Tracy Fairless has been with CPDE since the fall of 2007 as an Instructional Designer. Her friendly, helpful attitude and high level of competency has earned her a great deal of respect among CPDE staff as well as the faculty they serve. Prior to her time at CPDE, Tracy was an instructor in the Mass Communications department in addition to being the department’s Adjunct Coordinator.
Congratulations, Tracy! And good luck in your future career!
Recent advances in video game technology are providing a pathway to better interactivity in online education courses.
The Microsfot Kinect is a motion sensing input device by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game console and Windows PCs. Based around a webcam-style add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, it enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller through a natural user interface using gestures and spoken commands. Students and technologists in the Instructional Technologies department of the Center for Professional and Distance Education are exploring new uses for this impressive new peripheral.
Some suggested uses involve applications in the following departments: kinesiology, molecular biology, physics, business communication, geometry, fashion marketing, criminal justice, and disability and special needs services.
In 2009, the US Department of Education released a
meta-analysis of evidence based best practices in online learning. This report
looked at four questions: 1) how
effective is online learning as compared to traditional classroom learning; 2) is
classroom learning enhanced through the use of online supplemental materials;
3) which online teaching practices are most effective; and, 4) are there conditions
that influence effective online learning? (Means, et al, 2009, pp. xi).
At the University of Central Oklahoma, online learning is scrutinized
even more closely than that of traditional classroom courses. Besides going through department, college and
university curriculum reviews and approval, Academic Affairs requires that
online courses be evaluated by a faculty committee to ensure the student
experience is excellent (Office of Academic Affairs, 2012). Based upon the UCO
online course quality evaluation rubric that was created by a committee of UCO
faculty and academic administrators, faculty evaluators look for ease of
navigation, the quantity and variety of assignments and activities, opportunities
for student self-assessment, student to student engagement and collaborations,
student to faculty communications and connections, and overall usability of the
courses. Only those courses that score
90% or higher on the evaluation are permitted to be offered through online
delivery.
