Pilot Study of the Effects of CD-ROM-Based Courseware for Learning At-Distance

To serve our widely dispersed adult-educator population, Occupational Educational Studies is re-structuring our course delivery to focus on learning at-distance.  We are abandoning the OneNet video system in favor of building a delivery model that combines significant technology-based components with a small number of face-to-face learning experiences.  One such component we have not yet tested is self-study CD-ROM-based courseware featuring multimedia presentations that might be problematic for some users if streamed over the Internet due to bandwidth restrictions. This pilot evaluates an original piece of CD-ROM courseware in terms of learner performance in a pre-test/post-test design, and on several subjective and preference variables. 

Sponsor: COE Internal Research Grant

PI: Lynna Ausburn

 

Preparing Inclusive Personnel Partnership Project

This project prepares children and youth with disabilities to meet challenging state standards and make successful transitions to adult life through the establishment of a sustainable model of personnel preparation and professional development.  The partnership with Perry Public Schools redesigns content and delivery of preservice personnel preparation programs for general/special educators, and related service providers. 

Sponsor: OKDoED

PIs:  Bob Davis, Terry Stinnett, David Yellin

 

Content Coaching for the New Teacher

Content Coaching provides a framework for expanded induction for elementary teachers targeting the science content area. The project capitalizes on existing resources, creating a collaborative structure for supporting systemic change in science education.

Sponsor: OSDHE

PI: Leah Engelhardt

 

Professional Development Institute for Mentor Teachers

Oklahoma State University's College of Education, in collaboration with Stillwater Public Schools, continued to provide Coaching Skills for Effective Teaching, a funded program to prepare mentor teachers in the state's Residency (induction) Program to effectively support first-year teachers. The program works with approximately 160 educators throughout the state.

Sponsor: Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation

PIs: Leah Engelhardt

Stillwater Public Schools: Diana Leggett

 

OSU Writing Project

An affiliate of the National Writing Project, the OSU Writing Project is a collaborative school-university program dedicated to improving the quality of instruction in elementary and secondary schools through staff development training for teachers. The OSU Writing Project offers a summer institute for classroom teachers who want to improve their own writing skills and involve their students in more writing activities. Teachers must apply to the summer institute and those accepted receive a stipend towards tuition and books. Participants study current theories of teaching writing and share their own best practices. The 2000 project was the ninth in a row to be funded by the National Writing Project, Berkeley, Calif.

Sponsor:  National Writing Project

PIs: Pamela Fry

Department of English: Richard Batteiger, Joye Alberts

 

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP)

GEAR-UP is a comprehensive five-year program utilizing diverse public and private two-year and four-year institutions, a state agency, non-profit community based organizations, and Tulsa Public Schools. The main objective of the program is to work with approximately 1,200 middle school students and encourage them to stay in school, study, and prepare for college or vocational training.

Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education

PIs: Kouider Mokhtari, John Romans

 

Star Schools: Integrated Language Arts Instruction

This project develops a curriculum drawn from multiple disciplines — mathematics, science, and social studies — using various instructional strategies, and problem-solving activities based on selected questions or problems. An integrated approach to teaching and learning allows students to use a variety of communication tools and strategies — visual, mathematical, linguistic, performance, etc., to explore, synthesize, and represent their understandings of math and science content. 

Sponsor:  U.S. Department of Education

PIs:  Kouider Mokhtari, Leah Engelhardt

 

Using GLOBE to Broaden the Environmental Science Knowledge of K-12 Teachers

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) is a curriculum developed and supported by NASA and used as a framework for interdisciplinary studies of environmental science. Working with Tulsa Public Schools, workshops will allow teachers to earn six hours of graduate credit and become certified to implement GLOBE materials into their classrooms. 

