Ph.D. DEGREE COMPLETION PLAN

I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Education and Professional Development with a specialization in Technology in Education.

Born in Germany of American parents, I was raised overseas and attended schools in Taiwan, Okinawa, and Panama. As an adult, I spent some time with Peace Corps in Costa Rica after earning a BA in English and Philosophy and then went on to obtain a teaching qualification in Spanish. In 1990, after completing an MA-Education in Wisconsin, I move overseas. Since that time, I have taught in Sri Lanka, Lesotho, and, now, Saudi Arabia. Each job brings new experiences and more learning opportunities.

My teaching experiences have included:

• Teaching Information Technology for 13 years in the USA, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, and Saudi Arabia
• Assistant Examiner for ITGS (Information Technology in a Global Society), an International Baccalaureate course that looks at the ethics of technology
• Teaching Spanish for two years in the USA, two years in Sri Lanka, and one year in Saudi Arabia
• Developer of materials for adult IT courses
• Writing of grants for hardware and software in Sri Lanka and Lesotho
• Setting up and maintaining simple 25+ network systems
• Head of the IT Department in Lesotho

At the age of 43, I have come to question why so many of our IT courses have virtually not changed. We still teach the basic spreadsheet, database, and word processing components. Of course, there have been the inevitable additions of internet and e-mail projects but something is wrong when the brightest kids aren't challenged because they learn what they need to at home and we don't deal well with the divergent ability levels within each class. Of course, there is the school network. And, yes, the students do use the network to save and access work from different locations but it's all the same style. There must be something more and why have we as educators been more effective?

With that in mind, I began to search for a program that would allow me to continue with employment as simple economics dictates the job must go on while studying. Knowing that I wanted a course dealing with technology and education, I searched and narrowed the offerings to NOVA and Walden Universities but there was something lacking in each program. Serendipitously, I came across the Capella program which had all the necessary requirements:

• Regional accreditation

• Wide variety of elective courses including network, web, and assessment strategies

• On-line availability

• Residency requirements

The school that currently employs me will not be able to support me with regards to this program. Therefore, I have decided that once the degree is completed, I will need to move on to another school that might be more forward looking technologically speaking. My future employment goals would be:

• continue working overseas in accredited international high schools where there is a technology and/or curriculum co-ordinator position and/or entry level administrator;

• make the transition from secondary to tertiary education with a teaching position in a college/university; or

• search out employment in a more localized government setting in charge of designing/implementing technology in education programs.

Previous Course Work: 28 credits have been accepted from the MA-Education course done at the UW-Stevens Point in 1988-1990. I am comfortable with graduate level course work and look to completing the doctorate in 2-2 1/2 years.

Writing Skills: I tend to be better at enumerating points rather than elaborate descriptions although I have written a few grant proposals and some articles for publication in overseas educational journals. I consider myself a good writer and the emphasis on writing at Capella will help me fine-tune those skills.

Workshops or seminars: I have attended the usual group of workshops with a 13 year teaching career -- none of which were memorable and/or useful because they were not relevant. I have put on IT workshops for adults in Sri Lanka and Lesotho. In most cases, I designed the coursework and, in later years, the courses followed the parameters suggested by the Cambridge University Information Technology Modules as we were an accredited center for these courses. With the completion of the Ph.D., however, I would expect to put on additional technology workshops.

Volunteer Activities: Overseas living does not allow for many opportunities for volunteer activities beyond that of tutorials. Earlier volunteer activities concerned President, PTA; fund raising; and grant writing. Perhaps this previous work may create opportunities for obtaining funding for technology and/or the formulation of IT curriculum upon the completion of the doctoral program.

Experience in designing and conducting research: With the exception of basic surveys sent to individuals in the community, parents, and/or students, I have not conducted original research. I do, however, have more experience researching particular topics and am simplify articles into their main points. I would expect to strengthen my primary research skills, particularly statistical analysis, through a program worked out with my mentor at Capella.

Self-directed learning skills: I am self-motivated because I believe that learner must not and cannot stop for any adult. In addition to pursuing the doctoral program, I have also completed self-directed courses in Art and obtained my original teaching certification through a combination of independent and traditional courses.

