A case study on technology use in distance learning

This article reports a study on the actual use of technologies in a graduate-level distance course on information systems analysis and design. The results indicate four conclusions. First, commonly used Internet technologies (e.g., e-mail, Web, FTP, listserv, and IRC) and traditional technologies (e.g., mail, telephone, and fax) are sufficient for delivering a rather technical and hands-on distance course. Second, among these technologies, fax was the favorite method for submitting assignments, and e-mail was the most used method for communications and dialogues. Third, communication related to the submission of assignments accounted for an outstanding proportion of all e-mail messages. And fourth, minimal control of technology use helped the instructor and the students focus on the subject matters, and students achieved high learning performance and satisfaction. Implications for distance education are discussed.