John Tracy Clinic/University of San Diego Graduate Program: A Distance Learning Model

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1 The Volta Review, Volume 110(2), Summer 2010, Program Profile John Tracy Clinic/University of San Diego Graduate Program: A Distance Learning Model Mary McGinnis, LSLS Cert. AVT The History of Distance Learning at John Tracy Clinic The John Tracy Clinic QTC) has a lorig history in the development and implementation of distance education courses for parents. It began with the founder of JTC, Louise Tracy, who personally corresponded with parents of young children with hearing loss around the globe to provide them hope, guidance, and encouragement. Mrs. Tracy's correspondence with parents was formalized into a course format in 1943 after Mrs. Tracy and her husband. Spencer Tracy, founded JTC in 1942 in honor of their son, John, who was diagnosed with a hearing loss at age 10 months. In 1946, JTC began offering professional development courses to professionals, which were formalized as a master's degree and credential program in 1954 in partnership with the University of Southern California School of Education. Fifty years later, in 1996, JTC began offering a series of six online courses for professional development leading to a certificate in early childhood deaf education through the JTC Academy, an in-house professional development academy at JTC. The initial series of professional development courses continued to grow as more and more courses were added to the program offered through the JTC Academy. Pushing the development of new courses was the extraordinary demand from educators around the country who were enrolling in the courses. These educators were spurred to update their knowledge and skills by families who were demanding a listening and spoken language outcome for their babies with hearing loss identified by newborn hearing screening programs and using digital hearing aids or cochlear implants. In California, pressure to develop an alternate route for teacher credentialing arose from the severe shortage of teachers of the deaf in the state: a shortage that continues to this day. The California Commission on Teacher Mary D. McGinnis, LSLS Cert. AVT, is the Director of the John Tracy Clinic/University of San Diego DHH Graduate Program in Los Angeles, CA. For more information about this program, please contact her at [email protected]. A Distance Learning Model 261

2 Credentialing (CCTC) sought to create teacher internships to prepare professionals in the field who were already teaching children with hearing loss in public school classrooms, but who were doing so without appropriate teaching credentials. To address the state's needs, and to address the urgent calls from teachers in other states who were confronted with children and families desiring listening and spoken language communication, JTC created its online master's program in deaf education in In the same year, JTC received federal funding to offer the Distance Learning master's degree program with JTC's university partner, the University of Southern California. The program was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in Between 2003 and 2005, the JTC Teacher Education Department made major revisions to the program so that the Distance Learning Program paralleled the onsite program in content and quality, and met the standards of CCTC. During the same period, both programs were re-designed to meet the competencies established by Auditory-Verbal International for auditory-verbal therapists, and subsequently for the rvine domains of listening and spoken language established by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language for Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS) (in both auditory-verbal therapy and auditory-verbal education) (see Monograph Appendix A). The redesigned onsite and distance learning master degree and credential programs were accredited by the CCTC and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Beginning in 2005, the programs were offered in conjunction with the University of San Diego (USD) School of Leadership and Education Sciences. Best Practices in Distance Learning Though most accredited universities now offer legitimate online courses and degree programs, the spectre of "diploma mills" still colors the public's perception of distance education. Accreditation is a critically important element in distance education, since the program is then required to meet established standards at regular review dates to maintain its accreditation. NCATE (2009) provides standards for university programs, but does not specify any standards for distance learning programs other than that resources and delivery must be reliable, speedy, and confidential. WASC (2008) has created standards for distance learning programs that specify these programs must meet the same standards as traditional programs. Provisions must be in place to meet standards in the quality of the learning infrastructure, student support services, faculty and student support, program review protocols, the context of the distance learning program within the broader institution mission, and evaluation of student outcomes. In addition, WASC refers university distance learning programs to the guidelines for orüine programs created by the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (2008), of which WASC is a member. 262 McGinnis

