Distance Education and Networked Learning Course

"Distance Learning via Networks
and Telecommunications"

Course Number: EDIT 611

Mondays 4:30 - 7:10

Science and Tech I, Room 126

Instructor: Chris Dede

Graduate School of Education
George Mason University

Office Hours: Before or after class, by appointment

Office: Commerce II Building, Room 111 (on University Drive just south of the fire station near the center of Fairfax); follow online directions, then go to first floor of Commerce II building next door

Phone: (703) 993-2019

Fax: (703) 993-2013

Email: cdede@gmu.edu

Website: www.virtual.gmu.edu

Co-Instructor: Walter Davis

Office Hours: By appointment

Email: waltdavis@erols.com

Course Objectives
Course Resources
Course Requirements
Class Activities
Assignments
Assessment
Course Topics and Schedule
On-Line Resources

Course Objectives

As a result of this course, participants will be able to :

describe current leading-edge work in distance education in K-12, higher education, business, government, and military settings
depict the ways in which learning and teaching across barriers of distance and time are similar to -- and different from -- face-to-face instruction
gain fluency in using various interactive media (asynchronous threaded discussion sites, synchronous multi-user virtual environments, groupware, interactive presentational media, videoconferencing), instructional frameworks (e.g., WebCT) and applications (e.g., telementoring)
apply effective instructional design for various interactive media, instructional frameworks, and applications.
experience how each medium for interacting across distance shapes the cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of learning and indicate the range of individual responses to these media
describe methods for evaluating the effectiveness of distance education approaches
discuss how innovations such as the World Wide Web, multi-user virtual environments, computer-supported collaborative learning, telementoring, and online communities are shaping the evolution of distance education and distributed learning

Course Resources

Distance Training: How Innovative Organizations are Using Technology to Maximize Learning and Meet Business Objectives.
D. Schreiber and Z. Berge, Eds. Jossey-Bass, 1998.

On-line articles, distributed learning tools, and supplementary readings provided by instructor. These reading assignments will be periodically updated on the course website.

Go To Table of Contents

Course Requirements

Attendance and participation in class sessions -- whether face-to-face or virtual -- is mandatory, as discussions and shared experiences are important parts of the course. The class schedule may change as the course progresses; changes will be posted on the online course website and in WebCT's asynchronous class discussion site.
Each student is expected to complete all readings and class exercises, as well as two assignments and in-depth contribution to asynchronous threaded discussions.
Obtaining and regularly using a computer account with access to the Internet, the WorldWide Web, and GMU's WebCT site is required. GMU makes such accounts available for free to its students.
To enable individualization of the course to the needs of each student, special arrangements on requirements and assignments may be negotiated in writing with the instructor. Revised assignments typically involve direct, extensive involvement in some project engaged in the design, development, evaluation, or implementation of a distance education experience.
Students missing the due date for an assignment must make immediate arrangements with the instructor to fulfill that requirement before the next class.

Class Activities

This course will utilize a combination of lectures, hands-on experiences, media, guest speakers, field trips, discussions, and projects to help participants understand the strengths and limits of current technologies for distance education, as well as the likely evolution of distributed learning.

Go To Table of Contents

Assignments

Each student is expect to complete two assignments chosen from the menu of possibilities below, or an alternative assignment can be negotiated in writing with the instructor. Both assignments have equal weight in grading (33%). In addition, the quantity and quality of contribution to the WebCT asynchronous discussions is another 33% of the grade. Both brief individual plans for the assignments and the assignments themselves are due on dates specified in the Course Outline and are to be submitted via email using the instructions posted on the online syllabus.

Select Two of the Assignments Below, or Propose Another Alternative to the Instructor

A. Assessing a Telementoring Experience.

This assignment involves:

serving for an extended period of time as a telementor for someone you did not previously know
preparing an eight page paper that presents a) "lessons learned" about your experience relative to the research literature on telementoring, and b) an analysis of the telementoring medium used and ways that it affected the quality of the learning/teaching experience.
discussing in WebCT the conclusions you reached with other students who completed this assignment

B. Assessing Extended Learning Experiences in a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE).

This assignment involves:

participating in at least ten one-hour learning experiences conducted in a MUVE
preparing an eight page paper that presents a) "lessons learned" about your experience relative to the research literature on educational MUVEs, and b) an analysis of the MUVE used and ways that it affected the quality of the learning experience..
discussing in WebCT the conclusions you reached with other students who completed this assignment

C. Studying Website-based Learning Environments.

This assignment involves:

selecting three substantial websites that provide related, informal learning experiences (e.g., three museum sites or three professional development sites for teachers).comparatively analyzing the design of the sites on criteria of content quality, usability, and pedagogy.
interacting with the organizers and (if feasible) some users of these websites to determine how effectively the sites are meeting the needs and expectations of their users.
preparing an eight page paper that presents "lessons learned" about websites' quality and ways they could improve their services, relating this to the instructional design literature on effective websites for learning.
discussing in WebCT the conclusions you reached with other students who completed this assignment.

