This road test was conducted by three students who were enrolled in an educational postgraduate course with a university in Sydney, NSW. Their enrolment status was "distance ed" so they were sent a package of printed materials and given the name of a lecturer to make contact with. The lecturer was experienced in the use of communication technologies and rather than rely on phone and post (the traditional forms of communcation the university used with distance students) she selected Network54 as the primary communication tool. Network54 is a Community Application Service Provider who provide hosted applications that web site owners can incorporate into their sites to help them create and foster a topical Internet community.

The lecturer made the choice to use Network54's on the basis that Network54:

• was free
• required no log-in names or passwords
• required no special software or plug-ins
• required no tutorial for new users to get started
• allowed the "owner" of the forum to modify or delete messages if there was any "flaming"
• could be customised in terms of colours and text
• provided multiple threads of conversation to exist simultaneously
• was limited in its "features" so that students who were unfamiliar with communication of this nature were not overwhelmed with bells and whistles.

The lecturer set up a forum for each subject being supervised. Only students enrolled in the subject were given the URL which was the only guarantee of privacy. Given that the students were from all over Australia and unlikely to meet others from the same university no other form of security was required. There was very little risk of the URL being given or found by others.

The forum operated for the period of the semester only and was then deleted from the Network54 server. This was done by the lecturer after making a print-out of all the messages for evaluation purposes.

Below are the comments of three of the students in the lecturer's group. They were asked the same series of questions via email. They were not aware of who else was being asked to Road Test so the responses were completed quite independently. What we see below is an interesting example of the reactions of students who are quite unfamiliar with technology and have just had their first prolonged experience.


Participants: Helen G., Sarah B., and Lynda W.

Why were you using Network54? What problem was it solving or how was it supposed to be helping you?

Helen: It was recommended by our lecturer as a way of keeping in touch as a group. It provided a way for students to introduce themselves and have queries about assignments answered. I used it mainly to keep up to date with what was required for assignments.

Sarah: As a distance student it was my main form of communication with my lecturer. It solved the problem of not being able to contact a lecturer as I was aware that the forum would be checked daily. Unlike other forms of email, voicemail, I was assured that any questions or problems would be addressed via the forum.

Lynda: I was using the forum as a means of communication between the lecturer and other students who were studying the same subject as myself. The problem that it solved for me was that of eliminating the feeling of being isolated. It made me feel like I was personally known to my lecturer and had my fellow students as a support network.

What was your initial reaction when you first tried Network54

Helen: Positive. It was very easy to access and get into.

Sarah: I was a little wary at first as I had not used this form of communication previously but after viewing the forum I realised that it was a brilliant form of communication and preferable to email or telephone message systems.

Lynda: I was delighted at how easy it was to use. You could get around the site very easily and the inital set-up to get onto the forum was also very easy.

What did you find easy to use?

Helen: It was always easy to get into, it was set out well so I could access the information I needed very quickly.

Sarah: Being able to leave a message any time of day without it being an inconvenience.

Lynda: Everything.

What frustrated you?

Helen: Nothing.
Sarah: Can't think of anything.
Lynda: The flashing logo/promotions at the top of the screen.

Briefly describe your experience with Network54 and if you have used similar tools. How does it compare?

Helen: I haven't used a similar tool in the past but I found this Network very helpful as a resource. The lecturer was able to provide information which was helpful for completing assignments and also could suggest other resources for students to use. It also created a more personal feel to distance ed learning as students doing the same subjects could use it as a way of conversing with each other.

Sarah: My experience with Network54 was brilliant. I found it an excellent form of communication and believe that it made my experience as a distance student much easier as I was able to communicate easily with my lecturer and fellow students at the university.

Lynda: I have never used anything similar to the forum before. I found it extremely useful and user friendly. Frequently I had a question to ask my lecturer but by reading other people's questions and the lecturer's responses I usually found the answer.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Network54?

Helen: 8
Sarah: 8
Lynda: rating would definitely be 10/10

Any other comments you would like to make?

Helen: It's a very helpful tool for distance ed students.

Sarah: The success of a package such as Network54 is in part due to how much effort and maintenance is done by the person supervising the forum. In our case the lecturer put much effort into maintaining and updating messages on the site. Without this dedication my learning experience may not have been so rewarding.

Lynda: I would definitely like to see interactive programs like this used more frequently with external studies. It breaks down the isolation, and gives you almost immediate feedback from a peer or lecturer. I would definitely investigate which universitites are using this technology when I am deciding which course/university to continue my future studies with.