You need a bachelor’s degree or equivalent to enroll in the eLearning Program. The bachelor’s degree can be in any field or specialty, i.e., it does not need to be a degree in education. Program participants vary in their backgrounds, but some form of teaching or training experience is helpful.
Courses
As part of a cohort of beginning students, you begin with a six-credit course on e-learning design. The next term, in another six-credit course, you develop your design into a workable prototype. The remaining coursework consists of three-credit courses addressing the competencies of the field – leading to a total of 30 graduates for the full degree.
Portfolio
As you complete courses you will add products to a professional portfolio. This portfolio is submitted to faculty your final semester and serves as the comprehensive exam for the master’s degree. Links to recent portfolios are available; reviewing this work can give you an idea of the kind of courses, projects, and careers our students engage in.
Tools
The eLearning Certificate and Masters programs are completely online; we use the eCollege course management system for all courses. Using eCollege, you can submit assignments, download documents, and participate in discussions. You will have access to eCollege once you are registered and courses begin.
We also use Adobe Connect, a webinar and synchronous communication tool, in some of our courses. Use of this tool is provided to students in this program.
Faculty and students use email as a major form of communication both within and external to eCollege. The other software tools include MSWord, MS PowerPoint, and various Web 2.0, open source and freeware tools. Students typically select specific authoring tools for various projects and assignments based on the needs of the project. In some instances, they may choose to purchase a tool such as Adobe Captivate, Dreamweaver, or Fireworks.
Access
You need home access to a computer (Windows or Mac) with a high-speed Internet connection.