d:\...\fetc98.doc    February 2000

Academic Networking

ACADEMIC NETWORKING AND INFORMATION ACCESS: INFUSING THE CURRICULUM WITH TECHNOLOGY

March 5, 1998 through May 15, 1998

Participant Study Guide

Version for Attendees of the FETC ‘98 Conference

Orlando Convention Center and the

Embassy Suites Hotel, Orlando, FL

Instructors: Drs. George Kontos and Al P. Mizell

Guide prepared by: George Kontos, Al P. Mizell, and Phyllis Olmstead

Programs in Education and Technology

Fischler Center for the Advancement of Education

Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue,

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314

Internet e-mail:

[email protected]

Phone: 800-986-3223 x 8637 Fax: 954-262-3911

[email protected]

Phone: 800-986-3223 x 8716 Fax: 954-262-3866

FCAE office: 1-800-986-3223, ext. 8500

Programs in Education and Technology: ext. 8555

URL http://www.fcae.nova.edu/pet

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I - COURSE OVERVIEW                                                         3

Approximate Course Time Requirements                 5

Class Meetings                                                        6

 

II - COURSE ASSIGNMENTS                                                 7

III - GRADING POLICY                                                         11

General Rubric For Assigning Grades                     12

Course Assignment Summary Chart                       15

IV - CLASS MEETINGS                                                         16

Meeting 1                                                              17

Meeting 2                                                              18

Meeting 3                                                              19

Follow-Up Activities                                              20

V - KEEPING UP WITH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND SIGs THROUGH TECHNOLOGY     21

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS                22

SUGGESTED JOURNALS AND NEWSLETTERS 25

REFERENCES                                                                          28

E-MAIL ASSIGNMENT HEADER                                           29

FORM I --Session Assessment                                                   30

FORM II --Vendor Assessment                                                  31

FORM III --Personal Data Sheet                                                33

Sun-Sentinel Article (Oct. 27, 1996)                                            34

 

ITDE 6003

I - COURSE OVERVIEW

COURSE TITLE: "Academic Networking and Information Access: Infusing the Curriculum with Technology" (3 Semester Hours)

The course will focus on an examination of the impact of learning styles on the curriculum in its use of technology. Students will access online academic resources and information methodologies. They review the application of the technology to group and individual learning and teaching processes. Existing and emerging academic networking and multimedia technologies are explored. Students apply these resources to the design of a technology-centered program.

FACULTY: Dr. George Kontos and Dr. Al P. Mizell

ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to take this course, you must:

                1) Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher

                2) Be registered for FETC ‘98

                3) Have access to e-mail immediately after the conference

                4) Be an experienced educator or trainer

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Participants will demonstrate that they are able to:

1. Select and describe a learning style inventory that they can use in their own work setting
2. Select appropriate professional conference sessions and vendors related to a specific topic and/or electronic access to information and summarize the relevant information gathered:
3. Use a computer to connect to the Internet and use a search engine to locate educational resources
4. Discuss ways to use technology to meet individual learning styles
5. Communicate with instructors and classmates electronically, through e-mail, and via a Webboard:

[email protected] [email protected]

http://www.fcae.nova.edu/WWWBOARD/olmstead/etec6001

6. Prepare a publishable paper or webpage explaining how to locate and use educational resources on the Internet. This paper is to focus on a specific educational topic and describe how these resources can help.

TEXTBOOK (required):

Ryder, R. J., & Hughes, T. (1997). Internet for Educators. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Simon & Schuster.

Purchasable from Nova Books, 1-800-541-6682 ext. 4750, or from the publisher, 1-800-947-7700.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (optional; from a local or online bookstore):

Simpson, A. (1996). Official Netscape Navigator Gold 3.0 Book, Windows Edition. Research Triangle Park, NC: Ventana Communications Group.

This book is available at most Wholesale Club stores at a substantial discount from the cover price.

Armstrong, S. (1995). Telecommunications in the Classroom, 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

This book can be ordered from Nova Books by calling 1-800-541-6682 ext. 4750. It is also available directly from ISTE at 1-800-336-5191. ISTE members may receive a discount on the purchase price from ISTE.

