ADE 5932r e-Learning for Managers (3 hours)

The Florida State University
College of Education

Instructor: John Sample, Ph.D. SPHR
Telephone: 850-644-8176 Email:sample@coe.fsu.edu

Course Description, Learning Objectives, and Competencies

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to enable managers in the professional field of human resource development (HRD) to effectively implement E-Learning performance improvement and training solutions by examining the foundations of E-Learning and the technologies that facilitate it. This course is offered completely online as a distance learning alternative to traditional classroom format.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the semester, class members should be able to:

1. Explain how E-Learning can support employee learning, knowledge management and performance improvement.
2. Determine when E-Learning is an appropriate solution for an organization.
3. Discuss E-Learning components, tools and infrastructure.
4. Evaluate design and delivery technologies such as Learning Management Systems and Learning Content Management Systems.
5. Plan the development of online content and learning communities.
6. Recommend appropriate E-Learning standards.
7. Design a strategy for implementing and evaluating an e-Learning solution.
8. Analyze critical trends and issues that affect e-Learning.

Competencies

Each course in the MS degree in Adult Education/HRD has associated competencies selected from the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction (IBSTPI). Class members will be expected to develop and defend a portfolio near the end of his or her program of studies that compares professional and academic experiences with selected competencies. Papers and work products from this course will be used to establish evidence of one or more of the following competencies:

1. Analyze existing and emerging technologies and their uses in the organization.
2. Use technology to support the administration of the training function.
3. Use technology to design, deliver, and administer training interventions.
4. Promote effective e-Learning solutions.
5. Select technology that is compatible with the organization and the training role.
6. Model the appropriate use of technology within the organization.
7. Plan and promote organizational change.
8. Develop and monitor a strategic plan.

Required Texts and Other Instructional Resources

Required Texts

Horton, W. and Horton, K. (2003) E-Learning Tools and Technologies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Rosenberg, M. J. (2001). e-Learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Ordering Textbooks

Students in residence at FSU may purchase their text books from a number of sources, and we recommend Bills Book Store (West Tennessee location) because of their reputation for excellent customer service. Students learning at a distance can go to www.billsbookstore.com, access "Purchase Student Textbooks, complete form requesting semester (fall, spring, or summer), department ("ADE"), course, section, and instructor. Upon paying for your purchase, the text will be mailed to the location of your choice.

Topics, Readings and Assignments

Learning Strategies

• The goal of everyone in this online learning environment, instructor and learners alike, is to create a democratic and inclusive learning climate and community that allows for freedom of expression, critical reflection, enhanced listening, constructive dialogue, meaningful participation and enhanced understanding.
• It is expected that you will actively participate in all class activities, online conversations and assignments. Active participation includes raising thoughtful questions, making useful observations about the course content and process, engaging in critical reflection on your own and others' assumptions in a respectful manner, sharing ideas, providing useful feedback, and undertaking ongoing evaluation of different aspects of the course and your own learning.
• Online courses offer flexibility for learners' schedules, but this does not make them easier than traditional face-to-face courses. You should expect to spend at least 10 to 12 hours per week on this course-the same amount you would typically spend in a classroom and at home doing assignments.
• It is expected that everyone will provide constructive feedback on the quality of the course content, methods of instruction and learning processes. Efforts will be made to accommodate suggestions and resolve concerns. In the event that you must miss a week, it is your responsibility to review the material that you missed.
• You are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to class and submit written assignments by midnight of the stated due date. Written assignments are to be uploaded via the Gradebook function.
• In terms of technology requirements for the course, or for technical assistance, please refer to the Office of Distributed and Distance Learning's website:
  
  

  online.fsu.edu/onlinesupport/student/assistance/.

  Please call (850) 644-8004 for any problems with course websites.

Role of the Instructor

The role of the instructor is to guide the progress of the course, participate in the discussion, provide feedback and evaluate assignments. The instructor will maintain office hours via phone and the Online Office in the Discussion function found in Blackboard.

Expectations and Participation

Class members will be doing all of their work for this course using the BlackBoard learning management system (LMS). Ongoing weekly activities include reading, writing, and participating in discussions. Below are some frequently asked questions about participation in discussion boards and guidelines for writing discussion responses.

How often should I log on to the Discussion Boards?

In order to avoid being overwhelmed by the number of discussion postings, students are expected to log on at least four times per week to respond to the discussion and read discussion posts. Each class member will be required to submit a substantive main response to the question and at least 2 substantive responses to peer main postings. In addition, each class member must respond to questions that peers and the instructor may ask them in response to their main posting.

