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Educational Technology

Wist 232
1776 University Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7671
Fax: (808) 956-3905
Email: edtech-dept@lists.hawaii.edu
Web: coe.hawaii.edu/academics/educational-technology

Faculty

*C. Ho, PhD (Chair)—educational technology and distance learning
A. Eichelberger, MEd—educational technology
*C. Fulford, PhD—instructional design and development
*E. Hoffman, EdD—educational leadership
*P. Leong, PhD—communication and information sciences
*G. Lin, EdD—instructional technology
*P. McKimmy, EdD—educational leadership
*M. Menchaca, EdD—learning sciences
*S. Paek, EdD—instructional technology and media
*M. Schmidt, EdD—information science & learning technologies
*C. Sorensen Irvine, EdD—professional studies in education

Cooperating Graduate Faculty

D. Lassner, PhD—communication & information sciences
T. T. T. Nguyen, EdD—educational leadership, internet safety

Degree Offered: MEd in educational technology, PhD in education specialization in educational technology, GCERT Online Learning and Teaching, Dual Master's Degree program with Library and Information Science (LIS)

The Academic Program

For nearly half a century, the Department of Educational Technology (ETEC) has provided dynamic and high quality programs for educators seeking innovative ways to create effective teaching and learning environments that integrate emerging technologies. To meet the needs of lifelong learners, ETEC offers diverse programs and courses for graduate students as well as courses to meet the needs of undergraduate students. Students in the ETEC program may be upgrading current capacity as educators or seeking new career paths, often moving into leadership positions as a result of their educational experiences.

The department's main target group is post-baccalaureate students committed to the improvement of instruction and learning across the educational spectrum, including PreK-12, post-secondary and informal educational settings. The field of educational technology is delineated by the definition developed by its professional association, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT): "Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." AECT standards for professional programs guide the curriculum and core assessments.

A major strength of the department is its role in developing the educational and research expertise needed for the digital age, contributing to workforce development and technology innovation at the local, national, and global levels. Educational technology, with its multi-disciplinary focus on such areas as distance education, interactive multimedia and educational gaming, design of engaging learning environments, participatory and social learning communities, cognition and computing, and research into effective learning and teaching strategies through emerging technologies, puts the ETEC department at the forefront of developments in 21st century education.

ETEC graduates are found in many learning environments including PreK-12 and higher education, government, business, industry, military, health occupations, museums, and other non-profits. Types of careers include: technology training, support and management, instructional design, eLearning development, website development, distance learning management, educational video production, multimedia authoring, performance improvement, project management, adult education and training, and teaching and research.

Graduate Study

ETEC graduate programs are offered at master's, PhD, and graduate certificate levels. Online options are available at the master's and certificate level, while campus-based programs include the master's and PhD.

ETEC has a commitment to provide theory and research-based, yet practical educational programs. The graduate programs place emphasis on applications and evaluation of technology in educational settings rather than simple technical skills. All ETEC programs have been designed to encourage intellectual excellence and participation in a scholarly community. Emerging technologies are actively deployed to support scholarly networking as well as learning and teaching. A set of strong objectives has been established, and appropriate activities devised to ensure high levels of competencies of program graduates.

ETEC graduate programs adhere to the general information, policies, requirements, and procedures of the Graduate Division. Students interested in graduate study should refer to the "Graduate Education" section in this Catalog.

Master of Education in Educational Technology

The MEd in Educational Technology is offered in both campus-based and online versions. Both involve face-to-face and online experiences (known as hybrid). These programs are designed to accommodate busy professionals with evening hours for live sessions, whether online or face-to-face.

  • Campus-based (EDTC): students take required courses in the evenings at the UH Manoa campus. Electives may be online or face-to-face.
  • Online program (OTEC): all courses are offered online, although students attend two weekend sessions together on the UH Manoa campus in their first semester. Preference for this program is given to students not residing on Oahu. The online program does not accept waivers for tuition.

Students should indicate their preference of campus-based or online when applying. There is no automatic transfer between these programs after admission.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the educational technology program is only for the fall semester. Applications may be filed with the Graduate Division beginning October 1 until the deadline of February 1 for the following fall semester. Students must meet the requirements set by the Graduate Division. Because the number of students who can be admitted is limited, the admission process is highly competitive and meeting the minimum established criteria does not guarantee automatic admission.

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate Division, prospective students must also submit the following directly to the ETEC Department (see ETEC web page for additional details):

  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Intent to apply (online form at the ETEC web site)
  • Statement of objectives (brief narrative)

Students are not required to have an undergraduate degree in education or educational technology to enter the master's program. However, students without a previous background in education or with limited skills in technology are advised to consider taking a course in educational technology prior to entering the program to determine match for skill sets and interests.

Major Requirements

The master's program requires a minimum of 33 semester credit hours, with six required and five elective ETEC courses. The ETEC MEd is cohort based, with students only admitted in fall term each year as part of a group that takes initial classes together. In a cohort model, students enroll in a series of core courses, beginning and ending the series together. Such an approach helps build community and support structures within the program. Students work with like-minded professionals to achieve a common goal. Students are required to take two core courses each in their initial fall and spring semesters; these typically meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Elective courses are offered in every semester and may be taken online or on campus. All students are required to have access to a laptop computer with internet access to meet program requirements.

The set of required ETEC courses provides each educational technology major with a solid foundation in technology, instructional design, learning theory, and research and evaluation. After the four core courses in the initial year have been completed, each student will be evaluated to determine whether he or she is making satisfactory academic progress and is prepared academically and in other ways for the continuation in the program. Poise, personal dispositions, attitude, and communication skills as well as substantive progress in coursework are significant components in the overall evaluation. If advancement to candidacy is recommended, students will be allowed to begin work on their master's project. The program culminates with student presentations of a final ETEC master's project at a professional conference and submission of an electronic portfolio, both completed in a fall-spring course sequence in their final year.