COURSE CONDUCT:

During the class, presentations will be tied to the general topic of "Academic Networking and Information Access: Infusing the Curriculum with Technology" using the Internet and the FETC Conference as major resources for information; this will be achieved through demonstrations, discussions, and follow-up online activities in addition to selected conference sessions and vendors. Attendance at the conference will be followed by e-mail between participants and instructor(s) and among participants. Materials and resources will be documented and assignments will be submitted via e-mail. Research will culminate in a publishable webpage or paper that is suitable for a professional journal that describes how you can use educational technology resources to teach a specific instructional topic and to take different learning styles into account.

Participants will meet on Thursday evening to plan their course work. This will include selecting related sessions at the FETC ‘98 conference that they must attend during the week. Full conference participation during this week is part of the required course activities. During their first class, participants will identify a particular area of telecommunications related to accessing educational resources that is of particular interest to them. They will then review the Program for FETC ‘98 to identify all presentations related to their selected topic. The class will meet again on Friday and Saturday evenings.

DUE DATES: There are four formal assignments for this course:

March 7, 1998 1) A written summary (log) of conference sessions attended and vendor booths visited related to participant’s selected topic.

March 24, 1998 2) A critique of online educational resources identified (e.g., via online searches) during and after the conference.

April 15, 1998 3) A word processed e-mail summary (annotated bibliography) of three educational web sites and/or chapters in the textbook.

April 30, 1998 4) A publishable paper or webpage on the use of educational resources to teach a unit, taking individual learning styles into account.

GRADING: Letter grades (A, B, C, F) will be assigned based upon completion of the four assignments listed above plus active participation in FETC ‘98 and class activities.

NOTE: This course has been approved by the Florida DOE to extend Florida teaching certificates. It may also be used to replace tuition and selected activities in ITDE 7002 if you enroll in the master’s or doctoral program in Instructional Technology and Distance Education in the PET program at NSU within three years following completion of this course. The course may substitute for CSE 500, CSE 501, or an elective in the Graduate Teacher Education Programs (same enrollment time limit) if approved by your program counselor.

Recent advances in the availability of global telecommunications through the Internet have made the location and accessing of information both exciting and challenging. There is a wealth of information now available that can serve as resource material for educators and trainers but it takes skill and practice to be able to identify which materials meet your needs and to be able to put them to work for you. This course is designed to start you on the road to obtaining the needed skills and familiarity with the resources available.

The course will be conducted in the following format:

• Designated FETC ‘98 presentations and vendors
• Three required evening class sessions at the Orlando Embassy Suites Hotel during the conference
• Independent follow-up activities and online communications until the course officially ends on May 15, 1998

CLASS MEETINGS:

The three required class meetings during the FETC ‘98 conference will be held as follows:

    Night 3, Saturday, March 7, 1998 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

    (Follow-up activities, with the course officially ending on May 15, 1998)

A variety of resources, including videotapes and guest speakers, may be used in the class.

READINGS

The completion of some of the assignments requires that participants conduct a search through sources that deal with educational resources. These sources may include content from the required text and other books, periodicals, materials from manufacturers, visits with vendors to obtain literature, etc. An online search to locate additional readings will also be expected. The final section in this guide provides the participants with information on other sources where they may further investigate resources on the topics they selected to investigate. Instructors will provide participants with online resources to access and evaluate. Participants will use search engines to locate other online resources to augment the resources provided. Participants will also be expected to share additional resources discovered from visits to vendors and from presentations at the conference via e-mail and the Webboard.

II - COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

IMPORTANT NOTE: Assignments must be the original work of the participant. They are not original if written by anyone other than the participant or if they have been submitted previously by the participant or by anyone else for publishing or academic credit. Any participant found guilty of a violation of the above will be subject to disciplinary action, including expulsion from the University.

Assignments #2, #3, and #4 (see Course Assignment Summary Chart) must be single-spaced and word processed to conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) form and style, and, unless otherwise stated, they should be e-mailed with the following e-mail header information, exactly:

To: [email protected], [email protected]

Assignment #1) Submit completed Session Assessment forms (FORM I) for sessions attended and Vendor Assessment forms (FORM II) for vendors visited.

