Mary Niemczyk

So You Are Going To Be an Online Writing Instructor: Issues in Designing, Developing, and Delivering an Online Course

Abstract Online education is increasing exponentially in colleges and universities. In this article, writing instructors are introduced to theories of instructional design that form the foundation to support effective student learning. We present a series of guidelines, derived from these theories and our research and teaching, that writing instructors may use to design, develop and deliver their online courses. We present considerations for instructors such as the need for the course, an analysis of the learners, appropriateness of the course for online delivery, pedagogical concerns, and resources. We then discuss how best to support students in online environments. We conclude with suggestions for faculty support and training for online course delivery.

Development of the Digital High School Project: A School-University Partnership.

Abstract A school district in the southwestern United States has over the past several years built its infrastructure to support high-quality technology integration by its teachers. The district partnered with a nearby universitys educational technology graduate program to develop a digital high school project. Teachers and advanced instructional-design graduate students developed and field-tested four projects to aid teachers in implementing Web-based distance education, as follows: (1) A Rookie Camp was developed as an introductory unit to help students begin to use instruction delivered via WebCT courseware; (2) In The Odyssey Project a stand-alone Web-based courselet was developed for teachers to use to teach poetic devices and epic hero qualities related to The Odyssey; (3) A needs assessment yielded recommendations for teacher training and support for Web-based instruction; (4) Finally, a prototype unit was developed to help teachers learn about digital copyright issues related to distance learning via the Web.