Kutztown University
Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology
ITC 435
Distance Education in K-12 Education (3 credits)
Fall 2012
Online
Instructor Information:
Dr. Andrea Harmer
Office Phone: 610-683-4301
Email: harmer@kutztown.edu
Other important information:
Classroom emergencies:
Call Public Safety x34001
Counseling Office: Mary x 64215
Office Hours:
Tues 3-5, Wed 4-5, Th 11-1, RL 9 (I will be in my office and also available by phone during these hours)
If you need any extra help or clarification of issues related to this course, please feel free to come and see
me during my office hours or send me an email.
Text:
Online readings assigned weekly (see schedule on this syllabus and articles in D2L Content section)
Goal: To help students construct a strong foundation of distance education theory, terminology, research,
and practice, as it relates to classroom activities in the K-12 setting.
Specific Objectives: By the end of this class students will:
1) Understand research, methods, and applications related to Distance Education in K-12 classrooms.
2) Understand benefits and disadvantages to distance education in K-12 settings.
3) Be able to discuss the present state of instructional technologies used to facilitate distance
education in the K-12 classroom.
4) Be able to understand and apply pedagogical strategies for effective online learning.
5) Be able to apply best practices and emerging technologies to a distance education design.
6) Be prepared to design and develop an effective online syllabus, which details course objectives,
events and activities.
7) Be able to determine where the K-12 distance education is headed, based on past events, research,
and current course readings.
Behavioral Expectations: Our class together is considered a learning community and as such, all
community members are expected to treat each other with respect and compassion. All members’
knowledge gained through their individual and group experiences should be valued as it contributes to our
learning environment. Honesty is expected, enthusiasm and fun are welcome too!!
Please be aware of university policies on plagarism. See http:
www.kutztown.edu/library/reference/infolit/plagarism.asp
The following schedule is considered a guide for our learning together and is subject to change. Regular
attendance will ensure that you receive any updates or changes. Changes will also be posted on classroom
D2L site in case of illness or bad weather.
If you have already disclosed a disability to the Disability Services Office (215 Stratton Administration
Building) and are seeking accommodations, please feel free to speak with me privately so that I may assist
you. If you have an injury sustained during military service including PTSD or TBI, you are also eligible
for accommodations under the ADA and should contact the Disability Services Office.
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Syllabus:
DATE
Week of 8/27
TOPICS/ACTIVITIES
* Course introduction
* Student introductions
* Introduction to Distance
Education
Week of 9/3
* Benefits/Disadvantages of
Distance Education and looking
ahead to course design
Week of 9/10
* Introduction- Connectivity and
Online support associations
Week of 9/17
* Applications in K-12 Education
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ASSIGNMENTS/DUE DATES
By 9/3 you should
1. Create and send a Wordle file
to the D2L discussion board that
reflects your personality and
introduces you to the class. Please
see example and directions in
D2L Content section.
2. In D2L content section, read,
“Introduction to Distance
Education.”
3. Read “Unique Needs and
Challenges of K-12 Online
Teachers”
3. On D2L discussion board,
discuss your current familiarity
with Distance Education, ex. as a
student and/or as an instructor
and what you see as the unique
needs and/or challenges for K-12
educators.
By 9/10 you should
1. In D2L content section, read,
“Benefits of Distance Education,”
and .”
2) Take survey describing what
you believe is the greatest benefit
to teaching or learning online
By 9/17 you should
1. In D2L content section, read,
“Connectivity.”
2. In D2L discussion board,
discuss the different hardware
and software “connections” you
have used to connect remotely
with others for educational
purposes and which connectivity
solution your school district is
currently considering, if any.
Also, discuss any learning
management systems (LMS) that
you are familiar with using, ex.
Moodle, EdModo, MyBig
Campus.
By 9/24 you should
1. In D2L content section, read,
“Applications in K-12
Education,” and “A
Comprehensive Look at DE in
the K-12 Context.”
2. On D2L discussion board,
describe how you would apply
DE methods to enhance your
current classroom experience.
2
Week of 9/24
* Overview of Technology and
Rethinking Education in the
Digital Age
Week of 10/1
* Print technology
* Audio technology
* Emerging Technologies in
Distance Education
Week of 10/8
Understanding Online Learning
Pedagogical Strategies
Week of 10/15
* Computer Technology
* Web 2.0 apps used in online
learning (see post in news section
and additional files in Resources)
Week of 10/22
* Video Technology and Open
Educational Resources
Week of 10/29
* Implementation of DE,
Designing the Course Syllabus,
planning events and activities
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By 10/1 you should
1. In D2L content section, read,
“Overview of Technology”
2. Read “Rethinking Education in
the Age of Technology.”
By 10/8 you should
1. In online text, read, “Print
technology,” and “ Audio
Technology” and “Emerging
Technologies in Distance
Education, pps. ix – 22.
Edited by George Veletsianos”
2. From the Emerging
Technologies in Distance
Education ebook, choose a
chapter to summarize in a 3-4
paragraph post. This week, post
ONLY your chapter choice and
why you chose that particular
topic (first come, first serve,
chapter choices may not be
duplicated)
By 10/15 you should post your
chapter summary in the
Discussion Board.
Read Chapter 8, “What works in
K-12 Online Learning
(Exceptional Learners).”
By 10/22 you should
1. Read “Computer Technology,”
and “Online Teaching and
Classroom Change.”
