COLLECT DATA

What are the effects of the Integrated Distance Education Model in the Cross-Disciplinary Study of Children and Families at the University of Minnesota Duluth? In order to answer this question, it was necessary to collect data on the the various components of the model as it was implemented in Ech 5602, Seminar 2.

The data sources were chosen to represent the various components of the course. These sources included the following: individual and small group reflective evaluation e-mail communications; facilitator planning and journal records and e-mail communications; chat transcripts; group commentaries; principles for professional practice and notes on "teaching cases."

Individual and Small Group Reflective Evaluation E-Mail Communications. At the end of each day of the class, individual participants wrote short one-minute reflective e-mails sent to the instructors. These one minute papers addressed the most important learning of the day and the greatest concern. Small groups and individuals also wrote a final reflective evaluation via e-mail to the instructors. Both types of evaluation were seen as important aspects of maintaining flexibility in meeting participant needs. Suggestions for the final reflective evaluation included the following: 1) write your personal reaction to the group commentary written for your case, and 2) think about where you were professionally and personally (if you want to) at the beginning of the quarter, think about where you are now, and write a summary of this.

Facilitator Planning and Journal Records and E-Mail Communications. The facilitators participated in seven pre-experience sessions where lesson plans developed for the face-to-face version of the course were translated into an integrated distance education format. The basic formats and procedures were created for use with interactive television, sychronous chats, e-mail, on-line course syllabus, and fax. In addition, the facilitators connected by e-mail and shared observations of participant issues as well as further structuring each session. The facilitators also kept personal journals of their own observations of both the sessions and their own professional dilemmas. The uncertainties of venturing into case analysis and case writing using the new technologies were recorded as were the depths of personal discoveries.

Chat Transcripts. For both the home group dialogues about the emerging cases and the critique group dialogues about the assigned cases as well as dialogue about planning for teaching cases, chats were held. Because these chats were print-based rather than video-conferences, there are scripts for four days of chats with small groups of students and the peer mentor and small groups of students with faculty members. These chats documented the questions and issues related to both the content and process of case writing.

Group Commentaries. The home group critiques of participant written cases were done informally with e-mail communication among home group members and with faculty members. The critique group commentaries were more formal. Here the participants who had never before seen a particular case read it cold and responded to it from both content and writing perspectives. The critique group members developed a written commentary via chats and e-mail which was given back to the writer of the case via e-mail.

Principles for Professional Practice and Notes about the Teaching of the Cases. Participants were asked to "teach" aspects of their cases to the rest of the group. As part of the preparation for teaching, participants developed principles for professional practice. The principles for professional practice were written through e-mail communications and chats and developed for use on the ITV overhead as part of the final preparation. The principles synthesized basic content across cases as it related to professional practice across disciplines and fields of practice.

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