Phi Beta Kappa Society
Online Learning Consortium (formerly Sloan‑C)
Fulbright Program (Austria)
New Jersey Institute of Technology (Office of the Provost)
Sloan‑C / Online Learning Consortium
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Networking Association
Association of American Publishers
Visiting Faculty (teaching and research), University of Navarra (TECNUN)
Visiting Researcher, University of Agder
Visiting Research Professor (Cátedra de Excelencia), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Faculty member, Ph.D. in Management Program, Rutgers University (Newark) – Graduate School of Management
Distinguished Professor; Professor of Computer and Information Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Visiting Faculty (sabbatical), University of Auckland
Visiting Fellow (CIS Department), University of New South Wales (UNSW Canberra – Australian Defence Force Academy)
Assistant/Associate/Professor; Chair (Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work), Upsala College
Visiting Fellow (Department of Sociology; NSF Faculty Fellowship year), Princeton University
Starr Roxanne Hiltz is a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Information Systems at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and a pioneering scholar of computer‑mediated communication, online/virtual classrooms, and asynchronous learning. She co‑authored The Network Nation (Addison‑Wesley, 1978; rev. MIT Press, 1993), widely cited as a foundational text that anticipated today’s Internet‑enabled social and educational networks. She led seminal work on the first “Virtual Classroom” at NJIT (1986–1988), studying collaborative learning online and the social dynamics of networked communities. Hiltz transitioned to emerita status in 2007 and has continued advising doctoral students, conducting research, and publishing on online learning, social media, and crisis/emergency information systems. Her recognitions include the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Pioneer Award (1994), the Sloan‑C/Online Learning Consortium (OLC) award for Most Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning by an Individual (2004), and appointment as Fulbright‑University of Salzburg Distinguished Chair (2008–2009). citeturn3search5turn18search1turn19search1turn16search0turn16search4
A software‑supported, computer‑mediated learning environment conceived, implemented, and empirically evaluated at NJIT beginning in 1986–1988. The Virtual Classroom links students and instructors for lectures, discussion, team projects, and assessments, emphasizing collaborative learning and equal/greater effectiveness relative to traditional classes when well designed.
Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) • Conference
An online survey comparing Facebook and MySpace users examined privacy concern, trust, self‑disclosure, and relationship formation. While overall privacy concern levels were similar, Facebook users reported higher trust in the platform and its members and disclosed more identifying information; MySpace users reported more experience meeting new people. Results suggest that, online, trust and disclosure do not automatically translate into new social ties.
Journal of Management Information Systems • Journal
Through 20 semi‑structured interviews with experienced online instructors, this qualitative study identifies role changes when faculty teach in ALN. Cognitive roles shift toward deeper processing and facilitation; affective roles require new ways to convey presence; managerial roles demand more structure and monitoring. Many instructors reported adopting a more Socratic, dialogic pedagogy online; sources of frustration and fulfillment are discussed.
Communications of the ACM • Journal
This article describes Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN) as virtual classrooms that can support community, knowledge sharing, and effective learning without co‑presence in time or place. Synthesizing evidence from early ALN implementations, the authors discuss affordances, community formation, and outcomes, arguing that well‑designed ALN can equal or exceed traditional classrooms in access and learning quality while enabling new forms of collaboration.
ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) • Conference
Reporting results from courses taught in traditional, fully online, and mixed modes, this paper evaluates the Virtual Classroom’s impact on collaboration and learning. Students generally reported a superior learning experience online, with software features enabling structured interaction and group work. The paper discusses design choices that foster collaboration and summarizes process and outcome measures across multiple offerings.
• Journal
This pilot study used structured focus groups with experienced online faculty at two universities to identify motivators and demotivators for teaching in Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN). Rank‑ordered results were highly consistent across groups, illustrating key incentives, barriers, and contextual experiences that shape faculty engagement with online teaching. The paper also reflects on the suitability of focus groups for this type of inquiry.
Ablex/Intellect (Human‑Computer Interaction Series) • Book
This monograph documents the conception, design, implementation, and evaluation of the NJIT Virtual Classroom—software‑supported, computer‑mediated environments that link students, instructors, and classmates for lectures, discussion, assessment, and collaborative projects. It details goals, tools, instructional strategies, research methods and findings, pitfalls, and prospects for expanding educational opportunities through networked learning.
MIT Press • Book
First published in 1978 and revised in 1993, The Network Nation analyzes and forecasts the social, organizational, and educational possibilities of computer‑mediated communication. The revised edition adds a new chapter reviewing developments over the prior fifteen years, updates legal/ethical issues, and surveys emerging applications, offering a foundational theoretical and empirical synthesis for understanding CMC’s impacts and futures.