Elements of Quality Online Education cation

Instructional Technology Graduate Programs in Support of Corporate E-LearningVirginia TechCertified MedicalRepresentatives InstituteVolvo, Inc.U.S. ArmyTable 1. Academic-Industry Partners and Relationship TypesContracted e-learningdevelopment projectsCourse-related projectsCollaborative research projectsInternshipsAlso consistent among the respondents was the sense of importance for all parties involved in externalcollaborations. Faculty indicated that they and their students gain greater awareness of real-world issuesas a result of these interactions, knowledge that can be used to inform both the teaching and practice ofinstructional design for the purpose of e-learning. Partner organizations benefit from the distanceeducation and instructional technology expertise shared by faculty and students, along with the potentialfor increased productivity and improved learning performance in distributed training environments.A. InternshipsThe most common support approach was the use of instructional technology graduate students as internsin corporate training departments. Corporate partners have the benefit of access to newly preparedprofessionals with knowledge of theoretical principles of instructional design along with awareness ofcurrent technological innovations for learning. Interns gain from this relationship through the acquisitionof professional experience and the opportunity to apply new skills and knowledge to real-world situations.Internship experiences were more prevalent through universities either located in or in close proximity tometropolitan areas, such as the University of Georgia and Georgia State University, both of whom havealliances with several corporate entities in Atlanta. The Instructional Technology Department at theUniversity of Georgia has a partnership with Delta Air Lines’ corporate training division, the LearningServices Organization. Several projects have included an internship program for faculty as well as one forgraduate students. UGA also has a 15-year relationship with the Centers for Disease Control where manyof their students engage in internship experiences, six of whom now work there on a permanent basis.Also in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia State University's instructional technology department works closelywith corporate partners such as UPS, IKON, AT&T, Home Depot, and Cingular to arrange internshipopportunities for its students.B. Corporate Participation in IT Online ProgramsAnother manner in which IT programs and industries join forces in e-learning development is throughcorporate employee participation in IT online programs. In some instances, industrial partners contractwith IT programs for a group of employees to engage in the distance instructional technology curriculum.Syracuse University and Florida State University both have contractual arrangements with externalpartners for the matriculation of employees through the institution’s online program. More commonly,individual training and instructional technology specialists from the corporate sector choose to enroll inonline IT programs for their own professional development. Often, employees in corporate or governmenttraining groups have little to no academic preparation in the fields of training, instructional design, orinstructional technology. Training specialists are usually hired for such positions because they haveproven themselves to be leaders among their colleagues or have demonstrated above-average knowledgeand skills related to their company’s products or services. Participation in instructional design andtechnology curriculum helps advance their instructional development skills and improve their job-relatedperformance. In order to meet more immediate professional development needs, Syracuse and FloridaState University also offer certificate programs in instructional design and distance education.121