The Introduction of Online Course Offerings into the Computer Networking & Troubleshooting Technology Program at LIT

NOTE: The following project plan outline was written as an assignment for my EDLD 5305 - Disruptive Innovation in Education course. It is at this time a proposal; it is not as yet being implemented at Lamar Institute of Technology. 

The Computer Networking & Troubleshooting Technology (CNTT) Program at the Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) is researching a proposal to supplement some of its face-to-face courses with online offerings. There are several reasons why this program improvement should be undertaken. First, the innovative online programs at institutions such as Southern New Hampshire University and Western Governors' University (LeBlanc, 2013) may be similar to and may compete with our program offerings. We need to remain competitive. Second, LIT has a problem with student retention, many times due to students' work schedules. Online courses can remove the dilemma of having to choose between work and school. Although online courses have even lower retention rates than face-to-face courses, proper course design can aid in keeping students in college (Poll, Widen, & Weller, 2014). Faculty responsiveness has also shown to be key to student retention (Norris, 2014.)

Third, we would have the opportunity to expand our dual-enrollment program to more high schools if online courses were available. Finally, mandatory evacuations for hurricane strikes would not affect even face-to-face courses that could be switched over to Blackboard access.

The online and/or hybrid courses would not replace the existing face-to-face courses, but would be alternatives for those students who prefer them or who are unable to attend the entire program of traditional classes. In some cases, such as summer semesters, online courses may also be available when their face-to-face counterparts are not usually offered, dependent on available faculty. Hybrid courses, which are defined as at least 51% face-to-face in format, will be developed when hands-on laboratory work requires attendance on campus for occasional class periods.

The following outlined plan will be re-evaluated formally by the Head of the Business Technology Department and the Director of the Computer Networking & Troubleshooting Technology Program each semester.

Current Course Evaluation and Instructor Training: Spring 2016

• Planning meeting with Business Technology Department Head, CNTT Program Director, Distance Education Director, CNTT Instructors to evaluate order of online course preparation, methods for development


• Training for instructors in Panopto to record lectures, stream videos, build YouTube channels


• Certified Online Instructor Training for instructors in Blackboard and to set up Course Tools for communication, collaboration, content delivery, and assessments


• Training for instructors in Program's choice of virtual lab method (TestOut, Wiley, in-house), may vary by subject 


• First beta online course developed


• Review and approval by Distance Education Committee


• Course Catalog and Class Schedule include new online course offering for Fall 2016; advisors notified of online course availability

Beta Semester: Fall 2016

• First online course offered in Fall 2016 Course Catalog


• Students advised on special online learning instructions, e.g., minimum computer specifications


• Orientation for Online Classes for students taking online course


• First online course taken by students


• Online course evaluation survey developed (specific to online format)


• Formal evaluation of online course; recommendations and adjustments made; first set of courses chosen for online preparation


• First set of courses prepared for online offering, available in catalog for Spring 2017

First Semester: Spring 2017

• First set of online courses in course catalog


• First set of online courses taken by students


• Evaluation and adjustment processes


• New additional online/hybrid courses made available for Fall 2017


• (Summer offerings of beta online course and first set of online courses as instructors are available)

Future years: Fall 2017 +

Continue introducing online versions of additional courses as instructors are available, introducing hybrid courses where face-to-face format is not fully required, and re-evaluating all courses and overall program each semester

Update

December 14, 2015: 

After receiving helpful peer reviews and invaluable discussions with and input from my Program Director, I have made several adjustments, some major and some minor, to the above project plan outline. Discussions will continue in January of 2016, when the first formal meeting can be scheduled.

If the proposal plan is approved, the rest of the Spring 2016 steps will be followed. If the plan is not approved, pending changes, then the plan will be re-evaluated and edited to meet the requirements of the Department, Program, and Distance Education Committee. If the plan is not approved at all, suggestions for future viability will be requested.

References

LeBlanc, P. (2013). Disruptive Technologies and Higher Education. Stretching the higher education dollar: how innovation can improve access, equity, and affordability. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Education Press, [2013].

­Norris, T. (2014). The role of technology in student success. Community College Journal, 85(1), 14-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.lamar.edu/docview/1560745289?accountid=7043

Poll, K., Widen, J., & Weller, S. (2014). Six Instructional Best Practices for Online Engagement and Retention. Journal of Online Doctoral Education, 1(1). Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://jode.ncu.edu/sites/default/files/sites/all/default/Articles/Six_Instructional_Best_Practices_for_Online_Engagement_and_Retention_Poll_Widen_Weller_2.pdf

My Learning Manifesto

Articles about emerging issues and trends in digital learning and leading can quickly become outdated. When revisited only a few months later, what is emergent now may well be replaced by the newest, latest, and most innovative technology. This post will address two of these trends: mobility and The Cloud; trends that have come to be correlated in many applications, and whose paths of development and usage will continue to progress exponentially.

