Robert Clifford, University of Arizona

Advances in computer and networking technology over the last decade have changed forever the way educators approach their craft. The traditional classroom setting in which many of us were educated–a room in which students seated at desks furiously scribble notes while the instructor delivers a lecture–is in danger of becoming a rarity. Instead, the well-equipped classroom, if one is present at all, can now include sophisticated video, audio, and computer equipment, all designed to enhance the instructor’s presentation. Individual students also benefit from this technology by the increased availability of personal computers, portable laptop computers, music notation and sequencing programs, and software designed for every conceivable educational and computational need. The value of these tools in the classroom and to the individual student is clear; however, their potential educational impact reaches far beyond the individual classroom. Students can now access other computers and databases anywhere in the world through the use of network connections with the Internet and the World Wide Web, and at most universities, electronic mail accounts by which these connections can be utilized are available at no cost to the student. These accounts offer access to a variety of software for research needs, and they facilitate communication between professors and friends, on the student’s own campus or around the world. More importantly, not only are these communication and research tools important enhancements of the student’s education, but they are an increasingly vital preparation for a career in almost any field.

For today’s educators, the integration of computer and network technology into the student’s educational experience requires thoughtful consideration, since the potential results can range from a mere supplement to the traditional classroom to a transformation of the very concept of what the learning environment should be. For instance, lectures in a traditional classroom can be accompanied by the audio and visual enhancements just mentioned, all of which are effective within the classroom set up around the traditional teacher/student relationship. At the opposite end of the spectrum, though, is the "invisible" classroom, a setting where modern network capabilities can eliminate altogether the need for students and instructors to assemble in one location at a specified time. As a result, the instructor can communicate virtually all class material to students by electronic means; similarly, students can work at their own speed on class assignments, question the instructor, turn in assignments, and display the results of their research entirely through this electronic medium.

Of course, one need not choose one extreme or the other; various applications of networking technology allow the instructor to remain within the traditional classroom setting while at the same time expanding its physical and conceptual boundaries. One way to do this is by establishing a listserv as an integral part of a class. A listserv is a specialized type of e-mail account that is set up by the instructor. Once students are subscribed, any message the instructor sends to the list is automatically forwarded, by electronic mail, to all subscribers. And, any subscriber to the list can also post messages, which are then relayed to everyone on the list. The most obvious advantage to this arrangement is the facility with which the instructor can disseminate relevant class information, such as reminders about an upcoming exam, assignments that students can complete and return electronically, changes in class schedules, upcoming events or topics for discussion, or material that might have been omitted from a recent lecture. But the listserv can also provide an electronic forum for student discussion about issues related to the class. These electronic discussions are often spirited and thoughtful, and students that normally hesitate to comment in class will sometimes become avid participants in online debates. Most importantly, though, the discussions are not bound by the normal physical and temporal limitations of the regular class meetings, since students can contribute at any time and place where they can access a computer terminal or a computer and modem. This last point is crucial: this potentially valuable pedagogical tool is worthless unless students have ready access to a home computer and modem, a computer lab, or a terminal with Internet connections.

This type of approach can have a dramatic effect upon the dynamics of a class. I established a listserv with my Junior level music theory class entitled "Form and Structure of 20th-Century Music," which is required of all music and music education majors at the University of Arizona. I indicated on the syllabus that students were required at some time during the term to post two topics for discussion to the list, a requirement worth 5% of the final grade. Their postings were not evaluated for content in any way, but I did stipulate that they should be more than casual chatter. Thus, students could receive full credit by participating in some way appropriate to the class. The listserv was described to the students as a forum in which they could discuss topics and issues pertinent to the class. I purposely kept the guidelines for the listserv rather loose in order to encourage what I hoped would be a free exchange of ideas and to be able to observe the reactions of the students to this exchange.

As one might expect, there were a variety of reactions to the listserv when students first began to use it. Not surprisingly, students already familiar with electronic mail, computer bulletin boards, and Usenet news groups were most comfortable with the process. I had anticipated that the discussions on the list would be rather tentative comments on assignments or other topics mentioned in class. Before long, though, students had initiated discussion threads on a variety of fairly sophisticated topics: the necessity of public funding of the arts, the validity of certain types of twentieth-century music, the pros and cons of commercial vs. artistic performances, as well as specific comments on pieces studied in class. Not all students, though, were comfortable with the notion of an electronic discussion. Some were unfamiliar with electronic mail; even though they established their e-mail accounts and used the list sporadically, they never really seemed enthusiastic about the medium. Others subscribed to the list, posted their two required topics and were never heard from again. Still others–a small minority of the 70 students enrolled in the class–resisted the idea entirely and refused to even subscribe to the list, apparently because they did not think it fair for an instructor to require students to participate in this sort of electronic forum. I should also mention, though, that many students who were introduced to the capabilities of computer networks by the class listserv afterward became avid users of electronic mail.

