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Syllabus

Course Description

EDTEC 700, Ins and Outs of Web Conferencing for eLearning and Distance Education will introduce you to the different roles instructors and facilitators play in a distance course. In addition, an overview of how to apply the different instructional design models as an instructor and a facilitator will be presented and discussed through individual and small group activities. Furthermore, this course will demonstrate how to use different eLearning and distance education tools as a facilitator of these types of courses.

Goals

This course will enable you to gain a broad understanding of the different roles instructors and facilitators take when in a distance education setting and how to use the different technologies associated with facilitating online courses. It will enable you to teach or facilitate a course offered via the Internet with specific skills and knowledge required for such practice. You will be engaged in teaching and facilitating segments of your own courses in class sessions using various synchronous and asynchronous technologies.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Integrate instructional design models within online, eLearning, & distance courses
  • Utilize different tools for the design & delivery of online, eLearning and distance courses
  • Explain how the role of learners is different as compared to face-to-face courses
  • Explain how the role of instructors and facilitators is different as compared to face-to-face courses
  • Compare and contrast synchronous and asynchronous learning
  • Incorporate different instructional methods (lecture/presentations, group work, interaction with technology, visual aids, case studies, research, projects, simulations) and explain how they should be used within online, eLearning, and distance courses
  • Compare and contrast online, eLearning, distance courses and instructor-led courses
  • Define the roles of teachers/facilitators and students in online, eLearning and distance courses
  • Engage learners by giving feedback, organizing collaborative learning, and facilitating synchronous virtual discussions, asynchronous forums, and breakout sessions, within an online, eLearning, and distance course
  • Integrate video, blogs, wikis, and other Web 2.0 applications within your courses

Technology Requirements

Some students will take this course at a distance through the College of Extended Studies. These students must have access to the following technologies for the successful completion of this course at a distance:

  • A personal computer with at least 1.0 GHz speed, 250 Mb RAM, 80 GB hard drive, an audio board, and Ethernet enabled.
  • A Microphone.
  • A video camera compatible to the computer used for the course.
  • Firefox or Internet Explorer web browser (latest version).
  • Flash Player.
  • Access to high speed Internet without the interference of an enterprise firewall.

Description of Major Deliverables

Facilitation Exercise Part 1: Audio, Video, PowerPoint, Polling, and Chat

Within this part of the Facilitation exercise, you will be presenting a PowerPoint presentation using the Share Document feature within Adobe Acrobat. You will also be using the VoIP and video functions. Each participant will have a microphone and you need to facilitate a brief discussion at some point during the session. You will also set up at least one poll to see what your participants know about a particular topic. You will be recording this session for future viewing.

As an online facilitator or instructor it is important to present all of the content; however, it is just as important to answer the questions of your students and field the comments about the content. Your objective is to present the PowerPoint content while still administering to the chat session comments and questions. In addition, it is important for participants to have a chance to interact and discuss topics during a distance education session as they might in a face-to-face setting. This interaction allows participants to hear input from others on a particular topic and receive feedback about their own thoughts and views. As the facilitator or online instructor, it is important for you to facilitate and lead these discussions without letting one person or a few people dominate the conversation.

To complete this part of the Facilitation Exercise, you must:

