Online Ed Skepticism and Self-Sufficiency: Survey of Faculty Views on Technology
Mike Miller shared this article with me (Online Ed Skepticism and Self-Sufficiency: Survey of Faculty Views on Technology). Plenty of interesting reading….
Cheating In An Online Environment
Cheating In Online Courses: The Student Definition
“One of the barriers to faculty acceptance of online teaching and learning is a concern about cheating and the quality of the learning experience. This paper reports the findings of a descriptive survey focused on the students’ definition of cheating in the online learn- ing environment.”
Online Classes See Cheating Go High-Tech
June 2012 article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Tips to Reduce the Impact of Cheating in Online Assessment
From the Northern Illinois University Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center Blog.
Three Actors that Contribute to Student Success in Online Courses: The Institution, Instructor and Student
Debbie Morrison’s Online Learning Insights (OLI)
For Some Students, Customized Online Learning Is Best
September 2014 article from the Times of San Diego
Linking From D2L to Lynda.com
You can actually put a link to a Lynda lesson directly into D2L, some of the basic Excel lessons may be very good
- Log into the portal for Lynda: https://login.depaul.edu/ldap/login?service=https://www.lynda.com/portal/depaulu
- Find the course you want to share and click on it, then click the Share button at the top
- Click the Link Button
- Copy the DePaul Link
- Paste the link into D2L
Lynda.com
Lynda.com, an online training video library is now available for free to all DePaul students, faculty, and staff.
Training topics include:
- Microsoft Office
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Mac & Windows
- Web design
- Social media
- Databases
- SPSS
- Photography
- Audio & Video
Faculty can use Lynda.com to supplement in-class instruction. Students can improve their software skills with the free videos
For more information about the courses available or to create your free account, visit software.depaul.edu/lynda. For more information, please email MPT@depaul.edu.
Pearson Update
Online Learning Jobs
1) Online Instructor in Distance Education (DEPD position)
UW-Madison, Division of Continuing Studies (DCS)
We are working to fill a vacancy for an Online Instructor in Distance Education in our Continuing Studies Distance Education and Professional Development department.
The application deadline is Aug. 22nd, 2014.
For a full description of the position and how to apply, please go to: http://go.wisc.edu/59374a
2) Instructional Designer/Instructional Technologist (DEPD position)
UW-Madison, Division of Continuing Studies (DCS)
Are you interested in joining a team of outstanding professionals to engage lifelong learners through high-quality and innovative programs and services? We are seeking an instructional designer/technologist to work with faculty and staff developing blended and online courses primarily within the Distance Education Professional Development (DEPD) unit. DEPD prepares educators for online teaching and leadership roles through online courses, certificates, and participation in the Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning. You would also develop online/blended courses for a variety of other units in the DCS Department of Liberal Arts and Applied Studies (LAAS).
The ideal candidate will have at least three (3) years of demonstrated experience in instructional design and instructional materials development. A Bachelor's degree required; graduate degree in educational technology, instructional design, education/curriculum development or related discipline preferred.
This position is based in Madison, WI. Applications are due by September 2nd,, 2014.
For a full description of the position and how to apply, please go to: http://go.wisc.edu/mg7tc5
Equal Opportunity Employer
3) Professor of Adult Teaching & Learning (Division position)
UW-Madison, Division of Continuing Studies
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public, land-grant institution that exemplifies the “Wisconsin Idea” – that the boundaries of the university are the boundaries of the state and beyond. We seek two tenurable or tenure track faculty to provide leadership and contribute to the department’s expertise in adult teaching and learning, continuing education, and distance learning. These individuals will enhance the department’s capacity to conduct research related to continuing education, including distance education. Applicants must show evidence of the ability to develop an excellent research program in adult teaching & learning, and/or continuing education, as well as evidence of knowledge and demonstrated excellence in distance education and teaching adults. An earned Ph.D. in education or related field is required.
Applications are due October 8th, 2014.
