Education Commons^™

Distance Learning And University Effectiveness: Changing Educational Paradigms For Online Learning, Scott L. Howell

Faculty Publications

Howell reviews Distance Learning and University Effectiveness: Changing Educational Paradigms for Online Learning by Caroline Howard, Karen D. Schenk, and Richard Discenza.

Technology: Taking The Distance Out Of Learning/New Directions For Teaching And Learning, 94, Nathan K. Lindsay, Scott L. Howell

Faculty Publications

Lindsay and Howell review Technology: Taking the Distance Out of Learning: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 94 edited by Margit Misangyi Watts.

Ten Efficient Research Strategies For Distance Learning, Thomas C. Wright, Scott L. Howell

Faculty Publications

Today's distance education administrator, frequently with an expertise in another academic discipline, is also supposed to be a distance education scholar. This expectation results from the recent interest in distance learning that nearly all institutions of learning and disciplines of study have shown. More research, studies, journals, and essays about distance education also exist than at any other time.

A distance education administrator and an education research librarian at Brigham Young University have teamed up to identify ten pragmatic research strategies to help new, busy, and even a few experienced distance education administrators stay current in their field and successful …

Reevaluating Course Completion In Distance Education—Avoiding The Comparison Between Apples And Oranges, Scott L. Howell, R. Dwight Laws, Nathan K. Lindsay

Faculty Publications

Critics of distance education frequently assert that completion rates are lower in distance education courses than in traditional courses. Such criticism comes despite sparse and inconclusive research on completion rates for distance and traditional education courses. This article reviews some of the existing research and then describes some of the caveats and complexities in comparing completion rates in traditional and distance education. Analysis reveals that numerous factors make comparison between these two formats difficult, if not impossible. Problems include limitations in the research design itself, differences in student demographics, and inconsistent methods of calculating and reporting completion. After exploring these …

In The (Not So) Distant Future: Fiber Optic Distance Learning At The University Of Northern Iowa, Mary Bozik

Faculty Publications

Currently every Area Education Agency; community college; and Regent University in Iowa is connected by a fiber optic system known as the Iowa Communications Network (ICN). Every semester; 7 to 13 college credit classes have been offered at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) via the ICN since 1993. In the Spring of 1995 seven classes (six graduate; one undergraduate) were offered on the ICN by UNI; all were taught by a different instructor; each of whom had participated in a 3-day preparatory workshop. All 168 students were surveyed and 103 responded. Students reported their instructors used a variety of …

Technology: Connecting People And Places, Richard Stahlhut

Faculty Publications

The College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) established collaborative partnership agreements with nine major school districts in Iowa where UNI student teachers were placed. One collaborative project connected the campus coordinator with the nine off-campus sites through the campus computer network (Caucus). In the 1993-94 school year the transition to Internet is being made. This paper describes: (1) how the UNI computer network (Caucus) was developed and extended; (2) projects that caused practitioners to become active partners in the UNI Teacher Education program; (3) projects such as newsletters; establishment of mentor programs for student teachers; and …

Using Computer Conferencing Technology To Assist Collaboration Between Higher Education Faculty; Student Teachers And K-12 Practitioners, Richard Stahlhut, Richard R. Hawkes

Faculty Publications

The College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) created collaborative partnerships with nine major school districts in Iowa in order to establish several kinds of relationships between practitioners and university faculty which computer networks facilitated. A new "Cobra" computer conference system was expanded to the nine regional off-campus centers where UNI student teachers were working; and modem-equipped portable computers were linked to the campus through a WATTS telephone line. Personnel; including field-based personnel and practitioners; were then able to communicate with nearly all offices on UNI campus through E-mail and computer conferences. Further programs have recruited teachers …

Math Student Teachers: How Well Prepared Are They?, Richard G. Stahlhut

Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to find out how well mathematics majors at the University of Northern Iowa were prepared in the foundations of effective teaching practices and how well they performed during the student teaching experience. Data were gathered from mathematics student teachers (N=22) who were observed; interviewed; and asked to keep daily journals. Results suggest that mathematics teacher education students: (1) be required to create practical problems for pupils for every mathematics course in grades 7-12; (2) be required to take a course that deals with writing across the curriculum so they can better incorporate English into their classroom …

Computer Literacy: An Instructional Unit, Ruth Ratekin, Jack C. Reed

Faculty Publications

This instructional unit on computer literacy is intended for use as a 9-week course meeting five days per week for 50-minute class periods. If tied to a 9-week course in keyboarding or combined with additional materials on programming or software applications; it could also be expanded into a semester course. The following topics are covered in the individual chapters: the role of computers in society; ways in which computers affect society (historical development of computers; their effects on quality of life; economic effects of computers; concerns arising from computer use; and rapid technological changes in business); the way in which …

Computer Applications: Using Electronic Spreadsheets, Connee Riley, Jack C. Reed

Faculty Publications

This instructional unit is intended to assist teachers in helping students learn to use electronic spreadsheets. The 11 learning activities included; all of which are designed for use in conjunction with Multiplan Spreadsheet Software; are arranged in order of increasing difficulty. An effort has been made to include problems applicable to each of the following areas: basic business; secretarial; administrative support; information processing; marketing; and accounting. Topics covered in the individual lessons include operating a spreadsheet program; formatting an electronic spreadsheet; entering and saving data; creating a new electronic spreadsheet from an existing one; rearranging and replacing data; changing data …

Identification Of Tasks In Photo-Offset Lithography Occupations, University Of Northern Iowa

Faculty Publications

The research project was designed to provide data pertaining to performance tasks in specific occupations in various areas of vocational/technical education. The data presented in the document is intended to be used to develop appropriate objectives and curricular content to assist in the preparation of individuals entering the specific photo-offset lithography occupations of layout man; paste-up man; lithographic cameraman; stripper; platemaker; and offset pressman. To discover the tasks and functions required for these job categories; a list of graphic arts industries in Iowa was developed; graphic arts personnel in three cities were interviewed and; from that information; the major instruments …

Bibliography Of Occupational Information, Janice Wieckhorst

Faculty Publications

This bibliography (non-annotated) is divided into three major sections. The first covers books; periodicals and pamphlets describing individual careers; job hunting techniques and the world of work. The second section contains a selected listing of U. S. government publications on employment and careers. The final section includes a group of reference materials pertinent to employment. While this bibliography is specific to the library at the University of Northern Iowa; its citations cover recognized materials generally available through reference libraries and the U. S. Government. (CKJ)