Once the listserv is established, the instructor must decide what type of presence he or she desires on the list. This presence can range from being an active participant in all discussions to being merely an observer of the student interactions. Instructors might also attempt to provide some degree of guidance whenever discussions go astray from topics related to the class, or perhaps when their greater experience can illuminate a particular discussion. In my own class, I monitored the discussions closely but tried to remain an observer as much as possible; this tactic was intended to give the students a chance to express their opinions without feeling that the instructor was intruding upon the exchange. Of course, at times I was prompted to add my own comments to a discussion. It is also helpful to focus the discussions with your own comments, or perhaps introduce a quote that illuminates a concept mentioned in class. And, if the list is quiet for a few days, posting a provocative statement or question to stimulate a new discussion usually produces results.

But instructors should be forewarned against the possibility of inappropriate contributions to the list, since these types of comments can have an adverse effect on the willingness of students to participate. The most intense exchange on my listserv occurred when the class began to explore aleatoric and electronic music. I introduced the music of John Cage by having a student performer unobtrusively enter the classroom while I was setting things up and, without preamble, launch into an unaccompanied performance of Cage’s "Aria." As one might expect, reactions to the performance were quite strong and diverse. Normally, the exchange of ideas and opinions would have ended at the end of the class period (or rather, my knowledge of the discussions would have ceased). But the class listserv allowed the student reactions to continue after the class had ended, and even weeks later after my presentations of Cage’s music were complete. Perhaps the most illuminating moment for me was when I overheard two students arguing vigorously after class about the performance. One of them was leaving for another class, but she ended the exchange with the exclamation, "I’ll post it to the list!" Needless to say, the discussion that ensued on the listserv in the following weeks was often heated. The class divided itself into two distinct camps, and many rather eloquent statements were posted to support either side. I often had to urge the students to calm down and listen to each other. Unfortunately, though, two or three students used the Cage controversy as a spring board for rather vicious attacks on the "close-minded people" in the class. At times, their postings contained mild profanity and personal invectives, and I found it necessary to post several strongly-worded messages urging cool heads and absolutely forbidding any use of offensive language or profanity. After a time, postings to the list returned to their previous nature, but something had been lost. Students seemed hesitant to state a valid opinion for fear of provoking unpleasant reactions from others. Messages were often preceded by statements such as, "Well, I really don’t want to offend anyone, this is really just my own opinion and I respect everyone’s opinions . . ." and so on. Thus, the free exchange of ideas that was common early in the semester was compromised by the small minority that abused the medium for their own personal agendas.

Of course, with any initial attempt of this sort, some means of evaluation is vital. To gather data for this evaluation, I composed a one-page questionnaire to investigate student opinions. 47 students responded to the questionnaire and the results were quite interesting. First, I inquired about their response rate on the listserv: 59% of the respondents had posted between 1 and 5 topics to the list, while only 4.2% had posted more than 10. 62% of the respondents had read between 75 and 100% of the postings to the list. While I was encouraged by the high percentage of students who read a majority of the postings, this data seemed to support the statement by one class member that the list was overused by a small number of people to advance their own opinions. However, when asked if they found the discussions interesting, 84% of the respondents replied affirmatively. Most interesting to me were the responses to questions intended to gauge the effect of the list on the dynamics of the group. When asked if they were more or less likely to contribute on the list than they would be in class, 64.1% replied they were more likely to participate in the listserv discussions. And, when asked if they had discussed topics over the list with people they didn’t already know, 57% replied in the affirmative. Students also weren’t particularly bothered by the supposed impersonal nature of electronic discussions, a fact supported by 70.4% of the respondents when asked this specific question. The listserv, then, appears to be an effective means by which students can be enticed to interact with others outside their normal circle of acquaintances. Moreover, listservs used to supplement a class in this way seem to encourage student participation above the level one might normally expect in the traditional classroom, since those who hesitate to participate in class appear more willing to do so over the list.