Comments:

• You will attend (and fill out Form I) for a total of at least four sessions on the topic you have selected.
• You will visit (and fill out Form II) for a total of at least four vendors on the topic you have selected.

Assignment #2) Submit critiques of at least three online educational websites (a website is not just the first initial page of a site; it will require linking to other associated pages) you visit. One site should be from the following list of websites. You should skim the other sites listed. At least two sites are to be found from a resource not provided in class. Critique each site you visit using the Critique Guidelines provided on the next page.

Critique Guidelines

Your one-page (2-3 screens) critique of each of the three (or more) online sites that you select should include (in this order) the following:

1. a. the e-mail assignment header (see FORMS section of Guide)

                    b. the URL and title of the site.

           c. the educational topic that you selected

                    d. a proper APA style citation of the site (see APA links on website)

e. a brief description of the site; this should conclude with a one-sentence summary of the types of resources you located that pertain to your selected topic

f. your brief reactions to the value of this site for locating the type of information you are seeking and its potential value to others

Assignment #3) A summary of three online sites or two online sites and a chapter in your text (approximately one page per site or chapter [2-3 screens])

Present each summary as if it was an annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliographies will then be placed in a page on the FCAE website by the instructors. An annotated bibliography contains a properly formatted reference followed by an indented paragraph summarizing the content of the source. The format of this summary is presented as an example in the following boxes. However, your annotation should be about one page in length because you will be summarizing an entire site (all pages and links to a homepage that reside on the same server or are written and maintained by the same author). As in the example below, text-only e-mail underlining should be simulated by placing an underscore mark before and after the text that should be underlined.

Assignment #4) An in-depth, publishable paper. This paper focuses on your description of how you can use educational technology resources that you located during the course to teach a specific instructional topic and to take different learning styles into account (2 to 5 single-spaced pages [5 to 10 e-mail screens]. You are to follow APA guidelines or the publisher’s form and style guidelines in your paper. See the current APA manual or refer to appropriate websites; such as, http://www.gasou.edu/psychweb/tipsheet/apacrib.htm). Describe the search strategy that you used to electronically locate information on your selected content topic. Your paper is to include citations/references to information obtained at the conference and from your online and library investigations following the conference. Include a reference list and (optionally) a bibliography. In addition to your 2-5 page paper, include an appendix with brief excerpts from relevant materials that you picked up at the conference. You may select an educational journal that would be appropriate for your paper and follow their writing guidelines instead of using APA. Be sure that you indicate which journal you selected and include a copy of the author’s guidelines for form and style to follow in your paper. If not specified, then follow APA. Skim the textbook for familiarity and background so you may cite references to it in assignment #4.

Please be sure that your final paper (e-mailed or as a webpage) contains these elements:

• A Table of Contents with each major heading listed (a webpage example of a TOC is at URL http://www.fcae.nova.edu/emag/emag596.html)
• An Introduction that provides a brief overview of your entire paper.
• In the body of your paper, give the content topic you are investigating. Then summarize the plan you developed and followed to locate appropriate electronic resource search tools to find information on your topic. Include citations [last name of author, year of publication, example--(Olmstead, 1997)] to the literature, to appropriate sessions, vendors, etc.
• A description of the learning styles inventory you elected to use.
• The major part of your paper is your description of the learning styles you are taking into account, the title of your instructional unit, a description of your instructional plan plus examples of each part of your plan in the appendix to meet each learning style, and how the emerging technology you investigated will help you meet those needs.
• A section that takes the readers from a basic familiarity with the Internet to the point that they can use the same search tools you used and find the same type of information you found--but on a topic of their own choice.
• Either as part of the above section or in a separate section, you should give your opinions (identified as such) as to the future of this type of electronic searching in terms of its value to educators and trainers as they prepare their lessons or presentations.
• Finally, you should give a brief comment on the value you found in following this focused type of investigation during a professional conference.
• References should be in APA Style (1994, pp. 182, 219) or as required by the journal publisher. Examples may be seen in this FETC study guide (see References).
• Simulate underlining on e-mail by placing an underscore before and after the text to be underlined.

