Re-Sources Have It Your Way…..Now! Michael Anderson, UT System TeleCampus Terri Rowenhorst, Monterey Institute for Technology and Education

High-quality and diverse usually beyond the means of institutions Multi-modal learning experiences Allows instructor to focus on designing the learning experience Saves time and money Why Use External Content?

WWII Learning Object Interactive Exercise Documents Newsreel Documentary Video Text Graphics NROC History Demo

Reassemble Learning Objects Instructor Presentation Advanced or Remedial Study Offered Course NROC Course

To achieve course learning outcomes  What content adds value?  Multi-modal or media-rich  Activities, assignments, assessments utilizing CMS  Simulations and interactivity  And is appropriate?  Bandwidth and Accessibility  Support and Reliability  Design and Usability  Rights of Use and Costs Selecting Content

 Commercial  Print publishers (proprietary or Blackboard)  Course vendors (complete courses)  Supplement providers  Non-Profit & OER  Course Developers (complete courses)  Repositories  Referatories  Institutions/CoP  Local Initiatives Wide Range of Sources

 Vetted content (confidence in editorial quality saves review time)  More costly, per student charges  Textbook specific materials usually provided as course cartridges  Lack of flexibility for instructor customization and hosting Commercial: Print Publishers

ThinkwellThinkwell, SIRIUS  Vetted content (confidence in editorial quality saves review time)  More costly, per student charges  Services in addition to courses  Lack of flexibility for instructor customization and hosting Commercial: Course Vendors

WebAssign, SAS: Curriculum PathwaysSAS: Curriculum Pathways  Vetted, permissioned content  Search and choose  Flexibility to download (United Streaming) or access in hosted environment (CP)  Breadth of coverage  Transaction model for the content (student purchase, license, statewide purchase, etc.) Commercial: Supplement Providers

Repositories (Wisc-Online), Referatories (MERLOT), & Institutions/CoP (Orange Grove, SCORE, TLT)Wisc-OnlineMERLOTOrange Grove  Low cost or gratis access  Flexibility varies significantly  Not vetted (uneven quality, single perspective)  Requires time to visit multiple sources  Technology incompatibilities/multiple support Non-Profit Collections

NROCNROC, MIT-OCW, CMU-OLI, SOFIA  Vetted (partly) content at affordable prices  Flexibility for customization and hosting  Inclusion of media-rich, multi-modal content varies significantly  Commitment and funding  Educational non-profits provide balance between vetted content, flexibility and cost Non-Profit & OER Courses

The Goals of NROC To create a repository of high-quality undergraduate, high school, and AP courses and distribute them at little or no cost to students and teachers worldwide. In pursuing this goal, NROC achieves other important outcomes:  increasing access to high-quality content designed for online  helping establish content and technical standards for online content  fostering collaboration among content developers and users  promoting the scholarship of teaching  addressing the needs of underserved students (OER)

Strategies for Evaluating Online Content Does the content and technology fit the design philosophy of the online program?  Objectives and outcomes  Instructional design philosophy  Flexibility to fit within the course format  Institutional branding  Transparency  Development process

What are the limitations of your support structure?  Technology compatibility (i.e., plug-ins, software apps)  Flexible access and storage  Ownership and rights of use  Term of access  Licensing concerns Strategies for Evaluating Online Content

Is it easy for instructors to use?  Transparent technology  Technology support staff and training  Instructional design staff and training  Support and feedback loop with the developer Strategies for Evaluating Online Content

Is it easy to use for students?  Quality directions for using the content  Transparent navigation and access  Transparent technology  Appropriate bandwidth  Is any additional help desk support required and how does that affect student success? Strategies for Evaluating Online Content

Yes Do I want to use 3 rd party content? No Continue building course on my own How do I plan to use the content? Augment existing content Start with all new content Replace existing content External Content: A Decision-Making Model

What sources do I want to use? Augment existing content Start with all new content Replace existing content Community of Practice Publishers & non-profits Repositories/ referatories Time The Ecology of External Content

Augment existing content Start with all new content Replace existing content What computer-aided strategies do I want to utilize? terminology research design theories Vocabulary Drill Access to tools Audio cases SimulationPodcast Pedagogical Strategy

Evaluate search results Design Integration flexibility Color Editing/CMS Navigation Detachable/target Plug-ins Technical Integration reliability Linked location Embedded location IP/storage SCORM Support Implementation Quality Standards

Continuous Improvement Evaluating Effectiveness  Student Engagement Levels and Performance  Learning Outcomes and Achievement  Using CMS Tools  Networking and Sharing in Communities  Feedback loop with the developer  Course evaluation tools like OCEP or cEval

OCEPOCEP: Categories and Process The Evaluation Team Project Director ● Instructional Design Evaluator Academic Evaluator ● Technology Evaluator OCEP categories - 7 major divisions Scope and Scholarship User Interface Course Features and Production Values Assessments and Test Items Instructor and Learner Communication Technology Distribution Model

Contact Information University of Texas System TeleCampus Michael Anderson Monterey Institute for Technology and Education Terri Rowenhorst