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September 15, 2001
Online Professional Development (cont'd)
T.H.E. Institute
T.H.E. Institute, the professional development division of the publishing company Technological Horizons in Education, offers several moderated and self-paced technology-related professional development courses, from "Introduction to Using Handhelds in Education" to technology integration courses, such as "Using the WWW to Teach Middle School Mathematics." The Institute is currently phasing out its text-based courses to include more timely content and intuitive navigation.
An updated version of the following course is now available.
Course Title:
Microsoft PowerPoint Basics
A basic how-to of presentation design and production, this self-paced tutorial included guidelines on presentation, organization, and slide development when working with PowerPoint, in addition to advanced design tips and tricks. Reflection activities included multiple choice or true/false questions, with a "Topic" button next to each that let me review the related lesson.
Thorough content, plenty of opportunities for study and reflection, and helpful links to superior Web sites made this an excellent workshop on a commonly used application. The workshop format removes instructor evaluation from the equation, so I needed only to complete the course to "pass." While the self-directed approach may be good for teachers who want a quick guide, it's not the most motivating way to learn a new application. However, given the subject and scope of the course, the text-heavy format worked well to deliver helpful instruction on PowerPoint tools. Interactive features, such as self-tests and multimedia, are slated improvements that may help to sustain the user's interest. Teachers looking for discussion features and a feeling of community will want to look at the Institute's more interactive, moderator-led courses.
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