Attitudes and Use of ALNs in a University Setting: Gender Differences and Similarities
With the growth of global information networks such as the World Wide Web, many
universities are integrating Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs) into their curricula. This
paper presents the results of a survey of male and female students’ use of and attitudes about
ALNs. Results revealed no significant gender differences. Ease-of-use of the underling computer
components of ALNs reveal that males may be more practiced than females with this technology.
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. This contrasts with the face-to-face, synchronous networks of
Teaching to differences is a general curricula goal well defined by Feminists Pedagogues
(Maher, 1992). Most university student bodies are over 50 percent female and are becoming
increasingly ethnically diverse. Students in the Colleges of Education bring many differences to the
classroom. Because of the importance of these diversity issues, research should continue to insure
that gender based differences are not found in the future as universities increase the ALN
component of required course work. In Colleges of Education, these concerns carry more weight
because females outnumber males by a factor of more than 3 to 1 (Digest of Education Statistics,
1995). This and other research points out that increases in the use of ALNs in university curricula
may favor male students, at lease initially. Administrators and curricula designers cannot appear to
favoring one group of students over another.
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