TRAINING PROFESSORS IN INTERNET ENHANCED EDUCATION

Mario A. Núñez -Molina

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez

Center for Internet Enhanced Education

Objectives

• The presentation will provide a description of a training program focused on the development of learning environments on the Internet for the faculty of the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.

Department of Social Sciences at UPR-Mayagüez

• Bachelors degree in five main areas of study: Psychology, Sociology, History, Political Science, and general Social Sciences

• 40 professors and 850 students

Training: Four Levels

• First Level: Computer literacy

• Second level: Web Page Design and Publication

• Third level: Web Course Development Platform

• Fourth level: Web based learning and pedagogy

Internet Enhanced Education

Computer literacy

• identifying and managing files

• scanning images and documents

• using digital cameras and image editors

• configuring a browser and using bookmarks

• using file compression devices

• searching and researching skills using search engines

Computer Literacy

• Evaluating the quality of information obtained on the WWW

• using email, mailing lists, chat rooms, discussion forums, and newsgroups

• working with pdf files and acrobat reader.

Level II: Web Page Design and Publication

• Conversion of word processing documents into web pages

• FTP programs

• online presentations using Powerpoint

• Training on an HTML editor.

Level III: Managing a web course development platform

• WebCT

• Nicenet

• Manhattan Virtual Classroom

• Claroline

Level IV: Pedagogy and Internet Enhanced Education

• teaching and learning styles

• developing learning objectives

• evaluating distance learning

• interactivity and instructional design.

Center for Internet Enhanced Education (CECI)

• http://ceci.uprm.edu

Center for Internet Enhanced Education

Components of the Center

• Workshops: Trellix, WebCT, Nicenet, FrontPage

• Online training materials

• Technical support and consulting

• Resources: web and mail server, email list, online journal (Hermes), portal based on sharepoint team services

• CD-ROM with viewlets tutorials

Online Training Materials: Nicenet• http://www.uprm.edu/socialsciences/nicenet

Training Materials: Trellix Web• http://www.uprm.edu/socialsciences/trellix

Training Materials: WebCT• http://www.uprm.edu/socialsciences/webct

Training Materials: Resource Page• http://www.uprm.edu/socialsciences/eci

Web Server: Aracné• http://ceci.uprm.edu

Hermes: Online Journalhttp://www.uprm.edu/socialsciences/ceci/Hermes.html

Manhtattan Virtual Classroom

http://manhattan.uprm.edu

Impact of the Project on the Department of Social Sciences

• Development of ebooks• Web pages created by faculty• Creation of new courses

– The Psychology of the Internet– Searching and researching on the

Internet

• Development of online courses• Development of a culture that values

information and communication technologies

Conclusion

It is of utmost importance that universities offer support, training, and resources to faculty members who are interested in developing learning environments on cyberspace, because these efforts will result in their being able to provide students a more complete and effective education.