About Doctor
of Philosophy
The
current rapid development of new instructional technologies and the
improvement of existing ones has catalyzed a parallel breakneck-paced
purchase of such technology for use in educational institutions.
However, the rate of these developments has far outstripped the
establishment of theoretical and research bases for the informed
application of this technology. The rate of technology development has
also outpaced the abilities of educational institutions to equip
professional instructional technologists with the knowledge and skills
required to lead the integration of this technology into teaching and
learning, and the attendant revitalization of educational institutions.
There is an obvious need for the IT program to prepare doctoral-level
professionals who will create the knowledge required to successfully
integrate technology in education and who will train
technology-proficient educators. The faculty of the Instructional
Technology program therefore offer the Ph.D. in Curriculum &
Instruction with emphasis in Instructional Technology.
back
to top
Advanced
graduate education in Instructional Technology is an expression of the
commitment to the ongoing pursuit of knowledge via disciplined inquiry
into the uses of computers and related technology as tools for teaching
and learning. Skilled, rigorous inquiry expands and improves the
theoretical and knowledge bases upon which Instructional Technology is
developing as a discipline.
The following objectives articulate this
philosophy:
- To foster disciplined and rigorous inquiry into
educational practices and theories in Instructional Technology.
- To create a vigorous community of scholars
having complementary proficiencies.
back
to top
The
method and substance of this program reflect the best knowledge in the
field at this time. As indicated above, the small but growing research
base has established that computers and related technology can be
powerful instructional tools, but the specific relationships among the
myriad instructional variables have yet to be articulated.
Instructional technology researchers and practitioners therefore
require
substantial skills in executing research, communicating the results of
research to others, and interpreting the research of others.
Additionally, the instructional technology professional requires a
thorough grounding in instructional design and evaluation, a
broad-based understanding of the history of instructional technology,
the theoretical and technical bases of the operation of various
devices, the ability to employ programming languages effectively, and
specific knowledge in such diverse areas as the internet/world wide
web, telecommunications, optical media, and multi/hypermedia.
back
to top
- To prepare skilled researchers who can design
and conduct original
research in instructional technology, and who possess the technical and
personal skills for similarly preparing new researchers/philosophers of
instructional technology.
- To prepare philosophers of instructional
technology, who have
thorough knowledge of the scholarly literature base and who are aware
of the scholarly and other professional organizations devoted to the
field.
- To prepare professional educators who possess
special expertise
with technology, who are able to apply appropriate technological means
to instructional processes and who function as "change agents" in the
field.
back
to top
- Many of the objectives stated below serve more
than one goal. Therefore, they are organized by the first goal served.
- 1.1 Analyze the historical, social, and
economic factors influencing the introduction of technology in
education.
- 1.2 Understand and apply principles of
educational psychology to instructional strategies.
- 1.3 Understand and apply the principles of
curriculum inquiry.
- 1.4 Understand and apply the principles of
instructional design in the context of technology-based instruction.
- 1.5
Have a thorough technical grounding in a wide variety of programming
languages, authoring languages, applications software, and related
technical matters.
- 2.1 Analyze and evaluate the knowledge base
related to instructional technology.
- 3.1 Understand and apply sound practice in
designing educational research and analyzing data.
- 3.2 Synthesize new knowledge related to
instructional technology.
back
to top
Owing
to the anticipated widely varying instructional and technical
backgrounds of potential program applicants, the Instructional
Technology faculty members expect to exercise great latitude in
determining
appropriate courses and experiences for each student. Indeed, other
than College requirements, the formulaic expression of course or
program requirements specified in this document should be interpreted
as a working outline from which each student's program of studies will
be adapted. Having established that context, the following courses and
experiences map to the objectives stated in V.
- Objective 1.1 EDF 7586 OR EDF 7649 OR EDF 7682
OR EDF 7934 OR OTHER APPROPRIATE 7000 LEVEL SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS COURSE
- Objective 1.2 EDF 7143 OR EDF 7145
- Objective 1.3 EDG 7667 OR EDG 7692
- Objective 1.4 EME 6613
- Objective 1.5 SELECTED COURSES FROM AMONG EME
6930, EME 6936, EDG 7910, EME 6613
- Objective 2.1 EME 7938, EME 7939, EME 7980
- Objective 3.1 EDF 6407, EDF 7408, EDF
7410/7437/7484/7493, EME 7938, EME 7939, EME 7980
- Objective 3.2 EME 7938, EME 7939, EME 7980
back
to top
Graduates
of the Ph.D. program in Instructional Technology will work as change
agents in the integration of technological resources into instructional
processes and the design of instructional programs in a wide variety of
settings:
- Graduate and undergraduate instructional
technology programs
- Commercial/Industrial Education
- Government/Military Education
- Community college education
- Other educational settings
back
to top
Continuing evaluation of the program
will be accomplished in the following ways:
- Students' performance in course work and
related activities.
- Students' performance on 12-hour doctoral
qualifying examinations.
- Students' performance in the conceptualization
and execution of original dissertation research.
- Periodic
follow-up systematic surveys of graduates for information such as level
of satisfaction with program and subsequent employment secured.
- Anecdotal
and other non-systematic gathering of information from other USF
faculty, employers, colleagues, and students regarding program
graduates' satisfaction and performance.
- Periodic systematic review by SACS or other
appropriate accrediting agencies.
back
to top
|