D. Examining an Existing Distance Education Program.

This assignment involves:

selecting an existing academic, corporate, government, military, or commercial distance education program.interacting with the organizers, teachers, and students to determine how effectively the program is meeting the needs and expectations of these three sets of stakeholders.
analyzing the extent to which the program is based on the ideas and principles in the Distance Training text.
preparing an eight page paper that presents "lessons learned" about the distance education program's quality and ways it could improve its services.
discussing in WebCT the conclusions you reached with other students who completed this assignment.

E. Evaluating Alternative Vendors Providing Videoconferencing for Distance Education.

On March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 2000, the 2000 TeleCon East Conference will be held at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. This assignment involves:

spending several hours in the Exhibits area of TeleCon East (the instructor will obtain free passes for all students who wish to attend the exhibit area)
comparatively analyzing the wares of three alternative vendors who provide equivalent specific products for some aspect of distance education videoconferencing (e.g., three companies who sell ISDN-based videoconferencing equipment and services)
preparing an eight page paper that discusses relative merits and demerits of each competitive system based on criteria of cost, compatibility, evolutionary path, usability, and customizability
discussing in WebCT the conclusions you reached with other students who completed this assignment.

Go To Table of Contents

Assessment

This course is graded on an A, B, C, and F basis. Grades will be based on completion of course requirements and on the scope, quality, and creativity of the two assignments. Once feedback and a grade are received on the first assignment only, if a higher grade is desired the student can resubmit a revised assignment within two weeks. The grade assigned to the revised first assignment is final. The extent and quality of contribution to WebCT asynchronous discussions counts as 33% of the final grade and are not subject to revision; an interim grade will be provided at mid-semester for informational purposes. Incompletes in the course will be given only under unusual extenuating circumstances.

Course Topics and Schedule
(Subject to Change via Postings in WebCT and on Course Website)

Date
Topics
Readings/Assignments

1/24
Introduction to the Course

Using GMU's WebCT System

Using Tapped In as a Multi-User Virtual Environment

Readings for 1/31:

                       Distance Training Preface - 36

                       From MOO to MEOW: Domesticating Technology for Online Communities



Assignments for 1/31:

Sign up for the Course Listserv using these Instructions

Post Introductions to WebCT site for this course
(for help in doing this, see GMU IRC's WebCT Resource Page)

Register as a Member and Experience Tapped In by following these instructions
(for help in doing this, see Mark Johnston's Tapped In Tips)

If you are a relative novice to web usage, this Web Teacher site may be helpful

1/31

Conceptual Frameworks for Distance Education

"Birds of a Feather" Meetings

Discussion of Initial Tapped In Experience

Readings for 2/7:

                       Emerging Technologies and Distance Education
                         (must download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view .pdf file)

2/7
Small Group Assignments for TI

No Face-to-Face Meeting
(students needing technical support will meet in university lab Robinson A101 with instructors)

Synchronous Tapped In Discussions and Experiences

Notify Instructor about Choice of First Assignment
(via email) -- please note submission guidelines

Readings for 2/14:

                       Distance Training 37 - 65

please read the Introduction in Amy Bruckman's MOOSE Crossing dissertation; you need not read more of the dissertation unless you wish

Browse if you wish: ActiveWorlds

                                 Educational MOOs

                                 MUD Connector

Assignment for 2/14:

Asynchronous Discussion in WebCT on Tapped In Experience

2/14

Discussion on Multi-User Virtual Environments

Demonstration of EverQuest

Preparation for NetMeeting next week

Preparation for Astound in two weeks

Readings for 2/21:


                       Telementoring

                       Teaching Teleapprenticeships

                       Fostering Reflective Dialogues

                       Synchronous Writing

                       Trenches on the Web

Browse if you wish:  Directory of Mentor Arts

                                 Electronic Emissary

                                 Mentoring Project

                                 Mentoring as an Aid for Teachers



Assignments for 2/21:

Prepare for NetMeeting assignment

2/21
Small Group Assignments for NetMeeting

No Face-to-Face Meeting
(students needing technical support will meet in university lab Robinson A101 with instructors)

Synchronous NetMeeting interactions

Readings for 2/28:

         Web-based Conferencing paper and associated Web-based Conferencing Table
                       by Dr.. Brenda Bannan-Ritland