For a full description of the position and how to apply, please go to: http://go.wisc.edu/n03l2d
An Affinity for Asynchronous Learning
Kate Daniels of FITS shared this piece of research (An Affinity for Asynchronous Learning) that makes five assertions about synchronous learning:
- Synchronous meetings are biased against certain time zones.
- Synchronous meetings are culturally unaware.
- Synchronous meetings are biased against families and busy people.
- Synchronous meetings that involve audiovisuals are elitist.
- Synchronous meetings rely heavily on linguistic capital.
Worth reading if deciding whether to teach asynchronously or synchronously.
BlikBook
I had a pleasant conversation with Conor Noonan from BlikBook this morning. BlikBook positions itself as “an online platform helping lecturers manage workload and improve student engagement.” Essentially it is a discussion area that can be used by students and academics. It is free to use.
We use Desire2Learn, Blackboard Collaborate (known internally as “Online Rooms”) and Scopia extensively within the College of Business, so there is little impetus to use another platform for discussion and collaboration unless the new platform has these two features:
- Improved ease of use
- Full integration with the Desire2Learn gradebook
My present understanding of the BlikBook value proposition is:
- Increased participation
- Anonymous posting
- “Ownership” (i.e. engagement)
So BlikBook is not a fit for our needs at the moment (we have all that already), but may be of interest to faculty wishing to experiment with new discussion platforms.
BlikBook has a freemium business model. Universities can elect to pay for analytics data and a customized dashboard.
Half of U.S. Business Schools Might Be Gone by 2020
AACSB International: Business Faculty in the Land of the MOOCS
Dan Heiser shared this AACSB International post with me (Business Faculty in the Land of the MOOCS). Although the post is from December of 2013, it is worth a read....
The complete article is here.
Ten Ways to Spice Up Online Teaching
Ovetta Sampson wore a great piece on Online Learning (Ten Ways to Spice Up Online Teaching) for the Driehaus Dispatch. The article is worth reading in detail, but the ten takeaways are:
- Seek expert resources.
- Connect to D.O.T.S.
- Be prepared.
- Create a presence online.
- Assess student learning.
- Allow students to get to know you and other students.
- Get student feedback.
- Create narrative structure for the students.
- Do not overload students.
- Do it because you love it.
Full confession: I was interviewed for the piece.
Issues with Remote Proctor Now and IE11
Currently we have an issue with the most recent version of Internet Explorer and Remote Proctor Now:
Secured exams taken with Remote Proctor Now on a Windows PC with Internet Explorer 11 installed on will not work. The option to “Go to Submit Quiz” is unclickable, and students will not be able to complete a secure exam.
Students using Mac OS X are unaffected by this issue.
Students using Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.0 (but not Windows 8.1) will be able to take secure exams if they do not have Internet Explorer 11 installed. Earlier versions of Internet Explorer (such as Internet Explorer 9 or 10) should allow for successful completion of a secure exam.
There is a process to rollback/downgrade to an earlier version of Internet Explorer, described below.
Students using Windows 8.1 are unable to rollback/downgrade to an earlier version of Internet Explorer 11. The only solution is to use a different computer, with does not have Internet Explorer 11 installed.
We are working with Desire2Learn for a solution to the issue.
The process for uninstalling Internet Explorer 11 is as follows:
- Go to Windows Update > View updates and find the line for Internet Explorer 11 and uninstall from there. This requires a computer restart.
- After that, in order to prevent Internet Explorer from auto-updating, open IE10 and click on the gear in upper right corner of Internet Explorer and choose “About Internet Explorer” and uncheck "Install new versions automatically" and follow prompts.
DePaul's Help Desk can assist with the process of downgrading from Internet Explorer 11: +1 (312) 362-8765.
Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
Join colleagues for the latest resources, research, and best practices
Teach. Learn. Connect.
For nearly 3 decades, the Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning has
delivered to attendees the latest resources, research, and best practices in distance
education and training. More than 900 professionals gather every year to teach, learn,
and connect with colleagues from around the globe.
