Developing an Online Masters in Technology Education

1. Developing an Online Masters in Technology Education Jim Flowers – James Kirkwood Ball State University jcflowers1@bsu.edu

2. Master of Arts • Technology Education (TE) • Industrial Vocational / Technical Education (IV/TE) • (Career and Technical Education)

3. Logistics • Online courses to replace traditional courses • 100% online from Ball State • 30 Credit Hours (thesis optional) • 9 hours may be transferred in • Technology Education • All courses offered in a 1-year period • Industrial Vocational / Technical Education • All courses offered in a 2-year period

4. MA in Technology Education • Approved for Online Delivery • Online delivery replaces on-campus over 2-year phase in period • Summer, 2002: 2 online courses • Fall, 2002: 3 online courses

5. MA in Technology Education • Pilot tested online course • Conducted needs assessment • Local administration • Faculty preparation • Marketing

6. MA in Industrial Vocational / Technical Education • Awaiting Approval for Online Delivery • ICHE approval is required when 50% of a program’s courses are offered by DE. • Fall, 2002: 3 online courses

7. Needs Assessment • Survey sent to Technology Education . (ITEA members) • Substantial need exists • Obstacles exit • http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n1/flowers.html

8. Need • Convenience • Place • Time flexibility • Continuing education credits • Graduate degree & course in Tech Ed

9. Obstacles • Misconceptions? • Poor quality • Not much human contact • Degree mill? • Ignorance (where to find courses) • Technological obstacles • Administrative obstacles

10. Decision to Go Online • Declining F2F enrollment • 8 profs – unanimous decision • Proposal: • www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/projects/onlinemasters/proposal.htm

11. Approvals • Program Committee & Chair • Dean • Continuing Education Dean • “Teleplex” (funds for development) • Univ. Graduate Education Committee • Indiana Commission on Higher Education

12. Student Concerns • Cost • Technological requirements • Flexibility and convenience • Quality • Meaningful contact with instructors and with other students

13. Cost: 2001 – 2002 tuition for one3-credit hour graduate course • Rates are expected to increase in future years. • One-time admission fee: $35

14. Technology: • Computer • Internet access • 56K minimum, high-speed preferred • Web browsers • Microsoft Office • For certain courses: • Access to a digital still camera • Access to a video camera

15. Flexibility & Convenience • Online admissions and registration • No trips to campus • Log on to class from any computer • Log on at a convenient time • Apply the new learning right away in one’s own job

16. Quality • Equivalent to on-campus courses • Recently improved courses • Rigorous course and program assessment

17. Human Contact • More personalized, meaningful communication • Individual and collaborative learning activities • Online communication can be deeper

18. Online in Summer, 2002: • ITEDU 564 Practicum in Technology Education for Elementary Grades (3) • EDPSY 640 Methodology of Educational & Psychological Research (3)

19. Online in Fall, 2002: • ITEDU 510 Technology: Use and Assessment (3) • ITEDU 568 Principles and Philosophy of Vocational Education (3) • ITEDU 691 Strategies & Materials for Teaching Technology Education (3) • EDTEC 550 Instructional Use of Educational Media & Technology (3)

20. Sample Course • ITEDU 510, Technology: Use & Assessment • Info: • www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/510intro.htm • Modules: • www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/rlo/510.htm

21. Blackboard 5.5.1 L3 Course Site

22. Discussion Board Forums

23. Sample Thread

24. Sample Posting

25. Learning Modules

26. Learning Modules

27. A Case Study • Technology Education for the Elementary Grades…A Practicum. • This type of course resents a unique challenge because of its hands-on, practical experiences. • It will be the second course to go on-line. • It’s been taught “forever” as an existing course by the same faculty member. • …me.

28. Faculty Development • Undergraduate course has been using the web for about five years. • At first for things that could be done on paper, slides, or face-to-face. • Gradually included units that were available only on-line. • Some developed by instructor. • Some existing on-line courses. • For example; NASA “Space Place.”

30. Examples of early web pages

33. Other glimpses of early starts

34. Teaching an Old Dog • Learned web design from young dogs—Graduate Assistants, beginning in 1996. • Course Info workshops sponsored by Ball State faculty development beginning 1999. • Signed up for web design workshops in Page Mill, (1997) Dreamweaver, FrontPage. • Blackboard workshop, an intensive two-week workshop, summer of 2000.

35. Teaching an Old Dog • Faculty Workshop for Department, Summer of 2001. • Taught by Jim Flowers. • Put the other learning into a context for me. • Learned strengths and weaknesses of colleagues I’ll be teaching with. • It gave me a chance to practice what I had been preaching.

36. Try-out in Summer of 2001 • “Hybrid” ITDEDU 564, Practicum in Technology Education for Elementary Grades. • Only six students, all within 70 miles. • Met just 3 times in class, and once on their site. • Met as virtual classes twice. • Discussion groups most helpful.

37. Still learning—but the time is now! • Spring 2002. • Developing the course for on-line instruction. • Where do I start?

38. An Old Dog Learns Science! • Jason Academy • A science teaching site • Introduction to teaching science on-line. • I was put into a group with two science teachers, and we had to collaborate to produce a teaching unit. • The unit had to be correlated with Learning Styles and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.

40. Now I was a student! • I had to work! • I created my home page. • I was put in a group and had to contribute! • There were a flurry of e-mails among Gayle, Jill and me. • We all had other things to do. • But we managed to put together a magnificent piece of work…(ahem!)

45. Assessment • How does this differ from a regular class? • Each class is unique, of course. • Jason Academy provided a RUBRIC for evaluating discussions. • I’ve adapted that for a 400 course this semester. • Students are usually “open” in discussions. • If they are to be graded on it, assessment has to be fair, above-board, and with clearly stated guidelines.

47. Assessment • A lot of work to assess fairly. • The rubric makes it more mechanical. • Discussion submissions can be “coded” by a trained assistant. • Volume of contribution is assessed along with quality. Emphasis is on quality, because if the problem is real, students will communicate often.

48. Communication • Most frustrating is technical difficulties!!! • Can be solved at the beginning for most students.

49. Communication • A very pleasant surprise. • Students DO COMMUNICATE OFTEN! • Students are “open.” • Students will say things on-line that they will not say in class. • Even though they know they are monitored, they do bash the instructor. • They also ask relevant questions of each other and of the instructor.

50. Developing an Online Masters in Technology Education Jim Flowers – James Kirkwood Ball State University jcflowers1@bsu.edu