Class members must support their position when posting to the discussion. Simply saying "hello" or "I agree" is not considered a substantive contribution. At the same time, however, short comments are a natural part of any discussion-you won't be penalized for this-but in terms of your participation grade these type of comments will not be counted toward the minimum discussion requirements.

The class week officially begins Monday at 12:01 AM and ends the following Sunday at midnight. However, each week's discussion questions will be posted the Friday before the week begins. Class members will have from that Friday through Wednesday midnight to contribute their primary responses to the discussion questions. Response to peer postings should be posted by Friday midnight. Class members have until Sunday midnight to respond to any questions posed by peers and the instructor. After that time the discussion will be closed and graded. Class members are expected to participate throughout the week, and to not wait until the last minute to contribute postings.

What is a post?
A post is a message in the Discussions area. It is simply your part of the conversation about a particular topic. A post may be a question, response to a question, or a comment.

How long should my posts be?
It is recommended that you keep your posts focused and succinct. This makes your post easier for others to read and respond to. A good general rule for length is ˝ to 1 page of writing (125 to 250 words) for a substantial post. Of course, in some discussions, it may be more appropriate to write a series of very short posts, rather than one or two longer ones. You may wish to compose your posts in a word processor then copy and paste them to a discussion throughout the week. The main idea here is that the discussion board should be a conversational academic discussion! In other words, it's okay, and quite natural, to make short and long posts.

What constitutes a good online discussion post?
The following factors have been identified as necessary for a good response in online discussion. Please keep these factors in mind when composing your posts.

Posts should be:

• Substantial (relates to the course material)
• Concise (one screen may be the ideal message length)
• Provocative (encourages others to respond)
• Hermeneutical or interpretative (expands concepts or connects ideas in new ways)
• Timely (occurs in a reasonable time frame - when the topic is under discussion)
• Logical (supports point of view with reasons and evidence)
• Grammatical (is well written).

What is "netiquette"?
Netiquette refers to how you participate in online exchanges. Here are some examples of good netiquette:

• Check the discussion frequently and respond appropriately and on topic.
• Focus on one subject per message and use meaningful subject lines when beginning new messages.
• Use appropriate sentence case and capitalize additional words only to highlight a point. Capitalizing otherwise is known as shouting.
• Be professional and respectful in your online interaction.
• Cite all quotes, references, and sources-this way everyone can have access to good information.
• Ask permission before forwarding a class message to someone outside of the class.
• It is fine to use humor, but use it carefully. The absence of face-to-face cues can cause humor to be misinterpreted as criticism or flaming (angry, antagonistic criticism). Emoticon symbols such as :-) or ;-) will let others know when you are being humorous. See messenger.msn.com/Resource/Emoticons.aspx for emoticon examples.
• The class discussion area is not an appropriate place for forwarding ads, chain letters, or other unrelated e-mail otherwise known as Spam. Personal chit-chat should be reserved for the CyberCafe. Also, remember that, while access to the course site is restricted, all comments are public to the class members and instructor.

General Guidelines for Written Assignments

1. Double-space type all academically written material (i.e. reflection papers, critical incident paper, learning project, etc).
2. Follow the APA Manual, 5th Edition for style and citation guidelines. Access information about APA citation guidelines at www.apastyle.org/elecref.html.
3. Use inclusive language (that means avoiding the exclusive use of masculine pronouns when referring to women and men) in your writing.
4. Academic writing should not be overly formal for formality's sake. Good academic writing is carefully planned and yields a well-crafted argument or position.
5. Ensure that the quality of your written work reflects the quality of your paper's content. Correct grammar and spelling errors, as well as awkward or unclear sentences and paragraphs before the final paper is submitted.
6. Quality written assignments generally meet the following criteria:
   
   
   • Includes the title, name of the author, date, course number (ADE 5932r), and the instructor's name at the beginning of the paper.
   • Clearly identifies the question being addressed or the purpose of the paper.
   • Provides an overview of the structure and organization in the introductory section of the paper.
   • Defines key terms, concepts and slogans.
   • Gives examples when they enhance the understanding of the concept being discussed.
   • Applies theory from the assigned readings or elsewhere.
   • Demonstrates the ability to self-reflect and discover core values and beliefs.
   • Considers implications and/or consequences.
   • Provides a strong summary or conclusion.

Directions for Uploading Assignments to the Gradebook

Every student will submit their application projects, journal critiques, and other assignments by way of the "Assignment Gradebook" attachment, located in each weekly folder (go to 'Assignments' link). To use the "Assignment Gradebook" attachment, select the 'view/complete' link. From there you can read the details for that assignment. Once you complete the assignment then each student will then attach their file and send their completed work through the same link.

