are we ready for on-line learning

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    Are we ready for on-line learning? 2

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    Are we ready for on-line learning?

    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

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    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 tostudent (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.

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    Use of information and communication technology is emphasized in education environments through all levels.

    One of the governments 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 theirprofessors 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 Mxico, 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 juststarted to pay attention to this topic.

    Among the institutions with greater presence in virtual education are: Instituto Tecnolgico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico (UNAM) Universidad Autnoma 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 students readiness for online courses used with 152152

    freshmen and sophomore Education students at the SonorasSonoras 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, 199199 responses from a study with full and part timeresponses from a study with full and part time university faculty at

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

    List of Distance/On-line (exclusive) learning Institutionsin Mxico: Universidad de Educacin Abierta y a Distancia Instituto Politcnico Nacional IPN Escuela Bancaria y Comercial, S. C. Instituto Politcnico Nacional IPN Universidad La Salle, ULSA Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, UNAM Instituto Tecnolgico de Len Tecnolgico de Estudios Superiores de Cuautitln

    Izcalli Universidad de Ecatepec Universidad Mexicana de Educacin a Distancia Universidad Latina, S. C. Centro de Educacin Continua Universidad Tecnolgica de la Mixteca

    Universidad Tampico Universidad Autnoma de Tamaulipas Universidad Veracruzana Universidad Cancn Universidad Abierta

    Others: Tecnologico de Monterrey Universidad Contemporanea de Quertaro Universidad de Monterrey Universidad Iberoamericana Universidad Regiomontana Asociacin Mexicana de Educacin a Distancia Red Satelital de Televisin Educativa Instituto Latinoamericano de la Comunicacin

    Educativa

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    The Sonoras 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. 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 Obregn, in the state of Sonora in

    northern Mxico, close to the borderline of Arizona, California, and Texas.

    Figure 1. Faade of ITSONs Main Library.

    Figure 2. Location of Ciudad Obregn, and the state of Sonora.

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    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 anotherinstitution. That is the case of 20 full time faculty in the Department of

    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 Mxico 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 ITSONs four campuses: the labs are

    very modern and sophisticated, but still, there is the feeling that the

    university is isolated from the rest of the educative system and from the

    rest of the world.

    Figure 3. Virtual Education Building.Still used for Face to Face purposes mainly.

    Figure 4. CISCO Building that hosts more than 500 computer stations,half of them connected to the Internet.

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    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 behappening if ITSON had on-line courses?

    Offering online classes has many advantages:

    No physical classrooms in the university are needed. 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 thattraditional 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 classannouncements.

    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

    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.

    Figure 5. Undergraduate studentsat the School of Ed computer lab.

    Figure 6. Undergraduate students at ITSON.

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

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    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 students 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 ITSONs 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

    position our university on the right path for success. Figure 7. A group of sophomore students at the School of Education.

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    Motivation.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

    people can think that all modalities of education work for everybody, andthis is not true. Motivation is the fi rst step to success: if students really want

    to achieve their goals, few things will get in the way.

    Some of the questions asked in this section were: How important is it for you to complete a distance learning course or

    program? What is your ability to stay on task, work independently and manage

    time effectively? Are you a self-motivated person?

    And the results show that 58% of the students report being self-motivated

    and consider on-line learning important to reach their educational goals.

    2.18%

    26.08%

    13.55%

    58.15%

    Moti va te d I nd eci se d Not mo ti va te d n/ a

    Figure 8. Motivation.

    Reading skills.Reading skills.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

    explore this world. Among the questions asked we have: How well do you read college-level textbooks and journal articles? Do you read college-level materials with satisfactory comprehension of

    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)?

    4.85%10.88%

    21.75%

    62.50%

    Good Average Poor n/a

    Figure 9. Reading skills.

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    Writing skills.Writing skills.Distance learning requires a great deal of written communication, either

    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? Are you able to write well-organized reports, memoranda and project

    proposals? 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

    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.

    4.30%5.77%

    13.77%

    76.10%

    Good Average Poor n/a

    Figure 10. Writing skills.

    Study skills.Study skills.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? Can you draw up a plan of learning activities for a three- or four-month

    period and successfully implement this plan? 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

    without undue stress?

    6.50%

    21.75%

    10.90%

    60.85%

    Good Average Poor n/a

    Figure 11. Study skills.

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    Personal attributes.Personal attributes.Discipline is the most often mentioned characteristic of successful distance

    learners. Students have a tendency to put things off until tomorrow.

    Students must be disciplined enough to commit a substantial amount of timeeach 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.

    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? Are you able to persist in the face of obstacles? Are you flexible and open to new ideas?

    4.72%9.07%7.60%

    78.65%

    Good Average Poor n/a

    Figure 12. Personal attributes.

    Time management.Time management.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.

