ALN technology on campus: successes and problems

Abstract

The implementation of Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN) technology in a large on-campus course over several years is reviewed and recent data are presented. With higher course standards for success, examinations have improved, a larger fraction of students achieve the goals of the class, and the proportion of students who excel has increased. Female students benefit even more than their male counterparts. The level of communication and interaction among students has also increased dramatically, with mostly positive (but some negative) effects. Although considerable progress has been made, the development and testing of educational materials well adapted to the medium remains demanding and costly. More specifically, the paper summarizes the principal results obtained with the use of CAPA (Computer Assisted Personalized Approach) as an ALN tool and presents recent data concerning student performance using this tool. CAPA is a network tool designed to facilitate and improve the way assignments, quizzes, and examinations are provided and graded in large enrollment courses.