INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Transcription

1 Towson University Volume 9, Issue 6 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY NEWS Spring 2014 ISTC Welcome By Dr. Bill Sadera, Doctoral Program Director Welcome, from the Instructional Technology graduate program directors. We hope you are all enjoying your Spring semester. As always, there are many exciting events taking place within the ISTC community; students, graduates, and faculty have received awards, taken on new positions, and have been progressing with career goals. Our programs continue to be successful in providing opportunities for authentic and meaningful learning experiences. We are very proud of your success and very proud of our ISTC community. In this issue of the newsletter, we have included course offerings for Fall We recommend that you register as soon as possible. In this issue we also share information about ongoing faculty research projects, recent conference attendance and experiences, and tips from former doctoral students about the dissertation process. Please keep us informed of your exciting news and accomplishments. If you have any questions or comments about the programs or have information you d like shared, please feel free to let us know. The program directors doors are always open for you! Bill Sadera, Doctoral Program Director David Robinson, Master s Program Director School Library Media Liyan Song, Master s Program Director Instructional Design & Educational Technology Tracks Open Lab Hours for COE Students: Have you been wanting to practice using the Smartboard or the Promethean Board, but having trouble gaining access to one? Now you can! Come get support and practice using interactive whiteboards in the Education Innovation Lab. Where: Education Innovation Lab (HH 110) When: Mondays through Thursday, 1:00 3:00 PM After 3pm by appointment. For more information contact the Education Innovation Lab at or coe110@towson.edu. New Master s Program Cohorts! We are happy to announce that the Departments of Educational Technology and Literacy, and Instructional Leadership and Professional Development, have worked together to launch two new cohorts with Baltimore County Public Schools in January of The new cohort programs include: I. School Library Media & Instructional Leadership, a 42 credit program, and II. Instructional Leadership & Educational Technology. Also, in Howard County Public Schools, a new Instructional Leadership Educational Technology program will start in the fall of If you are interested in beginning a cohort in your school district, contact your program director or your district s professional development office. SPRING ISSUE CONTENTS FYI/Important University Dates... pg. 2 SLM News.. pg. 3 SITE pg. 4 What I Wish I Knew Before.. pg. 5 Master s Graduates... pg. 6 Faculty Research... pg. 6-7 Upcoming Conferences.... pg. 8 Announcements. pg. 9 Scholarship..... pg. 10 Fall Course Offerings. pg. 11 Doctoral Program Graduates... pg. 12 Faculty Contact Information.. pg. 13 1

2 IMPORTANT UNIVERSITY DATES May 13 May 14 May 20 May 22 May 27 July 4 August 27 September 1 September 5 Nov December 1 Last day of classes Final examinations begin Last day of examinations and end of term Commencement ceremony Summer class sessions begin Independence Day-TU Closed Last day to apply online for Fall graduation Fall classes begin/ Change of schedule period begins Labor Day-TU Closed Change of Schedule period ends Thanksgiving Holiday-TU Closed Classes resume December 10 Last day of classes December 11 Final examinations begin December 17 Last day of examinations and end of semester FYI: Permission Now Required for Some Courses Due to increased enrollment and program growth, some core ISTC courses may require permission to enroll. If you are experiencing issues enrolling in an ISTC course, please contact your program advisor or director to request permission to enroll. Enrollment will become open to all students a few weeks before the course begins. Students are reminded that to guarantee a seat in a course they should register as early as possible. Also, doctoral students are urged to enroll in core courses for the semester in which they are first offered during your program of study as these courses are only offered every few semesters. Notice: Continuous Enrollment Policy The following policy is currently in effect. As stated in the Graduate Catalog, Towson University expects post-bachelor s students to register for courses on a regular basis (Graduate Catalog , p. 13). In accordance with this policy, the Instructional Technology graduate programs will require students to maintain continuous enrollment status. All students will be expected to enroll in at least one credit for each spring and fall semester until graduation. If clarification is needed or there are concerns about this policy, please contact your program director. ISTC on Social Media Find ISTC on LinkedIn: Instructional-Technology-Graduate December 18 Commencement ceremony Like ISTC on Facebook: Instructional Technology Community on Blackboard Please make sure to visit the ISTC Community on Blackboard ( for up-to-date news about Instructional Technology, employment opportunities, important events scholarship opportunities, conferences, and electronic copies of program forms. 2