Once the assignments are graded, each student can view their respective grade by accessing the "Student Tools" function then go into view grades.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT put any spaces, or special characters (i.e. !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *) in your saved fine name. There is a glitch within Blackboard which does not allow the instructor to open and view your files.

Incorrect File name: JC#2.Bulls (no special characters)
Incorrect File name: JC 2.Bulls (no spaces)
Correct File name: JC2.Bulls

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Case Studies

Class members will examine two case studies that represent actual examples of E-Learning implementations. Each case study analysis should be written from the perspective of a training manager, integrates course materials and discuss how important concepts or theories apply in each case.

Application Project

Class members will complete one application project which is designed to link theory to practice. This project consists of four parts described below. Upon completion of each section of the project, class members will upload his or her completed work to the Gradebook function on Black board.

COURSE GRADING AND EVALUATION

Grade of Incomplete

Incomplete grades are to be given only to students who have been regularly submitting assignments and who have completed most of the work for the course, and who have a serious emergency near the end of the term. An incomplete is a privilege to be decided by the instructor, not a right exercised by the student.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY

Cheating is defined as the attempt, successful or not, to give or obtain aid and/or information by illicit means in meeting any academic requirements, including examinations. Cheating includes falsifying reports and documents.

Plagiarism is defined as the use, without proper acknowledgements, of the ideas, phrases, sentences, or larger units of discourse from another writer or speaker. Plagiarism includes the unauthorized copying of software and the violation of copyright laws. See campus.fsu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_107_1 for a review of issues associated with plagiarism and the Internet.

Class members are on notice that the instructor will randomly check written submissions for plagiarism. Several tools are available for this purpose (Turnitin.com), and FSU policies regarding cheating and plagiarism will be strictly enforced.

CLASSMEMBERS WITH DISABILITIES

Class members with disabilities requiring an academic accommodation should (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Resource Center (SDRC), (2) bring a letter to the first week of class. This and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, M. W. (2003). I Had No Idea: How to Build Creative E-Learning Experiences. Educational Technology, 43(6), 15-20.

Bielawski, L. and Metcalf, D. (2003). Blended eLearning. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, Inc.

Boettcher, J. V. and Conrad, R. M. (2004). Faculty Guide to Moving Teaching and Learning to the Web (2nd Ed.). Mission Viejo, CA: League for Innovation in the Community College.

Foxon, M., Richey, R., Roberts, R., Spannaus, T. (2003). Training Manager Competencies, The Standards. Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology.

Glenn, J. M. (2003). E-Learning E-volution: Your (Digital) Future Awaits. Business Education Forum, 57(4), 8-15.

Gold, M. (2003). 8 Lessons about E-Learning from 5 Organizations. Training and Development, 57(8) , 54-57.

Harris, P. (2003). ROI of E-Learning: Closing in. Training and Development, 57(2), 30-36.

Hartley, D. (2000). On-Demand Learning: Training in the New Millennium. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, Inc.

Henderson, A. J. (2003). The e-learning Question and Answer Book: A Survival Guide for Traingers and Business Managers. New York, NY: AMACOM.

Horton, W. (2003). Using E-Learning. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.

Mealy, L. and Loller, B. (2000). E-Learning: Expanding the Training Classroom through Technology. Chicago, IL: International Association for Human Resource Information Management.

Phillips, J. and Pope, C. (2001). Implementing E-Learning Solutions. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.

Prendergast, G. (2004). Blended Collaborative Learning: Online Teaching of Online Educators. Global Educator Newsletter. Access at www.globaled.com/articles/GerardPrendergast2004.pdf

Rosenberg, M. (2003). Redefining E-Learning. Performance Improvement, 42(3), 38-41.

Rossett, A. (2002). The ASTD E-Learning Handbook. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Rossett, A., Douglis, F., Frazee, R. Strategies for Building Blended Learning. Access at www.learningcircuits.org/2003/jul2003/rossett.htm

Russell, D., Calvey, D., Banks, M. (2003). Creating New Learning Communities: Towards Effective E-Learning Production. Journal of Workplace Learning, 15(1), 34-44.

Sloman, M. (2002). The E-Learning Revolution: How Technology is Driving a New Training Paradigm. New York, NY: AMACOM.

Trentin, G.. (2003). Managing the Complexity of E-Learning Systems. Educational Technology, 43(6), 36-42.

Tyler, K. (2002). Take E-Learning to the next step: E-learning programs move beyond online catalogs to individual assessments and professional development plans. HR Magazine. Access at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_2_47/ai_83058911

Adult Education and Human Resource Development Program
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
114 Stone Building - Tallahassee, FL 32306-4452
Phone: (850) 644-8165 ♦ Fax: (850) 644-6401
E-mail: adult-ed@garnet.acns.fsu.edu