2013 keynote speakers:
- Dr. Richard Baraniuk, Rice University
- Sally Johnstone, Western Governors University
This premier event also features more than 150 learning opportunities—presentations,
workshops, forums, ePoster sessions, and more—plus many networking events.
Download the Conference Program and visit the website.
- Who: Professionals in distance education/training with any level of experience
- When: Aug 7-9, 2013
- Where: Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, Wisconsin
- Cost: $465 ($505 after 7/22). Group rates and virtual conference option available.
Optional Wednesday workshops are an additional fee (space is limited).
Questions: Contact Kimary Peterson at disted@dcs.wisc.edu or 608-265-4159.
Updates on the San Jose / Udacity MOOC Experiment
Online Learning Self-Assessment
Kaltura Video Summit for Enterprise and Education 2013
Kaltura Video Summit for Enterprise and Education 2013. The virtual summit will take place over the course of two days – each day focusing on a different industry:
- Wednesday, June 12, 2013 – Kaltura Education Video Summit
- Thursday, June 13, 2013 – Kaltura Enterprise video Summit
More information can be found here.
Technology Tuesdays: MOOCs
I have posted my video and handouts from the March Technology Tuesdays presentation on MOOCs. Video and materials can be found here.
29th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
- Keynote, Dr. Richard Baraniuk, Rice University, speaking on “Disruptive innovation via open educational resources”
- Keynote, Dr. Sally Johnstone, Western Governors University, speaking on “Envisioning a competency-based future”
- Forum topics on “Open Educational Resources (OERs): Potential and pitfalls” and “Competency-based assessment: How and why to get started”
Register online by July 22 to receive the "early-bird" fee, and don’t forget to take advantage of the Group Rate if you have 3 or more of your staff attending. Finally, if you are unable to attend in person, you are encouraged to register for the Virtual Conference to view selected sessions from this year’s conference. If you have any questions, please email Kimary at disted@dcs.wisc.edu
Submit Your Proposal To Present At The 29th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
The 29th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning is now taking proposals to present. The conference takes place August 7-9, 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin
(Extended Deadline: Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 4:00 pm--CDT)
Interested in presenting your best online practices, research, or resources?We invite you to submit a proposal to present at next year’s conference. Choose from a variety of presentation formats depending on your expertiseand experience in the field of distance education/training...from the 15-minuteSpeed Session to the 3-hour hands-on Workshop.
Submit your proposal(s) online at: http://depd.wisc.edu/info
- Lead in-depth interactive sessions
- Share your research and expertise
- Demonstrate your successful courses and training materials
- Distill your knowledge and skills
- Guide engaging discussions
Does Online Education Actually Work?
DePaul University wins national award for excellence in faculty development for online teaching
Bitter Reality of MOOConomics
Materials from the DePaul Faculty Teaching & Learning Conference
Materials from the DePaul Faculty Teaching & Learning Conference are now available on the Teaching Commons website, including:
- James Paul Gee’s keynote presentation: “What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Teaching and Learning”
- Faculty and staff presentation slideshows and handouts
- "It's-a me, Mario!" – What playing videogames taught me about effective online course design (my presentation)
Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
Registration for the Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning is open. You can review the 2012 Conference Program electronically. This year's conference offers a vast array of learning opportunities in online education and training:
Registration to attend on site is available at: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Or you can do what I did last year, and register for one of two virtual conference options focused on Program Administration and International Perspectives: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
I highly recommend faculty and staff involved in online, hybrid, and web-enhanced attend the conference (full disclosure, I am on the Conference Planning Committee).
edX
Making a note here to look into this later. edX is the organization established by MIT and Harvard that will develop an open-source technology platform to deliver online courses....
Video streaming by Ustream
Presentation Video Uploaded
I have uploaded the video to accompany the presentation given at the DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning Conference (20th April, 2012). You can view it here, or on the page with the transcript and handouts.
