UH Manoa College of Education technology group extends services

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: May 18, 2009

The College of Education‘s Distance Course Design and Consulting Group (DCDC), established at UH Manoa in January 2008, is expanding its services.

While the DCDC began as part of a federal grant, the group is working to become self-funded through its instructional design, online course development, and multimedia services.

The DCDC collaborates with the Department of Educational Technology and the Office of Technology and Distance Programs (TDP), both in the UH Manoa College of Education, and is currently working on projects for the Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science and the School of Travel Industry Management.
"The DCDC team is diverse and multitalented," said Melissa Venable, Instructional Designer and Project Manager of DCDC. "Members have professional experience ranging from programming and graphic design to online instruction and copy editing."

Projects are intended for delivery via the Laulima (Sakai) Learning Management System; however, the content and overall look and feel of the courses can easily be adapted to other learning management systems. The DCDC also redesigns websites and online course materials; converts face-to-face courses to online versions; and develops interactive quizzes, games, and tutorials.

Paul McKimmy, Director of TDP, noted, "The most exciting aspect of the DCDC is its systems approach, using specialists in instructional design and media development so instructors do not have to be technical experts, designers, developers, and subject matter experts rolled into one."

The group's design and development goals include maintaining a focus on learning objectives and appropriate standards, creating products that are reusable and flexible, using open-source tools and open education resources wherever available and appropriate, and taking a team approach in working with a content expert.

To see examples of DCDC video productions or explore contracting the development of online courses, go to http://www.dcdcgroup.org/.

For more information, visit: http://www.dcdcgroup.org/