IN THE HALLS

"Virtual Classroom"
Encourages Collaborative Learning

BY BRUCE BROOKS

As any professor knows from first-hand experience, achieving maximum participation by students in a classroom can be a very daunting challenge. Research conducted in universities has indicated that no matter how interested students are in a particular subject, at any given time the professor holds the complete interest and attention of only about one-third of the students.

Faye Borthick, professor of accountancy, believes that she has significantly increased that percentage through the use of technology. For three semesters, Borthick has taught Accounting/Computer Information Systems 8680, Information Systems Assurance, solely online. She was the pioneer in the College, designing the first course taught on the Internet. This semester, the School of Accountancy has added another joint departmental web course, Security and Privacy of Information Systems, taught by assistant professor of accounting Don Jones. With the increasing popularity of teaching via the Internet, others from around the College are following Borthick's lead.

Borthick's desire to change the learning process for students began 32 years ago as a freshman at the University of Tennessee. After listening to a traditional lecture by one of the allegedly best professors at the university, Borthick realized that she and many others were neither participating nor learning. She quickly learned that the primary prerequisite for performing well in many of her courses was to have a good memory and recite points discussed in class lectures on exams.

"I knew there had to be a better way to engage students to learn," she says. Over the years, she has kept this in mind and has searched for innovative means to engage students in the learning process, as opposed to learning for a grade or to please a professor. The software provided free through the university, WebCT, offered Borthick some possibilities for improvement: 1) using a synchronous chat room permits every student to participate simultaneously, and 2) having a presentation frame allows each student's work to be accessible to other students.

The premise for using this methodology for teaching, according to Borthick, centers around engaging students to not only participate in discussions but to enhance their thinking skills as well. "I am no longer a 'fraud,' holding out as the dispenser of perfect knowledge," Borthick comments. She further explains that she finally is serving in the appropriate role of teacher: a facilitator or coach who guides students in their own self-discovery process. To illustrate the point, she uses the analogy of a football coach who works directly with players during practices but stays on the sidelines on game day.

"In this environment, it is more important to help students learn how to find or create knowledge as they need it rather than to teach them only what they need to know now," Borthick says. "Having access to the work of others--students and professionals--makes a collaborative learning environment possible." "I refer to myself as the 'guide at their side,' who is there to answer questions, present challenges and to facilitate discussions rather than being the 'sage on the stage.'"

And the approach appears to be working, at least for many students taking the course. "It (Accounting 8630) helped me learn how to think, analyze IS assurance issues and discover how to find the answers I needed," says Dongki Kim, a former class participant. One of the aspects Kim enjoyed most about the class was the accessibility of help the technology provided. "I felt like the communication channel was open 24 hours because I did not have to see Dr. Borthick in person to ask a question. I can ask during class periods or after class via E-mail."

Another major benefit of the course that students enjoy, according to Borthick, is the flexibility it affords students in time and space. Students can sign on and participate in class discussion from their homes, or from anywhere in the world, saving them commuting time to a building downtown or by the perimeter. Breaking down the barriers of time and space also makes it possible for more professional guests, such as accountants and auditors, to participate in class by sharing their expertise and counsel on a number of relevant topics.

In addition, in the virtual classroom, students are provided with a log of every assignment and class discussion. This allows students to focus on the issue at hand and to respond online as opposed to taking notes for the majority of class. And because responses are viewed by everyone online, it encourages many students to be more prepared.

"For students, I think it requires more preparation than the traditional class because I realized that whatever I uploaded would be viewed by the entire class, which makes you stop and think before you send something," Kim said. All comments, including audit plans and other class projects conducted by teams, are recorded in the class log and can be downloaded by students at any time. The only thing not observed by the entire class are individual exams, which also are taken online.

"I had some difficulty at first getting students comfortable with sharing their information and ideas," Borthick says. "But when they see the personal benefits of sharing information as it furthers the cause of the overall learning process, most come around." Jones agrees. "I'm amazed at how long a discussion can continue without my involvement," he says. "There can be three or four conversations going on simultaneously that all contribute to increasing knowledge and taking the discovery learning to a higher degree than I've ever seen." Despite its many benefits, Jones does not believe that cyber learning should replace all forms of learning. "It's not a panacea for education, but it is one more tool that we can use effectively." Borthick admits that the teaching methodology used in web courses is not perfect and that it is not appropriate for every student.

"About one in 10 students seems to prefer the traditional method of teaching, even though students' academic performance for both methods is about the same."

The biggest challenge for her, she says, is to widen the participation rate. "Often, many of the comments made in class are still made by some of the same individuals, just like in a traditional classroom." Although she is still trying to find a way to change that dynamic, Borthick believes that the overall goal of teaching students to think and solve problems they would face in real-world situations has been served. For the first time in her teaching career, she feels that she is closer than ever to being the teacher she has always wanted to be.



Return to The State of Business index for Spring '99.

Return to The State of Businessmain page.