Welcome to EDF 6215 Home Page

Learning Principles, Summer 1998

Mike Tyler, Ph.D., Instructor

 

 Meeting Times

This class is an Internet-based class and will largely be completed at a distance. Two on-campus meeting times are planned.

Learning Objectives

"I am not inviting you to follow me, but to follow yourself. I am only here to help you if you need me." (Groddeck, 1977, p. 2).

The overall objective of this course is to demonstrate the importance of the preceding statement as a basis for relevant education. The secondary objective is to offer students an opportunity to --

Additionally, students will be able to --

Grade Policy 

Academic achievement in this graduate course is based on the following grading system:

(Source: The Merriam Webster Dictionary, p. 686)

Overview of the Assignments 

Key Assignments

Policy on the Assignment's Point System

Electronic Homework. All assignments listed in the homework section of each module will receive between 1 and 10 points. Points will be assigned as follows:
 

  • 10 
  • An exemplary assignment, worthy of recognition as a model
  • 9 
  • A well completed assignment, demonstrates mastery of material
  • 8
  • Adequate completion, suggests some minor confusion or misunderstanding of significant material
  • 7 
  • Inadequate completion, more than minor confusion is present
  • 6 or  
  • fewer
  • Little of no demonstration of understanding of main points,  or severe misunderstanding of critical areas

 

Electronic Homework. Each module contains a homework section. Listed in this section is a written activity that must be completed and submitted via e-mail to the instructor by 5pm on the date assigned. In some cases, there are 2 or more options listed. In these instances, students are free to choose whichever option they feel is most comfortable for them. Over the course of the semester students must complete 9 of the 11 homework assignments. Students are free to choose which 2 will not be completed.

Students may elect to work on these assignments cooperatively. If students choose, 2 students may turn in a single assignment. This can be a positive was for students to assist in editing, help generate ideas, and foster a sense of collaboration and cooperation. If 2 students choose to team on one or more assignment, a single grade will be assigned to both authors on that assignment.

Discussion Questions. For each of the 11 modules, I will post a question or issue to consider. Each student in the class must then post 2 responses. The first responses may be either a direct answer to the question posed, or a response to another student's post. The second post each student makes MUST BE a response to someone else's post. While every student is required to post at least twice, no one is limited to 2 responses- and at the discretion of the instructor, extra credit may be assigned for additional postings which help to significantly facilitate discussion. Some students in previous offerings of this course clearly were disappointed in the lack of interaction among students. By contributing to an on-line discussion you can ensure that interaction remains at a reasonable level and increase your own learning. Nothing promotes learning a concept like explaining or teaching it!

Research Paper. A score not to exceed 40 points will be assigned for the mini-conference presentations. The following criteria will be used in grading mini-conference presentations.

First- because we are a graduate level class in a University- it is appropriate that whatever discussion we have occurs at a reasonable level of intellectual engagement. To me, this means we go beyond our own experience and attempt to understand information from a "scientific perspective." Therefore, this project will require students to undertake some scholarly exploration to increase their own knowledge level. This will be demonstrated to the instructor by the completion of a research paper on a subject of your choice that is related to learning. To promote quality content, the paper must be the outgrowth of your reading and cite at least 6 primary research articles published in reputable journals. Each paper should be between 8-12 pages in length and must conform to APA style. Assume that the paper is being submitted for publication, and follow the style guidelines for submitted manuscripts.

Second- these papers will be presented during our mini-conference. One options is to simply read your paper out loud during your allotted time. In conference settings however, such an approach generally draws jeers and yawns. Therefore it is likely more beneficial for you to determine how to capture the most salient points in the paper and deliver those to your audience in a manner that will be engaging, thought provoking, and support the retention of information. Whatever technology you would like to aid in your presentation can be made available with appropriate advance notice.

