This section will provide you with important information about the program. Please be sure to review all of its contents and also check out the list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before you begin the program.

There are two streams of this program. While the content remains the same, these two programs are slightly different in terms of eligibility, tuition, and term period. The "Internal" stream is for students, who are currently enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria. The "Outreach" stream is for inservice teachers (including T.O.C.s), principals, or alumni from the UVic Faculty of Education (note that educators do not have to be alumni in order to register).  Any individuals who are outside of these areas are asked to contact the coordinator to request permission to enroll.

2003/2004 OFFERINGS

This purpose of this program is for students, who are new to computers, to learn various computer software programs that they will be able to use in the schools. There is also an integration capping project at the end of each level. Novice computer users will be able to work through the modules step-by-step starting with how to use e-mail, surf the Internet, etc.  More experienced students will be able to complete the requirements relatively easily and often find that they learn new features along the way. These students will then be able to provide potential employers a certificate to confirm that they, in fact, have these computer skills and an understanding of how to integrate them into the teaching and learning process. There is no charge for currently enrolled students to take the program; however, there is a fee for students in the Outreach Stream. Registration procedures are described in the How section of this page. Interested students should also review the Frequently Asked Questions.

Valerie Irvine is the coordinator/instructor for the Computers in Education Certificate Program at the Faculty of Education. She is a Ph.D. student in Instructional Technology at the University of Alberta, who is now residing in Victoria. You may learn more about her at http://web.uvic.ca/~virvine. If you have any questions about the program, please contact her at compined@uvic.ca.

The Computers in Education Certificate is designed to familiarize educators with the various uses of computers in education. Students who complete the certificate will have used various software to demonstrate this expertise. There are three approaches to technology education.  The first involves stand-alone courses that focus solely on teaching computer skills.  The second involves integrating those skills into the teaching and learning process of other subject areas. The third is a blended approach that incorporates the first two. This may be the most successful way to teach technology at a post-secondary level in that the time spent in courses integrating technology is not spent teaching basic skills, but applying them to new learning contexts. This certificate program will involve teaching computer skills with emphasis on how they can be integrated into the K-12 school system.  The expectation is that Internal students will apply these skills throughout their coursework in the education program and that both Internal and Outreach students will be better prepared to integrate technology into their own teaching experiences. 

Students are expected to take an active role in their learning process in order to maximize their learning experience. Many instructors have taken the approach where students ‘receive the content’ and, moreover, they become accustomed to function as passive vessels that are to be filled with knowledge. In the past decade, there has been a movement towards transforming this environment into one incorporating active learning strategies. With the introduction of online education, students are required to take a more active role in their learning and put behind them the passive learning approach. This shift is even more crucial when the subject matter itself involves computers. Learning the dynamics of a computer application may be analogous to learning dance steps. By simply watching dancers, it is difficult to merely head out onto the floor and pick up the moves. One must try it out physically. In learning computers, this involves exploring the different menus, buttons, and other options.  Once you know the basic 'moves' (or the process of exploring programs to pick up new skills), you can learn new versions or new applications more easily. The "Help" menu in any program is a tremendous resource and most topics are available. A student learning any program may stumble a bit in the process, but with the support of other students through the conference board, and with the support of the instructor, obstacles can be overcome.

Step-by-step instructions are provided to support users who are new to the software program being covered; however, these instructions may differ from the program version they are using to complete the module. This difference may be in the menu names, location of features, etc. When this happens, students must explore their menus, consult their Help topics, and, if they cannot figure out how to complete the task, they are asked to make use of the conference board to ask for support.

The term normally starts in September for the Internal students, who are registered in a full-year term (Sept-Apr); however, the Internal Stream has been temporarily suspended as the Faculty is restructuring its technology initiatives.  The Outreach Stream, which will continue to be offered, has three terms: one starting in September, one starting in January, and one in July.  It is usually never too late for Outreach Students to register as long as a revised schedule of module deadlines is submitted and there is still sufficient time available to complete the work.

Consult the schedule in the left menu for recommended module deadlines.  If this timeline will not work for your schedule, you can submit an alternate schedule for approval.

In the 2003-2004 offering, there will be no supervised labs. Students are to work online and submit their assignments via email. Students can opt to complete the work from either their personal computer or one in a lab on campus. Comp-in-Ed students can learn more about any computer lab on campus by visiting the following website http://helpdesk.uvic.ca/resource/facility.html, which outlines what software is available in each lab, what their hours are, what classrooms are available, and when they are booked up. A Netlink ID is required to access any campus labs. Students registered in the Outreach Stream, who are close to campus, can access the campus labs by logging in with the Netlink ID provided to them. Distance students will be responsible for finding access to a computer that will support their participation in this program.  Check the minimum hardware and software requirements listed in the How section below.

School districts are now expecting new teachers to have a good understanding of the fundamentals of computers in the classroom; that is, they are wanting computer literate teachers.  In addition, the knowledge and skills gained through the certificate program will assist you to enhance the classroom learning experience by preparing the knowledge and skill foundation for integrating computers into your instructional design. Check out some of the links below that relate to the topic of computers in education:

B.C. Ministry of Education Information Technology Resource Document
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/resdocs/itk7.pdf

The Information and Communications Technology Curriculum Cycle Report
released in November 2001 by the B.C. Ministry of Education
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/reports/ictreport.pdf
- In the above report, the second and third top barriers to teaching ICT at grades 8-10 were lack of teacher inservice/support and lack of teacher expertise.

