The 1995 Assessment Report on CNU Online.

CNU Online is the computer-managed instructional delivery system of Christopher Newport University (CNU) (Newport News, Virginia). Fully functional to deliver online courses since fall 1994, CNU Online has undergone a thorough assessment as required in its original assessment plan. In the 1994-95 school year, the online population did not differ greatly from the university's student population as a whole: it was a diverse group of predominantly nontraditional adult learners. The assessment data collected were consistent with the view that courses taught online are becoming a more established alternative form of instruction at CNU. The courses appeared to be as rigorous, or more rigorous, than classroom courses, and student satisfaction and performance data, where available, were comparable to data from students enrolled in classroom courses. Students with prior online experience were more likely to choose the online option, and made better progress when they did. There was a relatively high withdrawal rate in online classes, which improved somewhat in the spring semester. Those who persisted in the online experience were usually satisfied, but they did report that it was intensive and demanding. The report also reveals that a reasonable attempt was made to follow the guidelines established for a phased implementation of the online course system. Eleven appendixes present additional information about online course takers and their achievement. (Contains 4 tables and 5 appendix tables.) (SLD)