E-mail comments to the Editor

Download the complete PDF of this issue

Editor's Note: This is the second of three reports on a collaborative distance learning program involving Duquesne University in the United States and University of Ulster in Ireland. The third report will be published in the August issue of USDLA Journal.

Setting Everyone Up for Success - Part II

International Program: Duquesne University and University of Ulster

Linda Wojnar

Moving forward from our writing in the April 2002 Issue, the focus shifts toward the middle phase of the International Masters in Instructional Technology Program: Distance Learning Strand that partners Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA with the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

The courses that will be discussed in this Issue are:

1. Technology and Education, which was taught in a weekend face-to-face format by Duquesne University faculty and covers integrating technology into the classroom,
2. Management of Instructional Technology- taught jointly between Duquesne University faculty and Northern Ireland administration, and
3. Multimedia Literacy-taught in Northern Ireland by University of Ulster faculty

The Dean of the University of Ulster and two tutors from the University will share their experiences from the summer visit to Pittsburgh. Two participants will describe their experiences of the courses listed above.

Since the focus of the programme was distance learning, the International Masters was intentionally designed so that the location of the courses would rotate between Northern Ireland and Pittsburgh. The programme was also designed to demonstrate teaching using a variety of teaching technologies and methodologies:

1. Face-to-face,
2. Hybrid (a combination of classes taught on-site and online),
3. Totally online using learning management systems that supported asynchronous (participants responding at different times) and synchronous platforms (everyone online at the same time),
4. Videoconferencing,
5. Individual and Team Teaching

Only by participants experiencing these instructional technologies and methodologies first-hand as participants and as end-users will they know which ones to select for their own teaching.

The August Issue will discuss:

1. The holistic approach to the instructional design of the Distance Learning programme,
2. The social planning before and during the summer residential by the Ireland Institute,
3. The Pittsburgh residential component,
4. The culminating stages of the programme highlighting excerpts of all participant course work, transcript dialogues, case stories, photos, graduation, and
5. The final programme assessment and evaluation by Duquesne University, the University of Ulster, and the Northern Ireland Government

Consider the high stakes for every person involved in this innovative initiative:

1. Designing a programme’s framework and instruction that passes the test of quality content in distance and online learning and context relevance adapted to a specific country and evaluated by three stakeholders: Duquesne University, the University of Ulster, and the Northern Ireland Government, and
2. Projects that need to be created by each participant that will move their country forward in ICT

If they are fortunate, educators will experience this magnitude of instructional design, pedagogy, and participation found in our experiences at least once in their lifetime. As the programme and the process progress, the emerging spirit of the experience is life changing.

The First Instructional Technology Course:
GITED 511, Technology and Education

Larry Tomei

Although I spent 22 years in the US military, Northern Ireland was to be my first experience traveling across the Atlantic. My previous overseas encounters were in Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea. The lessons learned during this first instructional technology course offering would entail traveling to new locations, revisiting my own personally teaching styles, and modifying (on the fly mind you) the very foundations of the instructional technology program and the courses that comprise it. A most exhilarating side benefit was the exploration of a beautiful country and an extraordinary people – or maybe that should be an extraordinary country and a beautiful people – that is Northern Ireland.

Upon my arrival at the Belfast Airport, a courteous agent tried unconvincingly to offer this American a choice of rental cars – all with steering wheels on the wrong side and left-handed standard shift column. I had never driven on the left side of the road, never purchased gasoline by the liter, and I certainly had no idea what a “roundabout” was. So, I was having none of that. We eventually found common ground with an automatic transmission and a bright green shamrock hanging predominantly from the mirror. As I look back on it, I now firmly believe that the shamrock must be an international warning signal for first-time visitors since most of my fellow drivers were quite courteous while providing a particularly wide berth for my right-hand turns.

How many times I have told my own students to document their learning experience, collect the most important artifacts, and showcase successful learning outcomes? I was so excited to visit Northern Ireland on my own for the first time that I completely forgot to follow my own advice. So, I am particularly appreciative of this opportunity to share the experiences surrounding my instructional experience in the Northern Ireland Programme in Educational Technology. As the story unfolds, it will address the pre-course agenda (preparations for Northern Ireland), the conduct of the first instructional technology course, and the interpersonal dimensions of offering an international program of study.

