Abstract:

This presentation demonstrates the pros and cons of an online course at a traditional university offering online classes to augment the regular curriculum of a course. This case study is a course entitled "The History of American Popular Music". Examples will be shown in the PowerPoint presentation and online. Quick Time movies and streaming examples will be shown and what software is available to create such movies for the Internet. The minimum speed and access of the Internet for viewing these movies and listening to music is discussed.

There are several online management teaching systems including Blackboard, Angel Learning, and Scholar360, as well as online training software. Several systems will be briefly discussed, but Blackboard will be used to show examples of what capabilities exist for this presentation.

One of the most important issues for online learning is to keep students on task and engaged in a timely matter. Materials are provided online for each chapter including downloadable files for an overview, important names, key terms and review questions. The review questions are answered by the students for each chapter with specific due dates to keep them on task. All questions are submitted online in the form of Word or pdf files. Effective ways to present materials online are provided, including Quick Time movies made of PowerPoint presentations with embedded music and commentary from the professor. Software to create this material is discussed, ranging from simple (Screenflow) to complex (Avid, Final Cut Pro and Pro Tools). Copyright discussion is also important when using music, utilizing streaming examples that are not downloadable. Examples of testing are shown and how to test and when.

Social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and MySpace are discussed as tools for interaction, with comparisons to Blackboard discussion tools and how to use them effectively.

Advantages and disadvantages of traditional courses and online courses are included, as well as how to create a hybrid course in a traditional setting.