This course is designed for higher education faculty, administrators, instructional designers, and distance-teaching practitioners who are implementing or developing distance learning programs. The course will provide an overview of distance education and focus on issues related to the current e-learning environment.
The course will be delivered at a distance online, so students will have the opportunity to experience and learn about distance education firsthand. The course will incorporate proven examples of web-based teaching strategies specifically designed for the online education environment. Students are expected to participate in online discussions and collaborate with fellow students in the course on group and team projects.
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Instructor:
Kathy
Keairns Email:
kkeairns@du.edu Office Hours: M/W/F
- 8:00-10:00 am |
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Your instructor is here to guide you, encourage critical thinking skills, and independent learning skills. She will promote a collaborative learning experience and actively encourage class members to interact and learn from each other.
Kathy Keairns is a Senior Instructional Designer in the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Denver. Kathy has worked in higher education for over 14 years and is completing her MA in Digital Media Studies at DU. She designs and delivers the following workshops on Blackboard - DU's course management platform:
- Blackboard Basics
- Collaboration and Communication Tools
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Integrating Multimedia into Blackboard
She has also taught the following classes:
- Introduction to Flash
- Introduction to Web Design and Development
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Communication in the 21st century
Kathy is the current Co-chair of Telecoop (the Telecommunications Cooperative of Colorado).
- Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education, Smaldino, Albright, Svacek, Simonson, Prentice Hall, 2000.
- Issues in Web-Based Pedagogy - A Critical Primer, ed. Robert A. Cole. The Greenwood Educators' Reference Collection, 2000.
- Custom Course Material - supplemental online resources are listed at the end of each lesson.
- Weekly Hypertext Lectures
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Topic
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Reading
Assignments
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| Lesson One | Foundations of Distance Education | Cole:
Ch. 1 Expectations Exploded, Ch. 3 The Web, the Millennium, and the
Digital Evolution of Distance Education Ch. 5 Communication Technologies
in an Educational Environment: Lessons from a Historical Perspective
Simonson: Ch. 1 Foundations of Distance Education, Ch. 2 Definitions, History, and Theories of Distance Education |
| Lesson Two | Research and Distance Education | Cole:
Ch. 2 Using the Internet for Teaching & Research, Ch. 13 The Scholarship
of Web-based Teaching & Research, Ch. 24 - Teaching Research Skills
Using the Internet Simonson: Ch. 3 Research & Distance Education, Ch. 12 Evaluating Teaching & Learning at a Distance |
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Lesson Three |
Instructional Design and Learning Theories |
Simonson: Ch. 6 Instructional Design for Distance Education Cole: Ch. 8 Is There a Professor in This Class? Ch. 9 Where is Every-Body? Ch. 11 The Roles and Interrelationships of Presence, Reflection, and Self-Directed Learning in Effective World Wide Web-Based Pedagogy Ch. 12 Using the Web to Create Student-Centered Curriculum Ch. 16 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Teaching and Technology Ch. 23 On-line is on Target for Motivated Learners |
| Lesson Four | Distance Education Technologies |
Simonson: Chap. 4 Distance Education Technologies, Ch. 9 Handouts, Study Guides, and Visuals, Ch. 10 Distance Education, the World Wide Web, and the Internet, Cole:Ch. 14 Creating an Environment for Successful Technology Integration, Ch. 21 Preparing Higher Education Learners for Success on the Web |
| Lesson Five | Challenges of Distance Education | Simonson: Ch. 5 Copyright and Distance EducationCole: Ch. 15 The "Time" Factor in On-line Teaching: Implications for Faculty and Their Universities, Ch. 17 Copyright and Web-Based Education: What All Faculty Should Know. Ch. 20 The Promise-and Potential Pitfalls-of Cyber learning |
| Lesson Six | Assessment Issues for Distance Education | Simonson: Ch. 11, Assessment for Distance Education |
| Lesson Seven | Web-based communication and collaboration | Cole: Ch. 25 Tearing Down Barriers & Building Communities: Pedagogical Strategies for the Web-Based Environment, Ch. 26 Facilitating On-line Discussion in an Asynchronous Format |
| Lesson Eight | Current Issues and Debates about Distance Education | Cole: Ch. 4 Critical Reflections: Political Philosophy and Web Technology Ch. 22 A Hierarchy of Access Issues Affecting On-line Participation by Community College Students |
| Lesson Nine |
The Future of Distance Education |
Traditional assessment tools, (self-assessment quizzes, exams, research papers, participation) and alternative assessment measures (projects, activities, group & team projects) are integrated into the course assignments.
Course assignments are designed to facilitate student learning and to provide assessment criteria for assigning grades. Assessment rubrics will be used to evaluate participation, mid-term exam, group projects, and the final research paper. Detailed assessment rubrics are located in the assignments area of the course.
Grading will be based upon the following criteria:
Class Participation (Online Discussion and Chat)
Participation in a series of weekly discussions focusing on distance education is required. Students will be expected to support their responses with relevant online and/or print sources. Students will be responsible for creating and facilitating the discussion board for one series of discussion questions and/or posting questions for guest speakers.
Opportunities for small group collaboration will be provided for this activity. In addition, there will be several real time chat room discussions and participation in outside online seminars.
Grading Scale:
Class participation
30% of the final grade
Weekly assignments
15% of final grade
Mid-term Exam
15% of final grade
Final Research Paper
20% of final grade
Group and Team Projects
20% of final grade
© Copyright 2003 by Kathy Keairns