Professor & Director of Online Education Online Technology Education Master’s: Year-One Update www.bsu.edu/iandt Jim Flowers Professor & Director of Online Education Department of Industry & Technology, College of Applied Sciences & Technology Ball State University jcflowers1@bsu.edu web.bsu.edu/jcflowers1

Outline Program Description Historical Development for Online Delivery A Peek at a Sample Course Benefits Challenges

Two Online Masters from Ball State University MA in Technology Education Online as of Summer, 2002 MA in Career & Technical Education Online as of Fall, 2002

Master of Arts in Technology Education Long-established on-campus 30 graduate hours Core: 21 hours Electives: 9 hours Thesis: optional

Online Core Courses Implementing TE History & Philosophy of TE Strategies & Materials for Teaching TE Curriculum Development in TE Seminar in TE Research in Industrial Education (Instructional Use of Educational Media & Technology)

Electives may include: Technology: Use & Assessment Practicum in TE for Elementary Grades Thesis Courses from the online MA in CATE Courses from the online certificate in Adult Education (Methodology of Ed. & Psych. Research) Other online or face-to-face courses

Admission Requirements Baccalaureate in any area from an accredited institution, and any of: Undergraduate GPA of 2.75/4.00; or Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on latter half; or Other GPA and acceptable scores on GRE and acceptable grades in first 9 graduate hours at Ball State

Transfer Credits Up to 9 graduate hours Grade of B or better 6-year window Subject to advisor approval

Teaching License? The MA in Tech Ed does not provide initial teacher licensure. Students in various states may use it for pay raises. (A fast-track option is currently proposed.)

Online Graduate Tuition One-time Admission Fee: $35 Spring 2003 was: Out-of-state: $325/hr, $975/course IN residents: $175/hr, $525/course Summer and Fall 2003 not yet set 6% to 9% annual increase expected

Tuition Increases

School of Extended Education Assistance with registration Help in initial contacts Course packs and initial mailings Marketing assistance

University Libraries Databases are searchable Many articles can be downloaded Materials can be mailed to students Electronic reserves

Online Program Faculty Clockwise from top left: Dr. James Kirkwood Dr. Jack Wescott Dr. Richard Seymour Mr. Richard Ertle Dr. Samuel Cotton Dr. Ray Shackelford Dr. Jim Flowers Dr. Annette Rose Dr. Scott Warner

Putting a Master’s Online Needs Assessment (Spring 2000) Pilot Course (Technology Use & Assessment) Fall 2000 Decision to go online Approvals Departmental Director of Online Education Faculty support and course development Marketing Implementation and assessment

Needs Assessment Survey sent to ITEA members Substantial need exists Obstacles exit http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n1/flowers.html

Need Convenience Continuing education credits Place Time flexibility Continuing education credits Graduate degree & course in Tech Ed\

But does this need fit into Ball State’s institutional plans?

BSU Distance Ed Strategic Plan Online Delivery Complete Degree Programs Graduate Programs Niche Markets

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

Decision to Go Online Declining F2F enrollment 8 profs – unanimous decision “No changes to graduate catalog” Previous instructors get “first dibs” on teaching a course online. Internal proposal: www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/projects/onlinemasters/proposal.htm 2 master’s degrees with 14 newly online courses from Ind. & Tech

Approvals Program Committee & Chair Dean Continuing Education Dean “Teleplex” (funds for development) Univ. Graduate Education Committee Indiana Commission on Higher Education

Faculty Support $1500 or one course buy-out in each of two developmental semesters $1500 or one course buy-out for first online implementation $50 / student for each student over the minimum in a distance education section $750 in the semester following initial online implementation for revision Assistance from instructional technologist

Course Assessment Peer Review (Developmental Period I) Peer Review (Developmental Period II) Usability testing as requested First Online Implementation Student Evaluation of Course & Instructor Course Improvement Survey (optional) Formal Review of Implemented Course Plan for Revision

