Main Content
Syllabus
ADTED 531 : Course Design and Development in Distance Education (3): In-depth study of the practice of designing courses taught by print, broadcast, and telecommunications media to adult distance learners.
Prerequisite: ADTED 470, INSYS 415.
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Technical Requirements| Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Policies
Overview
What will we be covering in this course?
The aim of the course is to provide students with opportunities to expand their knowledge about the pedagogy of designing distance learning courses and some of the organizational problems and challenges for administrators and policy-makers in setting up and running systems for delivering such courses. The course is not primarily about technology, but about the ways in which educational and training systems can apply technology to offer better quality programs, to a wider constituency at lower costs. In a course about distance education delivered at a distance, the teaching and learning processes employed are themselves valuable resources for understanding the teaching-learning and administrative issues. For this reason the course will include limited exposure to some relatively new Web 2.0 technologies and students will be invited to reflect upon their experience of these, as well as the more tested technologies, as teaching-learning tools.
- Intro Unit: Introduction to Instructional Design in Distance Education
- Unit 1: Theory of Transactional Distance, Community of Inquiry Model, and Independence
- Unit 2: The Adult Learner in Distance Education and Technologies
- Unit 3: Instructional Design in Distance Education
- Unit 4: Instructional Design, Assessment and Evaluation in Distance Education
- Unit 5: Costs and Budgets
- Unit 6: Part 1 & 2: Associate Topics
So how are we going to do this?
This course is paced, which means that there is an established start and end date and that you make inputs based on your own reading and research and will interact with other students throughout the course. The course consists of a textbook, video recordings, and a course website that contains study guidance and communications tools, such as discussion forums and e-mail.
You will have two weeks to work through each unit and three weeks to complete Unit 6. The units of study are all located within our password-protected course website, by following the Modules link. Each unit is designed to provide students the opportunity to dive deeply into each topic.
What will be expected of you, the student?
Within each unit you will find on-line guidance, textbook reading assignments, occasional listening or viewing assignments, and both individual and group activities. In general, you should plan on spending AT LEAST 10-12 hours per week on the course.
It will be important for you to keep up with the course work as scheduled because class activities, as well as written assignments have specific time frames associated with them. For a more detailed look at what each unit will entail, as well as due dates for our assignments and activities, see the Course Schedule section of this syllabus (below) and the Overview page in the units' content.
Course Objectives
From this course, participants should increase their knowledge regarding:
- The underlying theory of the field and how it impacts course design
- The Adult Learner in distance education and aspects of independence and learner control.
- Learning Design Models and the importance of learning objectives and learning outcomes
- Principles and procedures for structuring and organizing content.
- Issues in preparing interactive delivery methods.
- Design and delivery of learner-instructor and learner-learner interaction, and deep learning.
- Importance of Accessibility in course designs
- Designing and implementing an evaluation and monitoring system.
- Costs and Budgets for course design
- Legal aspects around copyrights in course design
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Additional Software
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Buying Software section of the Course Materials page.
Course Requirements and Grading
This is a graduate level course and as such is as much focused on exploring and creating knowledge as it is on disseminating information. As a distance learning course most of the basic content that is needed as foundation for your "creating knowledge" has already been selected, and structured into the lessons. From here on you will interact with this material, with the instructor and fellow students. This latter is especially important as we try to explore the theory and practice of constructivist learning in learning communities.
To complete the course and to receive Penn State credit, you will:
- Do the required readings and/or view the video recording. (estimated time: 4 hours weekly)
- Participate in discussions. (estimated time: 4 hours in certain weeks)
- Keep a reflective journal of your insights. (estimated time: 1 hour weekly)
- Prepare a Final Project, for submission electronically to the instructor at the end of the course. (estimated time: 2-3 hours in certain weeks - fewer hours at the beginning of the course and more hours in the final weeks)
You will be evaluated based on the quality of your performance regarding each of the course requirements. The expected minimum is a B grade. The A grade is for exceptional performance. Any student not approaching a B grade will be counseled accordingly.
Here is a summary of how the various points and percentages will be awarded:
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Assignment
|
Description
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Points
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|---|---|---|
| Reflective Journal | Up to 10 points will be awarded for the Reflective Journal |
10
|
| Critical Essays | Up to 10 points will be awarded for each critical essay. |
30
|
| Final Project |
Up to 40 points will be awarded at the end of the semester for the Final Project. |
40 |
| Participation | Participation will be reviewed twice a semester. The first half is worth a maximum of 10 points and a score will be awarded for the timeliness and quality of your posted assignments and interactions. The second half is also worth a maximum of 10 points and a score will be awarded based on your self-assessments and the instructor's evaluation. |
20 |
| TOTAL |
|
100 points |
|
Grade
|
Percentage
|
|---|---|
|
A |
94-100% |
|
A- |
90-94% |
|
B+ |
87-90% |
|
B |
84-87% |
|
B- |
80-84% |
|
C+ |
77-80% |
|
C |
70-77% |
|
D |
60-70% |
|
F |
Below 60% |
The instructor reserves the right to upgrade to an intermediary grade (e.g., C+, B-, B+, A-) when judged as merited.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page. Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Assignments and course discussions all have a due date for submission to the course instructor. The due dates for each are noted in the Course Schedule section of this syllabus, below. Please make every effort to submit assignments on time, or notify the instructor in advance of a late assignment. Late assignments will be penalized unless you have made prior arrangements with the instructor. Deadlines will be defined as 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the lesson timeframe, unless noted differently.
If you know you will be offline the day an assignment is due, please make sure to post it early. Anytime you feel that you might be falling behind in the course, it is best to contact the instructor to discuss your situation. No assignments can be accepted after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the final day of class. If you have an assignment completed by the deadline but are unable to submit to the assignment or post in the discussion forum for technical reasons, contact the IT Service Desk.
For assignments you submit, you are required to use Microsoft Word to complete your assignment. Once you have submitted your file to the assignment, it is a good idea to click the link to the file to make certain that it is viewable or accessible for downloading. For lengthy discussion forum posts, it is recommended that you draft your post using Notepad (PC) or TextEdit (Mac) and then copy and paste the information into your discussion forum posting (or e-mail message). That way you will have a copy saved on your computer should anything go wrong!
Finally, please keep a copy of ALL your work. We cannot assume responsibility for lost items.
Course Schedule
- Course begins:
- Course ends:
- Course length:
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Course Policies
- Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
- Procedures for Resolution of Problems
For procedures pertaining to a range of concerns and disagreements involving graduate students and other members of the University community (e.g, faculty, staff, or undergraduate student), please see the Procedures for Resolution of Problems (Appendix II) website.
- Additional Course Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.