Name: Charles W. Reynolds & John R. CordaniInstitution: James Madison University
E-mail Address:reynolcw@cs.jmu.edu & cordanjr@cs.jmu.edu
Format: Paper presentation
Suggested Audience: Staff advising and supporting the development of distance learning delivery of academic programs.
Presentation Outcome:
1. Attendees will state requirements in a computer science model for distance education.
2. Attendees will be able to select and apply evaluation criteria for the selection of distance learning technologies.
Presentation Content:
Academic departments are moving to apply distance learning technologies to the difficult problems involved in reaching graduate students in rapidly the rapidly changing fields of the sciences. A methodology for working between academic departments and technical support staff is explored and explained to achieve a viable and workable system. A procedure for determining the composition and operations of a decision matrix for selecting appropriate distance learning technologies to use in providing graduate education in computer science is presented. The functions of the faculty development of program goals and objectives are discussed as they affect the requirements for the acquisition of distance technologies and their incumbent support requirements. The procedures through which those involved acquired knowledge of distance learning technologies are described. Points of coordination between faculty and support staff required to facilitate smooth introductions of new technologies are highlighted from the view of both the academic department and technical staff. The roles of quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria are weighed and the rational for their inclusion are explained. Consideration is given to the type and rate of technological infusion in the target student population. Methods of data collection and forecasting are described and algorithms used in the model are presented.