Course Portfolio

I. Katelyn Brissey M.Ed. in Educational Technology University of South Carolina-Aiken ET 755- Design and Evaluation of Information Access and Delivery Summer I, 2013 II. Research and Practice in Distance Education This course has prepared me in understanding how an online course should be set up. The organization, use of design principles, and accommodations for students are important to the success of the course. Also, easy navigation to access sections of the course as well as the ability to find the goals and objectives in multiple places is also important. Besides the set up of an online class, I have also learned that it is important to promote asynchronous learning, learning from different forms of media, showing practical uses of the content, and instilling motivation in students as a result. This portfolio will show how each assignment aligns to the goals of distance and online education. Goal 1: To be knowledgeable about research in aspects of distance education and the use of telecommunications in educational and other settings. 1. Discussion Board and Group Discussion Board During these discussions, we had to read and sometimes do research on multiple topics concerning distance education. Some of these discussions were individual where we read and responded to articles in our text, while others were a collaborative effort with other students. In the "Small Group Discussions," we were to choose an article that fit our goals and interests the most. We discussed the important parts of the article, and we summarized our discussion. The first article my group chose was "Faculty Development: Using Distance Education Effectively in the Classroom." We discussed our experiences with distance education, and what we thought were some elements of good online learning. Not surprisingly, we found that asynchronous discussion was very important to the overall idea of distance education. In our second discussion, we discussed the article "How Online Learning is Reinventing College." This article discussed the effects of online learning in a college environment. In our individual discussions, we discussed chapters in our book, which included, "Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning." In this chapter, we learned how distance education matches up with already existing learning theories and how it creates new learning theories that are all inclusive. Another chapter we discussed was "Toward a Theory of Online Learning," and this

just focused more on what online learning should offer. Finally, we had a narrated presentation that focused on the development of online learning, which helped to set up our evaluation of courses online. 2. Research Synthesis This project required us to research several articles, at least twenty, and summarize each of their effects on distance education in an annotated bibliography. My topic was about the effects of simulations and games on distance learning. While I couldn't find a great deal of articles that dealt only with simulations and games in distance learning, I was able to find parallels and similarities in simulations and games in regular education classrooms. This assignment helped me get familiar with finding research articles in a field that I am interested in pursuing. I was able to know exactly what I was looking for by the time I had already looked at a few articles. I feel more confident in knowing how to locate and use research articles now. It helped me form an opinion on my topic, and promoted even more interest in that particular field. Goal 2: To critically evaluate examples of distance education implementation in educational and business settings. 1. Evaluate Instructional or Training Sites This was a group project where we had to evaluate two course sites based on the rubric for effective distance education. We chose two sites from MIT's OpenCourseWare that seemed like complete courses. We did not give the sites a numerical grade, but we used the rubric to assess the pros and cons of the website. We looked for easy website access, clear learning objectives, assessments, interaction, support, and accessibility. This helped me become more familiar with what an effective online course should look like and helped me gather my thoughts about what might make a course site frustrating to use. This assignment helped another group and I to build our own course later on. 2. Course Sites Build and Reflection This was a group assignment that allowed us to use what we've learned about effective distance education in a practical way. My group and I developed an 8-week course that covered different elements of graphic design. Not only did we completely create assignments for every week, but we also played the role of "student" in some of our peers' classes. At the end of both parts, we had to reflect on what was and wasn't effective in our course and the one we participated in. The reflection especially helped me become aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my site. I think the key is to follow the rubric step-by-step and to put my mind as someone who is using the site. This will help me be more conscious about what goes into a course site in the future.

Goal 3: To construct effective delivery of courses, topics, or training by using existing CMS tools. 1. Using the Wiki Throughout the course, we had to use our own wiki on Wikispaces to host our work. During the first week, we were asked to create the page, and on the page, upload a VoiceThread that will serve as a video introduction. This allowed me to become familiar with other course development and delivery tools. It showed me that not everything has to be typed. There are various ways that information can be passed on. I would love to use wikis in my own classroom as well as give students a way to express themselves in more ways than just typing. 2. Narrated Reflection This assignment was based off of the research synthesis project. We had to narrate a few points about the research synthesis that we thought stood out and was important. We were given a choice of three different tools to use. The tool I chose was https://present.me/. I chose this site because it seemed simple to use, and I had never used it before. This allowed me to focus on my ability to narrate in a 5-minute window. It can be a lot more difficult than it seems. I enjoyed using this tool, however, because sometimes it's easier for me to explain what I learned in a verbal way. I also enjoyed using pictures to enhance my points. I will definitely use this site in any projects I may have down the road or use it for 5-minute tutorials. III. Summary

In this course, I learned so much about distance education and best practices in distance education. I was able to collaborate with my peers and discuss some important topics about distance education; I was able to do extensive research on a topic that I am interested; I was able to evaluate and create a course that used distance education principles; and I was able to complete all of my assignments with a variety of course development tools. I feel that I will be able to use everything I learned here to help me in the future. I will use my experiences to shape my classroom this fall, and even thought it's not a distance education class, I feel that much of what I've learned can still be used.