Student technology skills and attitudes towards Internet-based courses: The potential benefits of an internet tutorial

A “Criminal Justice Systems and Processes” course was among nine Internet courses offered at Florida Gulf Coast University during the fall of 1997. This course provided an “Internet tutorial” during the first few weeks of the semester to familiarize students with basic computer skills and Internet use. After evaluating the benefits of providing the tutorial, faculty and administrators adopted the tutorial for use in all Internet courses. During the Summer 1998 semester, a survey was administered to those students registered for Internet-based courses in the Division of Criminal Justice. This article focuses on the use of the Internet tutorial in Internet courses and provides some preliminary information regarding its potential benefit to students. Issues discussed include: (1) an explanation of the Internet tutorial, (2) the benefits of the tutorial to students and faculty, (3) preliminary information regarding the potential baenefits of implementing a technical tutorial, and (4) implications for future computer-based Internet courses.