3 In addifion to aecreditafion from NCATE, WASC, and CCTC, the JTC/ USD Onsite and Distance Learning graduate programs are aligned with other professional standards. These include the Council on Educafion of the Deaf (CED, 2003), the Council on Excepfional Children (CEC, 2008), the Interstate New Teacher and Assessment Consorfium (INTASC, 2001), the Califorrua Standards for the Teaching Profession (2009), and the California Teaching Performance Expeetafions (CCTC, 2008). Though standards from aeerediting bodies provide a broad pieture of the key eomponents neeessary for high quality distanee learning programs, theory in distanee edueation has undergone a radical shift due to innovafions in technology. Technology for online courses has progressed from first generafion written materials to fifth generafion e-learning where there are a variety of ways to gather informafion and communicate. Deciding which ways are best in terms of student outcomes, however, has been a question that continues to plague the development of distance learriing courses and programs. Recenfiy, the U.S. Department of Educafion (2009) performed a metaanalysis of online learrüng research studies from Research comparing students who took all or part of a course online to students who took the same course through face-to-face instrucfion revealed that online student outcomes were signifieanfiy better (p <.01 level) on the 51 learrüng effeets identified. Blended eourses revealed even more of an advantage to learning outcomes than purely online learning. The type of media employed did not affect outcomes, meariing distance learning is just as effecfive through or mobile phone as through a webbased platform. Variafions in the type of learning experience showed equivocal effects on outcomes with more interactive and/or collaborative learning resulting in better outcomes than less interacfive or purely expository learning. The more interacfion the student had with the instructor, the better the outcome as long as the interacfion with the instructor did not outweigh the student's eollaboration with other students. Comparison of various praefiees in online learning (e.g., whether learrving involved asynehronous diseussions, synehronous ehats, quizzes, simulafions, video streaming, ehats, ete.) revealed no sigrüfieant differenees in student outeomes. However, one aspeet did affeet learning: student reflecfion improved student outcomes, regardless of whether the reflecfion resulted from prompts for reflecfion, self-explanafion, or strategies in self-morütoring of study time or learrüng process. A second praetiee that improved student learning outeomes involved the students' integrafion of ideas from learning materials into a refleefive writing assignment. The U.S. Department of Edueafion (2009) report eoneludes with a eaufion that the medium itself is not responsible for greater learning outeomes and that the posifive results in online learning are not a mandate to ehange all faee-to-faee eourses to orüine courses. Rather, advantageous outcomes are a result of the increased opportunifies for learning, increased time on task, and A Distance Learning Model 263

4 increased reflection and integration of ideas demanded of students. The same is true of students who attend face-to-face courses that are enhanced by additional time on task through online assignments outside of class. A conclusion that can be drawn from the research is that the medium is not the message; rather, the medium must be transparent and not interfere with, but enhance, student learning. JTC/USD Program Structure The Onsite Program is specifically designed for beginning educators who are under constant supervision throughout their program on the JTC campus. The Distance Learning Program, on the other hand, is designed for working teachers of the deaf. When seeking admission, candidates consistently report that their goals for the program include 1) obtaining a master's degree and/ or teaching credential, and 2) furthering their knowledge and skills in auditory-verbal principles and practice, especially as they relate to providing parent support and guidance, working with infants, and working with children who have cochlear implants. Detailed information on the JTC/USD Distance Learning Program can be found at Two overriding principles drive the JTC/USD Distance Learning Program. First, students must see and experience auditory-verbal principles in their own programs and practices. Therefore, they must be teachers in their own practice rather than aides or professionals who provide ancillary services. Their program must actively strive to achieve listening and spoken language outcomes. Second, students must have a mentor experienced in the auditory-verbal approach. The mentor is a crucial link between the courses and the student's practice. The JTC/USD program structure for both the Onsite and the Distance Learning Programs is based on the "professional development school model" encouraged by NCATE (NCATE, 2001), which creates a partnership between a university teacher education program and an educational environment that works with children in preschool to grade 12. The partnership prepares teachers within the context of the school, develops faculty, fosters inquiry between the university program and the school to improve practice, and enhances student achievement. The partner, in this case, is JTC. Typically, half of the 16 classes in the 44-unit Distance Learning Program are taken onsite at the JTC campus in Los Angeles, CA. The remainder are taken online while the teacher is engaged in teaching at his or her job during the day. The exact division depends on how the calendar dates and the JTC services for families are laid out for any given year. The Distance Learning Program takes 2 years to complete, including two summer residencies of 30 days each at the JTC campus and online courses organized in a series of 10-week sessions. Early experience with course scheduling revealed that one course at a time is the best method of delivery for a professional working full-time. Distance Learning Program students typically progress through their program as a 264 McGinnis