Dual Master's Degree Program

Students may pursue a Master's in Educational Technology and a second master's concurrently in Library and Information Science. Students enrolled in either program may apply for admission in the other degree program. The dual master's option allows sharing of many elective courses. For more information, contact an advisor in ETEC or LIS.

Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Education Specialization in Educational Technology

The PhD in Education specialization in Educational Technology (ETEC) is designed to prepare influential professionals in the field of educational technology and the learning sciences.The program is research focused, designed to prepare future faculty and education leaders. Scholars in the field explore the uses of innovative media and technologies for education, studying aspects from student learning and cognition to impacts on individuals and institutions. The field provides the research base for effective utilization of new media in education and by default is interdisciplinary in its approaches and theories. From the beginning, students are expected to actively engage and contribute to the field through publication, conference presentations, and applied instructional projects. The PhD program is designed to enhance and facilitate educational, social, and economic growth locally, nationally, and internationally with a pool of highly qualified educational scholars and leaders.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the educational technology PhD program is only for the fall semester. Applications may be filed with the Graduate Division beginning October 1 until the deadline of February 1 for the following fall semester; international students must file by January 15. Students must meet the requirements set by the Graduate Division as well as submit scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Note that students must select "Education" as the major on the graduate application form, not ETEC.

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate Division, prospective students must also submit the following directly to the College of Education doctoral program office (see ETEC web page for additional details):

  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose for pursuing a doctoral degree (narrative)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Evidence of competency in formal writing (i.e. masters thesis, research paper, other formal writing)

Because the number of students who can be admitted is limited, the admission process is highly competitive and meeting the minimum established criteria does not guarantee automatic admission. A degree in educational technology is not required to enter the PhD specialization in ETEC. Students without such a degree or equivalent experience may be required to complete additional coursework.

Major Requirements

The PhD in Education in Educational Technology follows the design of other COE PhD specializations with a program totaling a minimum 46 credit hours, including:

  • College research core (4 courses),
  • Educational technology doctoral core (minimum 3 seminar courses),
  • Emphasis area (5 courses in educational technology),
  • Breadth courses to be selected by the student with approval of an advisor (2 courses),
  • Field study or internship (1 course), and
  • Minimum of one course of dissertation credit (1 credit minimum)

The ETEC PhD specialization is campus-based and cannot be completed online. ETEC doctoral students are part of a cohort experience which requires a minimum of two courses each semester during the first year. This includes a doctoral seminar and a research course in the fall and spring term. Students not able to commit to attending courses on campus two evenings per week will not be accepted into the program. These courses are typically held on Monday and Wednesday evenings, usually from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Some elective courses are available online, but may require live online sessions from 6-8 p.m. HST. All students are required to have access to a laptop computer with Internet access to meet program requirements.

Graduate Certificate (GCERT) in Online Learning and Teaching (COLT)

The Graduate Certificate program is a 15-credit, fully online post-baccalaureate program. The purpose of COLT is to develop competent online instructors and instructional designers. COLT provides those who desire to deliver learning at a distance with the foundational knowledge and skills required to design, develop and implement effective materials for online learning. Although targeted for Hawai'i's educators, this program will also appeal to online educators throughout the Asia-Pacific. Participants learn the skills necessary to be successful online teachers and online learners. Within the certificate program, students learn to create, use and manage appropriate technological processes and resources to understand and deploy effective, efficient, and engaging online learning environments.

The Certificate prepares participants to apply the theories, principles, models, tools, and techniques associated with online teaching in diverse educational settings. Throughout this completely online certificate program, participants have numerous opportunities to integrate their professional experiences into their learning, apply course assignments to their current professional activities, and actively engage with other professionals in the development of these proficiencies.

The COLT program has been endorsed by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT). Course objectives and assessments are framed by standards developed by AECT to ensure relevance and quality.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the COLT program is available for any semester with applications due March 1 for the following summer or fall, and November 1 for spring admission. Students must meet the requirements set by the Graduate Division for admission. Students should select "Online Learning and Teaching" as the major on the graduate application form.

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate Division, prospective students must also submit the following online (see ETEC web page for additional details):

  • COLT Intent to Apply form

Because the number of students who can be admitted is limited, the admission process is competitive and meeting the minimum established criteria does not guarantee automatic admission. A previous degree in educational technology is not required to enter the COLT program. Students without previous online learning experience should consider applying for admission to begin in the summer to take Introduction to E-Learning (ETEC 612) as their first course in the program. The certificate program does not accept waivers for tuition.

Program Requirements

The COLT Graduate Certificate is comprised of three 3-credit required courses, plus two additional 3-credit elective courses. The five courses are designed to cover a range of competencies to educate candidates in understanding, designing, and delivering online learning. All courses for the COLT program are offered fully online. Courses follow the UH Manoa semester schedule, and are offered in fall, spring, and summer semesters. Some courses may require attendance at live online sessions in the evenings from 6-8 p.m. HST. Students may opt for campus courses for electives but this is not required.

Required courses include: ETEC 612 (offered summer); ETEC 673 (offered fall); and ETEC 632: (final course-spring). Students select two electives with approval of the COLT advisor. The electives may be chosen from among the rich array within the department's graduate courses. Courses must relate to the overall goals of the certificate but are designed to meet the specific needs and objectives of the individual student. Students complete a culminating project in ETEC 632 after all other course requirements have been met. COLT students are required to have access to a laptop computer with internet access to meet program requirements.

ETEC Courses