This reading focuses on web-based instruction, but includes themes that also apply to more informal learning environments on the web (e.g., museum websites, professional development sites for teachers). Websites that illustrate various flavors of a more informal approach to distance learning include:

         A Framework for Web-based Learning

         References on Evaluating Websites

Interesting Examples to Browse:    The Math Forum

                                                       The Exploratorium

                                                       Webquests

                                                        trAce

Assignments for 2/28:

Asynchronous Discussion in WebCT on NetMeeting Experience

Prepare for 2/28 demonstration of websites in Tapped In

2/28
No Face-to-Face Meeting

Synchronous small group meetings in Tapped In demonstrating and discussing educational websites, held anytime during this week mutually convenient for your group

Notify Instructor about Choice of Second Assignment
(via email) -- please note submission guidelines

Readings for 3/6:

                     Forms of Telecollaboration

                     Collaborative Technology and Situated Learning

                     Designing Effective Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)

Browse if you wish:

                     Computer Supported Collaborative Learning '95 Conf

                     Computer Supported Collaborative Learning '97 Conf

                     Computer Supported Collaborative Learning '99 Conf

                     CSCW and Groupware

                     Humanizing Distributed Electronic Meetings

If interested: March 1-3, 2000 TeleCon East Conference
(the conference is quite expensive, but register now on the conference website for a free exhibit area pass)

Assignment for 3/6:

Asynchronous Discussion in WebCT on TI Website Demonstration Experience

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THREE DEBATES IN WEBCT DURING WEEK OF 3/6:

Three debates will be posted in the asynchronous discussion section of WebCT, grouped as usual by last name. Within your group, you are asked to make at least THREE contributions to EACH debate of the three debates, spaced out over the period from March 6th through March 12th. Each contribution should make arguments based not only on personal experience and insight, but also on theory and research from the course readings and other sources. Rather than making "it depends" arguments in your postings, you should take one side of the issue or the other and make arguments as to why that version is superior. Of course, if you are convinced by arguments others are making, you can switch sides. Enjoy the debates and see how you feel about this type of format/rhetoric in asynchronous discussions vs. the format we have used so far.

3/6
No Face-to-Face Meeting

Asynchronous WebCT Debates on the Instructional Design of Web-based Learning

Readings for 3/20:

Distance Training 92-136

                      How Access Benefits Children

Assignment for 3/20:

Scan information on Classwise in preparation for the lecture/discussion across distance next class

3/13

No Class -- Spring Break



3/20
No Face-to-Face Meeting

Synchronous Lecture/Discussion via Classwise

Readings for 3/27:

                     Videoconferencing for Learning

                     Videoconferencing FAQ

                     The Videoconferencing Cookbook

Also, if feasible please observe some teachers using one-way video (for example, Media General Cable in Fairfax County, VA carries GMU video-based courses on Channel 48)

3/20

Assignment for 3/30:

Asynchronous Discussion in WebCT on Astound Experience

3/27
Videoconference with NCSA

Videoconferencing as a Medium for Learning

First Assignment Due (via email)
please note submission guidelines

Readings for 4/3:

         Distance Training 155-184, 201-245, 270-306

Assignments for 4/3:

Asynchronous Discussion in WebCT
on Videoconferencing Experience

Prepare for Collaborative Small Group Work on 4/3

4/3
No Face-to-Face Meeting

Collaborative Small Group Work in NetMeeting or Astound

Readings for 4/10:

                     Using Research to Design Effective Distance Education

                     Learning Communities in K-12

To Browse If Interested:

                     The "No Significant Difference" Phenomenon

                     Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

Assignment for 4/10:

Skim Blackboard Website

4/10
Presentation about the Blackboard Instructional Framework

Research on Distance Education

Readings for 4/17:

                     Distance Training 328-350

Skim What's the Difference? A Review of Contemporary Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Learning in Higher Education (April, 1999) Download as .pdf file for Adobe Acrobat Reader

Skim Research on Web-Based Training

4/17
No Face-to-Face Meeting

Asynchronous WebCT Discussion on Evaluating the Effectiveness of Distance Education

Readings for 4/24:

                     Distance Training 369-409

                     Emerging Technologies and Distributed Learning

Skim The Future of Distance Education for ideas

Assignment for 4/24:

Small Group Case Study Assignment

4/24
No Face-to-Face Meeting

Small Group Design Work via NetMeeting or Tapped In or Chat or Astound or any other synchronous virtual medium

Readings for 5/1:

                     Increasing Students' Participation via Multiple Interactive Media

5/1

The Evolution of Distance Education

The Cognitive, Affective, and Social Affordances of Interactive Media

Second Assignment Due (via email)
please note submission guidelines

5/8

(Exam Week)

No Face-to-Face Meeting

Optional Asynchronous WebCT Discussion on the Course Design