Network Management was implemented online in spring 2005 for students in the final stages of their master’s degree in the Faculty of Social Sciences. The focus of the course is public administration and management, with the aims being that students learn to 1) define a network as a structural and functional form of inter-organizational co-operation, 2) understand how organizational management and leadership differ from network management and leadership, and 3) distinguish different types of networks and understand their limitations. These course goals can be expressed in terms of more specific objectives corresponding to the cases taken up in the course. The rationale for the online implementation was to allow students to develop the desired skills while working in electronic environments, as these are rapidly becoming the norm for employees in public administration (see Schedler, Summermatter, & Schmidt, 2004).
Thirty-three students enrolled for the two-month course. They ranged in age from 22 to 51 years and were spread throughout the country. Following a four-hour introductory, face-to-face lecture, the students embarked on case-based work in groups of three to five using the Finnish Discendum Optima learning management systema. This environment, similar to WebCT and Blackboard, enabled the teacher to provide guidance and facilitated small group conversations, delivery of course materials and preparation of assignments.