Graduate Studies Reports Access
Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - EME6457
Tracking Number - 2891
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Current Status:
Approved by SCNS - 2013-02-01
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: to GC 12/3. For C&I M.Ed. - Sec Ed-IT Conc. Changes. GC approved 12/17/12. to USF Sys 12/17/12; to SCNS 1/8/13. Apprd eff 2/1/13. Nmbr 6458 apprd as 6457
Detail Information
- Date & Time Submitted: 2012-07-03
- Department: Secondary Education
- College: ED
- Budget Account Number: 172400000
- Contact Person: Ann Barron and Yiping Lou
- Phone: 8139741631
- Email: Barron@usf.edu
- Prefix: EME
- Number: 6457
- Full Title: Distance Learning
- Credit Hours: 3
- Section Type: C -
Class Lecture (Primarily)
- Is the course title variable?: N
- Is a permit required for registration?: N
- Are the credit hours variable?: N
- Is this course repeatable?:
- If repeatable, how many times?: 0
- Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Distance Learning
- Course Online?: O -
Online (100% online)
- Percentage Online: 0
- Grading Option:
R - Regular
- Prerequisites:
- Corequisites:
- Course Description: This online course about distance learning is designed to provide an integrated framework to explore theory within practice. The course will explore all types of distance and distributed learning—not just online learning.
- Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Needed for program/concentration/certificate change
- What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? The demand is very high. As a special topics offering, this course has been offered every semester (Spring, Summer & Fall), and it has filled every semester. It is now a required course for the M. Ed. in Instructional Technology
- Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? Yes, 3 or more times
- What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) Experience in the planning, development, management, and evaluation in distance learning courses and environments.
- Objectives: •Understand what distance education is and how it relates to you.
•Evaluate the history of distance education in perspective to education in general and to technology.
•Review the history and trends of Distance Education throughout the years and changes in technology.
•Understand what is currently happening in the field.
•Discuss and apply some of the different educational theories that support Distance Learning.
•To gain knowledge on what has happened in the past in DE research and where we might be going in the future.
•Start to form opinions that you can support with research as to the effectiveness and success of DE.
•Begin to get a feel for who's who and what's what in this field so you will know where to look in the future for answers to your questions.
•To help you gain a cursory knowledge of several areas of distance education.
•To gain a more in-depth understanding of one area of distance education of interest to yourself.
•To understand the variety of tools for Distance Education delivery (asynchronous and synchronous).
•To be able to make technology use decisions for distance education courses based on teaching strategies and learning objectives.
•Discuss the effective use of synchronous technology in distance learning.
•Understand when and how to implement synchronous technologies for successful teaching and learning.
•To provide you with some ideas on how you could meaningfully incorporate asynchronous tools into a learning environment.
- Learning Outcomes: This is a survey course examining the field of distance learning. This is NOT a production course on developing web sites and although you will leave with enough knowledge to begin designing a Distance Learning course, the nature of a survey course is for you to get the big picture of Distance Learning in many different environments and using many different media or combinations of media. Students will produce products in this class that will help to assess your understanding of the field of Distance Learning. These will usually be in the form of written work, but may also include things such as presentations and actual distance course elements.
- Major Topics: Introductions and Course Basics
Overview and History of Distance Education
Trends and Theories in Distance Education
Distance Education Research
Online Conference on Distance Education Topics
Distance Education Delivery Methods
Synchronous Methods in Distance Education
Asynchronous Methods in Distance Learning
- Textbooks: No textbook is required; students use online readings
- Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: All materials needed will be provided through online sources in Blackboard or elsewhere on the Internet.
- Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: Active participation is a critical component of building an effective online learning community. You are expected to be a regular and active participant in online discussions. This means you will post original material and thoughts as well as reply to posts submitted by others. Reading assignments will be made from a variety of online resources to prepare you to engage in the discussion. The quality of online discussion will be driven by the extent of your preparation.
Writing (W): Writing assignments are student-to-content and student-to-instructor activities within this course. The writing assignments are generally introduced with a canon of readings followed by a set of critical thinking questions for which you are required to answer. As a general rule, all writing assignments should be formatted according to American Psychological Association, 5th edition, guidelines and should reflect your writing – do not simply regurgitate other peoples ideas. Use the readings in your responses and try to synthesize the literature.
Generally, writing assignments should be two pages in length, single-spaced, and written in a 12-point font unless otherwise specified. The writing assignments should address the questions posed in each Course Module unless otherwise specified (e.g., writing assignment in Course Modules 0 takes a different form). Be sure not to plagiarize your submissions as this will be taken very seriously in this course (See Academic Integrity Guidelines).
