Catholic Distance Learning Network

Module 8 Overview: Syllabus Development and Tools by which to Realize It (Click here to download the Module 8 PDF with the supplementary materials)

Aim:

To develop a completed syllabus for your online course.

Resources and assignments in the Required category:

"Building an Online Course for the Catholic Distance Learning Network: Teaching Theology and Science in Cyberspace" by Sebastian Mahfood and Michael Hoonhout
http://kenrickparish.com/seminary_journal/17svj13n2fall07 - mahfood hoonhout.pdf
International Society for Technology in Education National Educational Technology Standards - ISTE NETS: http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx and http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-administrators/nets-for-administrators-sandards.aspx
Association of Theological Schools technology standards revisions from the 2010 Bienniel meeting in Montreal, Canada. http://kenrickparish.com/nts/atstechstandards.pdf (see http://www.ats.edu/Accrediting/Documents/10GeneralInstitutionalStandards.pdf for the integration of these into the full set)
Some examples of syllabi created for an online course:
- Book of Revelation - Rev. Tommy Lane, Mt. St. Mary's, Emmitsburg, MD
- Islam through Catholic Eyes - Rev. Michael John Witt and Sebastian Mahfood, OP, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St. Louis, MO
- Technology, Ethics, and Society - David Harrison, Webster University, St. Louis, MO
- Faith and Revelation - Rev. Brian Mullady, OP, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, CT
- Dante's Divine Comedy - Sebastian Mahfood, OP, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, CT

Resources and assignments in the Recommended category:

“How Podcasting Works” by Stephanie Watson on How Stuff Works, A Discovery Company - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/podcasting.htm
“Using Skype to Increase Educational Communication” http://sites.wiki.ubc.ca/etec510/Using_Skype_to_Increase_Educational_Communication
What is iTunesU? Look at the Apple site explanation. Especially helpful is the link “What's on iTunesU” http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/
Prezi presentation that shows the concept of whole-part and manipulation of content “Does perspective matter?”: http://prezi.com/qt9fvc-_24nz/perspectiveppt-v-prezi-prometisdesigncom/
- Directions: 1) Once the site opens, enlarge the presentation to full-screen by hovering over More (lower right-hand corner) and clicking on Fullscreen. 2) You can either step through the presentation manually by clicking on the right-facing arrow in the middle of the bottom portion of your screen, or going back to More and selecting Autoplay. 3) Watch the presentation as it dramatically illustrates the differences between Prezi and PowerPoint. 4) At any point you can click on an area to zoom in or out, and resume the pre-made sequence from where you left off.

Resources and assignments in the Optional category:

"Do Podcasts Help Students Learn?" by Tanya Roscorla http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/Podcasts-George-Washington-University.html
"Theory and Practice of Online Learning" Ed. by Terry Anderson and Fathi Elloumi.
http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/pdf/TPOL_book.pdf (esp. Chapters 1, 5, 11) Keep this book as a reference, in fact.

Module Checklist (You'll know you're done with this module when you've completed the following items below.)

Examine the changes in the General Institutional Accreditation Standards and the revised ISTE NETS Standards and post a 100- to 200-word reflection on whether these standards cause you to rethink your course syllabus.
If you reviewed the recommended readings, post a 100- to 200-word reflection on how you might use some of the technologies presented.
Submit in the Module 8 discussion forum a completed syllabus for any course you expect to teach.

Last Updated October 23, 2010. © Catholic Distance Learning Network.