Running head: EDIT 5370 SUMMER 2, 2014: FINAL 1

EDIT 5370 Summer 2, 2014

Final
Donald Hume
Texas Tech University



EDIT 5370 SUMMER 2, 2014: FINAL 2

EDIT 5370 Summer 2, 2014: Final
Chapter Summaries
Module 2
Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek !2012" define distance education as
Institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive
telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors (p. 32).
This definition seems to exclude a number of the courses that pioneered the education of students
who were geographically separated from their teachers through the use of the word
telecommunications. The Oxford English Dictionary !2002" indicates that the word refers to
communication over long distances, esp. by electrical means. Simonson et al !2012" try to
alter the focus on electronic communication by stating that The phrase telecommunication
systems implies electronic media, such as television, telephone, and the Internet, but the term
need not by limited to only electronic media. Telecommunications is defined as communicating
at a distance (p. 34). Simonson et al do not give a citation for their definition of the word, but a
simple search in most print or online dictionaries will return some mention of electronic means,
such as over distance by a cable (New Oxford American Dictionary) or at a distance by
transmission of electrical impulses, electromagnetic waves, or optical pulses (American
Heritage Dictionary). The point of whether the word telecommunications specifies electronic
communication is semantic, but what is cogent to an understanding of distance education is the
reliance on communication technology, whether that be postal communication, as in the
traditional correspondence course, broadcast communication, as in televised courses, or internet
communication, as with most current university distance courses today.
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The reliance on current communication technology is common among distance courses
from the very beginning of their existence. Sir Issac Pitmans correspondence course begun was
only successful because the newly established Penny Post enabled more rapid communication
between student and teacher !Simonson et al., 2012". The 1950s saw the first televised course
broadcast from Western Reserve University in Ohio !Simonson et al., 2012". Today, the distance
courses offered at nearly all universities rely on the internet for nearly instantaneous
communication at a distance between instructor and student. In the future, distance courses will
adopt the most advantageous communication systems available, just as they have in the past.
Module 3
Many specialized areas of education have bodies of research focused on the peculiarities
of certain types of instruction, certain methods of instruction, and certain groups of students.
Distance education is no different. Sometimes the research examines changing attitudes among
students who have grown up with full access to the internet, as in Kier !2014", where the study
finds that undergraduate distance student are unable to identify plagiarized passages when asked
to do so in a multiple choice quiz. Students were shown a passage from their textbook and then
four paraphrases and asked to identify which paraphrases would constitute plagiarism. A
minority of students were able to do so consistently. Kier !2014" notes that the study found that
undergraduate students have a decreased sense of the severity of plagiarism because they see
undergraduate work as the reviewing of others work anyway (as opposed to the creation of
original knowledge).
Sometimes distance educational research looks at more specific platforms of delivery, as
in Pukkaew !2013", who evaluated a particular learning management system. Pukkaew
discovered that distance learners spent less time engaged in educational activities, but the
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learning outcomes were equivalent to their face-to-face colleagues. Some of the tools provided in
the LMS were underutilized, but students and professors utilized the same type of tools through
social networking sites, such as Facebook. All in all, there is a great variety of research in
distance education that can enrich the distance education practitioner.
Module 4
This module presented the challenge of using both synchronous and asynchronous
internet communication tools with other students in this course. My group used the asynchronous
tool Calendly to arrange a mutually convenient time to use a synchronous tool. Calendly allows
users to set appointment types with various lengths and availabilities, and then invite others
through an emailed link to choose an appointment time. This eliminates the need for back-and-
forth emailing with possible dates. It was easy to setup and use. However, for a distance
educational tool, Calendly might be of limited use. Most distance courses are offered using a
Learning Management System of some type, and the three different ones that I have used
(Blackboard, Desire2Learn, and Canvas) all have this type of scheduling built-in.
For our synchronous experience we used a combination of iMessage and Google
Hangouts. iMessage is a SMS alternative that allows instant communication between individuals
and small groups. A drawback to iMessage is that it is tied to a persons personal contact
information, either an email or cell phone number, so teachers may be reluctant to use the
technology with students (and it may indeed present some ethical problems as well). Google
Hangouts provided similar text-based communication, but with the benefit that it is connected to
a single Gmail account, so a teacher could create a specific account to use when communicating
with students without divulging personal contact information.
Module 5
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The instructional design models that I studied most closely for this module were the Dick
and Carey model and the ADDIE model. The Dick and Carey Model (Edutech.wiki) generally
involves about ten steps. These are specific steps requiring the setting of educational outcomes,
defining methods of acquiring those outcomes, and then assessing them. The ADDIE Model
(Greaney and Ellis) only involves five steps, but in general they are consistent with the spirit of
the Dick and Carey model. I preferred the ADDIE Model because of its flexibility in adapting to