3 SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA NEWS Spring 2014 Practicum Candidates The following candidates are completing practicum experiences in the winter and spring semesters Pamela Gainous Prince George s County Claire Hruban Baltimore County and Bryn Mawr School Christina McHugh Baltimore County Erin Moyer Baltimore County Stephanie Richardson Prince George s County Tracy Richter Baltimore County and Howard County Stephanie Seale Baltimore City School Library Media Digital Portfolio The purpose of this digital assessment is to have candidates reflect on the artifacts in the Digital Portfolio in order to evaluate whether they have, through their coursework, met the standards of our professional organization and to glean information about how candidates' plan to apply what they have learned in the School Library Media Program. The portfolio is formally introduced to candidates in ISTC 653, the Organization of Knowledge. Web design skills necessary in completing the portfolio are introduced in ISTC 541, Foundations of Instructional Technology. To provide guidance to students in completing the portfolio, an online component of the Practicum Experience, ISTC 789, is dedicated to largely completing the school library media digital portfolio. Components of this online experience include: 1. Online discussion of each AASL standard and the relationship of each standard to the school library media program and experiences as school library media specialists, teachers or other school based positions. 2. Following the discussion of each standard, candidates write (or refine a statement already begun) a reflection statement based on that standard. The instructor will then provide feedback on the reflection. 3. This process will occur over the course of a designated practicum. The most important planning consideration for portfolio is to archive electronic copies of your key assessments from the school library media program. Candidates should also consider keeping copies of any outstanding artifacts (lesson plans, instructional materials etc.) used in the course of daily teaching experiences that related to the AASL standards. If you have any questions regarding the portfolio, please David Robinson at: derobins@towson.edu. The portfolio assessment documents and related materials can be found accessed via: pages.towson.edu/derobins Referral for a Rewarding Career If you know someone who would enjoy the rewards and challenges of being a School Library Media Specialist, encourage them to contact David Robinson ( or derobins@towson.edu). 3

4 TOWSON UNIVERSITY GOES TO SITE 2014: ISTC doctoral students, alumni, and faculty members gave a total of five presentations at the SITE 2014 Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. Presentations: Using UDL exchange to teach the universal design for learning framework by alumna, Dr. Liz Berquist, and Jessica Moore. Pre-service teacher beliefs about universal design for learning and the role of technology by alumna, Dr. Liz Berquist, and professor, Dr. Bill Sadera. Technology use in preservice teacher internship: Opportunities and obstacles by alumna, Dr. Laura Frazier, and professor, Dr. Bill Sadera. Facebook and mattering: How can instructors make the most of undergraduates' Facebook use? by professors, Dr. Sarah Lohnes-Watulak and Dr. Scot Mcnary, and doctoral student, Zhuo Wang. Facebook usage, social networks, and social support among undergraduate women by professors, Dr. Scot Mcnary and Dr. Sarah Lohnes-Watulak, and doctoral student, Zhuo Wang. Student Reflection from the SITE Conference By Zhuo (Julie) Wang SITE 2014 was the first professional conference I have ever attended, and I couldn t have made it, if it weren t Dr. Lohnes Watulak and Dr. McNary s vision and encouragement. From right to left: Dr. McNary, Dr. Lohnes-Watulak, Dr. Sadera and his wife, Amy Sadera, and Zhuo Wang enjoying dinner at bb s in Jacksonville. Having worked with both professors for nearly two years on a research project, titled Undergraduates Facebook Use and Mattering, I was able to enhance my research skills in various facets (e.g., interview, proposal writing) under their patient and generous guidance (for which I am forever grateful!). I felt very blessed when both professors put me as a second author on their conference proposals and invited me to co-present at SITE 2014 for a poster session and a roundtable meeting. Truthfully, my feelings toward SITE have been just like a rollercoaster ride. One month prior to the conference, I felt anxious yet well prepared; frequently imagining how I would stand beside the poster with great confidence. After all, it is a rare opportunity to be asked as the main presenter when one is a second author (thanks, Dr. Lohnes Watulak!). However, three days before the conference, I started to feel so nervous that I even lost some sleep (which didn t happen to me often even before my wedding ceremony). I couldn t help fixating on the many questions that people might ask me about Why are you doing this? What did you find? How did you get the results? What does that finding mean? Although I was still nervous and a little unsure even during the first few minutes of the presentation, I quickly adjusted and initiated several conversations with people passing by our poster by introducing the study as well as eliciting feedback. During the following days, I attended a couple of presentations brought by instructional technology scholars, among which were college instructors, Ph.D students, and instructional designers from all over the world Taiwan, Japan, Scotland, to name a few countries. I was especially intrigued by topics about incorporating mobile devices in informal learning and engaged in several brief discussions with the presenters of those sessions. Overall, attending SITE was a very rewarding experience. Not only did I get to network with many scholars and learn about trending topics (which were great sources of inspiration for my dissertation), but also know/position myself better. I was able to take on a challenge that I originally felt unsure of, overcome my fears and doubts, and eventually surprise myself. It is through this experience and the persistent support from Dr. Lohnes Watulak and Dr. McNary that I feel motivated to network with more scholars, achieve higher goals, and step onto bigger stages. 4

