eLearning Design Lab

e-Learning Projects

Title: Preparing Students with Learning Disabilities for Careers in Math and Science by Achieving Curriculum Standards
Funding Agency:National Science Foundation
Initial Award Date: 2006
Description:The objectives for this project include reducing the achievement gap between the performance of students with learning disabilities and their non-disabled peers in math and enhancing the math preparation of individuals with LD to enter postsecondary institutions to pursue programs and degrees in math, science, engineering, and technology. This proposal builds from a major internally funded project identified as the Blending Assessment with Instruction Program (BAIP) that is comprised of two validated interventions in the form of lessons for teachers to employ in their instruction and online tutorials for independent use by students with LD. The research initiative is designed to investigate the effects of the lessons and the tutorials on the achievement of students with LD in math.

Title: Leadership in Analyzing Data to Improve Schools (LADIS): A Supplemental Extension of Two Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE) Projects: University of Kansas and the University of Oregon. CFDA 84.116A - P116A041156
Funding Agency: Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education
Initial Award Date: 2006
Description:The-Learning Design Lab collaborated with a FIPSE project at the University of Oregon to modify products the collective projects to meet the needs of principals. The collaborator was Gerald Tindal at the University of Oregon. Anticipated outcomes include 1) suite of tools/content applicable to enhancing the ability of principals to make decisions central to their role in assessment, 2) a web-based system developed to allow users access on a need-to- know basis, 3) comprehensive set of resources that can be used and/or modified for use with teachers and others in their district as part of their leadership responsibilities and 4) incorporation of networking or community building among principals who share common interests, concerns or demographics.

Title: E-Book Design Project
Initial Award Date:2006
Description: The project was a collaborative project with a publisher. The eDL assumed responsibility for the design of the authoring system to create the E-book and the publisher assumed costs for all content, recordings and costs associated with typical author and publisher responsibilities. The E-Book model was designed in an instructional format that allows the student to access a variety of instructional resources. While organized similarly to a traditional book, the web version is intuitive and provides one with navigation and other features that expand opportunities available to enhance understanding of the content. The novel element of the model is that the many features of the e-book are accessible directly from the text version via icons without requiring the learner to exit the text version. In addition to the text and the multimedia version, there is an MP3 version of each chapter for downloading. The features in the website version parallel the chapter structure of the book. On March 9, 2006, the E-book was released: Meyen, E.L. & Bui, Y.N. Teaching Exceptional Children and Youth in Today's Schools: What beginning teachers need to know. 4th edition. Love Publishing, Denver.

Title: Headstrong
Funding Agency: Technology Enterprise Corporation
Initial Award Date:2006
Description:Description: Headstrong, an animated instructional program designed to aid children in managing pain associated with headaches, was completed for trials in December of 2007. Headstrong was developed by two neurologists at KU Med. The first version was largely a text version. The work was brought to the lab by the Lawrence Regional Technology Center. Using flash we developed a video format. The product is now in trials in two hospitals.

Title: Blending Assessment with Instruction Program (BAIP) in Math. (In collaboration with the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation at the University of Kansas)
Funding Agency:The Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation, University of Kansas, and the Kansas State Department of Education.
Initial Award Date:2005
Description:The Blending Assessment with Instruction Program was designed to enhance the alignment of statewide assessments with state curriculum standards and indicators in math at grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10. The teacher-driven instructional model takes the form of lessons tied to indicators for teachers to integrate into their curriculum. The lessons and tutorials were field tested in the spring of 2007 with 2,000 participating students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8. After making revisions based on the field test, BAIP was subjected to large-scale beta testing in the spring of 2008. The beta test involved 187 school districts and 83,551 students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and high school. This included 3,777 students with disabilities. In 2009, 237 school districts enrolled in the program. BAIP is being expanded into the content area of science. Supplemental resources aligned with the lessons and tutorials are being developed for parents.