new technologies and new pedagogies; Dick and Carrie is clearly attached to an early-2000s
pedagogy and communication technology.
In both of these models, I was struck by how similar they are to conventional lesson plan
models, such as the ubiquitous Madeline Hunter Model. Indeed, but simply changing the name
of the steps in the Madeline Hunter Model to match the names in the Dick and Carey Model, you
end up with nearly the same steps. This highlights that good teaching and effective course
development is independent of the tools used to communicate course content. A solid course will
only succeed due to the planning of the instructor, whether that course be online,
correspondence, or face-to-face.
Module 6
Part of developing an online course is creating class policies and activities that will
promote student learning. A part that might sometimes be overlooked, however, is planning to
support students who may be unfamiliar with distance education, especially with the
technological competence required in online courses. Having resources available for students
who may need help with setting up their browsers, learning how to send and receive email, or
login to a university system might seem like it is beyond the scope of an individual instructor,
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and it may be, but ensuring that all students can be successful is the responsibility of the
university as a whole, of which the instructor plays an important role.
Converting a face-to-face course to an online course involves the making of
compromises. Because the technology often makes lecturing more difficult for online instructors,
there is a tremendous opportunity to add more authentic learning experiences to a course by
empowering the students to be responsible for their own learning !Simonson et al., 2012".
Brainstorming authentic learning activities that will lead students to similar knowledge as face-
to-face lectures is an exciting part of developing online curriculum.
Module 7
Providing consistency for students across an academic institution is important so that
there is continuity to the appearance and operation of all courses. This does not mean that
professors dont have the freedom to develop and implement their own activities, teaching styles,
or methods, but that, for the sake of professional appearance and student understanding, certain
consistent policies are implemented. The developing of policies for use across an institution is a
daunting task, since so many diverse opinions and experiences exist. However, tapping those
experiences in order to provide stability to an online distance program is important to ensuring
the long-term success of that program.
An additional facet of accommodation for special needs must be considered for online
distance learning: access. Students with handicapping conditions have access to various tools
that enable them to connect to their teachers and peers via the internet, but some students, even
without handicapping conditions, have no way to access the internet from their homes. Indeed,
some students may not even have a home. As part of developing a solid distance program,
institutions need to consider ways that they can help accommodate those students who need
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assistance either in obtaining technological hardware, or access to it, or providing access to the
internet either at their homes or through public workstations.
Implications for the Future
The high school district where I work has used a very outdated LMS for the past 13
years, which did not provide the tools modern LMSs do. This year, we have stopped using the
outdated system and are requiring a transition to a full-fledged LMS, Canvas. I have not used
Canvas in the past, since there was no guarantee that our school board was going to purchase the
required access. Now that they have, I will be entering this school year looking to transition my
online instructional tools that augment my face-to-face class to this more up-to-date LMS. As I
do so, I will be able to use the knowledge acquired in this course to help develop online options
that will ensure authentic student learning. I am looking to include online assignment
submission, online practice quizzes, online exams, video lectures or video streams to provide
content, and online scheduling for office hours and tutoring.
In a similar way, I am now much more aware of the system-wide implications of online
learning, and will be able to help ensure that my district makes choices consistent with good
practice in providing distance learning. The majority of distance learning in my district will be in
blended-type classes, so distance tools will important as an augmentation to face-to-face
instruction. However, there has been a quiet conversation about using online education to
provide remediation and credit recovery for some students. Developing fully-online courses
requires a different specialization, and I will be able to use the knowledge from this course to
help shape the future of distance learning in my high school district.


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References
ADDIE model (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.learning-theories.com/addie-model
Greaney, Marleigh, & Ellis. Using the Addie model for effective pedagogical interventions.
Retreived from http://www.cdc.qc.ca/actes_aqpc/2005/ellis_joanne_608.pdf.
Kier, C. A. (2014). How Well do Canadian Distance Education Students Understand Plagiarism?
The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(1), 227248.
Pukkaew, C. (2013). Assessment of the Effectiveness of Internet-Based Distance Learning
through the VClass e-Education Platform. International Review of Research in Open &
Distance Learning, 14(4), 255276.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a
distance (5 ed.). Pearson.
Telecommunication. (2014). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
(Fifth Edition). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Retrieved August 8,
2014 at www.ahdictionary.com.
Telecommunication. (2005). New Oxford American Dictionary (Second Edition). Oxford
University Press. Retrieved August 8, 2014, from www.oxforddictionaries.com/us
Telecommunication. (2002) Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition). Oxford, England:
Oxford University Press. Retrieved August 8, 2014, from http://www.oed.org