5 What I wish I knew before... Tips from students What I wish I knew before writing my dissertation Save articles by author. I wish that I knew the importance of saving all of the journal articles by authors names in my computer files. It would have been easier to access them when I needed them if I had saved them this way rather than by the title of the article. The power of the word processor is your friend. Using tolls included using the automatic table of contents in Microsoft Word was very helpful. I also found using the "Reference" tool in Microsoft Word to be worthwhile. Be very careful about APA style. I found that I made the same mistake over and over again and had to correct it throughout the entire document. Select compatible advisors. You also cannot underestimate the importance of selecting an advisor that you work well with. This definitely gets you through the process! Be patient. It is also important to realize just how long the process takes and to trust the process. If you just continue to plod along and make deadlines for yourself, it will get done. Dr. Kathy Gould Construct your proposal carefully. I approached my proposal much in the same way that I approach a paper. For a paper, I write a draft and then focus the paper as I hone the topic. I often cut some parts of the paper. I was using this approach for my proposal. However, for a proposal, you can t really follow that approach in exactly the same way. For example, if you have five research questions in your proposal, it is difficult to cut one later. Balance being general and focused. If I had to go through the process again, I would have been general but more focused from the beginning. It is easier to add items to your research rather than remove items. Since the proposal essentially serves as a contract, the committee can hold you to the work that was agreed upon during the proposal phase. Dr. Andy Cavanaugh Love your topic. You are going to be spending a ton of time with your topic be sure you believe it if you love and live it, that is even better! Loving your topic will turn work into a mission! Your dissertation is more than writing. When you are completing your dissertation, don t forget to build in time for all the other stuff, like the forms you will need to complete, the copies you will need to make, the binders you will need to build for your committee. And formatting formatting takes time YouTube has some great videos for setting up things like the Table of Contents (TU has its own manual with specs for the dissertation you will need to read it)! And you will need to prepare for your defense presentation- you have finally completed the document but you can t rest yet you want the actual presentation to rock, so make time to plan and practice! Pick a good committee. Your committee and your chair will be the MOST important people (besides your family) over the course of your program. Chose wisely. You want people that you can work with (and can work with you)- you want people that you respect- you want people who will push you to be better (just when you think your are done)! Organize your dissertation materials. When you start working on your dissertation save everything- and keep it organized! Find a back up to store files I love Dropbox because it is great for storing and sharing. I even had a folder called Appendix where I took pictures of anything that could potentially be included- everything from IRB forms to screen shots! Dr. Liz Berquist 5