Knowledge of academic field: Although I have a daily involvement with both technology and education, I believe that technology should be changing the way we teach; however, I do not believe that is happening which is why I am beginning this doctorate program. Partially this lack of change is due, to the day-to-day problems of education, which means that we lose sight of the overall picture which I am hoping Capella will help me to re-establish.

Access to resources: In Saudi Arabia, there are some particularly unique problems. For example, libraries are, technically speaking, illegal and the bookstores do not offer any texts that do not follow particular tenets as interpreted by the Saudi Government. However, we do have access to the Internet and I expect to receive many of the documents that I need in .pdf format! We are able to visit the USA two times a year and during that time I will need to obtain texts in advance of taking the courses which I will work out with my mentor so that I am not at a loss for any resources. I also have access to resources in the UK because my husband is British and we have some connections with the College of Education, Bath University. I am particularly interested in those connections because I will want to look at international sources as well as American references.

Professional presentations or publications: I have published a few articles in some international educational journals and/or newspapers which have centered around the use of the Internet in Education. I expect to use the assignments for various courses as material for the publication of more articles.

Master's thesis involving original research: The UW-Stevens Point MA program offered an exam option and/or a thesis option. I opted for the exam option because I was scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka before the these would have been completed and, at that time, we did not have access to the Internet. However, I will be working with my mentor to help develop my research skills.

Computer skills: I have adequate skills in the following areas: word processing, spreadsheets, databases, C+ programming, Turbo Pascal programming, graphics, desktop publishing, HTML, basic network techniques, and web editors. I would like to fine-tune my Internet and Web Building skills through Capella and, as such, have included four IT courses in my course selection.

Internship experience: I have never participated in an internship although I did a teaching practical about 14 years ago. I am not sure whether or not an internship would be a viable experience for me as my major employment is overseas and our time in the states is limited to part of the summer and the Christmas season when most educational facilities are closed.

Select the foundation, field core, research and elective courses needed to complete the degree. For each course, include the course number and title (also add the course description for each elective selected). You must provide an explanation of the relevance of each selected elective course to your goals and educational background. Please attach a copy of your Course and Credit Evaluation Form to this section.

GENERAL: I am planning on taking three courses per quarter and plan on completing the program within 2-1/2 years. Taking three courses per quarter is more than I need because three courses from the MA program have been accepted; however, I would like to take the four IT courses as electives as mentioned above in the computer skills section. I understand that this could be an additional certificate but, at this time, I am more interested in the courses themselves rather than the actual certificate.

Required Courses:

• PC501 Program Completion Strategies (June, 2000)
• SC501 Survey of Research in Societal and Cultural Change (Summer, 2000)
• ED815 The Future of Educational Institutions: Topics and Trends (Summer, 2000)
• HD501 Survey of Research in Human Development and Behavior
• ED811 The History of Education
• ED812 The Governance of Educational Institutions
• ED814 Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Educational Process
• RM900 Advanced Study in Research Methods
• RM502 Comprehensive
• RM910 Dissertation

Elective Courses: For my elective section, I am particularly interested in developing three areas:

• web application development
• administrative philosophy
• network management

Web Application Development - Self-taught in web design and implementation, I have been pragmatic in terms of my learning rather than concentrating on new techniques and design strategies. With these courses, I intend to be able to design and implement a web based course and/or IT curriculum. This area is my most important priority for the Ph.D. program.

ED720 Introduction to Multimedia and Web-Based Instruction (Summer, 2000). This course lays the groundwork for designing and implementing on-line training and education via CD-ROM, intranets, and the World Wide Web. This course provides a solid foundation for understanding all the components necessary for completing a successful project. Topics include: effective use of multimedia; hardware and software systems; elements of multimedia text, graphics, video and sound; designing and producing a multimedia title; and project management.

ED721 Advanced Techniques in Instructional Design. This course presents a proven model for designing effective on-line instruction and highlights the common mistakes made by designers. It provides a detailed examination of common instructional methodologies, such as tutorials and simulations, and teaches a detailed approach to costing, budgeting, and project management. Throughout the course, practical guidelines are provided for overcoming the most common obstacles to effective development.

