A foot in the world of ideas: Graduate study through the Internet

This case study is an exploratory investigation of the learning opportunities provided by a Webbased Master of Science program in TESOL.The paper begins with a description of the course and its components.The aim of the paper is to evaluate the potential of the Web for delivering graduate level programs.A secondary purpose is to compare this delivery with both classroombased and traditional distance learning delivery modes.Data for the paper include transcripts from tutorials conducted through a chat line as well as data provided by students in interviews.Patterns in the data were identified through a grounded procedure in which themes and issues emerged from the data through an iteractive process of analysis and tentative category assignment.During the course of the analysis, the following four main themes emerged: the context of learning, the discourse of synchronous interaction, student control of the learning process, and the evolving culture of the virtual classroom.These are described and discussed in the body of the paper.