Darren Swenson's MSET Portfolio > Themes > Distance Education

​Distance Education

 Teaching at a distance with the personal computer and the internet is common place today. Without this capability, earning my MSET degree would have been more time consuming, including more travel time. It allows learning to occur anytime-anywhere.

Using this same concept helps in the face-to-face environment of the public schools of today.  I can place assignments on a course management system (CMS) for students to retrieve anytime and complete anywhere. Communication can occur much easier using email, discussion posts or wikis.  Assessments can be done formatively and summatively when convenient for the teacher and student.  Assessment analysis can be done easier and more thoroughly using online assessment tools.

Goals

Goal 2: Students will be current in teaching and learning processes and practices.
Goal 3: Students will be current in research technologies and designs. 
 

LT 785 Research Methods in Educational Technology - Dr. Don Wiken (Fall 2009)
This course helped me understand research statistics that are related to educational research. To reinforce the understanding of the different statistical methods, we did a variety of statistical analysis assignmnets, using different methods based on the type of data provided.  Our final project was to analyze a research document to determine validity and reliability.
 
 
Goal 3 Objective: - Students will be proficient in finding, evaluating, and using current educational research to support continuous improvement in their profession.

 

CET 720 Evaluating Technology Outcomes - Dr. Mark Hawkes (Spring 2011)

In Evaluating Technology Outcomes, our team created an evaluation plan for Madison Central School District. The purpose of this evaluation plan is to examine the effects technology has had on Madison's mission statement and provide guidance moving forward. 

CET 720 Final evaluation plan.pdfCET 720 Final evaluation plan.pdf

 

 Goal 3 Objective: - Students will understand the capabilities of the computer, its impact on education, business, industry and government and will be able to adapt to, understand, and evaluate and make use of new and emerging innovations in computer and information technology.

 

CET 765 Leadership in Technological Change - Dr. Mark Geary (Spring 2011)

In this class, one of biggest assignments was to read a leadership book that related to business and industry. I believe that the book I read, Disrupting Class, is a great read because it uses business examples to explain how disruption is a good thing.  Then, the book translates the business examples into school terminology and how technology can be integrated into the school systems, using student-centered learning. This book, in my opinion, is very much geared for schools and could be used as a model to help with changing the educational process.

Business Book Notes pt2.pdfBusiness Book Notes pt2.pdf

 

Goal 2 Objectives:
- Students will be aware of current trends and issues in computer education, distance education, electronic communications, computer hardware and software. 
- Students will apply learning theory and the principles of instruction design in curricular and instructional decision-making.