ED722 Interface Design. Almost all communication in on-line learning is visual. For this communication to be effective, the instructional designer must consider both functionality and appeal. This includes issues such as screen layout, color, navigation, and the use of graphics and video. This course also deals with the non-visual interfaces of sound, and user input via keyboard, mouse, voice and touch. This course provides practical guidance for designing all interfaces to be effective and attractive.

ED723 Developing Effective On-line Assessment. More and more, organizations are requiring that assessment be included in on-line learning environments. To accomplish this successfully requires two things to be done well. First, the assessment instrument itself, the questions or activities must be developed to elicit the required information. Second, the constraints of the on-line environment must be understood and catered to. This course provides principles and practice on developing effective assessment for Kirkpatrick's first two levels, as well as an in-depth discussion of the issues of doing assessment on-line. In addition, issues of security and privacy are addressed.

ED724 Project Management for Multimedia Development. The design and development of on-line multimedia courses require the coordination of a variety of people doing very different tasks. Each person has to produce what is required in timely fashion within a prescribed budget. This course deals with all the issues needed to manage these projects, from budgeting to final roll out. It provides insights and specific tools to accomplish the task successfully.

ED848 Authoring for the World Wide Web. This course introduces tools for developing distance education via the Web. Participants will become sufficiently skilled to develop a prototype course.

ED825 Curriculum Development. This course explores implementation and assessment of curricula based on historical and theoretical perspectives. Learners may examine curricula from any educational setting.

Administrative Philosophy - Should I make the transition to tertiiary education and/or an administrative position overseas, I will need to understand more about the whole picture for education. Several years ago, I began a Certificate in Administration through the Principal's Training Center; however, I needed more substance in the basic course offerings and completed only two of the necessary four courses.

ED820 Principles of Educational Administration. This course offers an examination of the principles of administrative theory and practice. Models of administration from business and public administration as well as theoretical constructs from various disciplines are explored.

ED823 Education and the Law. This course explores constitutional, statutory and case law as related to primary and secondary school settings. Both federal and state legislation are examined.

ED856 Supervisory Principles. This course focuses on analysis of various methods of supervision. The skills, aptitudes and attitudes required for pre-conferencing, observation, analysis and diagnosis, post-conferencing and follow-up are studied.

Network Management - Inevitably, in an international school setting, we are our own technicians and, although, I am self-taught, I know that there should be better ways of dealing with the problems. In particular, I am interested in learning more about a whole-system way of dealing with problems rather than the "Band-Aid" approach currently used which means that we take care of problems as they occur and don't investigate the reasons why they might be occurring. That is, we don't look at the infrastructure of the system to see whether or not it is sound - we just fix the problems as they occur.

IT821 Systems Development Life Cycle. This course covers the professional practice of information and technology system analysis, systems design, and definition as they apply to the system and its life cycle. Topics include data collection, data analysis, specification writing. Several approaches will be considered including waterfall methods, spiral methods, scrum methods, and concurrent development methods.

IT884 Network Technology. The course presents an overview of network technology. Learners consider video systems, LAN/MAN/WAN, wireless systems, satellite communications, Internet and the World Wide Web, cable networks, and voice and data communications.

IT892 Environmental and Societal Issues in Telecommunications. The relationship of telecommunication to the environmental and society is examined. Topics that are considered include a consideration of free speech and privacy, the impact of chemicals, noise, and recycling. International and global issues are included.

PART FOUR: Description of Proposed Dissertation Topic

To date, I have several ideas. Perhaps you could comment on a few of them. I have prioritized them in terms of interest.

• Addressing the issue of problem solving in an IT curriculum
• How is learning affected with the Internet?
• Design an effective technology curriculum
• Using on-line courses to deliver IT curriculum.
• How do western values affect the delivery of IT curriculum?
• Historical analysis of the development in technology in international/US/UK settings
• Western values in international education
• Incorporating new technologies into a curriculum
• How is learning affected with various IT curricula?

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