Sponsors:  OSRHE, Dwight D. Eisenhower Program

PIs: Christine Moseley, Kay Reinke

 

Understanding the NASA Earth Science Enterprise by Connecting Scientists, Teachers, and Students in the K-8 Classroom

A new senior level aerospace science course for elementary education majors was created that integrates mathematics, science, and technology. The course involves on-site data collection of NASA aerospace science related investigations, including hydrology, soils, atmosphere, land cover, GIS measurements, and astronomy. The research involves effectiveness of this course.

Sponsor:  NASA Opportunities for Visionary Academics (NOVA)

PIs:  Christine Moseley, Kay Reinke, Steve Marks

 

Knowledge Development for the Technology Integration Community

This project provides training for teachers to be proficient in integrating technology into their curriculum and increases the level of technology integration in teacher education programs. The project is a collaborative effort and expands upon the foundations set in place by the 21st Century Chautauqua Project, a Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology effort (PT3). 

Sponsors:  U.S. Department of Education, University of Missouri

PI:  Pam Fry

 

Career and Technology New Teacher Induction Process

This service and research grant is a collaborative effort between ODCTE, 22 technology centers, and Occupational Education Studies at UCO and OSU. Working as a team with local administrators, a local instructional mentor, and a higher education representative, first-year teachers are able to identify strengths, challenges, goals, and strategies in order to move from surviving to thriving in development of the skills for effective teaching. 

Sponsors:  Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, Local Technology Centers

PI:  Mary Jo Crawford Self

 

Star Schools — The New Millennium: Improving Math and Science in Middle Schools

A principal component of OSU's Star Schools project focuses on integrating technology into math and science instruction. Specifically, the World Wide Web will be utilized to deliver materials and models to train teachers in the use of digital information storage and management, use of office productivity software, use of educational software packages, use of multimedia production tools, effective WWW searching strategies, use of digital communication tools, web development, and appropriate use of information technology tools in the classroom.

Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education

PI: Susan Stansberry

 

Adult Literacy Program:  Public Education and Awareness for Volunteers and Illiterate Adults

A campaign for literary, project funds are directed toward literacy education for adults. 

Sponsor: Association of Central Oklahoma Governments

PI: David Yellin

 

Adult Education and Literacy Professional Development Workshops

Professional development workshops were held focusing on strategies for teaching adults in the areas of reading, learning disabilities, work-based education, family literacy, assessment of basic skills, English as a second language, and other relevant adult education and literacy topics. 

Sponsor: Oklahoma State Department of Education

PI: Brenda Solomon

 

Collegiate Partnership Program

The OSU Professional Education Unit in collaboration with the OSRHE held the first Teacher Cadet Workshop at the Union on Nov. 7th, 2001. Teacher Cadet Programs encourage high school students to 1) focus on a teaching career; 2) encourage minority students to enter the teaching profession; and 3) specialize in high demand teaching areas. The 2002 Conference is scheduled for Nov. 8, 2002.

Sponsor:  OSRHE
PI:
Jeana Locke

 

Education Research Administration

 

National Clearinghouse for Rehabilitation Training Materials

A long-running program conducted under the auspices of the Director of Research is the National Clearinghouse for Rehabilitation Training Materials.  Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, its purpose is to support the collection and dissemination of human resource development materials created by the national vocational rehabilitation community. The Clearinghouse, established at OSU in 1961, reaches an international audience of rehabilitation practitioners and counselor education programs, special educators, state vocational rehabilitation agencies, and community rehabilitation programs. Its library contains more than 7,000 titles of printed and audiovisual materials on topics related to people with disabilities.  It provides document delivery, reference, and research services to the national rehabilitation community.

Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education

PI:  Judy Seefeldt

 

Education Extension

 

Distance Education Technology and the U.S. Coast Guard

OSU Education Extension and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary continued their collaborative venture to support a four-day workshop on techniques in distance learning.  With over 300 graduates of the program, the OSU/USCG Distance Learning Technology Education Course is recognized throughout the U.S. Department of Transportation as the preeminent e-Learning curriculum. Although the program was initially designed to support the CG Auxiliary, the Coast Guard now provides access to active duty, reservists and civilian personnel.

Sponsor: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

PI: Adrienne Hyle