Doctoral Specialization in Internet-Based Education
Over the last 20 years, the Internet has become an important method for delivering and managing instruction and supporting learning. The Internet is widely used to provide education in K-12 schools, post secondary education, business, and informal education. This doctoral specialization is intended to reflect intensive training and high skill levels of recipient practitioners and researchers in using, developing and studying Internet-based educational systems. Students in this specialization will learn and apply research skills, learning theory, instructional design, evaluation, and advanced methods for developing technologies to the creation and study of Internet-based educational resources. Graduates of this specialization can be expected to provide new knowledge and apply theory and research in areas such as distance education, instructional materials development, design and delivery of internet-based instruction, online assessment and evaluation, and online data driven educational management and decision-making.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements of the doctoral programs in Education Studies (EDUS) apply to this specialization. These criteria include:
- Undergraduate GPA: minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Graduate GPA: minimum of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale.
- GRE: 50th percentile on each of the sections.
- Foreign students must score above 550 on the TOEFL.
In addition, the application must show
- Agreement from a faculty member associated with the Internet-Based Education program to serve as mentor.
- Evidence of past educational and technology knowledge and skills sufficient to benefit from advanced study in Internet-based education.
- Evidence of sufficient writing ability to participate in an advanced academic program.
- A significant match between the student’s interests and goals and the Internet-based education program goals and resources.
Program Requirements
Doctoral program requirements of the Graduate College and Education Studies apply to this program. As part of this overall program, doctoral students are expected to complete a minimum of 24 hours of coursework in at least five curriculum areas, and demonstrate skill in all six areas (Research Skills, Cognitive, Social and Ethical Foundations, Teaching with Technology, Advanced Technology Skills, Administration of Internet-based Education, and Staff Development and Consultation). In addition, doctoral students are expected to have deep experience in two of these areas, and research experience in at least one.
Program and Learning Goals
Program and learning goals for Internet-Based Education have been developed based on an awareness of the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Computing and Technology Leadership, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Advanced Standards (2000) and faculty assessment of potential professional responsibilities of graduates. The program draws from courses and experiences across all departments in the college. The Specialization in Internet-based education is individually designed to meet the unique experiences and professional goals of each student. The program will address seven areas:
- Mastery of research skills including the ability to summarize and apply principles and practices of educational research and the design and implementation of new research informing Internet-based learning.
- Mastery of the social, ethical and historical issues concerning the delivery of Internet-based learning.
- Knowledge of major research findings and trends in the Internet-based education and Internet-based instructional strategies.
- Application of theories of learning, teaching and instructional design to the development and evaluation of Internet-based learning.
- Demonstration of knowledge of advanced strategies for the planning, development, management, assessment and evaluation of Internet-based learning systems.
- Development of Internet-based educational applications and resources that demonstrate mastery of authoring and programming environments and instructional design principles, as well as the management of systems to present and manage these learning resources.
- Demonstration of knowledge of issues and models related to leadership in consultation and staff development.
Portfolio Requirements
The Internet-Based Education Specialization is supervised by an interdisciplinary group of faculty from different departments and colleges. The intent of this specialization is for recipients to have very high levels of technological literacy with respect to solving school, home, work-place, and community-based learning situations. For this reason, the participating faculty have identified a number of areas and skills germane to these literacies. These are expressed: (a) At the time of developing a program of studies, each candidate develops a personal plan for portfolio completion. (b) Progress with respect to this plan is reviewed annually.(c) Certification of acceptance of the portfolio is made by a standing committee of IT-IBE faculty on the occasion of the doctoral comprehensive examination..
Please see the Portfolio Matrix for more dtails on the elements and criteria for doctoral portfolios. Click here.
Internet-Based Education Faculty
Charles Ansorge, Ph.D. Educational Psychology
David Brooks, Ph.D. Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Roger Bruning, Ph.D. Educational Psychology
Bradley Barker, Ph.D 4-H Youth Development
David Fowler, Ph.D. Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Delwin Harnisch, Ph.D. Teaching Learning and Teacher Education
Christy Horn, Ph.D. Educational Psychology
James King, Ph.D. Agricultural Leadership Education and Communication
LeenKiat Soh, Ph.D. Computer Science and Engineering
Al Steckelberg, Ph.D. Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Sheldon Stick, Ph.D. Educational Administration
Further Information
For information on this specialization, please contact:
Shari Daehling
Graduate Student Services Center
(402) 472-3098
116 Henzlik Hall
Al Steckelberg, Ph.D.
IT-IBE Program Coordinator
Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
(402) 472-5491
59 Henzlik Hall
