| Brief Summary of Proposal | Our students have numerous concerns in their lives: work responsibilities, family obligations, social commitments, and community involvement. We know from experience that many have had difficulty in scheduling classes, or may not be able to take a specific course during the desired semester. Distance education can accommodate many of the issues that may restrict someone from otherwise attending a traditional classroom and advancing their studies. Web-based instruction also presents an opportunity to serve a new market segment that will increase enrollment. Individuals that are not currently able to attend traditional classes for various reasons may very well start an educational program via the Web. As additional courses are offered on the Internet, there will be a built-in audience ready to enroll. Eventually many will finish a degree program by attending classes at either the Wayne College or The University of Akron campus. Wayne College has developed an infrastructure and personnel support for faculty who desire to use the World Wide Web to either enhance their courses by posting supplemental materials on the Internet, or by offering their entire course as a distance learning option. In addition, many publishers now offer complete supplemental web sites replete with quizzes, tests, matching exercises, PowerPoint Slides, chapter synopses, and audio/video clips. These materials can be used as the nucleus for an online course and/or a repository of excellent, professional-quality review material. There is no difference between the academic content of the traditional version of the courses and the web-based versions. Expected learning outcomes are the same for both web and classroom-based courses. Various web technologies will be utilized. These include e-mail, discussion lists, threaded discussions, and automated testing procedures, to mention a few.
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