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Distance Education at UMUC (University of Maryland University College)

Ioan Jurca “Politehnica” University of Timisoara-Romania. Distance Education at UMUC (University of Maryland University College). Contents. Context – about UMUC and Distance Education at UMUC Online courses at UMUC – general features What an instructor has to do ? What a student must do?

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Distance Education at UMUC (University of Maryland University College)

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  1. Ioan Jurca “Politehnica” University of Timisoara-Romania Distance Education at UMUC (University of Maryland University College)

  2. Contents • Context – about UMUC and Distance Education at UMUC • Online courses at UMUC – general features • What an instructor has to do ? • What a student must do? • Pros/cons • Conclusions

  3. UMUC and Distance Education • UMUC – part of University of Maryland University System • UMUC – created in 1947 as an institution for US army (adult education) • Operates in US, Europe(incl. SCG and BiH), Asia • Teaches both F2F and online • 'Worldwide leader in online education', • Covers many fields, from Accounting and Computer Science to Fire Fighting and Anthropology

  4. UMUC and Distance Education • Offers degrees and certificates • Degrees: bachelor, master, doctoral • Certificates: more 'mobile', market-oriented • Not all courses are offered online • Uses mainly 'adjunct faculty', i.e instructors employed on temporary basis (contracts for each 'section') • There is a limit of classes per fiscal year for each instructor

  5. UMUC and Distance Education • Computer studies particularly appropriate for online education • Undergraduate programs in computers: CMIS, CMIT, CMSC, CMST, IFSM • Graduate programs in computers: CSMN, ITSM, MSIT, MSWE, OMDE • Romanian involvement: since 2000 (boom of enrollment, lack of instructors, US ambassador to Romania in UM board of directors) • I am involved in the undergraduate CMIS program

  6. Characteristics of UMUC online courses • An online course consists of: • Modules: text with diagrams summarizing the course contents (common for a UMUC course, not created by each instructor) • Webliography- supplementary reading online material • Homeworks/assignments/projects • Conferences – for discussing assignments and other topics • Chat room for students and instructor/TA • Textbook and 'recommended book(s)'

  7. Characteristics of UMUC online courses

  8. Characteristics of UMUC online courses

  9. Characteristics of UMUC online courses

  10. Characteristics of UMUC online courses

  11. Role of the instructor • Specifies course schedule • Specifies grading criteria (assignments up to 60 % of final grade) • Creates assignments • Specifies conference discussion topics • Answers student questions on assignments and module material NLT 48 hours • Creates exams papers for midterm and final exam • Grades assignments and exams

  12. Student involvement • Satisfy course pre-requisites • Participate in all activities of the course (each activity counts in the final grade) • Study the textbook and the modules ;-((( • Turn in (on time) assignments and exams • Help classmates without giving away complete solutions • Express opinion on the course and the instructor

  13. Pros and cons • Pros • Time and space flexibility both for students and instructor • Potential access to best teaching materials and or instructors • Encourages/facilitates more involvement of students • Develops 'virtual communities' • Create cross-cultural links

  14. Pros and cons • Cons: • No face-to-face interaction instructor/student • No 'real time' answers to questions (unless on chat – time differences on the globe) • Difficult to control cheating • Limited multimedia • Congestion periods on the servers • Course materials might become obsolete • Final exams 'travel' around the globe -> late grading

  15. Conclusions • DE online is a viable alternative form of education • Increased bandwidth might overcome the multimedia limitations • DE is not for everybody – some students cannot adapt to DE • DE requires more effort from instructors • Problems of internationalization

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