SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2013 - 2014 : Educational Programs :
Instructional Technology MED
Instructional Technology MED
2 Goals 2 Objectives 2 Indicators 2 Criteria 2 Findings 2 Actions
| GOAL: Mastery Of American Psychological Association (APA) Writing Style |
| Objective |
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| Technology facilitator candidates in the Master of Education in Instructional Technology program will employ American Psychological Association (APA) Style in formal writing, including internal documentation and works cited. |
| Indicator |
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A common embedded portion of each literature review assignment developed by program faculty will require proper use of APA style, including internal documentation and works cited. |
| Criterion |
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At least 85% of candidates during the 2012-2013 academic year will achieve a score of “Indicator Partially Met” or “Indicator Met” on the APA indicator embedded in the Annotated Bibliography assignment (CIED 5367), with at least 50% of candidates achieving a score of “Indicator Met”. As a result of last year's assessment, we have kept the criterion the same. |
| Finding |
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The results from the Annotated Bibliography American Psychological Association (APA) Writing Style assessment indicate that the criterion were only partially met for the 2013-2014 assessment cycle. While 90.91% of the sampled candidate papers scored 14 (Indicator Partially Met) or higher, only 27.27% scored 18 or higher (Indicator Met). This indicates that while our candidates are able to write sufficiently using APA style, more work is needed to ensure that we are producing proficient writers within the discipline. The complete report detailing our findings is attached. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| The findings from the Annotated Bibliography American Psychological Association (APA) Writing Style assessment were discussed at the end-of-year faculty meeting. In response to these findings, the faculty decided to continue to list the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) as a required course text in all courses and assess all research based assignments for proper APA 6th edition style. Faculty will continue to prompt candidates to review basic rules to properly using APA 6th edition (as opposed to 5th edition) style to cite resources, especially in the first courses in the program. Candidates will be provided with additional tutorials on proper use of APA 6th edition writing style in their first course in the program. Also, candidate will be encouraged to purchase the more recently released APA Style Guide to Electronic References, (6th edition) to help further clarify citation of electronic resources, which appears to give candidates the most problems. |
| GOAL: Mastery Of Procedures, Policies, Planning, And Budgeting For Technology Environments |
| Objective |
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Technology facilitator candidates in the Master of Education in Instructional Technology program will demonstrate mastery of the development and implementation of technology infrastructure, procedures, policies, plans, and budgets for PK-16 schools or business/industry. |
| Indicator |
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Candidates seeking the Master of Education in Instructional Technology degree must complete, during their last semester of the program, a comprehensive examination requiring reflection on broad concepts, theories, and practices presented in the program as related to each of the ISTE Technology Facilitation Standards. Curriculum and Instruction and Computer Science faculty teaching in the program assess the reflections. Candidates are required to pass the comprehensive examination before they are allowed to graduate with their Master of Education in Instructional Technology degree. As a graduate candidate in the College of Education Master of Education in Instructional Technology program, it is expected that candidates will have experiences with PK-16 faculty and technology leaders in diverse settings, and will work with technology support personnel to maximize the use of technology resources by administrators, teachers, and students to improve student learning. These experiences may or may not be directly related to specific course work, and should be a product of the various settings where candidates are employed or sought additional knowledge. In order to demonstrate proficiency in serving as a technology facilitator, candidates are required to: maintain a log and checklist, documenting multiple and varied (diverse) field experiences connected to the Technology Facilitation Standards at the letter and number level (i.e. TF-I.A.1); maintain anecdotal notes, documenting observation of each technology facilitation standard at the letter level (i.e. TF-I.A); and complete written reflections highlighting field and work experiences as they relate to each technology facilitation standard TF-I through TF-VIII. Field and Employment Experiences (FEE) Documentation Log Candidates are expected to seek multiple and varied field and employment experiences working with faculty and technology support personnel to maximize the use of technology resources by administrators, teachers, and students to improve student learning. Although the number of observation hours is unstipulated, candidates are expected to observe several of the Technology Facilitation Standards each semester in the Program, with all standards (at the letter and number level; i.e. TF-I.A.1) having been documented as part of the Comprehensive Examination requirements. Field and Employment Experiences (FEE) Anecdotal Notes During focused field and employment experiences, candidates use an Anecdotal Notes form to take observation notes tied to each Technology Facilitation Standard (at the letter level; i.e. TF-I.A) that describe what is seen, heard, and thought. Field and Employment Experiences (FEE) Technology Facilitation Standards Reflections Using an Observation Protocol and Technology Facilitation Standards Reflection rubric, the candidate writes eight reflections that provide evidence of mastery of each of the Technology Facilitation Standards TF-I through TF-VIII. The candidate is expected to: examine how these experiences could impact professional behavior and enhance development as a technology facilitator; identify future actions related to course readings and objectives for improved teaching practice and professional growth; and reflect on performance of faculty and technology support personnel in these experiences and link experiences to student learning. |
| Criterion |
