Ph.D. in Computing Technology in Education (DCTE)

Introduction
Admission Requirements
The Curriculum
Orientation and Academic Advising
Program Formats and Term Dates
Time Limitations
Attendance Policy
The Dissertation/Evaluation of Dissertation Progress
Course Descriptions

Graduate Catalog
Dissertation Guide

Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences home page

Introduction

This program offers a course of study leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computing Technology in Education. It is offered in both cluster and institute formats, which combine on-campus and online instruction to provide professionals the opportunity to pursue graduate study while continuing to work in their current positions. The program addresses (1) the use of information technology to improve cognition; (2) the development, management, and evaluation of computing systems that support the educational process; and (3) the role of computing and other advanced technology in education and training. The program is especially well suited to educational administrators, college faculty members, directors of academic computing, teachers of all grades, district and building technology administrators, industry and armed forces trainers, and instructional system designers and developers. It provides information technology professionals with the knowledge and ability to develop creative solutions to substantive real-world problems.

Each student must complete eight core courses, two research project courses, and a dissertation. Many of the courses in the program have been approved for teacher certification in computer science (grades K–12) or recertification by Florida’s Bureau of Teacher Certification. They may be taken as part of the degree program or independently. After students complete the course requirements they may apply for the educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree.

Graduates with the Ph.D. in Computing Technology in Education are able to: (1) conduct and report on original work or research that addresses the use of information technology to improve the educational process; (2) understand, analyze, design, develop and implement multimedia applications in educational and training applications; (3) demonstrate understanding and application of network applications, to include the Internet and Intranets, and how they can be used in educational applications and settings;
(4) develop a working knowledge of database management systems and their application in educational settings; (5) understand, use and comparatively evaluate instructional delivery systems; (6) design, create, and evaluate interactive, media-enhanced courseware; (7) explore learning theories and their applicability to computer-based training and education; (8) explore the human computer interaction process of design and usability; and (9) understand and apply the educational research process.

A master’s degree in any liberal arts, science, education or applied science field with a GPA of 3.25 is required. The candidate must have strong skills in computing and communication in the English language. GSCIS master’s students in computing technology in education or information technology may apply for early admission into the Ph.D. program.

The Curriculum

The program requires 64 credit hours, of which 40 are for courses and 24 are for the dissertation. Core courses, research project courses, and dissertation registrations are listed below:

Core Courses  (four credits each) (All students must take these.)
DCTE  700     Analysis and Application of Educational Research
DCTE  710     Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies (Prerequisite: DCTE 700)
DCTE  720     Human-Computer Interaction
DCTE  730     Online Learning Environments
DCTE  740     Telecommunications and Computer Networks
DCTE  750     Management of Data, Information, and Knowledge in Education
DCTE  760     Instruction Delivery Systems
DCTE  770     Courseware Design and Development

Research Project Courses  (four credits each) (Select two of these. Must be taken concurrent with, or following completion of, the corresponding core course, with the exceptions noted below.)
DCTE  810     Advanced Methods of Educational Research (Prerequisites: DCTE 700, DCTE 710)
DCTE  820     Research Project in Human-Computer Interaction
DCTE  830     Research Project in Online Learning Environments
DCTE  840     Research Project in Telecommunications and Computer Networks
DCTE  850     Research Project in Management of Data, Information, and Knowledge in Education
DCTE  860     Research Project in Instruction Delivery Systems
DCTE  870     Research Project in Courseware Design and Development

Dissertation Registrations
DCTE  910     Dissertation I (12 credits)
DCTE  915     Dissertation II (12 credits)
DCTE  920     Continuing Dissertation (6 credits)

Orientation and Academic Advising

New Ph.D. students must attend an orientation day on the main campus in Fort Lauderdale at their first cluster or institute meeting. The orientation includes introductions to the program office staff, computer requirements, online access, software tools that enhance the educational process, library services, financial aid, and academic integrity. The school’s website provides an extensive online “help” system including downloadable software and documents. Students are offered dissertation counseling throughout the program. Advisement is provided by the program office and the faculty.

Program Formats and Term Dates

Terms for the Ph.D. program are five months long. The student enters candidacy upon completion of course requirements with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25. Immediately following candidacy, the student registers for the dissertation at 12 credits per term for two terms. Students who have not completed the dissertation after registrations for Dissertation I and Dissertation II must register for Continuing Dissertation until they have satisfied the dissertation requirement. Students are strongly encouraged to register for each term following the one in which they enter candidacy until the dissertation has been completed. Doctoral residence is defined as continuous enrollment for two consecutive terms at a minimum 12 credit hours per term.