MOOC: Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success
Curt Bonk is leading a free MOOC i(massively open online course) by the name of “Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success.” Registration is open now, and the course schedule is:
- Monday, April 23rd - Sunday, April 29th Registration and Orientation
- Monday, April 30th - Sunday, May 6th Motivation and retention online (TEC-VARIETY model)
- Monday, May 7th - Sunday, May 13th Addressing Diversity and Learning Styles (R2D2 model)
- Monday, May 14th - Sunday, May 20th 50 Hyper-Engaging Ideas: Critical, Creative, Cooperative
- Monday, May 21st - Sunday, May 27th Question and Answer (Q&A) Session
- Monday, May 28th - Sunday, June 3rd Applying TEC-VARIETY and R2D2 with CourseSites
Curt is using Blackboard’s CourseSites to host the MOOC, and the course will focus on empowering you to increase student achievement and success in blended and online learning environments.
I highly recommend faculty and instructional designers sign up for the course.
"It's-a me, Mario!" – What playing videogames taught me about effective online course design
I presented ("It's-a me, Mario!" – What playing videogames taught me about effective online course design) at the 2012 DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning Conference on Friday. The webpage and handouts for the presentation are now live, and can be found here.
"It's-a me, Mario!" – What playing videogames taught me about effective online course design
My proposal to present ("It's-a me, Mario!" – What playing videogames taught me about effective online course design) at this year's DePaul Faculty Teaching & Learning Conference has been accepted.
The conference will take place on Friday, April 20th, 2012, from 9:00am-5:00pm. If you have not done so already, you can register for the conference at http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/Conference/index.html
The overview for the presentation is:
Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda are two of Nintendo’s most valuable video game franchises, spawning a slew of highly regarded (and highly selling) series of games on multiple consoles. I cheerfully admit to spending a considerable amount of time playing these games over the years, but playing these games has also taught me much about effective and fun design of online and hybrid courses. In this dynamic session I will outline ten lessons learned from these two video game series that can be applied to course design – structuring a course that promotes student learning, reduces confusion, and that could even be fun.
Loop Campus Plans for G-8/NATO Summits
DePaul University has announced plans for the G-8/NATO Summits:
Because of the traffic congestion and disruptions anticipated in and around the Loop during the G-8/NATO summits, DePaul will close the Loop Campus from Friday, May 18, through Monday, May 21. There will be no access to Loop offices or classrooms. The Loop Campus will reopen on Tuesday, May 22.
Faculty scheduled to teach in the Loop on any of those days should watch their email for information on making alternative arrangements for affected class periods. Your options will include relocating Friday or Saturday classes to designated classrooms in Lincoln Park, rescheduling Monday classes for a weekend, creating an alternative assignment for students to pursue on their own in place of class or delivering instruction online for any of these days.
You will find information about online instruction, relocating and rescheduling classes on The Teaching Commons (http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/Teaching_DePaul/nato_g8_information.html), DePaul's central online teaching resource. As you prepare syllabi for spring quarter courses, please keep these options in mind. Classes at our Lincoln Park, O'Hare and suburban campuses will follow their normal schedules.
For the latest updates, including FAQs, from DePaul on how the summits will affect the university, visit Newsline Online's G-8/NATO summits information page: http://newsline.depaul.edu/Info/Pages/g8.aspx.
We encourage everyone to update their contact information for DPU Alert, our emergency notification system. To do so, log into Campus Connection, click Demographic Portfolio on the left menu bar and select the DPU Alert option.
A number of exciting educational opportunities for DePaul will arise from these global summits, and they will be covered in Newsline and Newsline Online (http://newsline.depaul.edu/Pages/defaultnew.aspx) in the coming months. Faculty are including lessons related to this unprecedented, back-to-back gathering of world leaders in Chicago into some of their courses.
What does this mean for Commerce faculty?
There are two recommended options that you may choose to employ, that will allow you to cover material that your students would otherwise miss:
1: Pre-recorded Content
Your presentation can be recorded beforehand, and then made available to your students via Desire2Learn. Please contact James Moore or Josh Lund if this is something you would like to do.