5 cohort, as do the Onsite students, and begin the first summer residency with the Onsite cohort for summer classes. The summer residencies are crifical to the program, since they immerse the students in pracficum experiences with the JTC educational programs for families and children, fouowing the professional development school model. The graduate students participate in supervised teaching in the JTC Demonstration Home with famiues and their children birth to age 3, the JTC Demonstrafion Preschool, and the JTC Auditory-Verbal Therapy Lab. During lecture classes in both summer residencies, students observe the JTC Internafional Summer Sessions in English and Spanish, and have parent guest lecturers share their experiences with different educafion systems from around the world, giving the students a global perspective. The first summer residency is also crifical for the Distance Learning Program mentors. JTC pays for the mentors' travel and housing while they are at JTC for a week in the Mentorship Program, where they discuss the principles of mentorship, observe JTC programs, and join in on classes with their students. Mentors get an opportunity to understand the program's philosophy first hand so they can assist their students in applying the program's philosophy and principles to the coursework and to the student's practice. Coursework The sequence and content of the coursework Usted in the Table meet the requirements for the California teaching credenfial in deaf and hard of Table. Sequence of coursework for the JTC/USD distance learning program Year I Year 1 Summer Residency I Multiple Perspectives (3) Early Intervention Theory (3) Early Intervention Practicum (3) Auditory-Verbal Foundations (2) Fall Year I Audiology Diagnostics (2) Providing Support to Families (2) Spring Year I Audiology - Amplification (2) Spring Year I Language in Early Childhood (3) Spring Year I Auditory-Verbal Principles (3) Summer Residency II Early Childhood Curricula (3) Early Childhood Practicum (2) Auditory-Verbal Practicum (3) Fall Year II Language in Elementary School (3) Spring Year II Research Design & Methods (3) Spring Year II Elementary Curricula (3) Elementary Practicum (4) 44 Units Total A Distance Learning Model 265

6 hearing as well as the degree requirements for the master's degree in special education/deaf and hard of hearing at USD. Course content also reflects the auditory-verbal philosophy, competencies, and practices in auditory-verbal therapy and education. California requires that the principles for teaching English to children for whom English is a second language and for teaching children with autism spectrvm:\ disorders are embedded in all coursework. Program Delivery Courses for the Distance Learning Program cohort during the two summer residencies are taught by JTC faculty who are current practitioners in the field. Online courses are designed and taught by renowned faculty. All faculty are provided an approved model syllabus, which includes the course timeframe, description, objectives, content, and standards to be met. Current and past faculty members are professionals who have shaped the field, including Carol Flexer, Christina Perigoe, and Richard and Laura Kretschmer. Faculty must meet USD criteria and be approved by USD. Online faculty can come from anywhere in the world since the Internet serves as their link to the students. The courseware platform is WebCT, which is provided and supported by USD. Students are trained to use WebCT and other orüine resources during their USD orientation in the first summer residency. Technical support is then available through USD and the JTC Multimedia Information Technology Department. The courses provide blended learning and reflective activities, following best practice for distance education. Each course is created by the JTC Multimedia Information Technology Department with the same structure on the homepage for each course, which provides a lesson for each week of the course. Each lesson contains links to readings, slide presentations (which are often narrated), podcasts, videos, assignments, rubrics, and other online resources. Each course is a blend of synchronous (e.g., live chats) and asynchronous learning. Asynchronous, threaded discussions take place on the message board, organized by topic. Videos are mailed to each student if they are too long for WebCT. Besides completing extended assignments and projects, where students engage in reflective activities, students must engage in each week's discussion questions by posting to the threaded discussion board at least five times per week, allowing interaction among the students and instructor in each class. USD provides other support to the Distance Learning Program by providing resovirces that are typicauy involved in graduate education, including admissions, registration, financial aid, online library resources, and technical support. Practicum Experiences Given the promise of distance learning technologies, it would appear to be a simple process to supervise practicum experiences from a distance while 266 McGinnis

