When students in India were unable to attend classes at the University of Illinois, the Computer Science Department sent the classes to them.

Three students from India took two courses offered on the Internet in spring 1998. That pilot effort evolved into Illinois Engineering Online, a distance learning program for alumni, professional engineers, and computer scientists around the world. At last count, more than 300 off-campus students were enrolled in courses that could lead to master’s degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. Those numbers are expected to grow, according to Linda Krute, associate director, Office of Continuing Education.

"Many of our alumni and others who are full-time professionals still have a personal goal to get a master’s degree, or they need more information in a particular topical area. For students who cannot come to campus, this is a great alternative. They can take one course or get a second master’s in a different area of engineering without interrupting their careers," Krute said.

"The College of Engineering has a reputation for quality, and it extends to online classes," she added. "That is important. The degree a student gets from the U of I College of Engineering after completing an online program is exactly the same as the degree an on-campus student receives."

Not Your Grandparents’
Correspondence Courses

Many faculty are working with computer-assisted instructional designers to reconceptualize materials and approaches suitable to both classroom and Internet environments. For instance, notes typically written on overhead transparencies or blackboards are converted to electronic slides. Lectures are conducted in a state-of-the-art studio where electronic material is shown on monitors for on-campus students attending the lectures while video and audio are recorded simultaneously for off-campus students using the Internet. This fall, lectures also will be offered on CD-ROM, a bonus for those with poor Internet connections.

Although off-campus students cannot approach a professor at the end of a lecture, most online classes use an electronic messaging tool for posting questions and answers. These strategies promote online discussion and sharing of ideas. Faculty and teaching assistants also stay in touch with students through email and the telephone.

A key advantage students enrolled in online classes have is that they can do coursework whenever they wish and wherever they have an Internet connection—they can watch a lecture at 3:00 a.m. in an airport, for instance. One of the few times students are required to be in a particular place at a particular time is during exams. All tests are proctored.

"This is a different way to teach and a different way to learn," Krute noted. "We have noticed that many faculty see this process of teaching to be advantageous to on-campus students as well and want them to have access to the online materials for review and clarification of information. So this process is creating a new learning atmosphere."

Although the basic requirements for anyone considering an online class are a computer, an Internet connection, and a bachelor’s degree from an accredited or approved institution, successful students must be disciplined and committed, Krute cautioned. Once accepted, most working professionals take one class each semester with a goal of earning their degrees in five years. Full-time students, such as those in India, take several classes each semester and can earn degrees in half that time.

"Many students are surprised at the rigor of the courses. We have not watered down the online courses—if a class meets three hours in lecture, we expect off-campus students to watch three hours of lectures," Krute said.