6 MASTER S PROGRAM GRADUATES: Educational Technology Nicole Barth Melissa Glorioso Jessica Myers Shawn Norton Instructional Design and Development Tara Hlavinka Ryan O Grady Juliet Owuor School Library Media Colleen Adam Sherone Barnes Stacy Barry Aryka Benz Ashley Boer Lisa Caughey Chimere Charles Susan Ciaccio Emily Constantine Laura Ferrante Madoline Foltz Katie Heer Laura Herzog Jamie Higgins Shaull Laurance Hughes Laura Lloyd Eric Manko Erin McElwee Leslie McMillan Sharon Murdoch Karen Musselman Dana Novotny Diane Pfeifer Angela Sofinowski GOOD NEWS FROM THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM: Doctoral Graduate and Dissertation Defense! Congratulations to doctoral student, Mila Fuller, for successfully defending her dissertation, Impact of digital and paper-based graphic organizers on the persuasive writing process for fourth and fifth grade students. COMPUTERS IN THE SCHOOLS: SPECIAL ISSUE: RESEARCH ON DIGITAL GAMES AND LEARNING Congratulations to several of the doctoral program faculty for the culmination of their hard work as editors for the newest edition of the Computers in the Schools (CITS) journal. This special issue on research on digital games and learning, has been a project that editors, Dr. Bill Sadera, Dr. Liyan Song, and Dr. Qing Li, have contributed to over the past two years. Another collaborating editor included the professors colleague, Leping Liu of the University of Nevada, Reno. These editors were responsible for fielding the call for papers, conducting several rounds of paper reviews, making publication decisions, proofing the papers, communicating with authors, and creating the journal s introduction. Their dedication has come to fruition with this special edition just recently being published! Additionally, a doctoral student, Jessica Stansbury, is an author among the journal s six articles listed below: Toward Understanding the Potential of Games for Learning: Learning Theory, Game Design Characteristics, and Situating Videogames in Classrooms by Turkay, Kinzer, Hoffman, Chantes, & Vicari. The Effects of Game Design on Learning Outcomes by Martin & Shen. UbiqBio: Adoptions and Outcomes of Mobile Biology Games in the Ecology of School by Perry & Klopfer. Examining a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Gameas a Digital Game-Based Learning Platform: Mixed Method Case Study on Motivations for Communicative Language Use by Wu, Ricahrds, & Saw. Designing Science Learning with Game-Based Approaches by Liu, Rosenblum, Horton, & Kang Can Wii Engage College Level Learners?: Use of Commercial-off-the-Shelf Gaming in an Introductory Statistics Course by Stansbury, Wheeler, & Buckingham. 6

7 Faculty Research: Dr. Song s Spring 2013 Sabbatical Project Update Last spring, the ISTC program newsletter featured a story about the commencement of Dr. Song s sabbatical research. This is a follow-up to Dr. Song s research and its findings. The purpose of this research was to understand online instructors perspectives on assessment practices within online environments. Nine online instructors from seven institutions were interviewed for this grounded theory qualitative research. Three main themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews that are involved in online assessment practices: student learning, instructional design, and interaction. The findings from this study suggested that online learning environments are uniquely different from the traditional classrooms, especially the forced nature of discussions and greater emphasis on interactions. In addition, the findings suggested that unique characteristics of online environments along with instructors epistemic belief have an impact on course design and delivery. Congratulations to Dr. Song on a successful sabbatical project! BCPS One-to-One Technology Initiative Starting this January, Dr. Sadera began leading a team of ISTC faculty and doctoral students in a series of research and evaluation projects focused on the One-to-One technology initiative in Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). This initiative is part of a larger project known as Students and Teachers Accessing Tomorrow (STAT) which encompasses a collection of initiatives including the development of a digital curriculum, new technology infrastructure, and the implementation of BCPS One (an integration system for student data, assessments, as well as curriculum and instruction). The BCPS One-to-One technology initiative ensures that every student in every school has an opportunity to develop 21 st century skills needed to be globally competitive. Over the next year and a half, including sabbatical term, Dr. Sadera will be working to pursue research opportunities focused on technology integration in practice; leadership, technology and change; as well as professional development and online professional learning communities. Specific details about each of these research goals will be shared in the fall. ISTC colleagues working on this project also include: Dr. Liz Berquist, Dr. Doug Elmendorf, Marie Heath, Stefani Pautz, and Emily Ziegler. If you have interest in being part of this project or would like to know more about it, please contact Dr. Sadera. For more information about STAT and the BCPS initiatives please visit the following website - 7