7 the student is teaching in his or her own classroom. However, there are several issues regarding practicum experiences that required reorganization of the program. One issue is that the promise of distance learning technology has not truly been fulfilled yet since technologies generally remain expensive (particularly if they are high quality), are often difficult to use, and can be unreliable. To avoid problems, students' personal technology must be compatible with current systems, so students are required to have technology that is no more than 2 years old, including their computer, specific software, and memory; high-speed Internet; and a webcam. An example of the limits of technology is WebCT's current inability to upload lengthy videos. Other limits of technology are the poor signal quality of videoconferencing, where audio and video signals are often out of sync. Encryption is required for videoconferencing software as well as to maintain compliance with the confidentiality laws of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HEPAA) of Í996 (which is an important consideration for ensuring family and student confidenfiauty online), and may add to the cost. There are hopeful signs on the technology horizon, however. New cohorts are required to purchase their own video camera with a built-in USB so they can easily record themselves and upload the digital video to a passwordprotected site for their professors to view. This obviates the need for students to locate a video camera at their school sites and mau the video to JTC, where it was transferred to DVD and mailed back to the student and professor. The time and cost of tape transfer for each student was burdensome to say the least, but the delayed feedback on the assignments was worse. Funding Tuition for the graduate program is costly at about $1,200 per unit for a total of around $53,000. Fortunately, JTC has been awarded grant money from both public and private agencies so that each student is awarded the entire tuition amount. Furthermore, JTC raises private funds to pay for the housing and airfare for both the Distance Learning Program students and their mentors while they attend the two summer residencies at JTC. This is necessary as the financial burden of transportation and housing for the two 30-day residencies in the expensive economy of Los Angeles would have precluded most students from the program. Distance learning students have come from California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington. The students pay their own way when they fly back to California in May to attend commencement ceremonies at JTC and USD. Opportunities and Challenges of Distance Education One of the major draws of distance education for professionals is that they can remain in their teaching jobs while erüiancing their knowledge, skills, and A Distance Learning Model 267

8 dispositions in the listening and spoken language approach. Directors of programs are also keen to maintain their teaching staff while the staff are furthering their education. One of the most challenging aspects of the program is recruitment and arises from the reputation of distance learning programs as lax and unregulated degree mills. Potenfial students often call for informafion about the program with the assumpfion that it is somehow different from tradifional urüversity programs. The mistaken assumption is that prospective students will be able to "sign up" for the program, rather than meeting prerequisites and applying to the program; that they wül be able to sit at home and take au of their courses online, rather than engaging in pracficum experiences during a residency program; and that it doesn't matter if they're not employed as a teacher and/or doesn't matter if they do not have the support of their school program. Potential applicants are very disappointed when they realize that their particular situafions may not make them eligible for the Distance Learning Program. Far from a degree miu, the structure of the program is designed to be as rigorous as the Onsite Program that has been offered at JTC for over 50 years. The courses provided through the JTC Academy in 1996 were the first iterafion of the Distance Learning Program. They provided valuable lessons in what was needed for transfer of learning from courses to applicafion in the classroom. Early students in the JTC Academy certificate program included professionals teaching in sign language environments. There was no required support from supervisors or school programs. When students arrived at the JTC campus for a residency after successfully completing several courses, it was evident that students had had difficulty in applying principles from the courses to their teaching, since their school environments did not support listening and spoken language principles. Thus, students are now required to be working in an environment that provides a model for the acquisifion of spoken language. Students must also have a mentor or supervisor who has a background in listening and spoken language, who wül conunit to the time necessary to discuss what the stud^ent is learning in online coursework, and who will assist the student in transferring and applying principles from the online courses to his or her teaching. An unexpected impaet of the Distanee Learrüng Program has been its effeet on the larger eontext in whieh the student resides. Erom the beginning of the program in 2005, when mentors were invited to the JTC eampus to learn how to support their teaehers through the program, mentors have sought to update their lôiowledge and skills in auditory-verbal prineiples and praetiee through their interaefion with the Distanee Learning Program and their students. Programs are now seeking to update their programs in auditory-verbal edueafion by creating new collaborative partnerships with JTC through the JTC/ USD Distance Learning Program. Universifies considering adding a distance learning program to their onsite program shoiüd be aware that one of the major challenges is the doubling of the workload for staff and faculty. Once underway, there will be twice as many 268 McCinnis

