Self Assessment

M.Ed. Extension Partnership Program

I have considered graduate work several times in the years since completing my undergraduate degree in the late 1970s. Being at a distance from the right programs and focusing on other areas of life contributed to putting that goal "on hold". But now, more than ever before, I think it is the right time to further my education primarily due to the profound impact of the Digital Age on our society and my work in distance education.

We are living through an extraordinary moment in history. The enormity of changes taking place brought on by microprocessors and telecommunication networks are affecting every aspect of our society from economics to education to social and political institutions. Professionals at all levels will find they will need "just in time" education to keep their skills from becoming obsolete. How we prepare our young people for this change will determine their success in utilizing new technologies in the ways in which they work and live.

Adapting to emerging information technologies will not only involve re-training and retooling of work skills but people will need to "learn how to learn" because lifelong learning will be a reality rather than an option. My major professional goals are intrinsically linked to helping people find a place in this new world through continuing education so they can pursue creative professional, personal or community involvements. I'm especially intrigued by how the social structures of traditional education can adapt to the new technologies that are redistributing information and the power to access it.

Therefore, I am interested in three major areas of professional growth:

1. I would like to study the effects of the Internet and computer technology on adult learning. I believe with this technology comes new standards of literacy and perhaps even new cultures, particularly in education and training. Education can reach underserved populations who are restricted by geography, time or life commitments through distance education networks. Beyond adapting traditional instruction to this new learning environment, is the ease with which Internet users can communicate ideas with each other, any time and any place. This opens new pathways for students and professionals to collaborate, learn and share resources

2. Along these lines, I'd like to study collaboration and partnership as models for building community, whether it is on the Web or within our "real time" organizations. Collaboration and the sharing of resources seem to be much more effective avenues for instruction, growth and implementation of change for organizations with outreach as a mission. And with the culture of the Internet being more rooted in informal knowledge-sharing than centralized information hierarchies, the opportunities for online collaboration abound.

3. I am also very interested in research that evaluates the effectiveness of computer-mediated learning and communication. I have found very little solid research that assesses computer-mediated learning. I have been on development teams for programs to be taught on the Internet and I've been a student on the Internet. Evaluation and assessment of these early efforts at bringing instruction to on-line environments can greatly contribute to improvements in virtual learning communities. It is with great interest and to my advantage that this program is offered via the Internet and other students enrolling in the program have a common interest in educational computing and technology.

The Masters in Education program will help meet my needs in the following ways:

 I work in an educational setting and developing programs and instructional design are components of my work that I find rewarding. It is my goal to study in a practitioner-oriented, masters of education program such the M.Ed. Extension Partnership to continue learning about educational paradigms that I can apply in my work.

 The culture of education is changing and I hope to contribute to the thoughtful and ethical application of instructional technologies to teaching and learning.

 I have believed in the same principles in pursuing my undergraduate degree and in my professional life that are cornerstones of the College of Education at UMD: reflection, empowerment, diversity and collaboration. After attending two traditional colleges, I found that designing my own degree program at Metro State University permitted me to live and learn by these ideals. Within formal and informal learning and work settings I continue to believe in the integrity of these standards.

In conclusion, it is my hope that graduate work would provide me with opportunities to further my professional education and development in the areas of educational computing and technology.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 1999