Mobility

The rapidly-accelerating trend toward the universal and inescapable use of mobile devices actually started years ago with the advent of the notebook, or laptop, computer. Although laptops may seem heavy and cumbersome to today’s digital consumers, when compared to the very-stationary desktop computer, the laptop computer was a mobile wonder. Of course, it is not as portable as today’s hand-held mobile devices:  the cell phones, the smart phones, the iPads, and the tablets. Today’s hand-held devices are loaded with apps that can work independently, connect to a school network, or connect to the Internet. Software companies, developers, and even tech-savvy teachers are writing apps to integrate the devices with content into all grade levels and all subjects. Deciding which digital tools and content to access may be a difficult choice for technology administrators and educators, but the more difficult mobility integration challenge may be in how to achieve the usefulness of the devices as digital tools without the distraction of inappropriate or irresponsible usage.

As an educator, you may also need to address several questions about mobile devices as you decide how to adopt their use in your schools. Will you have students “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD)? How will you avoid the disparity and Digital Divide which might be brought on by BYOD? Or, will you provide 1-to-1 standardized devices for everyone? How often will you commit to upgrading 1-to-1 devices? Either way, will your wireless infrastructure be robust enough for the first day of classes? Who will train your faculty? Who will train your students? The more resources you commit, the more resources you may find you need to commit. Research and planning are key, as is having the right personnel in place.

The Cloud

Another emerging global trend in technology that I have been personally adopting this school year, with both Google Drive and OneDrive, is “The Cloud.” Cloud solutions first became popular as remote alternatives to in-house storage of files, email, and sometimes applications. Businesses could now access their data over the Internet. Although there was not actually “The Cloud” by name yet, after Hurricane Rita hit Southeast Texas in 2005 and left many of the region’s school districts without email for several days, the Region V Education Service Center implemented an off-site email “cloud” service in North Texas, well out of hurricane range, to prevent another interruption of service.

The Cloud now serves as much more than just a place to keep files. Schools may use Cloud solutions for school administration software where they communicate with parents, students, and teachers; for grading software; for classroom management software, or for access to online textbooks. The parents and students are accessing the information over the Internet, as are the faculty and staff. The hosting server hardware and software are maintained off-campus as part of the Cloud service. Software vendors, educational websites, and entrepreneurial teachers might be hosting lesson plans, programs, and assessments that can also be accessed through the Cloud.

Although the expansion of mobile devices and the expansion of Cloud solutions began on parallel paths, more and more the combination of the two, when implemented in technology integration, means that students and educators will be have global access at all times. This can be a wonderful resource, but it can also be a cause for concern. 

Ensuring safe practices

How do we ensure safe practices for our students when using mobile devices to access resources, especially those beyond the control of the school network? Students have generally heard of many of the external threats, such as identity theft, spam, viruses, spyware, and scams, but they may not be as knowledgeable about phishing or other security issues. Online predators could present the biggest external threats to a child, I believe, because they hold themselves out as someone trustworthy, usually as another child. The internal issues of sexting, cyber-bullying, harassment, and generally inappropriate postings are all unacceptable behaviors that must be outlined in advance with students.

A Special Agent with the FBI came to speak to the students both at my children’s middle school and their high school about Cyber-safety. She also held an evening session with parents about what they could do to prevent unacceptable online behavior from home. This was all leading up to the issuance of school-owned iPads. Rules and consequences were outlined and students and parents had to sign an agreement. Again, the planning aspect is important prior to implementation.

Who will plan, implement, support, and teach?

Back in 1997, my professional development was almost exclusively informal, collaborative among colleagues, or self-taught. A certified teacher who also knew how to program was a rarity. What I have seen in the last eighteen years, since I began teaching with technology, is both the inevitable integration of digital learning into curriculum and the supply-and-demand growth of educational software and digital tools. What I see now as the most important up-and-coming resource in digital learning and leading is that person who has acquired technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge, and thus has the ability to integrate technology into subject areas appropriately. She uses digital tools to enhance and accelerate learning. What I would like to see, in the future, is that the person who possesses this integration skill just happens to be every teacher in the building. It can be and should be every teacher who comes out of a teacher-education program these days. Of course, the specifics of how to integrate would be different on every campus, but a new teacher should understand the value of integration, the ways to start implementing it, and the digital tools at her disposal. Eventually, technology directors could serve as guides, not teachers. Teachers would share and work collaboratively with new tools and software. 

If the responsibility of a teacher is to present the best possible environment for learning, then certainly the integration of technology to support and enhance learning is part of that responsibility. The key for educators is to never stop learning, because technology never stops changing.