If a less vigorous type of interaction is desired for a specific class, instructors can use the Internet to provide a viable medium for class projects rather than a forum for discussion. This type of strategy can supplement either a regular classroom setting or an electronic classroom. For example, by learning the basics of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), students can establish their own personal home page on the World Wide Web, or a team of students can be involved in designing and implementing a home page for the class. Such a home page can contain information about the class, textbook material for other students to access, databases about the topics studied in class, or lists of web sites where interested users can find additional information about topics related to, or tangential to, the main thrust of the class. Students can also establish home pages to provide information about a particular composer, a certain genre or style period, and so on. In my Freshman Music Theory class this year, the students in the Honors section are involved in a year-long project to establish textbook materials on a home page for our class. This project, the brainstorm of my collaborator Tim Kolosick, is intended to provide the students with valuable experience using computer and networking technology. Our class home page that the students have established is linked to the home page of the School of Music and Dance, and contains a description of the class, the class syllabus, and the textbook–complete with musical examples–that we use in the class. To accomplish this task, the Honors students work one hour per week (and also on their own time) on computers in the Peter Treistman Fine Arts Center for New Media with an assistant hired specifically for the project. During their lab meetings in the Fall semester, the students learned HTML so they could prepare the text for the home page, and they also became proficient in using Nightingale, a notation program used to produce the musical examples. In the Spring term, the students are assembling a glossary with links throughout the class materials. Then, they each will scrutinize a single chapter, compare its presentation of specific topics with the layout of similar topics in established music theory textbooks, and then make their own decisions about how they wish to present their chapter on the home page. In addition to completing the usual class requirements, then, students in the Honors section will have learned HTML and the Nightingale notation program. Moreover, they will gain valuable experience in a cooperative effort and the benefits of actually contributing to formatting decisions about the textbook material used in the class.

Both projects I have detailed so far are enhancements of the traditional classroom setting, but some instructors are now presenting classes almost entirely over the Internet. In the summer of 1995, my colleague Steve Hedden taught a course entitled "The Psychology of Music" in this manner. Students in this graduate level class attended an initial meeting where they were given lists of class readings, information about Web sites that might be useful, instructions about using Web browsers such as Netscape and Lynx, and a schedule of objectives. This class also included a listserv where class members could share their findings and frustrations, and where they presented reports at various times during the term about their readings and searches for information. I subscribed to this listserv as an interested observer, as did several other faculty members. Of course, this type of setup represents the opposite extreme of the traditional setting: here, the classroom is unnecessary, since students can interact wherever they have access to a terminal, and at whatever time they find convenient. As one might expect, one of the most frequent student complaints in the early stages of the class concerned the lack of face-to-face contact with their peers. Students often posted messages to the list saying that they missed the face-to-face contact of a classroom situation. They also seemed to fear that, because of the lack of classroom meetings, they would not learn the required material or be able to perform adequately on the final exam. Along with this general discontent came a certain amount of resentment at having to learn so much about computers, electronic mail, and listservs.

Before long, though, students became accustomed to the idea of functioning without a classroom. As students in the Psychology of Music class worked on their research assignments, they often shared information about interesting Web sites that they had discovered. I perceived a gradual transformation of attitudes: a group of computer novices becoming excited by the wealth of information they were discovering. One student commented over the list:

Of course, some students were less enthusiastic. One comment that was posted to the listserv characterized the time spent completing the online research a bit differently. According to this individual: "My time on the computer is "work time" where I have one goal in mind: get the work done. Any message I see which is not directly related to the course, I don't really pay much attention to."

In general, though, the students seemed appreciative of the new skills they were learning, not only on the computer and Internet, but the class material as well.

One question that never seems to be resolved during classes of this nature is that of the value of face-to-face contact. Some of the Psychology of Music students seemed to have no problem with the mode of communication; they were avid participants on the listserv and at least one student applauded the online classroom by stating:

But others remained unconvinced and continued to gripe about the impersonal nature all through the duration of the class. Interestingly enough, even though certain students consistently voiced this complaint, I observed an enthusiasm and sense of camaraderie that appeared to contradict the negative statements.

In conclusion, the Internet and World Wide Web can be effective aids to an educator. Students can be encouraged to find source material or discuss various topics on listservs, which at the same time develops their expertise with such tools. Though communication via computer networks is often criticized as being impersonal, my own experiences challenge that characterization. Indeed, I can think of no more effective vehicle by which group interaction can be facilitated, not only between students, but between the instructor and students as well. During my own experience with the class listserv, I felt as though I had really connected with the students in my class, not just superficially as often occurs in day-to-day contacts, but in an intensely meaningful way. I was afforded the opportunity to get "inside" my student’s heads and follow their thoughts, concerns, and comments, not only about the class, but about their reactions to new music, about their careers, and their feelings about music in general. This perception of mine was verified when a student from the previous year’s class informed me, following the intense Cage discussion, that students in her class had also expressed intense reactions to Cage and aleatoric music. But as she pointed out to me, the difference was that I had not had the privilege of being a part of them. Of course, this avenue of communication moves in both directions: students are also given the opportunity to know their instructor in a more personal way than is usually the case in day-to-day classroom interactions. This type of exchange, so vital to the educational experience, is mentioned by Luft (1984) in a passage about group processes important to education:

A class as a group may have a need to participate with the teacher in setting goals and establishing structure, in developing its norms for behavior, and in finding its channels and means of communication. (p. 185)

My experiences lead me to the conclusion that modern networking capabilities can greatly facilitate the processes to which Luft refers. I can think of no more important educational tool, particularly one that intensifies the interaction between teachers and students. The impact of these technological advances will continue to influence not only our own experiences and pedagogical methods, but the education and future careers of our students as well.