CHARLIE: a computer-managed homework, assignment and response, learning and instruction environment

CHARLIE is a new asynchronous learning system which was developed for engineering technology students at Buffalo State College. CHARLIE contains many fully-electronic and fully-automated features including: individualized homework with graphics, course agenda, course syllabus, tutorials, lecture summaries, student bulletin board, laboratory descriptions, grades, and access to the Internet. In this paper, CHARLIE is compared to other asynchronous learning systems. The distinguishing features of CHARLIE are ease of creation and administration by the instructor who has a knowledge of the DEC VMS operating system and C, simple exercise development concurrent with its use, and implementation on text-only terminals which are networked to a central computer. The goals of CHARLIE include: improved student learning, reduced homework grading, alternative teaching and learning opportunities, and efficient delivery of course information.