Discussion (D): Discussions are one form of interaction between students. The purpose of the discussions is to promote a learning community and encourage critical thinking skills in order to assimilate the information that is being provided. Participation in the discussion forums will be graded using a rubric to be sure that grading is fair. To understand how the grades will be determined, you can review the discussion rubric. The discussion questions have been specifically designed to encourage critical thinking and group discussion, so hopefully you will be encouraged to play an integral role in this process.
Original postings in discussions are due halfway into the Course Module. This means that they are due by 11:59pm as recorded by the discussion area which place a time stamp on submissions. Discussion responses are due by 11:59pm on the day the Course Module is complete as recorded by the university server time stamp. Please keep this in mind when you are rushing to submit your assignments before the clock strikes 12:00. Synchronize the clock you watch with the one in the system or your assignments may be late.
Socialization (S): The socialization activities are designed to engage student-to-student interaction using a variety of tools. The socialization activities address a myriad of topics in distance education and require you to develop an understanding of how to use various information and communication technology. Though the socialization activities are not heavily weighted in this course, they incorporate some of the most important topics. Please take these activities seriously.
Group (G): The group activities specifically pertain to a collaborative group project that will be developed as a primary deliverable within this course. Some of the activities are designed to facilitate the group formation process while others relate to group project deliverables. The group project is outlined in depth in Blackboard. Because the group project is such a critical aspect of this course, it is weighted heavily towards your final grade. The final project is designed to provide you the opportunity to analyze many of the primary issues in developing a distance education course, lesson or program. The project is to be completed in collaborative groups in the same way you would work in a team environment in real life.
The goal of this project is for you to design and plan a distance learning solution, not to actually create it. The result is a professional design document or proposal that responds to a real world scenario. Your group will be given the opportunity to choose from a group of scenarios or create your own in the first few weeks of the course. Your project should provide a solution to the scenario by describing a specific approach to distance education in the chosen environment. Think of it as a proposal to an important group of people who will make the decision if the project will get funding.
Your projects will be graded based on the depth of analysis of the scenario and the resulting solution. The document should be somewhere in the area of 10-20 pages double-spaced. Your group will also be required to present, in some fashion, the content and context of your project to the rest of the Active participation is a critical component of building an effective online learning community. You are expected to be a regular and active participant in online discussions. This means you will post original material and thoughts as well as reply to posts submitted by others. Reading assignments will be made from a variety of online resources to prepare you to engage in the discussion. The quality of online discussion will be driven by the extent of your preparation.
- Assignments, Exams and Tests: Course Module 0: Introductions and Course Basics
This is an introductory module designed to introduce you to the course, content, policies, and your peers. Start this module immediately and continue the discussion until the end of the module.
Course Module 1: Overview and History of Distance Education
This module is designed to help you develop a foundation for exploring the field of distance education. Awareness of the breadth of the field and familiarity with key terms will contribute to a shared language and will act as a starting point for the semester's work.
Course Module 2: Trends and Theories in Distance Education
This module is designed to provide an overview of the trends in the field of Distance Education, especially related to what the future might bring. The module also addresses theories that can be used to support and explain Distance Education.
Course Module 3: Distance Education Research
In this module, you should gain knowledge on what has happened in the past in Distance Education research and where we might be going in the future. Additionally, you should start to form opinions that you can support with research as to the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of Distance Education.
Course Module 4: Online Conference on Distance Education Topics
The purpose of this module is to explore various topics related to Distance Education which will not be heavily emphasized during the semester, but warrant some exploration and consideration. In this module, you will engage in mock-up round table discussions, one of which you will facilitate.
Course Module 5: Distance Education Delivery Methods
This course module is designed to help you understand both synchronous and asynchronous delivery of Distance Education. The module provides an overview of various delivery methods and provides solid examples.
Course Module 6: Synchronous Methods in Distance Education
This module is designed to provide a more in-depth overview of synchronous learning and technology. Synchronous learning is commonly referred to as same time, same place or, as applied to distance learning settings, same time, some place learning.
Course Module 7: Asynchronous Methods in Distance Learning
The purpose of this module is to help you make the decisions on how to effectively use asynchronous technology for planning pedagogical activities.
- Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)
Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.
- Policy on Make-up Work: o incomplete grades will be awarded without extenuating, documented circumstances, such as death in the family or extended illness. If you request an Incomplete you will be assigned the grade that you have currently earned, which will be updated when you complete the requirements of the course. If you do not update this grade within the specified time period, you will automatically be assigned this grade. If you believe that there is a possibility that you may not be able to complete the requirements and your current grade is not acceptable, then you should officially withdraw from the course.
- Program This Course Supports: Instructional Technology
- Course Concurrence Information: Ph.D in Second Language Acquisition/Instructional Technology - elective
- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.