Measuring the Importance of Collaborative Learning for the Effectiveness of ALN: A Multi-Measure, Multi-Method Approach

Are there any differences in outcomes between traditional classroom-based university courses and courses delivered via Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN?) Under what conditions are ALN courses most effective? What can be done to improve the publishability of ALN evaluations, and counter the attacks of critics? After providing background on the NJIT Virtual Classroom projects, this paper describes three studies that address the issue of the importance of collaborative learning strategies to the success of ALN for students. A three year longitudinal field study of 26 courses that are part of an undergraduate degree in Information Systems compared the process and outcomes of learning using an online anytime/anywhere environment to those for comparison sections taught in the traditional classroom. An embedded field experiment looked at the separate and joint effects of working online vs. in the classroom, and of working individually vs. in groups. Semi-structured interviews with experience ALN faculty probed their pedagogy and their perceptions of whether or not students learned, on the average, more, 1 The first author is responsible for the content of this paper and for any errors it contains. The collaborators listed have contributed to the three NJIT evaluation studies described. More complete descriptions of the individual studies and results can be found in the following sources: Hiltz and Benbunan-Fich, 1999; Benbunan-Fich and Hiltz, 1999; Benbunan-Fich, 1997; Coppola, Hiltz & Rotter, 1998; Hiltz & Wellman, 1997.