Faculty load On-campus online and off-campus online courses “taught together” At least 6 students => The course makes If both sections make, there is an overload

On-Campus vs. Off-Campus Taught as one online class, but with: Different section numbers Different tuition Different support (passwords, registration) Different advertising

Online Classes: Fall, 2000 & Fall 2001 *Technology Use & Assessment

Online Classes: Summer 2002 *Practicum in TE for the Elementary Grades

Online Classes: Fall 2002 Technology Use & Assessment *Strategies & Materials for Teaching TE *History & Philosophy of Vocational Ed. *Instructional Use of Ed. Media & Technology

Online Classes: Spring 2003 Technology Use & Assessment *Implementing Technology Education *Organization & Coordination of Voc. Ed.

Online Classes: Summer 2003 May 12 – June 14 Practicum in TE for the Elementary Grades *Seminar in Technology Education *Vocational Student Organizations

Online Classes: Fall 2003 August 25 to December 15 Technology Use & Assessment *History & Philosophy of Tech. Ed. Strategies & Materials for Teaching Tech. Ed. *Research in Industrial Education *Trade & Occupational Analysis *Career & Technical Related Class Content Instructional Use of Ed. Media & Technology

Course Enrollment The last few face-to-face Tech Ed Grad courses had 7, 8, 6, and 4 students each. First 9 online graduate courses had an average of 18.3 students each.

A New Audience Students from Indiana Michigan Wisconsin New York Florida Wyoming Illinois Ohio Pennsylvania

Program Enrollment

Marketing & Recruitment: Website

Marketing & Recruitment www.bsu.edu/iandt Email* Banner Ad Journal Ads Brochures Presentations Articles* Other

Recruiting On-Campus Graduate Assistants Greater selection of courses, including many face-to-face Stipend, tuition waiver, work with students

Sample Course ITEDU 510, Technology: Use & Assessment Info: Modules: www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/510intro.htm Modules: www.bsu.edu/web/jcflowers1/rlo/510.htm

Blackboard 5.5.1 L3 Course Site

Discussion Board Forums

Sample Thread

Sample Posting

Learning Modules

Learning Modules

Benefits & Challenges

Student Benefits: 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 one’s own job

Student Benefits: Human Contact More personalized, meaningful communication Individual and collaborative learning activities Online communication can be deeper

Student Benefits: Quality Education Diverse faculty (8 online profs in I&T) Ideal class sizes Learning materials available online for later review Choice of 3 electives

Faculty Benefits: Course improvement through revision Use of online tools Reusable learning objects Self-grading quizzes Tutorials Greater diversity of ideas

Program Benefits: Survival Making a name in a new frontier New opportunities for: Courses Faculty Research

Challenges: Prospective Students Escalating tuition Tuition rate lead time too short Admissions hoops and delays Locating prospective students Misconceptions about online education Getting started

Challenges: Students Building community among graduate students Technical issues Learning new paradigms Time management The challenge to apply learning to one’s situation

Challenges: Faculty Course content issues Creative use of best practices Building a community of scholars in online education Online pedagogy Technical issues Time management Load, merit, P&T Ownership Copyrights Research and online education

Research Online learning needs assessment Cooperative & collaborative online learning groups. Cognitive role assignment Faculty Researching OnLine Education Reusable learning objects

Challenges: Administration Staffing (Summer) Orientation Institutional Policies On- vs. off-campus Course registration windows Faculty Support Marketing Program Review Improving User-Friendliness

The future: Increasing enrollments Increasing tuition A self-marketing program Off-campus faculty Alternative licensing Increased research

Professor & Director of Online Education Online Technology Education Master’s: Year-One Update www.bsu.edu/iandt Jim Flowers Professor & Director of Online Education Department of Industry & Technology, College of Applied Sciences & Technology Ball State University jcflowers1@bsu.edu web.bsu.edu/jcflowers1