Names: Ms. Ginger Sabine and Dr. Daryl Gilley
Type of Session: Lecture/Presentation
Preferred Track: Alternative Course Delivery
Abstract: Describes the process of creating an online course using locally produced lessons, supplemental text, threaded discussion groups, online examinations, and student access to a transparent third party URL. The Microsoft Office User Specialist Certificate takes advantage of transparent access to a third party software vendor to provide software demonstrations for online students. The presentation will present an overview of the development process form conception to delivery and will include an online demonstration of the course.
Description: Creating an online course with little or no previous experience is a daunting challenge. This presentation will present the perspective of a faculty member from Northwestern Technical Institute who created and delivered an online class in record time. The class, "Introduction to Windows" was developed and brought online in less than one year from initial conceptualization to finished product.
This presentation will use the case study approach to describe the development of a class that was created especially for the web and that leads to national certification. Unique features of the presentation include an explanation of the creation of a transparent link between two separate web sites, one of which is proprietary, to provide a learning environment rich in intuitive learning activities. The course also takes advantage of the power of the web by incorporating threaded discussion groups as an integral part of the class as well as providing numerous links to other URLs.
The presentation will also address the following four aspects of the project:
1) Faculty training
2) The design process
3) Hardware and software issues
4) Third-party partnerships
Faculty training was an important issue early on since, even though the faculty member was a computer information science instructor, creating a course for the web was a new experience. The learning curve included developing a mastery of new software, working through instructional strategy issues, many of which were discovered as a part of the instructional design process, and discovering new ways to demonstrate skills to a remote audience.
The web-based class requires additional or optional instructional design elements. The elements chosen for use with this course evolved over a period of several months. An instructional design team consisting of the faculty involved in developing web-based classes met together on a consistent basis to assist each other as they all worked through the development process. The presenters will recount the process and the issues that surfaced as the course was developed.
Hardware issues were relatively easy to agree upon. Software issues presented some interesting options. The presenters will discuss pros and cons of various web development software, course management software, third party software, and compatibility issues.
Finally, the presenters will discuss the partnership established with a third party software vendor to provide enhanced demonstrations of certain competencies, skills, procedures, etc. This third party vendor worked with the college to develop a transparent connection between the college web and the vendor web.
The presentation will make significant use of demonstrations of the actual course, accessed via the web, to provide examples of the topics being discussed.
Length: 1 hour
Audience: General, Faculty & Deans
Audience Level: All
On-Site Equipment Requirements: Internet Access
Contact Information: Ms. Ginger Sabine, Department Chair, Computer Information Systems, Northwestern Technical Institute, Rock Spring, GA 30739, Telephone: 706-764-3714, FAX 706-764-3566, email: gsabine@northwestern.tec.ga.us
Dr. Daryl Gilley, Vice President for Instruction, Northwestern Technical Institute, Rock Spring, GA 30739, Telephone: 706-764-3595, FAX 706-764-3566, email: dgilley@northwestern.tec.ga.us
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