Pre-Course Agenda.

I arrived in Belfast the morning before the first day of class. It was agreed via email and telephone calls that the first instructional technology course would be taught in a three-weekend format using all-day sessions Friday and Saturday sessions. However, before this initial IT course was even to begin, issues with the first elective course arose. At home, we insist that all first-semester participants enroll in one non-IT, graduate-level, education foundation course that prepares the new participant for the educational psychology elements of the program. Since the Program in Instructional Technology emphasizes instruction as much as it does technology (one of the reasons the program is so successful) participants must be well-grounded in principles of teaching and learning. Most participants opt for the theories of teaching and learning course to fulfill these requirements and so, with the University of Ulster as our partner, we decided to place the UU “best practices” course first in our modified program of studies. However, Northern Ireland participants expected a healthy dose of immediate technology and were taken aback by what appeared to be a non-essential course in educational fundamentals. Lesson Learned #1: Looking back, we would certainly begin our international program with a technology course. We would most certainly have included the best practices course in the program of studies; just a little later in the schedule.

After some synchronous discussions, the first Instructional Technology course selected was GITED 511, Technology and Education. This course lays the foundation for the Program in Instructional Technology and “levels the playing field” with respect to a common understanding of what constitutes instructional technology in the classroom. A discussion of the instructional elements of the course follows.

Instructional Elements of GITED 511.

In 511, participants are introduced to established principles of teaching and learning followed by an examination of various technologies found in today’s classrooms.

Instructional Technologies.

Each participant selects a different technology for further study. Some choose laptops, others decide to explore LCD projectors, still others opt for handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless labs, special education adaptive technologies, or educational software packages. Each participant is required to exam the components and applications of the technology in light of two excellent articles explicating the strengths and weaknesses of the technology with respect to learning styles and teaching strategies. Participants finalize their reports and offer 12-15 minute presentations of their findings. By the conclusion of this exercise, participants are introduced to, in the case of the Northern Ireland cohort, 17 different technologies. The purpose of the assignment is to garner a respect for the field of instructional technology as more than just desktop computers.

Journals, Leaders, and Standards.

Participants are expected to understand the impact that instructional technology has had on education as evidenced in the major technology journals, instructional leaders, and professional standards. The standards explored resulted in the second lesson learned. Lesson Learned #2: international students, while cognizant of American leadership in technology, are often more widely read than their US counterparts. They are often just as familiar with European and Asian technology journals, cognizant of a wider range of experts, and accustomed to a broader application of accepted technology standards. A successful, off-campus, international program invites instructors to incorporate the journals, leaders, and standards of the home country.

The Technology Facade.

GITED 511, as a matter of course, delves into an aspect of technology programs first introduced in our program. We call it the Technology Facade. Over the years since the program’s inception, participants have shared a variety of stories and scenarios revealing the health of technology programs in their particular schools and organizations. A technology program is still viewed by many as just another undertaking during an already over-tasked school day. Some describe their computer facility as a locked fortress accessible only to the computer teacher and her chosen legions. Based on a book by the same name (Tomei, 2002), participants survey their institutions and assess their technology programs. In short classroom presentations, they offer qualitative rankings running the gamut from Outstanding to Satisfactory programs, to Modest, Moderate, and Severe phases of the facade. An outstanding rating is rare; modest and moderate evaluations are the norm. Objectively documenting an institution’s strengths and weaknesses may be an issue for international participants. While Americans often downplay a poor rating, attributing low scores to a variety of factors outside their personal control, the international participant considers the many nuances of their culture. Lesson Learned #3: An international cohort should be allowed to develop their own qualitative scores, rankings, and interpretations for the Technology Facade. Their own checklist would be more appropriate.

Interpersonal Dimension of Teaching.

The first weekend of the course was conducted in relative comfort of a local hotel seminar room.

In the Classroom.