9 recruitment activities, applications, admissions, registrations, financial aid applications, and faculty and student concerns. Special effort is required to maintain the quality and quantity of distance relationships among students, faculty, and mentors. The following serves as an early set of considerations for those considering the feasibility of adding distance learning to an onsite program: 1. Ascertain the quality and reliability of the resources the university can provide to distance learners in au requisite areas (admissions, registration, financial aid, online library resources, courseware platform, and technical support). 2. Consider carefully what the program goals are, who the target student population will be, and how they will be screened to match the program goals and prerequisites. 3. Design the distance learning program to match existing onsite programs in content and quality, and to match the standards of relevant accrediting bodies. 4. Seek out training as an online faculty member to gain knowledge in designing, implementing, and evaluating online courses and programs. 5. Choose faculty who are willing to adhere to the philosophy of the program, to be trained in principles of online teaching, and to be trained and retrained in technologies as they change. 6. Keep technology as simple as possible, but protected and encrypted enough to maintain academic integrity and confidentiality for the protection of families and children. 7. Maintain program quality and student/faculty contact by including residencies where students can be observed and provided feedback in real time. 8. Maintain connection with the distance students through phone contact, as students report that the human voice is the element that is most missed. Distance Learning:The Hope for the Future Evolving technologies continue to further the possibilities for more relevant and interactive distance learning courses and programs that apply directly to professionals' daily practices. With a clear vision for what needs to be accomplished, and with careful plarming, appropriate support, and re-evaluation and re-designing based on continuous feedback, distance learning programs can be a viable avenue for preparing professionals. References CCTC. (2008). California teaching performance assessment candidate handbook. Retrieved April 27, 2010, from TPA-files/CandidateHandbook-AppendixA-TPEs.pdf. A Distance Learning Model 269

10 C-RAC. (2008). Guidelines for evaluation of distance education (online learning). Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions. Retrieved December 5,2009, from CSTP. (2009). Galifornia standards for the teaching profession. Sacramento, CA: CaUfornia Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from Council for Exceptional Children (6* ed.). (2008). What Every Special Educator Must Know: Ethics, Standards, and Guidelines for Special Educators. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children. Council on Educafion of the Deaf. (2003). Standards for programs preparing teachers of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium. (2001, May). Model standards for licensing general and special education teachers of students with disabilities: A resource for state dialogue. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers. Refiieved February 2, 2010, from org/content/pdfs/spedstds.pdf. NCATE. (2009). Unit standards. Nafional Council for Accreditafion of Teacher Education. Retrieved December 5, 2009, from institutions/uni tstandardsrubrics.asp?ch=4. NCATE. (2001). Standards for professional development schools. National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Retrieved February 18, 2010, from U.S. Department of Educafion. (2009). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Evaluation, and PoUcy Development. Retrieved December 5,2009, from proed/usde_evidencebased_review_onlineleaming.pdf. WASC. (2008). Handbook of accreditation. Western Association of Schools and CoUeges. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from findit/files/forms/handbook_of_accreditafion_2008_with_hyperlinks.pdf. 270 McGinnis

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