Title: Promoting Community Health and Development: The Community Tool Box Curriculum
Funding Agency:The Work Group for Community Health and Development, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas.
Initial Award Date: 2005
Description: This is being done in collaboration with Professor Steve Fawcett and colleagues. They have developed a series of instructional units that are offered in a hybrid version of online experiences. We are modifying the eDL module design to accommodate their needs. The intent is for the product to be used as a for-credit course and the modules for use in communities with health planning groups. The content is done but the features need development it is currently in production. The project includes 8 modules and 14 lessons.

Title: Requesting Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Institutions.
Funding Agency: Center for Independent Living - Department of Applied Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas/NIDRR (sub-contract).
Initial Award Date:2005
Description: This project was designed to create a hybrid version of an online module that combines online features and the ERA module design. The content focuses on what young adults with disabilities need to know when seeking access to postsecondary education and prepares them to be self advocates. The project resulted in one online module. A major feature of the module design and interface features is the emphasis on maximizing accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Title: Assessment Guided Education (AGE) - Advanced Technologies for Using Assessment Data to Improve Student Achievement - CFDA 84.116A - Application No. P116A041156
Funding Agency: Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE): U.S. Department of Education
Initial Award Date: 2004
Description:This project addresses a major challenge for teacher education programs in assuming a more proactive role ensuring that their graduates will successfully implement national and state policies on assessment and curriculum standards. Emerging local, state and national initiatives (NCLB) are fostering policy and practice changes that impact the expectations of stakeholders and parents relative to student achievement. These changes have significant consequences and potential benefits for classroom teachers and their students. The project addresses these issues. Central to the analysis and interpretation of test data is the ability to translate testing evidence into instructional decisions that enhance student achievement. An objective of this project is to integrate teaching analytical and interpretative skills relative to test data and policies.
The AGE modules and lessons include:

1. Classification
2. Consequential Evaluation
3. Criterion Referenced Scoring
4. Derived Scores and Growth
5. Equating Test Scores
6. FIPSE Overview and Summary
7. Fairness and Bias
8. NCEs
9. Norm Referenced Scoring
10. Norming
11. Norm Referenced Testing vs Criterion Referenced Testing
12. Percentile
13. Percentile Rank
14. Raw scores
15. Standard scores
16. Validity Overview

Title: Teach Special Ed.com: Standards-Based Online Certification Program in Special Education
Funding Agency: The e-Learning Design Lab, Sopris West, and E-learning Creations, Inc.
Initial Award Date: 2004
Description: This project involved the modification of prior work and the development of new content in collaboration with a team of national authors. Ten online courses were developed in accordance with the national standards of CEC. The project was carried out with support from the E-learning Creations Inc., a start up firm that the university licensed selected works with the eDL for marketing, and Sopris West.

Course 1: Foundations of Special Education
Course 2: Development and Characteristics of Learners with Exceptional Needs Course 3: Assessment
Course 4: Instructional Strategies: Learning Environments and Social Interaction
Course 5: Instructional Strategies: Teaching for Results
Course 6: Instructional Strategies: Basic Reading Skills
Course 7: Instructional Strategies: Reading Comprehension
Course 8: Language and Communications in Diverse Learners
Course 9: Collaboration and Instructional Planning in the IEP Process
Course 10: Professional and Ethical Practices

Title: Preparation of Leadership Personnel Program: Leadership in Online Learning: Preparing Leaders for Innovative Solutions in Current and Future Personnel Preparation
Funding Agency: Office of Special Education Programs/U.S. Department of Education
Initial Award Date: 2003
Description: This project is in cooperation with the Department of Special Education and supports a leadership preparation program in online instructional technology at the Special Education doctoral level. The focus is on interdisciplinary leadership competencies in online instruction as a core within the doctoral program. Students in the program have an educational and experiential background in special and general education. The internships provided by the eDL focus on functions such as design, content generation and validation, beta testing, production, technical support and implementation. The internship experiences are closely integrated with the programs of each student. Five doctoral students have graduated.

Title: Research Development Fund Award: Research Construct/Lab Infrastructure for Researching Online Learning.
Funding Agency: University Center for Research, University of Kansas
Initial Award Date: 2001
Description: This award supported the development a research construct to enhance programmatic research within the eDL. The construct has been published and recently provided the basis for the 2006 Strategic Plan. The ongoing research and development projects are aligned with the construct. Plans are underway to continue broadening the involvement of researchers nationally and on campus in collaborative work based on the construct.

