The emergence of worldwide communications networks and powerful computer technologies has redefined the concept of distance learning and the delivery of engineering education content. This article discusses the Sloan Consortium’s quest for quality, scale, and breadth in online learning, the impact on both continuing education of graduate engineers as well as degree-seeking engineering students, and the future of engineering colleges and schools as worldwide providers of engineering education.

The emergence of worldwide communications networks and powerful computer technologies has redefined the concept of distance learning and the delivery of engineering education content. This article discusses the Sloan Consortium's quest for quality, scale, and breadth in online learning, the impact on both continuing education of graduate engineers as well as degree‐seeking engineering students, and the future of engineering colleges and schools as worldwide providers of engineering education.

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This paper is based on a chapter in THE LEARNING REVOLUTION, the challenge of Information Technology in Academia (Diana G.Oblinger and Sean C. Rush, eds.), to be published this year by Anker Publishing Co., Boston, Mass.Over the years small numbers of motivated individuals have studied by themselves, away from university centers, to acquire knowledge in post-secondary subjects. Correspondence study began over a century ago and since then, other forms of "distance education" have become established. In spite of all this progress, off-campus learners have worked mainly in isolation, with only occasional contact with instructors and peers.Today’s low-cost communications and computer technologies, however, enable learning in Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs), in the process simultaneously overcoming barriers of isolation, distance and those imposed by rigid time constraints. The paper describes some projects at institutions of higher education funded by the Sloan Foundation, identifies some early results and possible evolution of ALN’s to large scale implementations.

This paper investigates how access to higher education in the United States can be increased through further integration of online education. The search for opportunities to increase access to online education examined multiple prospective higher education contexts. A series of papers produced by participants in the 2005 Sloan-C summer workshop is synthesized and presented in this overview. Individual papers are included in the publication, providing analyses of specific opportunities.

Online learning today, is of two basic kinds (although there are grades in between): one is a self-study, or “broadcast” model in which materials, maybe quite sophisticated multimedia, but self-study materials nonetheless, are posted on the web, and these are perused and studied by learners at their own pace. This model can also be thought of as a form of online publishing. I remind you that self-study, mainly through books, but more recently augmented by videotapes or broadcast TV, has been available for over a century, and unusually disciplined individuals have been able to learn and earn credentials on their own.The second model, the “interactive” model is one where “classes” begin on a particular day with a cohort group, are taught by a faculty member who interacts with individuals or the cohort through group e-mail tools, generally referred to as group conferencing software. Interaction with the instructor is not occasional or incidental, rather it is regular and continuous, as is interaction among students. The student/faculty ratio is about the same for these online classes as that for equivalent campus classes. The “class” also ends on a particular day, i.e. the “term” is completed. This interactive model is the basis for most of the grants made by Sloan, because we believe it most closely parallels the learning environments associated with quality learning.

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