The formal atmosphere of a university classroom, plus the traveling demands of participants selected from locations throughout Northern Ireland, had the potential of placing unnecessary barriers to the development of interpersonal relationships that would ultimately spell success or failure of the program. The Friday and Saturday concentrated format offered considerable time to get acquainted. Participants remained overnight at the hotel and there is nothing quite like an unhurried, Northern Ireland dinner. Lesson Learned #4: Set the stage for an international program in the context of a relaxed, personalized, classroom environment.

On the Road.

Interpersonal relationships began in the hotel seminar room, but they flourished in the offices, classrooms, and workplaces of the cohort members. Over the course of the three weeks, I managed to add some 2,000 kilometers in literally all road leading from Belfast. Personally, I found the inter-country highway system easy to follow and very well posted for the uninitiated. During those visits, I was invited to an truly inspiring spring musical courtesy of Ballyclaire High School, and the most endearing student performance from St Brigid’s elementary school. In her previous visit Linda Wojnar had visited the same school and returned with her stories of their Beatle’s rendition and Irish folk songs. So, I was prepared with my digital camera to capture the entire production number. I considered these visits the highlights of my Northern Ireland experience. Actually, I had the time of my life -- until one of the first graders asked me if I was Dr. Wojnar’s father!

In the Workplace.

Visiting cohort members in their workplace allowed me the opportunity to grow as an educator in the country, culture, and spirit of this international community. Lesson Learned #5: When commencing an international program in education, begin by concentrating on the informal interpersonal relationships. Ultimately, the program will sell itself. Individuals create the interpersonal atmosphere for it to be successful.

Conclusions.

The first instructional technology course was a tremendous success by any measure. As program coordinator, my visit to Northern Ireland solidified the relationship with this cohort of 17 professional educators. The visit resulted in four key lessons learned. First, begin a technology program with a technology course but do not underestimate the importance of a solid understanding of teaching and learning principles. Second, it is incumbent upon an instructor to become thoroughly familiar with the host country and all aspects (including variations in terminology, research, and implementation) of the content area under study. Third, anticipate modifications to course materials, student performance expectations, and certainly accepted assessment practices. Fourth, consider a mixer both formally in the classroom and informally to set the atmosphere for a personalized program of study. And finally, fifth, establish the interpersonal relationships as soon as possible in the program. In the end, they are a truer measure of a program’s success than any grades or participant tasks.

IMScET GITED 514

John Anderson

GITED 514 – ‘Managing Education Technology’ was a good example of an original Duquesne University module, taught by Jerry Slamecka, Assistant Superintendent from Butler County near Pittsburgh, as ‘Managing Instructional Technology’, which was adapted in collaboration with John Anderson, Education Technology Strategist from Northern Ireland, to marry the study of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy and management in the US and in Northern Ireland into one module.

For the Northern Ireland participants, the study of the legislative requirements and expectations in the United Kingdom and in Northern Ireland, which now has its own jurisdiction for education, was important. It mattered that the module was revised to incorporate British content, however, the exploration of US policy and management practice brought a valuable outside perspective and a ‘reality-check’ to local Ulster assumptions and preoccupations; a chance to stand-back and look at ourselves from a distance, through the eyes of another education service, and from a different cultural context.

As the fifth module in the series, almost at the halfway point in the International Masters program, it was timely for the participants to set their study and development work in the design and development of online applications in the context of the educational policy environment of Northern Ireland. And what better place to engage in an extended two-day residential study session than a hotel in the most historic of Ulster port of Carrickfergus, stepping off point for the Plantation of Ulster back in the 13^th century, and in sight of one of the oldest surviving Norman castles in the British Isles.

The module was valuable for everyone, teachers included, but especially for those participants with less prior experience in management or in strategic planning. Perspectives and issues covered included: strategic and policy planning at regional and state levels and at local and county administrative levels, and their interdependencies; vision creation and goal setting, especially at school level; budgeting and procurement issues; public-private partnerships and the concept of ‘total cost of ownership; and strategic review and evaluation.