Title: Data Driven School Improvement: Bureau of Indian Affairs: Office of Indian Education Programs
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior
Initial Award Date:2001
Description: The goal of the Data Driven Assessment Online Project was to develop online modules that extend and sustain the efforts of the Office of Indian Education Programs in training their teachers and administrators for using data effectively to monitor and improve the quality of learning in Bureau of Indian Education schools. The project developed two online modules. The modules focused on the Data Driven Assessment strategies currently being taught to teachers and administrators in BIA schools.

Title: State Educational Agency Grant- State of Alabama Department of Education
Funding Agency: Alabama State Department of Education
Initial Award Date:2000
Description: The eDL provided training and technical assistance services to the State of Alabama in support of their State Improvement Grant. The focus was on maximizing the involvement of Alabama IHEs in implementation of the Academy modules in pre-service programs and for staff development. Onsite training was provided to enhance use of the modules. The project was expanded to deliver the modules on Positive Behavior Supports to all teachers in the state. The eDL developed online delivery systems and a CD delivery model. The eDL also carried out an evaluation of the delivery model.

Title: State Educational Agency Grant - Kansas State Department of Education
Funding Agency: Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)
Initial Award Date:2000
Description: The Online Academy assisted the KSDE in developing and implementing a pilot statewide professional staff development plan utilizing the e-learning approach to teaching and learning. The pilot project included four programs that involved developing and maintaining a web site to assist in the staff development effort, assisting in the selection of pilot sites to participate in beta testing, developing informational materials for school personnel regarding professional development activities, and working with the KSDE staff to develop a plan for professional staff development activities to follow the initial pilot year.

Title: Steppingstones Phase I and Phase II
Funding Agency:Office of Special Education Programs/ U.S. Department of Education
Initial Award Date/s: 2000 and 2002
Description: The purpose of this project was to utilize technology to deliver online instruction on national standards-based school curriculum reform for the education of students with disabilities in the content areas of math, science, and reading. Primary attention was given to curriculum standards promulgated as national standards applicable to all students, including students with disabilities. The target audiences were pre-service teacher educators and practicing teachers who work with secondary school students. The project resulted in three online modules for teachers and one multi-media program for middle school students with learning disabilities.

Title: Online Delivery Model Supplement
Funding Agency: Office of Special Education Programs/ U.S. Department of Education
Initial Award Date:2000
Description: The focus of this project was on collaborative planning for the delivery of online staff development among State Improvement Grant recipients involving State Educational Agencies, Local Educational Agencies, and Institutions of Higher Education. The project also included the development of five online professional development modules. The modules were developed through a collaborative model involving authors from IHEs and the public schools. In addition to the modules, the project resulted in the development of a delivery model and three published papers based on the collaborative work of nine participating states. The focus of the papers was on minimizing barriers to online staff development and strategies for implementing online staff development.

Title: Intelligent Knowledge Management Environments
Funding Agency: U.S. Army
Initial Award Date: 2000
Description: The purpose of this project was to define and demonstrate an Intelligent Knowledge Management Environment that would assist the Defense Information Technology Test Bed in providing an advanced online training for senior officers. The project was based on knowledge construction tools developed by the eDL during its original work on the Online Academy. The project resulted in a series of online lessons designed to implement an established program of the Command General Staff College. The online program entitled, "Think Like a Commander," was a multimedia product and integrated simulations into the online model. The project also developed a prototype system for the packaging and delivery of extensible and reusable learning object architecture for delivering content online.

Title: The Online Academy: Linking Teacher Education to Advances in Research.
Funding Agency:Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
Initial Award Date:1997
Description:The Academy was funded by the Office of Special Education Programs to improve instruction by infusing research-based interventions into the teacher education curriculum. The project resulted in the development of 22 online asynchronous modules in the areas of reading, technology across the curriculum and positive behavior supports. An instructor's module was also developed. The technology developed by the eDL allowed adopters to down load the modules and to access them from their own servers. Over 180 teacher education programs nationally entered into implementation agreements with the eDL.