2: Live (Synchronous)Webinar
You can teach your class at a distance, using the Wimba Classroom (or Blackboard Collaborate - the successor to Wimba Classroom) and Desire2Learn. Please contact James Moore or Josh Lund if this is something you would like to do.
A dedicated webinar training session will be offered to Commerce faculty on April 24th from 10-11 a.m. as part of Technology Tuesdays. You can register for this training here:
Online documentation and training for using Wimba can be found here. FITS and Teaching Commons are working on Blackboard Collaborate faculty resources.
Contact Information
James Moore
Director of Online Learning, College of Commerce
jmoore@depaul.edu
Telephone: +1 (312) 362-5701
Josh Lund
FITS Consultant to The College of Commerce
jlund2@depaul.edu
Telephone: +1 (312) 362-6689
Cellphone: +1 (630) 962-9764
PresentationTube
Alaa Sadik got in contact with me over the holiday break to share information about his non-profit PresentationTube project:
PresentationTube provides a tool and network to help instructors, students, virtual presenters, and business professionals record, publish and share quality, accessible, and interactive video presentations for free. Please read more information and watch showcases at http://www.presentationtube.net
Faculty interested in using free learning materials should take a look.
Call for Proposals: 28th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
New this year is the Speed Solutions format. This is an opportunity to explain your distance education/training problem and your successful solution to the problem. Total amount of time for this format is 15 minutes which includes 5 minutes to discuss and answer questions from participants.
Submit your proposal online via: http://depd.wisc.edu/info
iVersity
Beth Rubin shared a link to the new iversity, iversity allows faculty and administrators to “create their own online academic network, join or create courses, upload and share content, or collaborate within research projects”. I have not had a chance to properly explore what is possible, but have created a basic account. One feature that looks interesting is their use of social reading:
“This feature allows users to take notes, comment and highlight content in texts and images – online and live. This transforms online reading into an enriching social experience. Social Reading is at the heart of what iversity is here to do: transform the internet into a empowering tool for academic collaboration and participation. This can be a powerful tool for discussions and exam revision, for example.”
New DOTS Session
The DePaul Online Teaching Series (DOTS) is a faculty development program that trains and assists faculty to become successful facilitators of online learning. The program has been operating since 2008, and empowers DePaul faculty via an immersive, hands-on training experience. Faculty are introduced to online-learning best practices, innovative use of technology, quality standards for course development across all delivery formats, and are guided through the development of exemplary course sites for online and blended instruction. Numerous Commerce faculty have used the DOTS program to launch highly regarded online and hybrid courses.
The program also provides faculty with:
- Technology Kit that includes a tablet PC or MacBook, web cam, headsets, and software
- Knowledge and skills to facilitate online learning
- Stipend of $500 at beginning of training and $1000 at completion of online/blended course delivery and course review.
- Certificate of Completion with letter of commendation from the Provost
- Course design support from Faculty Instructional Technology Services (FITS)
Two new DOTS sessions have been scheduled, and seats are already starting to disappear. I highly recommend that Commerce faculty consider applying before it is too late. The upcoming sessions are:
Spring 2012 DOTS (quarter-long format): Apr 13 through May 25
Application Deadline: Dec 2nd
Acceptance/rejection notification: Dec 9th
Faculty can apply for the Spring 2012 DOTS at http://fits.depaul.edu/Pages/DOTSApply.aspx
Summer 2012 DOTS (three-week intensive format): June 11 through June 29
Application Deadline: Mar 30
Acceptance/rejection notification: Apr 6
Faculty can apply for the Summer 2012 DOTS at http://fits.depaul.edu/Pages/DOTSApply.aspx
More information about the schedule can be found at http://fits.depaul.edu/Pages/DotsSchedule.aspx
17th Annual Sloan-C Online Learning Conference
Tech Tuesdays: How Students Cheat with Technology
The next Technology Tuesdays session will take place on the 30th August from 10-11 a.m. in DPC 7406 (seventh floor of the DePaul Center)
Technology can be a boon to educators, extending the reach and productivity of effective professors. However, there are various technological solutions that can be abused by students to cheat on assignments and high-stakes testing. In this engaging and hands-on session you will be introduced to some of the gadgets, websites and software that can be used by the less-than-ethical students. Methods that professors can use to protect the integrity of their teaching will be presented.