The single assignment, to evaluate the existing government strategy for education technology in Northern Ireland, pulled together all of the strands of the module and was conducted by four groups of course participants. Respectively, the groups each examined a separate dimension of the strategy:

• Curriculum (teaching and learning; assessment and accreditation)
• Teachers (initial teacher education; induction and continuing professional development)
• Management and quality assurance (policy-school senior management teams and school governors; inspectorate)
• Infrastructure (computer deployment, networking and access; user support)

The collective reports produced by the groups were both an authentic and a high-value exercise, and have subsequently been an important contribution to the strategic review being conducted for the Northern Ireland Assembly in early summer of 2002.

GITED 514 was notable in its methodology as well. It was the first time in the Masters program when face-to-face and online methods of study were combined to teach a single module. The work initiated by the study weekend, which Jerry Slamecka and John Anderson double-headed, was continued online over a further period of six weeks.

Jane Healey’s infamous book “TITLE” provided the stimulus for an ongoing asynchronous discussion online between Jerry and the participants. On a weekly basis, Jerry posted provocative quotations from Healey’s text and requested a response from each participant on various assumptions about computers and learning. It was noticeable that what began as a limited ‘question and response’ form of dialogue developed into a more open and evaluative debate as participants began to identify the lack of academic rigor and heavy dependence on anecdote in the Healey’s thesis, and to challenge its worth as a critical text on the role of computers in the teaching and learning process.

Participants would later identify the importance of face-to-face group work preceding the use of online communications as an important guiding principle learnt from their experience of this module.

A final, serendipitous, opportunity arose when the module was being planned which added another layer of value to an already rich international study of ICT schools policy. John Anderson was coincidently planning a joint Japan/Northern Ireland ICT schools policy symposium, which built upon 10 years of links between teachers and pupils in Japan and Northern Ireland. A delegation of the most senior education and ICT policy makers from the Japanese Ministry of Education (Monbusho) visited Ulster in the August week prior to Jerry Slamecka’s Carrickfergus weekend. The symposium mounted a detailed series of comparative and analytical presentations of ICT schools policy in Japan and Northern Ireland. The Master’s participants attended the sessions and brought high quality active engagement to the discussions that took place with the Japanese delegates.

GITED 514 succeeded in setting academic and practical endeavors into an educational policy context. It was successful in improving the understanding of this group of exceptional educators in the importance of policy evaluation and review. It also ensured that their engagement in innovation in online teaching and learning was set firmly in the context of their critical understanding of the priorities, needs and challenges facing the education service in the province.

Our Pittsburgh Experience – Steeling Ourselves

Linda Clarke and Victor McNair

Preparations

As Lecturers in the School of Education at the University of Ulster we had both been asked by our Head of School, Prof. Anne Moran, to work on the development of modules of a MSc course in ICT. It was hoped that this course would play a major role in the Education Technology (ET) Strategy, which was to revolutionise ET in Northern Ireland. At that time we had no idea just how revolutionary the first incarnation of this course would be. The early indications were promising - Victor had been involved in interviewing the student cohort and we both met with Dr Linda Wojnar on her planning visit to the University of Ulster. Linda seemed to embody an engaging combination of warmth and practicality, vision and pragmatism, pure gold ….and tensile steel. She shared her vision for the course with us and, during our discussions, suggested that we should (must) come to Pittsburgh for the last week of the NI cohort’s work there. There were two reasons why this was important for us although we did not realise this at the time. The first was that we needed to experience the new culture of online learning that the cohort were going through so that we could effectively engage with them back in NI. The second, and perhaps more important reason, was that we ourselves needed to develop our thinking about the nature of online learning. These experiences would, in turn, allow us to be part of the new paradigm for ICT-based teaching and learning in NI. It worked.

Pittsburgh

Landing in Pittsburgh in mid-July 2001, a warm welcome awaited us, provided by the Ireland Institute, the Faculty of Education at Duquesne University and the International Masters Cohort. The latter group was, in equal measure, both exhausted and exhilarated by their Pittsburgh Experience. Those who were to be our students invited us to participate in the online lessons that they had developed on the Duquesne Blackboard server. These lessons focused on a range of topics reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the participants and hence addressed a broad spectrum of teaching and learning needs and opportunities for Northern Ireland education. . The common professionalism, along with the desire to push their understanding of the educational potential of the technology, seemed to provide an excellent springboard for the advancement of online learning. The educational use of the Blackboard synchronous chat facility was new to most of the group was and it was this quick-fire aspect of participation that banished our jet lag.