8 UPCOMING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCES Below is a list of the upcoming conferences of which we are aware. We apologize if a conference that you are looking for is not listed. If you know of other conferences that are not included, please feel free to post them on Blackboard. American Educational Research Association (AERA) When: April 16 April 20, 2015 Where: Chicago, Illinois Proposal Deadline: TBD International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference When: June 28 July 1, 2014 Where: Atlanta, Georgia Proposal Deadline: October 2, 2013 Association for Educational Communications & Technology (AECT) When: November 4 November 8, 2014 Where: Jacksonville, Florida Proposal Deadline: February 24, 2014 Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) Conference When: May 1 2, 2014 Where: Ocean City, Maryland Eastern Educational Research Association (EERA) Conference When: February 25-28, 2015 Where: Sarasota, Florida Proposal Deadline: Fall 2014 (exact date TBD) E-Learn Conference When: October 27 30, 2014 Where: New Orleans, Louisiana Proposal Deadline: May 24, 2013 International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) Conference When: August 25-30, 2014 Where: Moscow, Russia Proposal Deadline: March 1, 2014 Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE) Conference When: March 2 6, 2015 Where: Las Vegas, Nevada Proposal Deadline: October 3, 2014 World Conference on Educational Media, Hypermedia, & Telecommunications (ED-MEDIA) When: June 23 27, 2014 Where: Tampere, Finland Proposal Deadline: December 13, 2013 Opportunity to Present If you are interested in presenting at a conference, the Graduate Student Association (GSA) allots a portion of the GSA budget to be used specifically for funding student research and professional development. This includes but is not limited to presentations of a paper or project, research and original work, and attendance at a conference. The grant award for presenting is often in the amount of $500, and smaller amounts may be awarded for attending a conference, research, and original work. The ISTC department may also have resources available to support your work. Please contact your program director for more information. If you are interested in taking advantage of the GSA opportunity or for more information about the GSA Award and application process, please visit 8

9 ANNOUNCEMENTS: Dr. Liz Berquist (doctoral alumna): OAI Award Liz won the Towson University Office of Academic Innovation s Innovation in Teaching Award as a College of Education representative. This award honors faculty who have implemented outstanding innovative teaching approaches shown to increase student learning and success. Dr. Kathy Gould (doctoral alumna): OAI Award Kathy won the Towson University Office of Academic Innovation s Innovation in Teaching Award as a College of Health Professions representative. This award honors faculty who have implemented outstanding innovative teaching approaches shown to increase student learning and success. Paul Iwancio (master s alumnus): New Position Paul began a new job this past summer as the Manger of Online Professional Development at Denver Public Schools. Paul focuses on blended and online courses while working with a highly dedicated team whose mission is to support teachers with all the professional development they need. If you would like to hear more about Paul s work, visit his blog at piwancio.wordpress.com. Les Potter: PRSA Maryland Educator of the Year Les was named the Public Relations Society of America, Maryland Chapter, 2013 Public Relations Educator of the Year. This award recognizes and honors exemplary undergraduate and graduate public relations/ communications professors that are excellent instructors and education leaders in their schools and communities. Jimmy Robertson (master s alumnus): UMUC Presidential Award Jimmy, who serves as the academic director for University of Maryland University College s (UMUC) Computer and Information Science Program, was a recipient of the 2013 UMUC Presidential Award. This award recognizes members of the university s staff or collegiate faculty who have demonstrated exemplary performance and distinctive contributions to UMUC throughout their career. Dr. Liyan Song: Most Downloaded Article Dr. Song and her co-authors article Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics, was honored as the most downloaded article from the Journal of Internet and Higher Education. Jessica Stansbury: OAI Honorable Mention Jessica received an honorable mention for the Towson University Office of Academic Innovation s Innovation in Teaching Award. This award honors faculty who have implemented outstanding innovative teaching approaches shown to increase student learning and success. Zhuo (Julie) Wang: New Position Zhuo recently joined Dr. Lohnes-Watulak as a teaching assistant for ISTC 667: Instructional Development, a fundamental course in the ISTC master s program. Working as a teaching assistant has exposed Zhuo to the backstage of the course (primarily involving course planning/updating, discussion facilitation and assignment grading) and allowed her to observe how seemingly fragmented instructional components were transformed into a complete learning product. 9

