The course places the economics of distance education in the larger context of economics of education. A variety of costing techniques and economic models are explored and applied to different institutional forms and levels of distance education. This course examines the process of instructional design and development in a distance education and training context. Students critically evaluate the relationship between instructional design and technology. Students apply the instructional development process by developing a small instructional unit.
Special emphasis is given to web-based instructional design and delivery.
The course reviews the types of distance technologies used and how the library can be integrated into the delivery of courses in a variety of formats. In addition, this course covers methods for developing and evaluating library instructional materials, primarily in web-based formats, to teach distance education students library research skills. This course will provide an overview of intellectual property issues, with an emphasis on the United States Copyright Law and the application of federal copyright principles to the distance education environment. The advent of the Internet along with the introduction of new technologies present new challenges to a system intended to balance the rights of both creators and users of copyrighted works. Although the law not unlike the technology will continue to develop in this area, this course will provide educators with a general framework for addressing difficult issues such as ownership of electronic course materials and use of copyrighted works at a distance.