During the brief visit, we strongly sensed that we were engaged in something that was set to change the face of education in NI. We were made very aware of the cohort member's perceptions that they would have to be the instigators and facilitators of change ‘back home’. As they returned to their ‘traditional’ teaching and learning contexts, they would face colleagues and students who would present challenges, barriers, fears and indeed, prejudices about online learning.

As lecturers, we were encouraged to feel very much part of the Education Faculty of the University of Duquesne and our time there allowed us to work together in a way which is best described in Larry Tomei’s phrase ‘ratcheting up of the collaborative’ (USDLA, April 2002). Linda Wojnar provided private tutorials where we realised that her oft-stated commitment to ‘setting everyone up for success’ was more than rhetoric, more than sincere and, more importantly, extended to us.

At the end of the visit we were both impressed with the commitment to the success of the course and to the natural way in which online teaching and learning is accepted as part of normal education. This was a case of one culture meeting and supporting another.

And Back to Northern Ireland

We took up the invitation to host our modules on the Duquesne Blackboard server. This meant that we were also looking at other ways to redesign these modules to facilitate seamless integration with the Duquesne modules. While the Multimedia Literacy Module had to have some face-to-face sessions, due to the need to teach the application software – Dreamweaver – the synchronous and asynchronous dialogue provided excellent preparatory and follow-up learning, as well as cutting down on traveling. The lasting impression of these sessions was that, with a careful focus on constructivist teaching and learning, absolute clarity of instructions, carefully thought-out and structured lesson planning, success is guaranteed.

The Collaborative Learning Online (CLO) Module was refocused to provide a venue that would allow students to take their Duquesne experience back into their individual work contexts in Northern Ireland. This would, in many ways, be the acid test of the transferability of the Duquesne collaboration and the participants would be invited to consider the sustainability of their work 'back home'.

Discussions about sustainability and how it could be supported were closely linked to those of assessment. Initially, discussions with the cohort about assessment focused on rubric clarity, the need for them to provide evidence and (for them) the burning question of 'how much we should do'. However, it was during these discussions that we agreed that sustainability was best supported through assignments that were not only relevant to teaching and learning, but also linked, were possible, to policy initiatives within their employing organisations. It was also understood that, when back in NI, the students had to promote sustainability on at least two levels. At user level, there was confidence that the 'hearts and minds' of students and colleagues could be won, given the lessons learned in Pittsburgh about on line education. However, at policy level, there had to be a clear signal from the students that teaching and learning could be enhanced through these assignments, that the initiatives were cost-effective, and that the environments there were to eventually create would advance policy and practice. McNair (USDLA, 2002) outlines some of these activities and demonstrates how the range of projects undertaken, and the use made of them by practitioners and policy makers alike, have indeed begun to support sustainability. We stated at the start of this paper that we were 'steeling' ourselves for the task of carrying the Duquesne work on into the NI education context. This has been, and continues to be, a challenge. However, the experience has taught us that good partnerships always promote a synergy that blends common interests, create new and wider horizons ands generate lasting friendships.

About the Authors:

Dr. Linda C. Wojnar is Assistant Professor, Distance Learning Strand, Duquesne University, School of Education, 327C Fisher Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15282.
Contact: 412-396-1662, email: wojnar@duq.edu

Dr. Larry Tomei is Assistant Professor and Instructional Technology Program Coordinator, K-12 Strand, Duquesne University, School of Education, 327A Fisher Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15282. Contact: 412-396-4039.

Linda Clark is Lecturer, School of Education, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT37 0QB

Victor McNairis Lecturer, School of Education, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT37 0QB

Mr. John Anderson is Education Technology Strategy Coordinator, Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI). Contact: john.anderson.deni@nics.gov.uk, mobile: + 44 (0) 79 0991 2012 tel and fax: +44 (0) 28 4062 6455

In This Issue | Podium | Featured Articles | Student Exchange | Technology Exchange
State Exchange | Positions Available | Calendar | Call For Papers | Past Issues