Students may select one of two formats: cluster or institute, with the exception of computer information systems and computer science which are offered in cluster format only. Cluster students, while taking courses, attend four cluster meetings per year, held quarterly over an extended weekend (Friday, Saturday, and half-day Sunday) at the university. Cluster terms start in March and September. Cluster weekends are held in March, June, September, and December. Institute students, while taking courses, attend a weeklong institute twice a year at the university. Institutes are held in January and July at the start of each five-month term. Clusters and institutes bring together students, faculty, and staff members for participation in courses, dissertation counseling (individual and group), special lectures, and ample opportunity for student-faculty and student-student interaction. Students are required to attend all of their scheduled cluster or institute class sessions.

Between on-campus meetings, students work on core course assignments and research project courses and participate in online activities that facilitate frequent interaction with the faculty and with other students. The online component involves use of the web to access course materials, announcements, email, distance library services, subscription library databases, and for interaction with faculty and fellow students. Online, interactive learning methods are based on the use of WebCT as a course management system which includes threaded discussion boards, white boards, chat rooms, email, and multimedia presentations. In addition, WebCT enables students to submit assignments online in multimedia formats and to receive their professors’ reviews of assignments online in the same formats. Students are provided NSU computer accounts but must obtain their own Internet service providers and use their own computer systems.

Time Limitations

Students must complete requirements for the Ph.D. degree within 10 years from the date of their first registration. No extensions will be granted. Students dismissed for exceeding the time limit will have no right to apply for readmission.

Attendance Policy

Ph.D. students are required to attend all of their scheduled clusters or institutes and must attend all of their class sessions. Failure to attend may result in withdrawal from courses and suspension or dismissal from the Ph.D. program. Exceptions to this rule may be made in the case of illness and possibly in other hardship situations. Such exceptions must be approved first by the course professor and then by the program director. Absence from individual class sessions must be approved by the course professor. Students are required to advise the program office and their course professor in advance of any anticipated absences. Participation/attendance policies regarding the online components of doctoral courses will be covered in the syllabus of each course.

The Dissertation/Evaluation of Dissertation Progress

Students will be permitted to register for the dissertation after they have completed their required course work with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. Both Dissertation I and Dissertation II are required. They are usually taken over two consecutive terms. The dissertation is the most important requirement for the Ph.D. Each student is expected, with the approval of a faculty advisor, to select an appropriate topic of sufficient scope to satisfy the requirements for the dissertation. Although registration for dissertation credits typically occurs at or near the end of completion of the course requirements, students are encouraged to learn about the dissertation process as early as possible and to begin talking with faculty members about potential research topics early in the program. The dissertation must be an original work and must represent a significant extrapolation from a base of solid experience or knowledge in the student’s area of concentration. Dissertation results must, in a significant way, advance knowledge, improve professional practice, or contribute to understanding in the field of study. Results must be of sufficient strength to distill from the work a paper worthy of publication in a journal or conference proceedings, or to use the work as the basis of a textbook or monograph. Although publication is not a requirement for completing the Ph.D., students are encouraged to submit their dissertation research for publication. Ph.D. students must follow the policies, procedures, and formatting requirements contained in the Dissertation Guide (www.scis.nova.edu/pdf_documents/Diss_Guide.pdf). It is recommended that students attend cluster and institute presentations on the dissertation process, research methodology, and writing for publication.

Evaluation of Dissertation Progress

Students are evaluated on a number of occasions regarding their dissertation progress. The purpose of such evaluations is to provide students with relevant and timely feedback concerning their overall performance in the dissertation process and to serve as a screening procedure. Failure to demonstrate the ability to complete a dissertation or to maintain satisfactory progress on the dissertation may result in review by the Academic Review Committee and possible probation, suspension, or dismissal from the Ph.D. program. Students are encouraged to register for each term following the one in which they enter candidacy (i.e., complete course requirements with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25). Unregistered dissertation students risk losing their advisors/committees if the stop-out has not been coordinated with their advisors. Registered but inactive dissertation students risk losing their advisors/committees. Students must demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language in all work submitted during the dissertation process. Grammatical errors, spelling errors, and writing that does not express ideas clearly will not be tolerated and may result in the rejection of dissertation work and review by the Academic Review Committee. The faculty will not provide remedial help concerning grammatical errors or other writing problems that students might have. Students who are unable to write clearly and correctly are urged to obtain remedial help. (See the section Writing Skills and Form and Style Requirements.)

Course Descriptions

DCTE 700  Analysis and Application of Educational Research  (4 credits)
Core competencies (e.g., problem statement, literature review, hypothesis development) required for critical understanding, evaluation, and use of published educational research. Introduction to historical, descriptive and experimental research methods as well as sampling, measurement, data collection, analysis and hypothesis testing.

DCTE 710  Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies  (4 credits)
Methods and procedures of in-depth qualitative and quantitative research in education. Philosophical issues, conceptualizing research questions, choosing appropriate research designs, data collection, computerized data analysis, and interpretation. Prerequisite: DCTE 700.