Some of the examples presented include:
- “Spy” pens and wristwatches with hidden cameras and microphones
- Software and website that creates corrupt Office documents
- Sites where students pay others to write papers
- How Desire2Learn can highlight examples of plagiarism.
- How online exams can be secured
For more information, and to RSVP please visit this page.
DOTS II: DePaul Online Teaching Series II
In addition to DOTS program, FITS offers a DOTS II training program to prepare faculty to teach (instead of designing a course) online. DOTS II, which is completely online, consists of two tracks:
- Building Community (Aug 8 through Aug 14)
- Making the Most of Synchronous Tools (Aug 15 through Aug 22)
Faculty can take one or both tracks.
Detail description of the programs and registration form are available here.
Is the Cheating Risk Always Higher in Online Instruction Compared to Face-to-Face Instruction?
Is the Cheating Risk Always Higher in Online Instruction Compared to Face-to-Face Instruction?
Well worth a read.....
More Online Tools For Educators
Some more online tools for educators via Beth Rubin:
New Technologies Enabling Enhanced Pedagogies Online
https://sites.google.com/site/shunewtech/
Tools for the New Year
https://sites.google.com/site/newtoolsforthenewyear/
Course Design in a Recession
http://sites.google.com/site/thrivinginarecession/
Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
DOTS in December
As the Summer 2011 edition of DOTS is fully underway, DePaul is already planning for the next session.
The first DOTS offering in 2011-12 will be in December 2011, offered in the compact 3-week format.
The schedule of the December session, and an application form can be found here.
We are always open to customizing the curriculum to the needs of a particular department/college/program whenever there is substantial interest.
Please feel free to contact me or Sharon Guan if you would like to discuss the possibility of having a dedicated DOTS session for your unit.
Converge Special Reports
I had the chance to talk with one of the Research Associates from the Center for Digital Education (www.centerdigitaled.com) on Friday. There are a couple of their resources and reports freely available that I think are worth sharing. You can download the results here:
www.convergemag.com/reports/
DOTS II
Registration for Spring DOTS II: Building Community (May 23 - June 5) is now open. A detailed program description and online registration can be found here. The program is offered completely online for faculty who will be teaching an online or a hybrid course that has been developed already.
Teacher Tricks
Jan Costenbader of FITS shared a great resource with me - Teacher Tricks.
Teacher Tricks is the website of James May. He teaches at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida. The site provides some useful tricks and strategies that teachers can employ.
Business Simulations
- Association for Business Simulation and Experiential Exercises (ABSEL)
- Hall Marketing’s Simulations
- Precha Thavikulwat’s GEO
Registration Open for Spring DOTS
DePaul Online Teaching Series (DOTS) is a faculty development program that trains and assists faculty to become successful facilitators of online learning. The program builds online readiness among faculty through an immersive, hands-on experience. Faculty are introduced to online-learning best practices, hands-on innovative use of technology, quality standards for course development across all delivery formats, and are guided through the development of exemplary course sites for online and blended instruction. In addition, the program provides opportunities for faculty to interact with peers with a shared commitment to online learning and to develop a sustainable network of online-ready instructors.
Registration is now open for the Spring DOTS session.
27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
The Call For Proposals for the 27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning is now open. The deadline for submission is January 19, 2011 at 4:00 pm--CST.
The conference takes place in Madison, Wisconsin from August 3-5, 2011. I highly recommend the conference (and the opportunity to present).
The proposal application can be found here: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/
The conference brochure can be downloaded here.
Reflections on Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning Conference
I attended the Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning in Madison last week. I believe this to be one of the most productive conferences in the field of online learning, and try to attend each year.
There were over 170 presentations, choosing the right event to attend was sometimes frustrating.
