Exploration of Asynchronous Online Teaching with a Network Analysis of Class Interaction

Constant changes in technology for course delivery, along with constant changes in the technological social landscape, challenge the instructional technologist when it comes to nailing down the appropriate teaching technology for online or distance learning courses. This paper focuses on the ongoing problem of how to best teach online courses in the computer information systems (CIS) field for a graduate master's program. Although it is generally thought that specific methods should be used to extend traditional electronic communication tools such as email, discussion forums, and live chats, there is no universal agreement as to what those tools should be. The foci of this research are to 1) shed light on current teaching practices, 2) make suggestions for methods which augment traditional email, forums, and chats, 3) to measure email interaction in two CIS core courses, and 4) to glean information based on the email interaction captured. Leaping onto the current flavor of the month online community like Twitter, Facebook, etc. is considered as an addition at the coursesite level, but is probably not a good idea where university policies, standards, and accreditation play a role. Additionally, the collaborative learning that social networks encourage may not be appropriate for all learning disciplines, especially in the fields of computer science and mathematics.