Instructional Delivery Rationale For An On And Off Campus Graduate Education Program Using Distance Education Technology

Purdue University’s School of Technology (SOT) began offering its M.S. in Technology degree program for off-campus professionals in an on-campus weekend plus distance education format in the fall of 1998. Creating the new program required a reexamination of what was most important in teaching technological content at the graduate level. Of particular concern was the instructional delivery strategy for implementing the program. The strategy provides students with a 30-credit-hour program completed in four, 15-week semesters and one summer session. Each semester, students attend three extended weekend sessions, featuring face-to-face instruction and live peer interaction. This is complemented throughout the semester with distance education in a variety of forms including WebCT, listserve announcements, e-mail, audio files, facsimile, and telephone. The summer semester requires one extended weekend on campus.