    Not so for distance learners. They must plan ahead to be sure books andmaterials are at hand.

    How well are you likely to manage distance learning along with

    employment, family and social responsibilities throughout the

    independent study period? Are your employment and family responsibilities fairly predictable so

    4.30%

    9.32%11.30%

    75.22%

    Good Average Poor n/a

    Figure 13. Time management.

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    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 socialschedule?

    Can you alter your schedule to accommodate study?

    Interaction.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

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

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

    figuring out the instructions myself. I think that high quality learning can take place without having face

    to face interaction. Feeling that I am part of a c lass is very important to me. Face-to-face social interaction is important for me when taking a

    course.

    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.

    5.40%

    58.33%

    11.22%

    24.98%

    Not de pende nt Ave rage Depende nt n/a

    Figure 14. Interaction.

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    Technical skills.Distance students should be thoroughly comfortable manipulating the

    Internet and not frustrated by inevitable technical difficulties. They should

    be willing to spend an hour or two a day sitting in front of a computerscreen.

    I feel comfortable with computers. I know how to use the computer. The words "software download and set up" don't normally send me

    into a total panic.

    5.03%

    26.77%

    18.10%

    50.00%

    Good Average Poor n/a

    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,

    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

    later time ("bookmarks", favorites", and hot lists"). I can use an Internet search engine (e.g. Yahoo, Alta Vista, Infoseek)

    to find specific information. I can download and save files f rom the World Wide Web (e.g., text,

    graphic, PDF files). I can download and install browser plug-ins, such as Acrobat Reader

    and Real Audio.

    5.03%10.13%7.97%

    76.83%

    Good Average Poor n/a

    Figure 16. Internet skills.

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    E-mail. 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

    deleting messages. I can send and receive attachments through email messages. I can print a received attachment and save the attachment in an

    appropriate place.

    76.83

    7.97 10.135.03

    Good Average Poor n/a

    Figure 17. E-mail skills.

    Motivation, reading-writing-study-technical skills, personal attributes and time management, scored high on the survey. This becomes avery important set of data for future reference and decision taking. Having students who feel that they can do i t 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 isfor them to take one in something the students truly enjoy and see how they do.

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    This section of the project is based on a quantitative study where the data

    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

    the education, enjoy and availability, anxiety and evasion, and negativeattitudes 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

    participants.

    The demographics portion of the survey included a total of ten computer use

    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 ane-mail address at home, and if they had a web page for one or more courses

    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%

    had web pages for their courses.

    Yes87%

    No13%

    Figure 22. Do you own a computer at home?

    Yes67%

    No33%

    Figure 23. Do you have access to the Internet at home?

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    Six questions targeted the frequency of usage of certain computer

    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

    word processors (e.g. Word and Word Perfect), electronic mail (64%) and

    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.

    Yes

    18%

    No

    82%

    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:

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

    professors answered yes and 26 answered no.

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

    answered yes and 12 out of 44 answered no.

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

    growth? The majority responded yes (40) and only 4 said no.

    Yes41%

    No59%

    Figure 25. Is taking an on-line courseeasier than taking one face to face?

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    Yes

    91%

    No

    9%

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

    Yes

    73%

    No

    27%

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

    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/moredemanding 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.

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    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 42 nd place to 43 rd 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 informationtechnologies, 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.

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    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 Tecnolgico 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.

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    Appendix 1Surveys questions.

    MOTIVATION1. 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 towork.

    5. In the last semesters, there was a class I wanted totake, but couldn't fit it into my schedule.

    6. Sometimes, after I've left either a meeting, or a class, ora discussion, I think of just the thing I should have saidat some critical juncture. By then, of course, it's toolate.

    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 SKILLS10. 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.

    WRITING SKILLS17. 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 SKILLS21. I can make 10 -15 hours (on average) available for study

    each week.22. I've never had any particular problem working

    independently.

    PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES23. 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 MANAGEMENT27. 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

    assignments30. I can draw up a plan of learning activities for a three- or

    four-month period.31. I can successfully implement this plan.

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    Are we ready for on-line learning?

    32. I am able to reserve time for studying while managingmultiple priorities such as work and family or socialresponsibilities?

    33. I am able to prepare myself for take examinationswithout undue stress.

    INTERACTION34. 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 c lass is very important to me.39. Face-to-face social interaction is important for me when

    taking a course.

    EQUIPMENT40. I have ready access to a computer at home.41. I have access to the Internet at home.

    TECHNICAL SKILLS42. 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 Webgiven 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", "hotlists").

    50. I can you use an Internet search engine (e.g. Yahoo, AltaVista, Infoseek) to find specific information.

    51. I can you download and save files from the World WideWeb (e.g., text, graphic, PDF files).

    52. I can you download and install browser plug-ins, such asAcrobat Reader and Real Audio.

    53. Email54. 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.

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