  • Choose a lesson segment you would like to present that is no more than 10 minutes long. This segment can focus on any topic and can be something you have already prepared.
    • This lesson segment must include:
      • PowerPoint slides
      • Poll
      • Brief class discussion
      • Use of audio by facilitator and participants
      • Use of video by facilitator
  • Review the lesson
  • Read the following topics from ADOBE ACROBAT CONNECT PRO 7: Using Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro 7:
    • Meeting basics
    • Creating and attending meetings
    • Sharing content during a meeting
    • Using audio conferencing
    • Broadcasting audio & video
    • Working with library files and folders
    • Working with content in the Content Library
    • Managing attendees
    • Recording and playing back meetings
  • Watch the following videos from the Adobe Connect Resource Center if you want to learn more about these particular topics:
  • Practice using the audio, video, and PowerPoint features of Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro 7.
  • Make sure you have done the following before the actual presentation:
    • Set up a time for your facilitation with your fellow group members
    • Send an invitation to your facilitation to your fellow group members - make sure you include a link to your Adobe Connect room, the date, and time of your facilitation
    • Check your microphone to make sure it works
    • Check the audio output on your computer
    • Check your speakers
    • Upload your PowerPoint slides to Adobe Connect
    • Check your screen sharing feature using the PowerPoint slides
    • Check the polling feature and make sure you know how to use it
    • Write out questions, answers, notes, etc. for the discussion – remember that if the discussion lags, you will be in charge of reigniting it
    • Practice the complete presentation – make sure to note when to pause and when to move on
      • Practice changing the audio and video rights of the participants so they can speak using their microphone
      • Practice recording the session and playing back the session after recorded
    • Practice answering questions and responding to comments from the chat window while presenting the PowerPoint slides
  • Facilitate the lesson online with your fellow classmates as participants. Remember to do the following while facilitating the lesson segment:
    • Respond to chat questions and comments
    • Present all of the content for the PowerPoint slides
    • Include at least one poll
    • Keep a constant pace
    • Use good video techniques
    • Keep the discussion going – if it lags, have a plan to reignite the discussion
    • Make sure everyone is participating and no one person is taking over
    • Keep the discussion on topic
  • After you have completed your facilitation, email the link for your recording to the instructors for grading.

Facilitation Exercise Part 2: Teach & Facilitate a Session Using an Instructional Design Strategy

Within this part of the Facilitation Exercise, you will be facilitating a session using a specific instructional design strategy (e.g. collaborative learning, problem-based learning, constructive learning, etc.). You will be utilizing any features you feel are necessary within Adobe Connect Pro 7. The participants will have a microphone during this part of the session.

As an online facilitator or instructor, it is important to implement instructional design strategies that best fit the content and nature of the course. Distance learning situations should use strategies that are student focused and promote the online experience.

  • Choose a topic you would like to teach/facilitate.
  • Decide which instructional design strategy you will focus on during this facilitation. (You may want to use a strategy discussed in class or you may want to research a different strategy.)
  • Develop the content about this topic
  • Research the instructional design strategy you have chosen and develop a plan to implement this strategy with the content
  • Practice using the audio and video features of Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro 7. Make sure you have done the following before the actual facilitation exercise:
    • Set up a time for your facilitation with your fellow group members
    • Send an invitation to your facilitation to your fellow group members - make sure you include a link to your Adobe Connect room, the date, and time of your facilitation
    • Check your microphone to make sure it works
    • Check the audio output on your computer
    • Check your speakers
    • Upload any content you would like to share with the participants on your topic
    • Check your screen sharing feature using the uploaded content
    • Write out questions, answers, notes, etc. for the session – make sure you are implementing your specific instructional design strategy
    • Practice the facilitation
  • Facilitate the session online with your fellow classmates as participants. Remember to do the following while facilitating the discussion:
    • Use the instructional design strategy you have chosen
  • After you have completed your facilitation, email the link for your recording to the instructors for grading.

Summary of Grading - Total points 100

Participation in class discussions - 10 points
Discussion forum posts about articles - 10 points
Facilitation Exercise: Part 1 - 30 points
Facilitation Exercise: Part 2 - 50 points

Schedule of Topics

Day 1 - Topics

  • Tools for facilitation
  • Using Adobe Connect tutorial

Day 1 - Assignments

Day 2 - Topics

  • Learner and facilitator roles in distance courses versus face-to-face courses

Day 2 - Assignments

Day 3 - Topics

  • Facilitation Exercise Part 1 Discussion

Day 3 - Assignments

  • Read Bounded Community: Designing and facilitating online learning communities in formal courses article and post to discussion forum about why it is important for online learners to be part of a community and what strategies and techniques are best to establish and maintain that online community.
  • Prepare for Facilitation Exercise Part 2 - Due Day 3

Day 4 - Topics

  • Designing Facilitator & Participant Guides

Day 4 - Assignments

Day 5 - Topics

  • Facilitation Exercise Part 2 Discussion