2. To the digital dropbox, send a
bulleted list of at least ten ways
that you would change your
teaching strategies and/or style as
a result of having students at a
distant location.
By 10/29 you should
1. Read, “Video Technology.”
2. Choose an interesting course
for staff development from the
MIT Open Courseware site and
share it with others on the D2L
discussion board. Explain why
you chose this particular topic.
By 11/5 you should
1. Read “Implementation,” and
“A Comparison of Organizational
Structure and Pedagogical
Approach: Online versus Face-toface.”
2. See D2L “DE Course Proposal
/ Syllabus Assignment” in D2L
Content section and begin
preplanning and organizing a
3
Week of 11/5
* Organizing for Teaching
Week of 11/12
* Planning for Instruction Part 1
Week of 11/19
* Planning for Instruction Part 2
* Thanksgiving Break
Week of 11/26, 7PM EST
* Elluminate Live demo
Monday 12/5, 7PM EST
*Elluminate Live presentations
*Students will present their
proposals/syllabi on Elluminate
rough outline of your course
design, including teacher contact
info and technology needs, in
addition to content structure.
By 11/12 you should
1. Read “Organizing for
Teaching.”
2. Begin organizing one of your
existing classes with more detail,
as though you were hoping to
teach it online next semester. See
D2L “DE Course Proposal /
Syllabus Assignment” in D2L
Content section for more
information.
Due 11/28.
By 11/19 you should
1. In D2L, read “Planning for
Instruction, Part 1”
2. Begin planning and writing 2-4
pps. DE course proposal /
syllabus.
By 11/26 you should
1. In D2L, read “Planning for
Instruction, Part 2”
2. Be prepared with ear buds or
headset to log onto Elluminate
session on 11/28 and 12/5 at 7PM
EST. More details to follow on
D2L homepage at that time.
By 12/3 you should
1. Drop your DE course
proposal/syllabus into D2L
dropbox.
3. Summarize proposal for course
and topics covered in course
syllabus in 2-3 presentation
slides.
3. Send your 2-3 slides to
Slideshare.net or post online
elsewhere so that we may access
them via Elluminate during
student presentations.
Grading Rubric: (150 points total)
Assignment
Intro wordle
Distance Ed experience,
challenges
Connectivity experience
ITC 435
Point
Value
10 pts.
10 pts.
10 pts.
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Applications of DE in K-12
(D2L discussion board)
Chapter Choice for summary
Chapter Summary
Bulleted List of DE Teaching
Strategies
MIT Open Courseware for staff
development (D2L discussion)
K-12 DE Course
proposal/syllabus
K-12 DE Course
proposal/syllabus slide
presentation
Total 150
Range (as a percentage)
95.0 +
92 – 94.9
90 – 91.9
87 – 89.9
85 – 86.9
83 – 84.9
78 – 82.9
70 – 77.9
<70
10 pts.
10 pts.
20 pts.
20 pts.
10 pts.
25 pts.
25 pts.
150 pts.
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D
F
References:
Dede, C. (2005). Planning for Neomillennial Learning Styles. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 28(1), 7-12.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
FCIT (2009). Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of Southern
Florida.
Herring, M.C. & Smaldino, S.E.(1998). Planning for Interactive Distance Education: A Handbook.
Association for Educational Communication and Technology. Washington, DC : AECT.
Laureate Education, Inc. Walden University. (2011) “The Future Of Distance Education [Video Webcast].
Retrieved from:
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4894962&Survey=1&47=7389572&ClientN
odeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Lowes, S. 2008. Online teaching and classroom change: The trans-classroom teacher in the age of the
internet. Innovate, 4(3). Retrieved from http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=446
McFarlane, D.A. (2011). A comparison of organizational structure and pedagogical approach: Online
versus face-to-face. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research 8(1), January 2011, 143. http://www.thejeo.com/Archives/Volume8Number1/McFarlanepaper.pdf
Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation of Evidence-Based
Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. Available from the
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U.S. Department of Education at http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-basedpractices/finalreport.pdf
Moore, M. G. & Thompson, M.M. (1990). The effects of distance learning: A summary of the literature.
Research Monograph No. 2. University Park, The Pennsylvania State University, American Center for the
Study of Distance Education (ED 330 321).
Parker, A. (1997). A Distance Education How-To Manual: Recommendations from the Field. Educational
Technology Review. 8, 7-10.
Picciano, A. G. & Seaman, J. ( 2009). K–12 online learning: A 2008 follow-up of the survey of U.S. school
district administrators. Boston: Sloan Consortium. http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/k12online2008.
Planty, M., Hussar, W., Snyder, T., Kena, G., KewalRamani, A., Kemp, J., Bianco, K., & Dinkes, R.
(2009). The Condition of Education 2009 (NCES 2009-081). National Center for Education Statistics,
Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. Available at
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009081.pdf.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M. & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a
distance: Foundations of distance education. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson.
Verduin, J. R. & Clark, T. A. (1991). Distance education: The foundations of effective practice. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Willis, B. (1995, October). Distance Education at a Glance. University of Idaho Engineering Outreach.
Available at http://uidaho.edu/eo/dist1.html.
Zandberg, I. & Lewis, L. (2008). Technology-based distance education courses for public elementary and
secondary school students: 2002-03 and 2004-05. (NCES 2008-08). Washington, D.C.: National Center for
Educational Statistics.
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