10 RECENT SCHOLARSHIP: Berquist, L., & Moore, J. (2014, March). Using UDL exchange to teach the universal design for learning framework. Roundtable presented at the annual conference of the Society for Instructional Technology in Teacher Education, Jacksonville, FL. Berquist, L., & Sadera, W. (2014, March). Pre-service teacher beliefs about universal design for learning and the role of technology. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Society for Instructional Technology in Teacher Education, Jacksonville, FL. Berquist, L., & Sadera, W. (2014, March). Universal Design For Learning, conceptual change and teacher education: An exploration Of preconceptions and beliefs about practice. Paper presented at The Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network Summit, Columbia, MD. Berquist, L. & Sadera, W. A mixed methods study about teachers conceptions of Universal Design for Learning. Manuscript submitted for publication. Berquist, L., & Sadera, W. Preservice teachers beliefs about Universal Design for Learning. Manuscript submitted for publication. Cavanaugh, A., & Song, L. (accepted). Audio feedback vs. written feedback: Instructors' and students' perspectives. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. Frazier, L. & Sadera, W. (in press). Distance Education in Teacher Education: A National Study. Manuscript submitted for publication. International Journal of E-Learning. Frazier, L., & Sadera, W. (2014, March). Technology use in preservice teacher internship: Opportunities and obstacles. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Society for Instructional Technology in Teacher Education, Jacksonville, FL. Gould, K., & Sadera, W. (in press). Evaluation of health profession student attitudes toward an online nutrition edcation problem-based learning module. International Journal of E-Learning. Li, Q. & Tay, R. (2014). Improving drivers' knowledge of road rules using digital games. Accident Analysis and Prevention 65, Li, Q. (Apr. 2014). Build my own game for my students? Practicing teachers' experience of digital game design. Paper presented at the annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference, Philadelphia, PA. Lohnes Watulak, S., Wang, Z., & McNary, S. (2014). Facebook and mattering: How can instructors make the most of undergraduates' Facebook use? Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Instructional Technology in Teacher Education, Jacksonville, FL. McNary, S., Wang, Z., & Lohnes Watulak, S. (2014, March). Facebook usage, social networks, and social support among undergraduate women. Roundtable presented at the annual conference of the Society for Instructional Technology in Teacher Education, Jacksonville, FL. Sadera, W., li, Q., Song, L., & Leping, L. (Eds.). (2014). Computers in the Schools: Special Edition: Digital Gamebased Learning. Song, L., Lohnes Watulak, S., Kritskaya, O., & Elmendorf, D. (accepted). Exploring undergraduate students skills, level of comfort, and perceived benefit of using technology for learning, International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning. Stansbury, J. A., & Munro, G. D. (2014). Fair weather friends: Moral climate affects moral judgment. Poster presented at the Society of Personality and Social Psychology National Conference, Austin, TX. Stansbury, J.A. (2013, November). Using games to teach in higher education? Invited presentation at the International Games Day Series, American Library Association, Towson, MD. Stansbury, J. A., Wheeler, E. A., & Buckingham, J. (2014). Can Wii engage college level learners?: Use of commercial-off-the-shelf gaming in an introductory statistics course. Computers in the School: Special Issue: Research on Digital Games and Learning. Twiss, L., & Lohnes Watulak, S. (2014). An ethnographic study of children's informal technology use. Paper presented at the 35th Annual Ethnography in Education Forum, Philadelphia, PA. Wizer, D. R. (2014). Beliefs of district administrators regarding student technology use. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning 9(1),

11 UPCOMING COURSE OFFERINGS Please note that the course schedule is subject to change and students should refer to the online schedule of classes for the most current information. Fall 2014 Class Schedule: Class Title Day Time Room Instructor EDUC Research and Information Technology T 4:20-6:50 HH 219 McNary EDUC Research and Information Technology Th 4:20-6:50 HH 219 Shargel EDUC Research in Education W 4:20-6:50 HH 219 McNary EDUC Qualitative Methods in Education Th 4:20-6:50 HH 206 Lohnes-Watulak ISTC Foundations of Instructional Technology M 5:30-8:10 HH 219 Li ISTC Collection Development W 4:20-6:50 HH 209 TBA ISTC Information Literacy & Access Th 4:20-6:50 HH 207 Luther ISTC Applied Psychology of Learning T 4:20-6:50 HH 209 Li ISTC Instructional Design & Development TBA TBA Online Lohnes-Watulak ISTC Research in Instructional Technology W 4:20-6:50 HH 219 McNary ISTC Innovation, Change, and Organizational Structures T 4:20-6:50 HH 206 Wizer ISTC Distance Education in Theory & Practice TBA TBA Online Li ISTC Advanced Technology Integration W 4:20-6:50 HH 207 Sadera ISTC ISTC Seminar I: Investigating & Evaluating Research in Instructional Technology Seminar II: Investigating & Evaluating Research in Instructional Technology M 5:30-8:10 HH 206 Song M 5:30-8:10 HH 207 Sadera ISTC Instructional Technology-Capstone W 7:00-9:40 HH 219 McNary ISTC Instructional Technology-Capstone W 7:00-9:40 HH 207 Song ISTC Practicum & Portfolio in School Library Media TBA TBA TBA Robinson ISTC Practicum & Portfolio in School Library Media TBA TBA TBA Robinson ISTC Practicum & Portfolio in School Library Media TBA TBA TBA Robinson Attention Master s Students! Students in the Educational Technology and Instructional Design and Development tracks who are planning to take the ITSC 787 Capstone course must contact Dr. Song (lsong@towson.edu). Please note that this course should only be taken during the final semester of your program of study. Students in the Instructional Design and Development track who are planning to take a Human Resources (HRD) course must contact Dr. Song (lsong@towson.edu) to gain permission to enroll in the course. ISTC students will not be able to enroll in HRD courses unless they notify Dr. Song. 11