Here are some of my notes from the conference.
To begin, the conference organizers helpfully package proceeding papers as a PDF. This year I was sporting an iPad, and found this a great way to work through each of the papers. The iPad worked well as a note-taking device during presentations. I will be using this at my next conference.
Albert and Trudi Johnson (Memorial University of Newfoundland) gave a particularly enlightening presentation on “Students' perceptions of effective teaching in distance education.” These guys were prepared – they provided DVDs to the participants, and shared their findings at http://distance.mun.ca/survey/ and http://distance.mun.ca/survey/SPETHE_Final_Report.pdf
What I found particularly helpful was the relative ranking of what students wanted in an online course:
On Campus
- Respectful
- Knowledgeable
- Approachable
- Engaging
- Communicative
- Organized
- Responsive
- Professional
- Humorous
Online
- Respectful
- Responsive
- Knowledgeable
- Approachable
- Communicative
- Organized
- Engaging
- Professional
- Humorous
This seemed to reinforce some of my observations. I hope DePaul can participate in a larger rollout of this study.
Karen Ford, Susan Tancock and Michael Putman (Ball State University) presented on “Redefining online discussions: A taxonomy to encourage in- depth interaction.” My hopes for this presentation were never likely to be fully met – I am always looking for the holy grail of getting online discussion to totally work - but I found this session to be very helpful.
I appreciated discovering their taxonomy of respondent characteristics:
- Counselor
- Information Filter
- Pessimist
- Reflective Practitioner
- Reinforcer
- Restator
- Supporter
And discussing how students might be gently pushed towards Reflective Practitioner. This is something I see myself returning to.
Jon Aleckson (Web Courseworks) has an account with the rather impressive SonicFoundry – he used this to record his presentation for posterity. His presentation (Micro-collaboration: Team sharing to build highly interactive online activities) will be extremely useful to anyone running or creating an instructional design department. Jon also shared a couple of useful URLs that I made sure to note:
On Friday, Phil Ice’s (American Public University) presentation (Using the Col framework survey for multi- level institutional evaluation) was my highlight of the day. The Community of Inquiry model has proved extremely useful in a couple of DePaul research projects I have collaborated on. Phil used the CoI model to analyze the effectiveness of courses at American Public University. The sheer scale of the operation was both humbling and frightening – the data is being used to continuously improve quality and highlight the effectiveness of new technologies.
My presentation (Teaching with Twitter and Google Wave: Real-time social media) was in one of the last slots on Friday. Google had announced that week that Wave would be cancelled, which resulted in some of the presentations I wanted to see being cancelled. Luckily, my presentation demonstrated some of the issues that Wave created – so the presentation was still of value. I enjoyed getting to chat with folks afterwards.
Wiley Online Test Bank
Wiley now has an online test bank for the CPA exam:
http://www.wileycpaexam.com
Online CPA Review
http://cpareview.depaul.edu
DePaul University’s nationally recognized CPA Review program, using Wiley CPA Review materials, has helped thousands of candidates become Certified Public Accountants for over 60 years. Building upon this firm foundation, DePaul will launch an online review in 2010.
All four courses (Regulation, Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Business Environment and Concepts) will be taught entirely online, taking advantage of exemplary course design and an exciting way to present the material. The courses utilize the following components:
- Mini-lectures, that can be viewed online, or downloaded to your digital devices (iPods, iPhones, etc.)
- Extensive quizzes and tests
- Online discussion
- Detailed handouts
- And more
We realize that work, travel and family commitments prevent some from coming to regularly scheduled classes in Chicago. To address this need for an asynchronous online course, we now offer this option. The online course has the same learning outcomes as the in-class counterpart, but is taught week-by-week using a combination of video, text, downloadable content, quizzes and discussion. You will never need to be online at a specific time — you can progress through weekly content at your own pace.
Your participation in this online course will equal, or exceed, that of a typical face-to-face class. The ideal candidate for the online review will know how to schedule their time accordingly to keep up with their studies.
