ABSTRACT
Asynchronous Learning Networks are an educational use of digital technologies with the potential to expand the four walls of the classroom to the four corners of the globe. Many universities are embracing ALNs and offering courses in both traditional and distance formats. The State University of New York (SUNY) Learning Network, with the support of a generous grant from the Alfred P. The management of such a high volume of course files increases the need for faculty to exercise strong organizational skills. Once an on-line class was made public for the semester, it was active from day one until the closing date. In a survey of 1,406 SLN students, Swan et al. found that it was imperative that Instructors provides frequent and constructive interaction with students, as it was critical to the formation of rich academic on-line communities. The concepts of instructional immediacy and social presence inform the kind of interaction that occurs in the on-line professor-student relationship.