12 Doctoral Program Graduates: Dr. Mila Thomas-Fuller Fuller, M. (2013). Impact of digital and paper-based graphic organizers on the persuasive writing process for fourth and fifth grade students. (Doctoral dissertation, Towson University, 2013). Dissertation Abstract At present, graphic organizers, both paper-based and digital, have become recognized instructional tools to help support students as they write. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of paper-based and digital graphic organizers to improve persuasive writing of fourth and fifth grade students. A quasiexperimental study with a comparison design with pre-test and post-tests was used with the switching replication method. The population consists of sixty-seven public and private school students in fourth and fifth grade. The most prominent results indicate that the use of a digital graphic organizer first, leads to significant improvements in the following five writing outcome areas: goal statement, reasoning statements, supporting arguments, conclusion statement, and overall score. Likewise, older students (aged 10-11) and female students also showed significant improvements in all five writing outcomes. The use of paper-based graphic organizers first, resulted in significant improvements in three areas: supporting arguments, conclusion statement, and overall score. The overall results indicate that graphic organizers yield significant improvements in the persuasive writing of fourth and fifth grade students. Furthermore, a consistent finding throughout this study is that the use of (paper-based and digital) graphic organizers results in significant improvements in these three areas: supporting arguments, conclusion statement, and overall quality. (Pictured from left to right) Dr. Deborah Nolan, summer 2013 graduate, Dr. David Wizer, program chair, Dr. Mila Fuller, fall 2013 graduate, Dr. Liyan Song, program chair, Dr. Andy Cavanaugh, summer 2013 graduate, and Dr. Ray Lorion, College of Education Dean, at the Winter 2013 Commencement ceremony. 12

13 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE FACULTY & STAFF INFORMATION MAIN OFFICE MAIN OFFICE FAX HH 216 DR. DAVID WIZER, Chairperson HH 216A MS. DIANE LANAHAN, Administrative Assistant HH 216 MR. ANDREW ALLEN, IT Specialist HH 206A DR. CELLESTINE CHEEKS, Associate Professor HH 204A MS. DEBORAH FULLER, Director, Education Technology Center HH 210D MS. WENDY GIBSON, Education Innovation Lab HH 107J DR. JEFF KENTON, Assistant Dean HH 304 DR. QING LI, Professor HH 404C DR. SARAH LOHNES WATULAK, Assistant Professor HH 221 DR. FRAN LUTHER, Assistant Professor HH 315 MS. BONNIE BROWN, Lecturer HH 102G DR. SCOT MCNARY, Associate Professor HH 102F DR. STEPHEN MOGGE, Director, Graduate Reading Program HH 102P DR. DAVID ROBINSON, Director, School Library Media Program HH 203 DR. WILLIAM SADERA, Director, ISTC Doctoral Program HH 222 DR. REBECCA SHARGEL, Assistant Professor HH 413F MR. DUANE SMITH, IT Manager HH 210A DR. LIYAN SONG, Director, ISTC Master s Program HH 102D MS. CHERYL WOOD, Lecturer HH 211 Technology feeds on itself. Technology makes more technology possible. ~Alvin Toffler Alessa Rash Doctoral Program Tracy Richter Master s Program GRADUATE ASSISTANTS HH 222 HH x2731 arash1@students. towson.edu tricht1@students. towson.edu 13