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At least 85% of candidates during the 2012-2013 academic year will achieve a score of “Indicator Partially Met” or “Indicator Met” on the Technology Facilitation Standards Reflection for Standard TF-VII (Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments), with at least 50% of candidates achieving a score of “Indicator Met”. As a result of last year's assessment, we have kept the criterion the same. |
| Finding |
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The results from the Comprehensive Examination Field and Employment Experiences Technology Facilitation Standard VII Reflection indicate that the criterion was not met for the 2013-2014 assessment cycle. Of the sampled candidate papers, 80% scored 4 (Indicator Partially Met) or higher, while only 46.67% scored 7 or higher (Indicator Met). This indicates that our candidates are somewhat able to develop and implement technology infrastructure, procedures, policies, plans, and budgets for PK-16 schools or business/industry; However, more work is needed to ensure that we are producing proficient technology facilitators within the discipline. The complete report detailing our findings is attached. |
Actions for Objective:
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| The findings from the Comprehensive Examination Field and Employment Experiences Technology Facilitation Standard VII Reflection were discussed at the end-of-year faculty meeting. In response to these findings and the addition of updated standards, the faculty decided to implement curricular and pedagogical changes designed to further emphasize content knowledge of visionary leadership (ISTE NETS for Coaches Standard 1). In particular, the faculty have realigned and revised coursework to address the new ISTE NETS for Coaches. Standard 1 of the ISTE NETS for Coaches addresses visionary leadership and specifically directs technology coaches to “advocate for policies, procedures, programs, and funding strategies to support implementation of the shared vision represented in the school and district technology plans and guidelines”. This standard most closely resembles the now retired Technology Facilitation Standard Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments (Standard TF-VII). During candidate’s culminating research activity, specific opportunities for application of visionary leadership will be provided and candidates will be prompted to reflect on visionary leadership through content instruction and assignment guidelines. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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The finding from the 2012-2013 assessment cycle indicated that candidates in Master of Education in Instructional Technology degree program were not performing as expected with regard to content knowledge of Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments (Standard TF-VII) and writing using APA style. Faculty will meet during the fall 2013 semester to discuss curricular changes that can be made to reinforce instruction on procedures, policies, planning, and budgeting for technology environments (Standard TF-VII). Decided changes will be implemented into the curriculum beginning during the Practicum for Technology Facilitation (CIED 5369) and companion Development of Technology Infrastructure in School (CSTE 5338) course in the Spring 2014 semester.
To continue to encourage candidates to correctly practice proper APA 6th edition formatting skills in formal writing, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) will be a required course text in all courses beginning in the Fall 2013 and all candidates will be provided with tutorials on proper use of APA 6th edition writing style. Formal writing assignments will continue to be assessed for proper APA 6th edition formatting. |
| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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During the 2013-2014 cycle, the Master of Education in Instructional Technology program has been able to implement all of its planned actions from the previous cycle.
Faculty meet during the fall 2013 semester to discuss curricular changes that could be made to reinforce instruction on procedures, policies, planning, and budgeting for technology environments (Standard TF-VII). Faculty decided to draw specific attention to this standard and require additional reflection on it during the Practicum for Technology Facilitation (CIED 5369) and companion Development of Technology Infrastructure in School (CSTE 5338) course in the Spring 2014 semester. Additionally, a question and answer discussion was offered to candidates during the comprehensive examination to help candidates address specific questions related to the ISTE Technology Facilitation Standards, including the Standard TF-VII. In an effort to increase the percentage of Master of Education in Instructional Technology candidates who correctly practice proper APA 6th edition formatting skills in formal writing, faculty required the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) as a text in all courses and assessed all research-based assignments for correct usage of APA 6th edition formatting. Candidates were also provided with selected tutorials on proper use of APA 6th edition writing style. |
| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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The finding from the 2013-2014 assessment cycle indicated that candidates in Master of Education in Instructional Technology degree program were not performing as expected with regard to content knowledge of Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments (Standard TF-VII) and writing using APA style. Faculty will continue to meet during the fall 2014 semester to discuss curricular changes that can be made to reinforce visionary leadership (ISTE NETS for Coaches Standard 1). In particular, the faculty will realign and revise all coursework to address the new ISTE NETS for Coaches. Standard 1 of the ISTE NETS for Coaches addresses visionary leadership and specifically directs technology coaches to “advocate for policies, procedures, programs, and funding strategies to support implementation of the shared vision represented in the school and district technology plans and guidelines”. This standard most closely resembles the now retired Technology Facilitation Standard Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments (Standard TF-VII). Decided changes will likely be implemented mainly during candidates’ culminating research activity, spanning the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters.
To continue to encourage candidates to correctly practice proper APA 6th edition formatting skills in formal writing, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) will remain as a required course text in all courses and beginning in the Fall 2013, new candidates will be encourages to also purchase the APA Style Guide to Electronic References, (6th edition). All candidates will be provided additional tutorials on proper use of APA 6th edition writing style and formal writing assignments will continue to be assessed for proper APA 6th edition formatting. |