Exploring Professional Learning Networks

When I started researching Professional Learning Networks, or PLNs, I hadn't even heard of them and I didn't know which networks would be best for me. I use technology to teach technology at the college level, so there are certain implementations we already have in place. New and updated hardware, software, and ways to implement them are introduced every day, therefore I want to stay informed with the latest innovations in technology. As I search through both my familiar and my new PLNs, I realize there is plenty from which to choose, should I need to upgrade to the newest technologies.

As a Cisco networking instructor, I get access to the Cisco Networking Academy Learning Platform. In the Cisco NetSpace Communities, there are community-supported forums, blogs, files, and lesson plans for each of the classes of the Cisco-provided curriculum. I have used the forums for troubleshooting Labs and computer set-ups, and have found files and lesson plans for fun supplements, such as playing Jeopardy to reinforce chapter vocabulary. Recently, I discovered that I also have access to self-enrollment in classes about Mobility, the Internet of Everything, and Linux. These self-paced classes would be helpful in my graduate classes and in the classes I am teaching this semester.

One of my new PLNs is edWeb.net's Coding and Robotics. When I chose this network, I thought it might be useful if I ever taught programming again. Last week, I was asked to teach a programming class next semester. My approach to teaching programming languages stresses critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and this network has resources to help educators bring those skills into the process. I will be looking at this network in depth to see what it has to offer.

I joined ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, with a student membership. I chose three PLNs: the Computing Teachers Network, a PK-12 group that fits what I do very well, but doesn't match the grade level (13-14) that I teach; the Innovative Learning Network, a group that is always looking for new ways to integrate technology, but is very broad, and the Online Learning Network, a group that supports both fully-online learning classes and the technology of specific online tools, such as those used for collaboration and/or communication. I will be browsing the Computing Teachers Network, as I can use some of the high school ideas, and the Online Learning Network, as many of the classes I teach are set up online on Blackboard.

This week, in the VMware Technology Network forums, I found information about how to nest a Client Hyper-V Windows 10 virtual machine inside a VMware Windows 8.1 virtual machine. Every semester, my students come to me with a higher level of digital literacy, but I believe that even my tech-savvy students are going to be impressed with this. I have to keep it engaging!

Although up to this point I have only been reading and "consuming" at these learning communities, I have noticed discussion posts that I would feel comfortable addressing. In the future, I will be a contributing member of the communities in which I feel I have a higher level of expertise. Maybe I'll share my Virtual Jeopardy! PowerPoint and my nested Windows 10 virtual machine at the VMware forums.

The following is an annotated list of the learning networks of which I am a member. Please leave a comment below if you would like to share any further information about these or other Professional Learning Networks.

Cisco Networking Academy - Learning Platform: NetSpace Communities
https://www.netacad.com/about-networking-academy/learning-platform
The NetSpace Communities are available to instructors of schools who are Cisco Networking Academies. The collaborative communities are set up in addition to the Cisco curriculum and are designed to be instructor-supported and -driven supplement to it. There are forums, blogs, files, and lesson plans for each of the curriculum paths and their specific classes. I have found these to be excellent sources to supplement my Cisco classes. I will also be exploring their self-enrollment classes for other related subjects.

edWeb.net: Coding and Robotics
http://www.edweb.net/code
Coding and Robotics is a free PLN offered by edWeb.net. This community is made up of experts and educators, who are sharing information about how to teach coding and robotics and also how to integrate coding theory into core subjects. Features include shared lesson plans, practices, ideas, applications, quizzes, forums, and webinars, both live and archived.

ISTE: Computing Teachers Network
http://connect.iste.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=6fed01aa-9e1f-4c27-87d1-95d0afcbbbeb
The Computing Teachers Network supports the teaching of computing and/or computer science as a subject, mostly grades PK–12. Members share information about various topics, including after-school Computer Clubs, computer science classes, lab set-ups, robotic competitions, "girls and computers," webinars, events, and professional and curriculum development.

ISTE: Innovative Learning Network
http://connect.iste.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=1ff1cc88-0e69-4ac9-9b3f-a0af2007f5b1
The Innovative Learning Technologies Network's goal is to share information about new and innovative technologies in learning. There are Discussions, Blogs and Guest Blogs, Webinars, Events, and many Lesson Plans and projects using specific new technologies just waiting to be explored!

ISTE: Online Learning Network
http://connect.iste.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=76474914-fdc2-43e3-912c-5ab3865bd55e
The Online Learning Network is ISTE's network for educators interested in online and hybrid learning, or features of online learning, such as collaboration and communication tools. The network includes discussions about online course delivery, student-to-teacher ratios, and what collaboration tools, synchronous or asynchronous, work best in specific applications.

VMTN: The VMware Technology Network
https://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn
VMware, Inc., is a commercial corporation that develops virtualization, cloud, and datacenter infrastructure software. The VMware Academic Program allows higher education to use the software for educational purposes. Their VMTN is a combination of the official VMware product documentation and the global community forums. Members can find downloads, tips, troubleshooting, training, and paths to certification.