Example: _Title of Electronic Journal or Website Name_

MPORTANT NOTES ON ASSIGNMENTS:

1. The due dates for these assignments may be found in the summary chart on p. 15 in this guide.

2. Assignment #1 is to be turned in as one package with a cover sheet before leaving the conference; legible handwritten summaries are acceptable (keep a copy to use in Assignment #4). Assignments #2, #3, and #4 will be word processed and e-mailed to the instructor by the due dates specified in the Course Assignments Summary Chart in Section III. Assignment #4 may be submitted in webpage form instead of via e-mail, if you so desire, (in which case, you should e-mail notification with URL address to both instructors).

3. When you word process your papers, please be sure you keep a disk copy. Spell check and have someone edit the paper for you to help insure it is in the appropriate form without grammatical errors, etc. It will take us some time to go through these next three assignments so you will want to get them in as soon as possible in case you have to revisit the material prior to the conclusion of the course. This can be an exciting and rewarding activity so we don't want it to become an obligation that is hanging over you. Call (800/986-3223; ext. 8716 or 8637) if you have any questions. Good luck for a speedy and meaningful conclusion to ITDE 6003.

III - GRADING POLICY

Participants are expected to attend each class session. It is also expected that participants will complete all of the activities and assignments as described and specified in this study guide. The following grading policy applies:

Grade Quality Points

    A = Excellent, on time achievement 4.0

    B = Good achievement 3.0

    C = Below expectations for graduate work 2.0

    F = Failure 0.0

    I = Incomplete

Although they may be used on your assignments, plus or minus grades (e.g., A-, B+) are not reported on transcripts of final grades.

1. Attendance at all meetings is required.

2. The highest grade that may be received on an assignment submitted after the assignment's original due date is a "B."

3. Incompletes are not given automatically. If you need an incomplete grade, you must contact at least one of the instructors, discuss the situation, and, if approved, submit a written request for an incomplete. The written request should be e-mailed to both instructors ([email protected] and [email protected]) by May 15, 1998. Your grade, after removing the incomplete, may be no higher than a "B."

To ensure high quality graduate work, the following rubric for assigning grades indicates the minimum general requirements.

NOTE:

All assignments must be completed and received by the due dates. If not, you may not receive a passing grade!

IV - CLASS MEETINGS

The first class meeting will be devoted to (1) an explanation of the requirements of the course and (2) an overview of the issues involved in understanding the use of the Internet to locate educational resources. Participants must select a learning styles inventory instrument that they can use with their students to help design alternative instructional strategies to match the various learning styles. They must also pick one area of emerging technology that they want to investigate in-depth, so they can plan to attend sessions, visit vendors in that area, complete a summary on each session/vendor they attend, and investigate on the Internet. Participants will be grouped by interest area. They will use this grouping to exchange information obtained during the conference to help them write an in-depth paper on the resource area they selected. A featured speaker from the FETC Conference may interact with the class on the role of emerging technologies. Participants will continue sharing resources after the conference via e-mail and the Webboard.

The second class meeting will be devoted to one or more areas of educational resources. This class meeting will include a discussion of information that participants found, sharing of ideas on ways to use technology in their teaching plan, and how to locate educational resources in various media, and seeing videotapes describing online uses of technology to locate resources. There may be a presentation on Internet access during the class to demonstrate some of the online resources available to educators and an FETC featured speaker may interact with the class on his/her area of expertise related to the role of emerging technologies. Participants will also share their experiences and information on their selected topic.

At the final class meeting, participants will complete and submit their written summaries of sessions they attended and vendors they visited, including dates and times. There will be a discussion of what the participants gained from the conference and further clarification about the course requirements. By the last day of the conference, participants should have made a good start on preparing their in-depth papers on resources available to them on their topic of interest and they should have plans for ways they will go online after the conference to investigate some of these resources in-depth so they can prepare their publishable papers on the topic.

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