Syllabus

Course Goal

This course provides students with opportunities to apply instructional design principles to the creation of computer-based instruction. Emphasis is on the use of authoring and scripting system to create instructional software.

Course Objectives

The student will:

  1. Demonstrate the ability to develop an instructional design document appropriate to the learning environment in which their computer-based instructional product will be implemented.
  2. Demonstrate the ability to develop computer-based instructional courseware using authoring systems and interactive multimedia.

The course objectives are based on the Tennessee State Board of Education Professional Education Licensure Standards: http://www.state.tn.us/sbe/tech_licens.html

Standard 11: Technology

11a. Candidates use technology and technology based resources to facilitate developmentally appropriate student learning.

11c.Candidates effectively use and manage all technology available to them and explore uses of emerging resources. They promote the equitable, ethical and legal use of technology resources.

 

Required Materials and Texts

  1. Extensive readings from online sources as assigned.

Course Policies, Schedule, and Assignments

This syllabus is continued in three other documents organized to increase the usability of this website. These documents are the Answers, the Schedule, and the Assignments page. Read the Answers page for information and policies on required participation, discussions, technical support, email, turning in assignments, etc. Read the Assignments page for descriptions of the major assignments and the grading rubrics that I will apply to them. Read the Schedule page to see the topics for each week, and the assignment due dates.

Grading Policies

This course will be very challenging. "A" means excellent. "B" means good. "C" means average.

I do not accept late assignments. Your assignments must be submitted by the due date and time (the beginning of the class meeting). A late assignment means a zero, which will make it very difficult for one to pass the course.

Class participation is mandatory. Any missed meeting is one point off per hour missed from the final course grade. So if a student misses a four hour meeting, it is four points off the final course grade. If you are late to class, or leave before the class ends, you will lose points.

At some point in the course you may have to miss a course meeting because something else is more important, such as a family commitment or work assignment. We are all working adults with life commitments, and these things happen. You will lose four points for the missed class meeting. Generally a missed meeting will not cause you to fail the course, but it will affect your final course grade. Read the grading criteria and assignment descriptions carefully. You are responsible for completing any work from the missed meeting. Note that some missed activities cannot be completed later, such as group discussions involving other students and/or myself, and live events. If you ever need to miss an activity, please notify me at the soonest possible time.

Major Assignments Grading Criteria:

Major assignments will be graded on a normative-based evaluation scale. Here is a description of this scale:

A: The assignment is complete and exhibits unique, creative, and significant insight or innovation. The assignment demonstrates excellence and clearly superior performance.

B: The assignment fulfills the stated requirements. The components of the assignment are completed with good quality.

C: The assignment fulfills some of the stated requirements. Some components of the assignment are completed with average quality.

F: The assignment does not fulfill most of the stated requirements. Most of the components of the assignment are completed with poor quality

Policy on Incompletes (I)

Grades of "I" (incomplete) are very rare, and given only in cases of extreme student hardship. The decision to grant an incomplete rests entirely with the instructor. University policy and guidelines must first be met for the student to be eligible for consideration by the instructor for an incomplete. Additionally, the student must have successfully completed at least 75% of the course, and have completed 75% of the course assignments with a B average, and be in good standing in the course to be eligible for consideration by the instructor for an incomplete.

Grading Scale for Final Letter Grades

What I expect from you in this course

I have very high expectations for you and for the work you do in this course. I assume that as a graduate student you are very intelligent, highly motivated, a self-starter, and will actively manage your learning process. I also assume that one of your primary expectations is to learn more about the content of this course. I encourage you to ask questions or to express any difficulties that you may have during this course. I encourage you to interact with me frequently. As you will read in the Course Answers, you can contact me in person, on the phone, via instant message, or via e-mail. When you have questions about class assignments and projects, do not hesitate to contact me.

What you can expect from me:

I will give you my very best. I have very high expectations for myself as an instructor, and I am very highly motivated. My chief goal is to help you learn as much as you can, and progress as far as you can go. My role in this course is to facilitate your learning by developing and arranging experiences to help you achieve the course objectives. I have designed all the the course assignments and projects to help you achieve the objectives.

In my courses you will never have to wonder what I am expecting in terms of your assignments. I will spell everything out in detail, while still leaving you room for innovation and creativity. I know that you are working adults with life commitments. Everything I have planned for you in this course is important, and is directed to meeting the course objectives.

I will be very accessible throughout the duration of the course to meet with you in groups and individually in person, via telephone, or electronic means.

I find fulfillment in helping people learn, and I enjoy my field, my job, and my institution. I will give you my very best.

Writing Standards

The Graduate School recognizes and expects exemplary writing to be the norm for course work. I also expect your writing to be excellent. To this end, all assignments, individual and group, must demonstrate graduate-level writing and comply with the format requirements of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition. Careful attention should be given to spelling, punctuation, source citations, references, and the presentation of tables and figures.

Academic Integrity, and Plagiarism

Plagiarism, from copyrighted materials, public access, or previous student’s work will not be tolerated.  If an assignment contains plagiarized materials, the assignment grade will be 0. Further consequences may include an F in the course, suspension, and possibly expulsion.

Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional presentation of another person's idea or product as one's own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following: copying verbatim all or part of another's written work; using phrases, charts, figures, illustrations, mathematical or scientific solutions without citing the source; paraphrasing ideas, conclusions, or research without citing the source; and using all or part of a literary plot, poem, film, musical score, or other artistic product without attributing the work to its creator. Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by following carefully accepted scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately record sources to material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, and papers should acknowledge these sources.

Academic integrity is central to the learning and teaching process. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will contribute to the maintenance of academic integrity by making all reasonable efforts to prevent the occurrence of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, obtaining or giving aid on an examination, having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination, doing work for another student, and plagiarism of all types.

IMPORTANT: The University of Memphis uses TurnItIn as a means of verifying authenticity and origin of students’ submitted assignments.

“Your written work may be submitted to Turnitin.com, or a similar electronic detection method, for an evaluation of the originality of your ideas and proper use and attribution of sources. As part of this process, you may be required to submit electronic as well as hard copies of your written work, or be given other instructions to follow. By taking this course, you agree that all assignments may undergo this review process and that the assignment may be included as a source document in Turnitin.com's restricted access database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism in such documents. Any assignment not submitted according to the procedures given by the instructor may be penalized or may not be accepted at all.” (Office of Legal Counsel, October 17, 2005).

If you have questions about acadmic integrity, please visit: http://alc.memphis.edu/academic_integrity.htm

Special Needs

It is the policy of the University of Memphis to accommodate students with disabilities pursuant to federal law, state law, and the University's commitment to equal educational opportunities. Any student with a disability who needs accommodation, for example in seating placement or in arrangements for examinations, should inform the instructor at the beginning of the course. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact Student Disability Services, 215 Scates Hall, phone 678-2880.