Developing an Online Masters in Technology Education

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Developing an Online Masters in Technology
Education

• Jim Flowers James Kirkwood
• Ball State University
• jcflowers1_at_bsu.edu

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Master of Arts

• Technology Education (TE)
• Industrial Vocational / Technical Education
  (IV/TE)
• (Career and Technical Education)

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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

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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

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MA in Technology Education

• Pilot tested online course
• Conducted needs assessment
• Local administration
• Faculty preparation
• Marketing

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MA in Industrial Vocational / Technical Education

• Awaiting Approval for Online Delivery
• ICHE approval is required when 50 of a programs
  courses are offered by DE.
• Fall, 2002 3 online courses

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Needs Assessment

• Survey sent to Technology Education . (ITEA
  members)
• Substantial need exists
• Obstacles exit
• http//scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n1/flow
  ers.html

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Need

• Convenience
• Place
• Time flexibility
• Continuing education credits
• Graduate degree course in Tech Ed

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Obstacles

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

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Decision to Go Online

• Declining F2F enrollment
• 8 profs unanimous decision
• Proposal
• www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/projects/onlinemasters/
  proposal.htm

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Approvals

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

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Student Concerns

• Cost
• Technological requirements
• Flexibility and convenience
• Quality
• Meaningful contact with instructors and with
  other students

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Cost 2001 2002 tuition for one3-credit hour
graduate course

• Rates are expected to increase in future years.
• One-time admission fee 35

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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

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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 ones own job

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Quality

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

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Human Contact

• More personalized, meaningful communication
• Individual and collaborative learning activities
• Online communication can be deeper

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Online in Summer, 2002

• ITEDU 564 Practicum in Technology Education for
  Elementary Grades (3)
• EDPSY 640 Methodology of Educational
  Psychological Research (3)

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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)

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Sample Course

• ITEDU 510, Technology Use Assessment
• Info
• www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/510intro.htm
• Modules
• www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/rlo/510.htm

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Blackboard 5.5.1 L3 Course Site
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Discussion Board Forums
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Sample Thread
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Sample Posting
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Learning Modules
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Learning Modules
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A Case Study

• Technology Education for the Elementary GradesA
  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.
• Its been taught forever as an existing course
  by the same faculty member.
• me.

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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.

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Examples of early web pages
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Other glimpses of early starts
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Teaching an Old Dog

• Learned web design from young dogsGraduate
  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.

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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
  Ill be teaching with.
• It gave me a chance to practice what I had been
  preaching.

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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.

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Still learningbut the time is now!

• Spring 2002.
• Developing the course for on-line instruction.
• Where do I start?

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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 Gardners Multiple Intelligences.

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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!)

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Assessment

• How does this differ from a regular class?
• Each class is unique, of course.
• Jason Academy provided a RUBRIC for evaluating
  discussions.
• Ive 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.

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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.

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Communication

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

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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.

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Developing an Online Masters in Technology
Education

• Jim Flowers James Kirkwood
• Ball State University
• jcflowers1_at_bsu.edu

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Required Courses MA in Tech Ed

• 21 hours
• ITEDU 635 Implementing Technology Education (3)
• ITEDU 690 History and Philosophy of Technology
  Education (3)
• ITEDU 691 Strategies Materials for Teaching
  Technology Education (3)
• ITEDU 694 Curriculum Development in Technology
  Education (3)
• ITEDU 698 Seminar in Technology Education (3)  
• ITEDU 699 Research in Industrial Education (3)
• EDTEC 550 Instructional Use of Educational Media
  Technology (3)

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Electives MA in Tech Ed

• 9 credit hours
• ITEDU 510 Technology Use and Assessment (3)
• ITEDU 564 Practicum in Technology Education for
  Elementary Grades (3)
• EDPSY 640 Methodology of Educational
  Psychological Research (3)
• ITEDU 550 Career and Technical Student
  Organizations (renamed) (3)
• (other electives or transfer credits approved by
  the program advisor)