Minutes for January 19, 2006 - 4 P.M. - 5: 3 0 P.M. AS192
In attendance at the DLMG meeting: Claudia Browning, Mark Bond, Nicole Lohrbeer, Rita Kasapis, Rodger Schenks, Sharon Dandorf, Ginny Fisher, and Peggy Johnson .
Faculty introduced themselves, identified the online course they will be developing, described their previous experience with the internet, and explained what they hope to learn in DLMG this semester.
Nicole Lohrbeer
Nicole is developing WST/HLR 286, Women and Health. On campus this class is very hands on and interactive. She would like to transfer those characteristics to the online section. She is interested in learning whatever technology can help her accomplish this task. Nicole has taught an online Women and Society course for five semesters. She has taken CTL workshops on Breeze and SoftChalk.
Ginny (Virginia) Fisher
Ginny is developing LBT 130, Introduction to Reference Skills and Resources. Because library service have such a strong online component, this is a natural way to teach this class. Although Ginny has not taught an online course, she has been involved in computer education for many years, including being an analyst for PLATO. She is interested in investigating the capabilities of WebCT to manage her course. She liked the Breeze workshop she took in the CTL. Ginny has had some experience with online proctored exams. A copy of the student's photograph (such as on a driver's license) is sent to the proctor to verify the student's identity.
Rita Kasapis
Rita will teach CPD 160, Introduction to Multiculturalism, online. This is a course she has tuaght on campus for six years. That experience will be very helpful in developing her online class. Rita wants to incorporate the interactive, experiential nature of this on-campus class in her online class. Rita will be the only person in the MCC counseling office with an online course and believes this will be an important resource for many of our students. Rita is interested in learning whatever will help her with her online class. She did take the CIS 236 class (Web-Based Teaching and Learning) at PC. Rita took a lot of online classes from NOVA University and really hated the isolation and boredom she felt in these classes. She hopes to learn from that experience what not to do with her online class.
Mark Bond
Mark has been teaching online classes since 1998. He's used Educator software for this purpose. Mark teaches for the American Military University and the University of Maryland. His classes include videos that he puts online. Mark solicits extensive feedback from his students and modifies his course to reflect student comments. His students post answers to discussion questions. They must also repond to other students' postings. Mark encourages students to post opposing opinions. He notes students have very poor writing skills. Posting to the discussion board can help them beef up this important skill area. Students are also required to use some scholarly resources and Mark teaches them how to create proper citations. Mark has developed a Grade Builder program in Word. He recommends the use of TurnItIn.com (http://www.turnitin.com/static/home.html) for catching plagiarism. Mark will create an online AJS 119 Computer Applications for Criminal Justice course.
Rodger Schenks
Rodger will teach REC120, Recreation and Leisure, online. This is a required course for students in the social behavior program and is requied for majors certification at ASU and NAU. On-campus exercise science classes are full. Having this course online will provide the opportunity for more students to enroll. Rodger has a masters degree in Distance Teachnology from the University of Phoenix and designed the PE department's web page. For two years he was the department web master. Rodger has been working with James in the CTL to post videos to the web. Rodger has taught a hybrid class (part on campus, part online). He is interested in learning how to reach out and help online students.
Sharon Dandorf
Sharon will develop CPD 102, Stress Management and Strategies for College Success. Sharon teaches psychology and counseling classes. She teaches both at Ottawa University and MCC and is a full-time high school counselor. She is also earning her doctorate online. In her on-campus classes, Sharon incorporates a lot of technology. In her on-campus Stress Management classes, it almost acts like a support group. She would like to transfer that supportive atmosphere to her online class. Sharon is interested in includin video clips of alternative therapy in her class, as well as clips of speakers.
Claudia Browning
Claudia will develop IBS 118, International Marketing Management. Her class includes a lot of multiculturalism, as well as information on exporting and importing. Claudia teaches Managerial Ethics and Managerial Communication for the University of Phoenix. her students at the University of Phoenix use FlexNet, where they come to class once, then do work online, then come to campus to meet, do more classes online, etc. All classes at the University of Phoenix use the same format, so the student finds that part consistent from discipline to discipline. They work in groups and newsgroups and have excellent IT staff at the Univ. of Phoenix. Claudia likes using discussion questions where postings are threaded (indented so you can tell who is answering whose posting). She finds the ability to sort through all of a single student's posting very useful (this is a feature WebCT has). Claudia is taking two classes on distance education, one at the University of Phoenix and DLMG. She would like to learn how to incorporate videos and DVD's in her class and make it very interactive, including such activities as role playing, case studies, video analysis, and critical thinking about videos viewed.
CIS 236
Peggy recommended that faculty enroll in the online CIS 236, Web-Based Teaching and Learning class that Donna Gaudet is considering teaching this semester. Feedback from other DLMG faculty who have taken this course is extremely positive. It complements the DLMG experience very well. Mark, Rita, Sharon, and Virginia indicated they would like to enroll in CIS 236.
HOMEWORK
Each DLMG faculty is to identify one good online course, preferably in their discipline, and show us the site at next week's meeting. It would be helpful if you would print the URL to hand out to DLMG faculty in case they want to access the site you select at a later date. Start by referencing this web page: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~johnson/DLMGRSRC.HTM
You will also want to for an E-pack. There is a link on the above mentioned URL to see if an E-pack is available for the textbook you plan to use for your online course. E-packs are can include online textbooks, resources, exams, study guides, animations, etc. that are available to you and your students. If you find an E-pack you like, it will save you a lot of time!
Consider these three questions as you contemplate how you will design your online course:
1. How are you going to organize/break up the content?
2. What kinds of assignments will you create?
3. How will you interact with your online students?
Our next DLMG meeting is Thursday, January 19, at 4 P.M. in AS 192. We look forward to you sharing the good online course you have found!
Peggy Johnson