Towards a Theoretical Framework for the Design of Interactive Online Distance Learning Systems
Sustainability of Technology Infusion Initiatives
Institutional adaptations of PT3 grant products/processes began during the final year (year 3) of the grant and have continued to shape the college's technology future. Two key elements contributed to institutionalization of PT3 developed resources. First, perseverance paid dividends in communicating the importance of continuing organizational support to faculty members with their technology integration efforts. Second, the good fortune of receiving an award from a foundation of a telecommunications company provided resources for developing an electronic demonstration classroom. Given our perseverance and the foundation award, the following aspects of TMFP have become institutionalized in both pre-service and graduate teacher education professional development programs.
1. Technology fellows hired with college funds for tech support to teacher preparation
Recognition of the value of the TMFP model occurred when the project coordinator was hired half-time by the teacher preparation department. His position included supervising the work of 12 Technology Fellows who have provided continuing support to teacher education faculty with integrating technology in their classes. He also provided leadership in developing (designing the physical facilities, ordering, receiving and setting up the equipment) and directing (establishing a staff, creating a staffing schedule and establishing a scheduling protocol for faculty use of the facility) the classroom of the future. The department's financial support has continued for the following three years after the grant ended.
• Electronic portfolio system (i-Folio) used by all teacher preparation students
The development and implementation of a skills performance system with faculty involvement was one of our “must do” tasks for the final year of our PT3 grant. We created i-Folio, an interactive portfolio documentation tool for pre-service teachers to display products from pre-professional experiences and correlate those artifacts to state and national standards. The teaching candidates placed their work products (responses to assignments) on their own college web sites and then sent a request to their professors to evaluate the products. We realized these products stored in i-Folio were professional preparation artifacts of the teaching candidate that reflect on the preparation of the candidate as well as the nature of the experience provided by the teacher preparation program. Interestingly, we made numerous presentations to faculty and college administrators and actually competed with commercial vendors to “win” college and departmental approval in order for this system to be adopted.
The i-Folio tool serves as an electronic clearinghouse for student portfolios developed as teaching candidates complete competency demonstrations associated with certification and course requirements. Students maintain their own portfolio web site on a College of Education server that contains the professional artifacts they have produced. This electronic portfolio tool (available at http://i-folios.coe.tamu.edu/) organizes, stores, and provides ready access to electronic artifacts for approximately 4,000 current and former teaching candidates.
• Electronic management system has served as an impetus for the development of the eEmpowerment Zone, an Internet platform for professional development
The logistical challenges were considered so daunting for tracking 100 or more Technology Fellows at a time that an Electronic Management System (available at: http://tmfp.coe.tamu.edu/ ) was developed during project start-up. The utility of this program became evident during the first year of the project, and we soon realized that the idea of an electronic tool to help manage large numbers of clients could be applied to the eEmpowerment Zone (eZone) an on-line professional development system http://empowermentzone.tamu.edu/ and to the i-Folio system when it was developed. The eZone is a comprehensive, web-based e-learning and professional development system that was designed to provide instructional modules, and integrated resources and tools that support various stages of teaching and learning. By providing integrated resources like the My eAssessment Center, ePortfolio Center , and Resource Media Center , various stakeholder groups (adult learners, instructors, university supervisors, and mentors) can submit and evaluate portfolio artifacts and resources, criterion referenced and authentic assessment results, and classroom observations. Community members can also engage in just in time online discussions and seminars
• Prototypical pedagogy lessons led to a full online secondary teacher certification program .
As the project continued, turnover among Technology Fellows diminished and we think a key reason for this stability was the addition of the eZone lessons. We directed much attention to establishing clear directions and providing more extensive training for the Technology Fellows. As time passed, 20 hours of repetitive face-to-face small classes with beginning Technology Fellows were replaced with carefully designed on-line tutorial lessons. These lessons worked so well in preparing the Technology Fellows we decided to develop an alternative certification program for secondary science and mathematics (grades 8-12) that has three features setting it apart from other alternative certification programs offered in Texas . First, the pedagogy content is delivered completely on-line. The On-line Curriculum consists of 35 online modules with major topics identified for Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities in grades 8-12. These instructional modules have been developed to engage the candidate with issues identified as necessary for a beginning teacher by the Texas Board of Educator Certification. These online modules are accessed from the eZone platform. Second, an introductory Field Based Experience is provided that consists of a 40 clock-hour supervised teaching field observation experience in a secondary school during the initial phase of the program. Third, the final program component is a paid internship where candidates are supported by a trained mentor and a university supervisor who guide, observe, and provide constructive feedback to the interns during their year-long development as a beginning teacher. Ongoing supports offered in this program include continuing communications and the ePortfolio resource (a variant of the i-Folio) provided via the eZone, and the continuing availability of mentor teacher advice for former program participants continuing to teach in the position that they held during their internship experience.
• On-line Master of Education program
Among the campus-based faculty who placed course components online during the project are four faculty members who are collaborating with colleagues in developing and offering a 36-semester hour Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction via Distance Education. Twelve on-line courses are currently being phased into the scheduled course offerings to enable educators in schools who cannot come to campus for classes, an opportunity to complete this graduate program from the convenience of their homes on their own schedule. Because we are increasing the flexibility about how and when courses are offered, this degree may be earned through residential courses, or a combination of residential and distance courses, or on-line courses entirely.