This is a quantitative, non-experimental research study designed to make an inference about
attitudes and use of ALNs in a university setting. In recent years at the University of New Orleans
(UNO), College of Education, a significant computer technology component has been emerging in
the curricula. ALNs are appearing as major components of new technology based semester long
courses and as additions to long established courses.
Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs) are an outgrowth of the increasing importance
of computers in education. ALNs are on-line learning venues that emphasize non-concurrent
people-to-people communications (see Figure 1). This contrasts with the face-to-face,
synchronous networks of traditional classrooms.
What is the role of ALNs in higher education? One initial hypothesis is that ALNs could
reduce costs without reducing quality and deliver education anywhere anytime (Bourne, 1998).
Before evaluating the extent to which ALNs offer these benefits, we should examine the social
dimensions underling ALNs. One example of this social dimension is the impact upon the learning
of students. One possible concern is gender differences in attitudes and use of ALNs in a
Some have suggested that females are more technophobic (Karma 1994), have more
negative attitudes towards computers (Dambrot, 1985), and are less confident in their use of
computers (Culley, 1988) than male students at universities. It is important to know to what extent
this is true, and if true, to develop strategies to compensate for any differences. Integrating ALNs
in higher education will be expensive and time consuming. In undertaking such developments,
administrations should be careful not to seem to be benefiting one group of students to the
determent of another. Because enrollments in colleges of education are typically female dominated
(Digest of Education Statistics , 1995, Table 241) , and because ALNs are relatively new in college
curricula (Mayadas, 1997) , additional research on potential gender differences is needed.
ALNs in a University, Page 4
Statement of Research Problem
What gender differences and/or similarities are found in students’ perceptions of the use of
computers with ALNs? What gender differences and/or similarities are found when considering
frequency of using ALN components? What gender differences and/or similarities are found when
considering how students use e-mail in connections with their course work? What gender
differences and/or similarities are found in how students view the importance of using ALN
components in their course work?
In 1993, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundations began making grants to early adopters of ALN.
The credit for initiating this field goes to Dr. A. Frank Mayadas of the Sloan Foundation. The
components of ALN are not universally accepted. Figure 1
shows a possible apportionment
among ALN elements (Bourne, 1998).
As college students are required to communicate on-line more often, some researchers
worry that women will be fundamentally disadvantaged not only by their lack of familiarity with
computers but by the way in which males and females differ in their use of computers (Kramarae
and Taylor, 1993). They worry that this will translate into females using the computer less, using
computers less efficiently and in general, maintaining a more negative attitude toward the use of
computers than their male counterparts.
Student bodies at universities are already over 50 percent female and are becoming
increasingly ethnically diverse. This multiplicity of student background gives us a constantly
expanding set of perspectives to contend with and honor as valid (Maher 1992). Planning for
ALNs needs to consider the concerns of Feminist Pedagogy. In Colleges of Education these
concerns are magnified by the disproportionate representation of females in its student populations
(Digest of Education Statistics , 1995, Table 241), both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
These are not limited to concerns based just on gender, but include the much more general concern
Conferencing provides asynchronous interaction. Examples of this are e-Mail, List
Servers, Newsgroups, and other forms of threaded conferencing systems. On-line materials are
ALNs in a University, Page 5
provided in the form of World Wide Web pages,often linked to many other resources. A great
advantage of creating on-line materials is that it makes the materials easy to reuse and modify
(Bourne, 1998). Starr Roxanne Hiltz (1997) writes about the impact of college-level courses via
ALNs when compared to traditional, synchronous, classroom courses:
“ALN based courses are equal or superior to those for traditional courses.
... For both students and faculty, more startup time devoted to solving the
"logistics" of ALN delivery seems to be required at the beginning of courses. ALN
delivery is not just a "different" way of doing the same thing, however; it is likely to
change the nature and structure of higher education. .... The fact that the
educational process is asynchronous means students may engage in more reflective
thinking before having to answer or discuss issues, as compared to a synchronous
or same-time interaction, and it also means that students can participate at their own
convenience, and thus better fit the demands of a college degree program into busy
lives.”
Given the above research literature and the fact that computers are now an integral part of
most students' academic experience, universities need to determine whether males and females
differ in their use of computers if they want to make the academic playing field the same for all
students. This paper begins to address this issue.
1. H0: There are no gender differences in students’ perceptions of how difficult/easy it is to use
computers in Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs).
2. H0: There are no gender differences in students’ frequency of using ALN components.
3. H0: There are no gender differences in students’ use of e-mail in connection with their course
4. H0: There are no gender differences in how students’ view the importance of ALNs to their
ALNs in a University, Page 6
