MIT 500: Instructional Design and Theory

Hello Grad Students,

Welcome to UNCW fall 2007 semester. I am Dr. Amy Beam, your professor for MIT 500 Instructional Design and Theory. The professor listed online (Mahnaz Moallem) is on leave this year. I have an Ed.D. from Syracuse University . I began my first career as an English teacher, then inservice teacher and school administrator. I have 20+ years in information technology, specializing in software development, database design, search engines, and teaching design and programming.

Because I received this teaching assignment only last week, there are no online course materials for you to use. This course will be taught 100% online. We will meet online from 6:15 to 9:15 pm every Wednesday. I will send you login information to your uncw.edu email address. Please let me know if you cannot begin class by 6:15 .

I would like to hold the first class meeting Wednesday, August 22, 6:15 - 9:15 pm, in person in the computer lab, room 337 in the Watson School of Education. Please let me know if you are unable or unwilling to attend in person. For those who can’t attend in person, I will teach the first class online at a time to be determined with you. You will not miss out nor be penalized if you cannot come to the first face-to-face meeting. Since we will be doing team work assignments, it will be helpful to meet one another one time. It will, also, be an opportunity to acquaint yourself with the WebCT software used for the course.

Please let me know by email whether you will be attending the first class in person or if you need to schedule a different time online. Future classes will be online. All private conference and Q&A with me will be online. I will be out of town for some of the semester, so now is the time to meet me in person, if you want.

The two text books for MIT500 have been ordered by the UNCW bookstore and should be in stock by Aug. 22. One copy each will be put on reserve in the UNCW library for reading in the library. These are expensive text books, so you might not want to rush right out and buy them but you are responsible for reading the assignments. I’ll provide many online resources and topics for you to research yourself. The books are:

1. Instructional-Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory, Volume 2 by Charles M. Reigeluth
   
   
2. The Systematic Design of Instruction by Dick, Carey and Carey

Please download and install Skype for free from http://www.skype.com . It will allow us to talk, type, and share files free with a headset, PC to PC. I do not use any other messenger. If I am online, I am always logged into Skype. My Skype login is amylbeam.

Please add me to your contact list. Type “MIT500 student” in the contact request so I will not block it. Let me know if you need help with Skype.

Please reply to the following questions by typing your answers beneath each question. Make your answers short. They have no bearing on your grade.

1. What is your name and phone contact(s)?
2. Do you use skype? If so, what is your skype login name?
3. In what discipline is your undergraduate degree?
4. What is your professional background (if any)? (one sentence, not a resume)
5. Do you have any programming experience?
6. What personal and professional time constraints do you have for attending class and doing the course work?
7. How far along are you in your Master’s program? I look forward to meeting you soon.

My UNCW email will be beama@uncw.edu, but it has not yet been activated. Use amybeam@yahoo.com until I notify you to change.

Amy L. Beam, Ed.D.
(202) 577-3794 mobile
Skype: amylbeam
http://www.amybeam.com . . . CV