Then vs Now Charles J. Ansorge Department of Educational Psychology May 10, 2006

Background Professor, Educational Psychology Program Director Quantitative, Qualitative, and Psychometric Methods Teach beginning level and advanced level statistics (distance and face-to-face)

Professor, Educational Psychology

Program Director

Quantitative, Qualitative, and Psychometric Methods

Teach beginning level and advanced level statistics (distance and face-to-face)

Why Distance Education? Encouragement to offer statistics course to graduate students enrolled in distance program Educational Administration Nursing Instructional Technology Long-time interest in technology Encouragement from President Dennis Smith

Encouragement to offer statistics course to graduate students enrolled in distance program

Educational Administration

Nursing

Instructional Technology

Long-time interest in technology

Encouragement from President Dennis Smith

Rough Start My distance teaching adventure almost over before it began First experience with synchronous teaching with satellite Download links to Grand Island, Kearney, and Norfolk plus Lincoln

My distance teaching adventure almost over before it began

First experience with synchronous teaching with satellite

Download links to Grand Island, Kearney, and Norfolk plus Lincoln

Rough Start (cont’d) Found it exceedingly difficult to manage students at all of the sites. The class was a nightmare--worst teaching experience on my career Never again Not cut out to be a distance educator

Found it exceedingly difficult to manage students at all of the sites.

The class was a nightmare--worst teaching experience on my career

Never again

Not cut out to be a distance educator

Rough Start (cont’d) After course completed met with two individuals who offered encouraging words--Nancy Aden-Fox and Bea Gatliff Their advice was to be patient and consider alternative ways to deliver courses Sought & found grant to pursue ideas

After course completed met with two individuals who offered encouraging words--Nancy Aden-Fox and Bea Gatliff

Their advice was to be patient and consider alternative ways to deliver courses

Sought & found grant to pursue ideas

New Teaching Paradigm Shift from synchronous teaching to asynchronous Removed the “live” management issues that frustrated early efforts Fall of 1999 taught statistics in distance classroom on campus Each class videotaped, digitized, and streamed to distance students

Shift from synchronous teaching to asynchronous

Removed the “live” management issues that frustrated early efforts

Fall of 1999 taught statistics in distance classroom on campus

Each class videotaped, digitized, and streamed to distance students

Streamed Video The class content from the face-to-face class was compressed to a size that would permit view- ing. Sound quality ok. Not video

The class content from the face-to-face class was compressed to a size that would permit view- ing.

Sound quality ok. Not video

Class Videos Objective was to provide materials for the online course similar to face-to-face Believed the class videos were of crucial importance Wanted a way to retain this component of the class Initial effort to share videos not satisfactory

Objective was to provide materials for the online course similar to face-to-face

Believed the class videos were of crucial importance

Wanted a way to retain this component of the class

Initial effort to share videos not satisfactory

Creation of CDs Bandwidth issues made me consider an alternative way to share approximately 28 hours of content Logical to consider CDs as a media to share since most computers included a CD player back in 2000 Worked with NMC to compress so content available on four CDs for class

Bandwidth issues made me consider an alternative way to share approximately 28 hours of content

Logical to consider CDs as a media to share since most computers included a CD player back in 2000

Worked with NMC to compress so content available on four CDs for class

CDs (cont’d) Availability of videos on the CDs huge addition for the online class Quality satisfactory, but it could be better. Example illustrates what students are able to view QuickTime format permits easy review

Availability of videos on the CDs huge addition for the online class

Quality satisfactory, but it could be better.

Example illustrates what students are able to view

QuickTime format permits easy review

What Next? CDs were very useful during the past few years Some content was too fuzzy, however New version of textbook introduced New topics that needed to be added Class no longer using cutting-edge technology

CDs were very useful during the past few years

Some content was too fuzzy, however

New version of textbook introduced

New topics that needed to be added

Class no longer using cutting-edge technology

What Next (cont’d) Polled students in spring from class to find out about access to DVD players on computer All had access to DVD drive Sought and received a grant to refurbish the two statistics classes during the upcoming year Video will be improved (See example)

Polled students in spring from class to find out about access to DVD players on computer

All had access to DVD drive

Sought and received a grant to refurbish the two statistics classes during the upcoming year

Video will be improved (See example)

What Next (cont’d) Plan to incorporate podcasts into classes Have made weekly updates available for both classes since 2000. These were narrated PowerPoint presentations usually 12-15 minutes Thinking about converting to podcasts

Plan to incorporate podcasts into classes

Have made weekly updates available for both classes since 2000.

These were narrated PowerPoint presentations usually 12-15 minutes

Thinking about converting to podcasts

What Next (cont’d) Have been using EDU as the assessment engine for exams Had been standalone on a separate server Currently integrated with Bb Plan to develop new question formats including inline and algorithm forms

Have been using EDU as the assessment engine for exams

Had been standalone on a separate server

Currently integrated with Bb

Plan to develop new question formats including inline and algorithm forms

Summary Technology has changed significantly in the past seven years. Much improved tools available to assist me in teaching students Have enjoyed the journey Looking forward to the work ahead to refurbish my courses

Technology has changed significantly in the past seven years.

Much improved tools available to assist me in teaching students

Have enjoyed the journey

Looking forward to the work ahead to refurbish my courses