Overview: Before We Begin
Welcome to EDDL 5111: Introduction to Distributed Learning
The focus of this course is the effective integration of technology in educational experiences at all levels, from elementary to post-secondary. Through the course work, readings, and discussions with peers, we will consider the use of technology in courses delivered entirely online, in courses delivered face-to-face with a significant technological component, and in courses using technology only occasionally to enhance the learners’ experience.
There is no single right way to incorporate technology into courses. It must be done thoughtfully, based on the purpose of the course, the experience of the learners, the educational philosophy of the teacher/instructor, and the technological options themselves. Because it is such an iterative and thoughtful process, it is really helpful to work together with a group of people—like the people in this course—to think it through.
The course is divided into four sections.
Section 1 (Weeks 1–3): Background to Educational Design
Section 2 (Weeks 4–5): Finding and Selecting Web-Based Educational Technology
Section 3 (Weeks 6–9): Designing Instruction that Incorporates Technology
Section 4 (Weeks 10–12): Designing Assessment
As you work through the course, you will:
- Read, watch, and otherwise consume information about the topics at hand.
- Participate in structured discussions with peers and your Open Learning Faculty Member.
- Write blog posts in response to specific prompts, make additional blog posts, if you wish, and respond to colleagues’ blog posts.
- Complete independent assignments.
- Provide feedback to your colleagues on one of their assignments.
As in any graduate course, you will be expected to do some reading. Specific sections from the open textbook for this course—Tony Bates’s Teaching in a Digital Age—are flagged for reading. Additional readings are found in some of the modules.
