Télé-Université credit: EDU 6100 | TELUQ
Delivery mode: Grouped study with Internet component
Credits: 3 - Core course
Prerequisites: None
Instructor Winter 2010 : Debra Hoven
This first core course in Athabasca University's Master of Distance Education program is required for all program students. It provides students with an overview of the field, addressing issues such as: what distance education is; where it came from; whom it serves; how it serves; and what its major problems are. It provides descriptions and examples of what distance education is and how it works, and encourages students to critically analyze and question both current practice and rhetoric in the field.
The goals of the course are to provide you with:
The course is divided into three units:
Unit 1: Definitions and Examples: Past and Present
Unit 2: Organization and Structure: Variations and Examples
Unit 3: Theory Development and Research: Issues and Trends
For each unit the Study Guide contains:
An Introduction: indicates the important concepts and issues in the Unit;
Unit Objectives: indicates the specific accomplishments that should be achieved through the Unit study;
Unit Resources: indicates the specific resources that apply to the Unit;
Commentary: provides additional information, but does not replace the information found in the other Unit resources;
Discussion Questions: interspersed throughout the commentaries, and set off from the main text. They are intended to encourage you to think about the issues with reference to your own personal and professional experiences. You may wish to bring your answers to these questions into the computer conferences; and
Activities and Assignments: indicates the specific activities or assignments you are expected to complete during or at the end of the Unit.
You are expected to read and reflect upon the print materials provided, and to participate interactively with the academic faculty member and with other students in a number of computer conferences. Your participation in the computer conferences is expected to facilitate critical analyses of the ideas, concepts and information provided, and to integrate your prior knowledge and experience.
Your grades will be based on three primary credit-bearing assignments for the course. The assignments are:
Assignment 1: analysis and review of one paper selected by students from materials available in the course or elsewhere.
Assignment 2: a critical analysis and review of an article, to be presented in a conference.
Assignment 3: the development of a proposal for the creation of a distance education institution(s) or agency(ies), using principles and concepts learned in the course.
Please note that some changes in schedules and/or specifics of assignments may be made from time to time or by individual instructors.
Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (2005). Distance Education: A systems view. California: Thompson Wadsworth.
Roberts, J. M. & Keough, E. M. (Eds.). (1995). Why the information highway? Lessons from Open and Distance Learning. Toronto: Trifolium Books Inc.
Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. (Eds.). (2004). The theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca, Canada: Athabasca University. http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book
A number of articles have been re-printed and included in your course materials for your convenience. These articles are also available online.
The general course and program resources include materials found through a wide range of education, sociology, psychology, technology, and other journal and print literature. The following journals, available through Athabasca University Library, tend to be focused on, or to include primarily, distance education literature, and should be of particular interest to you.
American Journal of Distance Education
Distance Education (Australian)
Journal of Distance Education (Canadian)
Open Learning (OUUK)
Open Praxis
Electronic Resources
There is an increasing number of electronic resources available in distance education and they are changing at a considerable rate. The course Web pages provide a sample of relevant URLs and information about resources available electronically. Students are encouraged to visit both the course and CDE Web pages regularly to review these sources, and/or to obtain new or revised information about new sites during the course term.
MDDE 601 Checklist (MS Word)
The purpose of this page is to help you get a head start in your course. You are not required to complete any of these activities before the official start date of your course.
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