Third- the day will be a very busy one. Because of the tight schedule, participants will not have a lot of opportunity for processing information. Therefore, if people are to make good use of the information presented, they must have a way to take it home for future review and thought. As you work toward the mini-conference, it will be important to consider what handouts, support materials, etc., you will pass out to participants. A copy of your final paper is one option- but do not limit yourself to this.

On-Line Module Development: Having participated in this class, you are becoming an expert in 2 areas: on-line learning and learning theory. You will have an opportunity to combine these areas of knowledge in this final project. Every student will choose one of the modules that presently exist for this course. Each student will redesign that module based on the learning theory or information presented in the module. The new design will be a demonstration of the theory in practice. Example: If you choose the module on Operant Conditioning, your task is to redesign the module so that the principles of Operant conditioning are used in teaching Operant conditioning. Because the level of technological knowledge and skill varies widely, students will be allowed some latitude in the completion of this assignment. Some will choose to download web pages and reconfigure them in a manner consistent with the theory, then supply the instructor with the re-created files on disk. Others may choose to "construct" pages in the real world using paper, markers, etc. Finally, some people may choose to create a detailed narrative of the necessary changes such that it can be handed to a technician with no knowledge of learning theory, who could then engage in the technological wizardry arriving at the new module by following a detailed plan. ALL STUDENTS will supply a commentary explaining the reasons they have constructed the module in the manner they have, paying particular attention to detailing the connection between the theory and the module. In grading this assignment, the instructor will look for evidence that the student clearly understands the learning theory in question, and is able to apply the theory in practice. While creativity is nice, grades will be assigned based on the conveyance of an understanding of theory. Two students may choose to collaborate on this project. If this option is chosen, a single grade will be assigned to both students for the finished project. In cases where 2 students choose to team, the final product should reflect the extra people-power utilized in creating this product. Click here for more detailed information about this project.

Possible Total Points
 

  • 90 points possible for homework 

    22 points possible for discussion questions (11 x 2 ) 

    30 points possible for module development 

    40 points possible for research paper 

    • 182 total points available
 164 - 182 = A  

145 - 163 = B 

127 - 144 = C 

126 or below = F 

Sample Assignments

From this page you can access actual student work that received a very strong grade. These samples are provided as examples of one manner in which the assingment can be completed, and should be seen as exemplars, not as templates.

Policy on Late Assignments

My commitment to the class is to hold class during scheduled hours (whatever that means in cyberspace), to be available during office hours, to maintain appointments, and to review and return all work in a timely fashion. For me to maintain my commitments, I must have the opportunity to schedule assignments at appropriate intervals. Late assignments are an inconvenience and impinge upon my ability to meet my obligations to other students and my family. Therefore, I discourage turning in assignments after the assigned time. To enforce this, all assignments are due at 5pm on the date assigned (be on time!). Late assignments will be assessed a penalty equal to 10% of the possible points for each week (or portion thereof) that the assignment is late. Please plan your time accordingly.

Overview of Course Sessions & Modules

SESSION 1 -- May 11, 1998 (On-Campus)

MODULE 1 (Internet-based)

MODULE 2 (Internet-based)

MODULE 3 (Internet-based)

MODULE 4 (Internet-based)

MODULE 5 (Internet-based)

MODULE 6 (Internet-based)

MODULE 7 (Internet-based)

MODULE 8 (Internet-based)

MODULE 9 (Internet-based)

MODULE 10 (Internet-based)

MODULE 11 (Internet-based)

If you are an enrolled student of this course, please click on the blue ball icon to access the 11 web-based modules. The system will ask for a PASSWORD. If you don't have it, please contact your instructor as soon as possible.

If you're not an enrolled student and like to see how this web course works, please send an e-mail message to the instructor or call him at (941) 590-7792.


 

Resources

Communication 

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This web page was initially developed as a result of a collaboration between Mike Tyler (instructor) and Danilo M. Baylen (instructional designer). Currently, it is maintained by Mike Tyler, and any questions about this site should be directed to him.

This page was last updated on 07/20/98.