CPA Review credit from DePaul University is accepted in nearly every one of the 54 jurisdictions within the United States and territories. Applicable credit varies by jurisdiction. Visit NASBA.org for additional information.
State boards of accountancy do not accept “commercial” CPA Review program credit toward exam eligibility.
Course Descriptions
Regulation (REG)
Topics include federal taxation, ethics, professional and legal responsibilities, and business law.
Professional Responsibilities and Business Law
- Professional Responsibilities
- Federal Securities Acts
- Contracts
- Sales
- Commercial Paper
- Secured Transactions
- Bankruptcy
- Debtor-Creditor Relationships
- Agency
- Regulation of Employment and Environment
- Property
- Insurance
Federal Taxation
- Individual
- Transactions in Property
- Partnership
- Corporate
- Gift and Estate
Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
Topics include generally accepted auditing procedures, generally accepted auditing standards and other standards related to attest engagements.
- Engagement Planning
- Internal Control
- Evidence
- Reporting
- Audit Sampling
- Auditing with Technology
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
Topics include generally accepted accounting principles for business enterprises, not-for-profit organizations, and governmental entities.
Basic Theory and Financial Reporting
- Basic Concepts
- Error Correction
- Accounting Changes
- Financial Statements
Inventory
Fixed Assets
Monetary Current Assets and Current Liabilities
Present Value
- Fundamentals
- Bonds
- Debt Restructure
- Pensions
- Leases
Deferred Taxes
Stockholder’s Equity
Investments
Statement of Cash Flows
Business Combinations and Consolidations
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
Miscellaneous
- Personal Financial Statements
- Interim Reporting
- Segment Reporting
- Partnership Accounting
- Foreign Currency Translation
Governmental Accounting
Not-for-Profit Accounting
Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
Topics include general business environment and business concepts that candidates need to know in order to understand the underlying business reasons for and accounting implications of business transactions.
- Business Structure
- Information Technology
- Economics and Strategy
- Financial Management
- Risk Management and Capital Budgeting
- Performance Measures
- Cost Measurement
- Planning, Control, and Analysis
Technical Requirements
There are some technical requirements for this course. You will need:
- Frequent access to a computer that connects to the Internet.
- A working e-mail account that you check regularly.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- The ability to view video files, either in a streaming (Flash) or downloadable (QuickTime, iTunes, iPod, iPhone) format.
Prospective candidates can test their computer systems at cpareview.depaul.edu
Learn from the Best
The CPA Review Program is designed and taught by professors from DePaul University’s College of Commerce; including the School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems, the Department of Finance, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Management. All faculty members come to the program with extensive teaching credentials and exemplary professional experience. The course is led by Kevin Stevens, Director of the School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems, under the guidance of O. Ray Whittington, author of Wiley CPA Exam Review and Dean of DePaul’s College of Commerce.
CPA Exam Credit
Candidates may earn up to 8 semester hours by taking the full CPA Review program for credit. If you are taking the course for CPA exam credit, you connect online and work through the lecture content, complete the assignments and quizzes, as well as the final exam. Credit may only be earned for qualification toward the CPA exam and may not be applied toward any undergraduate or graduate degree program.
2015 Update
Please note: The CPA Review Program has been discontinued. As the market has shifted primarily to a handful of CPA Review providers, it has been increasingly challenging for school providers such as DePaul to be able to sustain the enrollment that it needs in order to be offered. DePaul has been preparing students to sit for the CPA exam for nearly 100 years. We hope that you will continue to find the exam review preparation that you need to achieve your goals.
DePaul will may continue to offer events and workshops of interest to CPA candidates. Please visit the Accountancy website at http://accountancy.depaul.edu for more information.
26th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
July 16 is the deadline for:
• Group discounts (save $65 per person for three or more from same address—total $195)
• "Early-Bird" registration fee (save $50 on conference registration and $15 on optional workshops)
• Full-time student registration (save $50 on conference registration and $15 on optional workshops)
Registration is available on the web here:
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference