MEd program students must complete MDDE601 & MDDE602 prior to all other courses.
Early access to the Moodle Learning Management System begins a few days before the official start date of your course. At that time you will have limited course access.
Overview
This first core course in Athabasca University's Master of Education in Open, Digital and Distance Education program is required for all program students. It provides students with an overview of current forms of distance education and explores a variety of applications, including distance education in post-secondary institutions, K-12 schools, and in workplace and training environments. Research and theory development are addressed. The course also examines distance education technology, online teaching and learning, as well as learner support and the management and administration of distance education programs. In response to evolving trends, this course includes an overview of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies and its implications for distance education.
In addition to the study of distance education, the course also involves practical skill-building activities to help you become a more effective graduate student and distance learner. Towards this end, the course will promote skills in scholarly writing, library research, and reflective practice, as well as in the use of a variety of web-based tools and resources.
Outline
The course is divided into six units
Unit 1: Foundations of Open, Digital, and Distance Education
Unit 2: Digital Technologies/ Open Education Resources
Unit 3: Teaching, Learning, and Design in a Digital Age
Unit 4: Learner Support and Assessment of Open and Distance Education
Unit 5: Research and Evaluation
Unit 6: Lessons for the Future
Learning outcomes
The goals of the course are to provide you with the following:
a foundation of knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare you for further studies and enable you to become competent academics and practitioners of distance education;
an introduction to a wide range of literature in the field;
a critical approach towards the theory and practice in the field of distance education and online learning; and
the means to integrate prior knowledge and skills with the newly acquired knowledge and skills developed in the course.
Evaluation
Your grade will be based on three assignments and your participation in the course.
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1: Students will complete a critical review of a selected article.
20%
Assignment 2: Students will work in groups and develop a presentation based on their critical review of a selected article.
30%
Assignment 3: Students will write a paper for a proposed new distance education organization and discuss various aspects of its design.
35%
Course Participation: Students are expected to participate in the course forums.
15%
Total
100%
Materials
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S. E., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2011). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education. (5th ed.). New York: Information Age Publishers. (eText)
Weller, M. (2014). The Battle for Open. London: Ubiquity Press. (Online)
Bates, T. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Designing Teaching and Learning (2nd Ed.). (Online)
Zawacki-Richter,O. & Anderson,T. (2014). Online Distance Education: Towards a Research Agenda. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Press. (Online)
All other course materials are provided entirely online and accessed through links provided within the units. The following book is also referenced throughout the course.
Anderson, T. (Ed.), (2008). The Theory and Practice of Online Learning (2nd ed.). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Press.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.