DCTE 720  Human-Computer Interaction  (4 credits)
This course focuses on current and future research in HCI pertaining to computing technology in education and learning environments. Techniques facilitating effective human-computer interaction are presented. Design elements, procedures, tools, and environments contributing to the development of a successful user interface are explored. Design principles, guidelines, and methodologies for building, installing, managing, evaluating, and maintaining interactive systems that optimize user productivity are reviewed.

DCTE 730  Online Learning Environments  (4 credits)
This course covers theory and practice involving online learning systems and online communication processes. It explores models of online learning environments (OLEs) as viable alternatives or supplements to traditional campus or building-based learning. Students will investigate and report upon the theoretical, conceptual, instructional, and technical framework of implementing and using OLEs in pursuit of lifelong learning. Relevant issues include the technology infrastructure, program development and administration, and most significantly, the Internet as cyberschool. (The Institute course usually has a collaborative online component.)

DCTE 740  Telecommunications and Computer Networks  (4 credits)
This course examines major developments in the expanding field of broadband communications and computer networks and their impacts on e-learning network applications and initiatives. Topics include broadband technologies, network architectures, network configurations, network security, and transborder e-learning cyberinfrastructures. Distinctive attributes of next-generation research and education networks such as Internet2 and Geant2 and the role of broadband technologies as enablers of advances in fields such as e-government and e-medicine are described. Trends in grid implementations and developments in wireless and wireline network solutions are explored.

DCTE 750 Management of Data, Information, and Knowledge in Education  (4 credits)
This course explores several issues of interest in managing data, information, and knowledge in an educational setting. Included among the topics examined are: database design, structure, and capabilities; data warehousing; data mining; text mining; information retrieval; information policy, security, and privacy; and knowledge  management.

DCTE 760  Instruction Delivery Systems  (4 credits)
This course provides opportunity for independent, creative, innovative exploration and development in teaching and learning in the age of communications. Course content combines experiential learning based in the asynchronous student forum with related scholarly pursuit. Synchronous and asynchronous delivery systems in buildings and in cyberspace will enable the best possible matches between societal needs and instruction delivery. The roles of Web 2.0 tools in learning will be researched and experienced. The purpose of this course is to re-engineer education to meet the needs of society, to use any and all technology to devise the best possible learning experiences for learners of all ages.

DCTE 770  Courseware Design and Development (4 credits)
Using a systematic instructional design process, students will create interactive, media-enhanced courseware. Students will identify an instructional problem, goal, and learning objectives. They will apply instructional strategies that will help learners achieve the objectives and use an authoring system or state-of-the-art visual programming language to develop and deliver the courseware. Students will also design and implement alpha and beta tests to evaluate the courseware.

DCTE 810  Advanced Methods of Educational Research (4 credits)
Advanced design, data collection, and data analysis issues in qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research. Applied data analysis using appropriate text and numeric software and the effective dissemination of results. Prerequisites: DCTE 700 and DCTE 710.

DCTE 820  Research Project in Human-Computer Interaction  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic in HCI related to computing technology in education.

DCTE 830 Research Project in Online Learning Environments  (4 credits)
Students will produce original work that is grounded in theory and practice on a relevant issue in OLE research. Students will be encouraged to submit their work for potential presentation at conferences or for possible publication related to educational technology and online learning research.

DCTE 840 Research Project in Telecommunications and Computer Networks  (4 credits)
Students pursue research in the field of broadband telecommunications and computer networks. Suggested areas for investigation include e-learning cyberinfrastructures, wireline and/or wireless networks, network security, e-medicine implementations, wireless sensor networks, teleworking, and e-government solutions.

DCTE 850 Research Project in Management of Data, Information, and Knowledge in Education  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic related to the management of data, information, and knowledge in education.

DCTE 860 Research Project in Instruction Delivery Systems  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic related to instruction delivery systems.

DCTE 870 Research Project in Courseware Design and Development  (4 credits)
Students pursue research on a current topic related to courseware design and development.

DCTE 910  Dissertation I  (12 credits)
The student develops a framework within which doctoral research will be conducted and offers evidence of qualifications to pursue the research. Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of all course work.

DCTE 915  Dissertation II  (12 credits)
Concepts and theories underlying the student’s doctoral research are articulated; the problem is clearly stated; specific, measurable goals are specified; a thorough literature review is presented; the methods of conducting the research are delineated; and a strategy to achieve the goal is given. Prerequisite: Dissertation I.

DCTE 920  Continuing Dissertation  (6 credits)
Students who have not completed the dissertation by the end of Dissertation II must register for Continuing Dissertation each term in order to receive faculty and administrative advice and support related to the dissertation. Prerequisite: Dissertation II.