Maximize Course Development with External Content Using the National Repository of Online Courses (NROC) Mary Schlegelmilch, Omaha Public Schools Dr. Roni Huerta, Omaha Public Schools Terri Rowenhorst, Monterey Institute for Technology and Education

Mission OPS The mission of the Omaha Public Schools is to provide educational opportunities which enable all students to achieve their highest potential. AIMS 1. High Student Achievement 2. Safe and Secure Learning Environment 3. Professional Work Force 4. Partnerships 5. Effective and Efficient Use of District Resources

The Goals of NROC To create a repository of high-quality undergraduate, high school, and AP courses and distribute them at little or no cost to students and teachers worldwide. In pursuing this goal, NROC achieves other important outcomes:  increasing access to high-quality content designed for online  helping establish content and technical standards for online content  fostering collaboration among content developers and users  promoting the scholarship of teaching  addressing the needs of underserved students  supporting the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement

NROC Course Structure Course elements are formatted and organized in a systematic structure to… Import into a variety of CMS Import into content repositories

Designed to be Adapted Faculty or staff may customize the courses within the CMS Reorganize Add or delete content Modify assignments or assessments

Enhance an Existing Course Use NROC content to enhance your existing course. Or to supplement hybrid or classroom content for students.

High-quality and diverse usually beyond the means of institutions Multi-modal learning experiences Allows instructor to focus on designing the learning experience Saves time and money Why Use External Content?

What is a Learning Object? “An assembly of learning media, including text, graphics, animation, video, audio, simulations, hyperlinks, and assessments, to present a specific concept(s) and achieve defined learning objectives.”

WWII Learning Object Interactive Exercise Documents Newsreel Documentary Video Text Graphics NROC History Demo

Building Courses The Home Front US History, Semester 1

Reassemble Learning Objects Instructor Presentation Advanced or Remedial Study Offered Course NROC Course

OPS Example Physics Standard 4 Lesson 110 US Government Standard 2 Unit 3.1 Standard 2 Unit 3.4

NROC Courses

To achieve course learning outcomes  What content adds value?  Multi-modal or media-rich  Activities, assignments, assessments utilizing CMS  Simulations and interactivity  And is appropriate?  Bandwidth and Accessibility  Support and Reliability  Design and Usability  Rights of Use and Costs Selecting Content

Sources of 3 rd Party Content  Commercial  Print publishers (ePaks and Course Cartridges)  Course vendors (Thinkwell)Thinkwell  Supplement providers (WebAssign)WebAssign  Non-Profit & Open Educational Resources (OER)  Course Developers (Telecourse providers)  Repositories (Wisc-Online)Wisc-Online  Referatories (Merlot)Merlot  OERs (NROC) OERs  Institutions/Communities of Practice  Local Initiatives (Maricopa Learning Exchange)Maricopa Learning Exchange

Yes Do I want to use 3 rd party content? No Continue building course on my own How do I plan to use the content? Augment existing content Start with all new content Replace existing content External Content: A Decision-Making Model

What sources do I want to use? Augment existing content Start with all new content Replace existing content Community of Practice Publishers & non-profits Repositories/ referatories Time The Ecology of External Content

Augment existing content Start with all new content Replace existing content What computer-aided strategies do I want to utilize? terminology research design theories Vocabulary Drill Access to tools Multimedia Presentation SimulationPodcast Pedagogical Strategy

Evaluate search results Design Integration flexibility Color Editing/CMS Navigation Detachable/target Plug-ins Technical Integration reliability Linked location Embedded location IP/storage SCORM Support Implementation Quality Standards

Continuous Improvement Evaluating Effectiveness  Student Engagement Levels and Performance  Learning Outcomes and Achievement  Using CMS Tools  Networking and Sharing in Communities  Feedback loop with the developer  Course evaluation tools like OCEP or cEval

OCEP: Categories and Process The Evaluation Team Project Director ● Instructional Design Evaluator Academic Evaluator ● Technology Evaluator OCEP categories - 7 major divisions Scope and Scholarship User Interface Course Features and Production Values Assessments and Test Items Instructor and Learner Communication Technology Distribution Model

Access this presentation at the NROC Network! Omaha Public Schools Mary Schlegelmilch Dr. Roni Huerta Monterey Institute for Technology & Education Terri Rowenhorst