners.

Netcourses free learners from the constraints of place and time. A busy professional can squeeze a refresher course into a hectic schedule. A worker can find time to complete netcourse work during off hours, or even on the job during down time. Migrant laborers can finally have continuity in their learning, for themselves and their children. Students in small rural schools and run-down urban schools can choose from the same rich curriculum as anyone else. Finally, life-long learning and adult education can be made universally available.

Because netcourses can reach anyone, they can be tailored to reach very specialized groups of learners. Although very few high schools offer the physics of relativity, a netcourse on this subject has been offered and filled. One can imagine a netcourse fulfilling the academic component of a specialized school-to-work program or providing courses for native Haitian Creole speakers. Potentially, netcourses can be inexpensively delivered to a small group of learners who have unusual learning interests or time constraints.

Of course, just because netcourses can have these advantages, does not mean that they will. Doubtless, there will be many examples of unqualified netcourse teachers, poor pedagogy, and bad content. There is a need for independent reviews, accreditation, and consumer education. But, as with any other marketplace, with the right infrastructure in place, the efficiencies of competition can be realized.

Implications
The ability of netcourses to use new kinds of teachers to reach new, widely scattered and specialized audiences means that netcourses can have a huge impact on education. The monopolistic characteristics of many schools, and their legendary resistance to change, may have to give way to netcourses. Schools will have to offer better courses, or they will lose their clientele to the wide assortment of netcourse alternatives.

In effect, the semi-monopoly of place that much of education currently enjoys will crumble in favor of a rich marketplace of ideas and netcourses. Netcourses might contribute far more than vouchers and charter schools towards realizing the advantages of competition in education. As the challenges of lifelong learning, increased specialization, and the need for a better educated population become acute, netcourses offer endless new opportunities.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Welcome :: Masthead :: The Future Is Now :: VHS Netcourse ::
MayaQuest Expedition :: Prof. Development :: Personal Inquiries :: INTEC Tech ::
Power & Portability :: Here Comes the Sun :: Reform Education :: Perspective :: Get Involved! ::