Some incoming frosh take first class online

The 780 high school students already accepted into the Class of 2002 come from 42 states and 22 countries, but Internet technology is already allowing them to meet via e-mail. Thirty-two of the students who were accepted early to the University's Class of 2002 in December have been chosen to get a head start on their college careers through a new, interactive e-mail "class," which includes discussion of a variety of issues, such as questions about life at Penn. English Professor Al Filreis and Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing Jim O'Donnell joined forces to spearhead an innovative seminar conducted entirely via e-mail posted to a class mailing list. The class, which began January 10 and will continue until the students arrive in September, serves as an introduction to college-level coursework and to the University itself. "I consider this the ultimate 'New Student Orientation'," Filreis said. The students in the course were selected from 90 students who replied to an electronic invitation sent in December. Students were asked to respond by explaining why they wanted to participate in the course. Although students are expected to post an occasional short essay and participate in frequent discussions on a variety of topics, there is only one assigned text: A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel. Filreis and O'Donnell, a Classical Studies professor, also plan to introduce the students to various faculty members and University leaders via e-mail. Mathematics Department Chairperson Dennis DeTurk, School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Greg Farrington and former Provost Stanley Chodorow, a History professor, are just a few of the guests planning to "join" the listserv temporarily at some point, according to Filreis. Although the main goal of the course is to engage the future students in academically stimulating "conversation," the social interaction between participants is just as important, Filreis said. Several students praised what they described as the two-fold benefits of the course: the possibility for intellectual enrichment and the chance to form friendships with future classmates. "I guess what I like most about this online course is that I am meeting so many other early accepted students, many of whom share common interests with me," said Amit Vora, a course participant from New Jersey. Class members said it is reassuring to know that others share similar concerns and anxieties on topics ranging from leaving home for the first time to the crime rate in West Philadelphia. The listserv provides a sounding board for these issues, the students said. "I am truly starting my Penn education early," Delaware native Matt Tanzer said. "Hearing people's complaints and worries, and knowing that they're similar to mine -- even though they may be in Malaysia or Key West -- kind of allays my own worries a little." The only complaint participants seem to have about the course is the excessive amount of e-mail which literally floods their accounts each day. Many students claim to spend upwards of 1 1/2 hours per night just responding to the day's messages. Overall, however, the response to the course has been overwhelmingly positive. Many participants strongly recommended the course, saying all incoming freshmen would benefit from such an experience. O'Donnell emphasized that the course, in its first year of existence, is still very much "experimental." "We're frankly experimenting to see what works and what doesn't," O'Donnell said. "I would hope that in the future, especially with the residential college system in place, we can do a more systematic job of some of this," he added. "We should give students access to real, useful advising before the first of September."