To see what is going on in other parts of the world, check out Val's recommended websites in the Links section to access curriculum documents, reports, and initiatives from outside of our province. Also listed there are educational technology email lists and resources, so be sure to take a look. For those interested in learning more about the role of computing in education, the Links section also provides a list of professional associations that focus on educational technology. Finally, to learn more about the people out there conducting research in the area of instructional technology, you can consult the following websites:

Who's Who in Instructional Technology
http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/learner/m1g1/whointro.html

Instructional Technology Research Online (InTRO)
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwitr/

Before enrolling in the program, please be sure that you have access to the required software. The UVic campus labs will have the hardware and software required for this program. If you plan on completing the modules on your home computer, however, please be sure you have the necessary requirements. If there is a program you do not have at home, the table below lists some options for downloading evaluation copies of programs can can be used for a temporary period.  Alternate software programs are accepted if approved in advance by the instructor. If you are an education student or a teacher, please be sure to ask for "educational pricing" when you purchase any software - it's a significant discount!  Minimum hardware requirements and required software are provided in the following table.

Hardware
If you are not sure whether you have the following hardware, you can check with your retailer. Basically, any computer purchased within the last four years should be fine. CPU: Pentium or PowerMac, 133 MHz RAM: 32 MB Hard disk: 500 MB
Internet Access (Modem OR High-Speed) Plus Server Space
Modem	56K Modem Recommended 28.8K Modem at the very minimum Dial-up Internet Service Providers (ISP) include: UVIC, Telus, Pacificnet, Horizon Net, Entirety, and more
High-Speed	High-speed Internet Service Providers(ISP) include: Telus ADSL or Shaw Cable Internet
Server Space	This is basically a place where you can store your webpages and webpage images on the Internet. Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) about accessing your server space. UVic students have 5 MB of space, but be careful not to go over or charges will incur.
Software
An asterisk (*) will denote a free program. A number sign (#) will denote a program that is available to download for free for an evaluation period. If you wish to use a software program that is not listed below, please send your request to the instructor at compined@uvic.ca.
	Macintosh	Windows
Operating System:	Macintosh OS 8.x or higher	Windows 95 or higher
Browser:	Either of the following: Netscape* Internet Explorer*
Email:	Any of the following: Email service: Hotmail* or UVIC Webmail* Email programs: Eudora Light/Pro*, Outlook/Outlook Express
Anti-Virus Software:	Norton Anti-Virus # or any other anti-virus software
Firewall Software: (optional)	Intego's Net Barrier# Norton Personal Firewall	ZoneAlarm* Norton Personal Firewall
Document Reader:	Adobe Acrobat Reader*
Word Processing:	Word 97 or higher Corel WordPerfect #
Presentation:	Microsoft PowerPoint 97 or higher
Spreadsheet:	Microsoft Excel 97 or higher
Database:	Filemaker Pro #	Any of the following: Microsoft Access 97 or higher Filemaker Pro #
HTML Editor:	Any of the following: Microsoft FrontPage Macromedia Dreamweaver # Adobe Pagemill Adobe GoLive # Netscape Composer *
File Transfer Program:	Fetch * (free for educational use only)	Either of the following: WS_FTP LE * WS_FTP Pro # The "LE" version is permanently free for educational use. The "Pro" version costs, but it can be downloaded for a temporary evaluation period.
File Compression:	Aladdin Stuffit Expander *	Either of the following: WinZip # Aladdin Stuffit Expander *

How to register

Now, how to go about getting registered and getting started in this program!  Here's the scoop. Registration procedures differ depending on the stream in which you plan to enroll:

Stream	Registration
Internal	Registration is temporarily closed for the 2003/2004 academic year.
Outreach	Registration is open and can be submitted by mail or fax only - click here

How to start once registered

The instructional modules are available on this website. The program is self-paced, so, once registered, students may begin the program anytime by going to the Modules section of this website and clicking on the first module to get started. A recommended schedule for completion of modules will be posted at the start of the program on the Schedule page.  Students also have the option of submitting to the instructor a revised list of module deadlines if it better suits their personal schedule. That is, students can submit the assignments on their own schedule, but they must complete all the work they set out to do before the last date of the session in which they are registered. For outreach students, it would be the end of the term they are currently registered (i.e., February 23 for term 1 or June 30 for term 2).  Instructor support is available only during the term of the program. To submit a revised schedule of module deadlines, send your proposed dates in an email to compined@uvic.ca. 

Each module is estimated to take 2.0 to 4.0 hours to complete with the exception of the webpage module and the integration module, which should take longer. The length of time required also varies depending on the student's previous experience with the software. The program is completely online, so students have the option of completing the work on their own time. Assignments are to be submitted to compined@uvic.ca for marking and recording progress. Since students will be completing their work at a distance or from home, they may post their questions to the conference board or email the coordinator to get support.

Internal students can use their UVic Netlink ID to sign in to the conference board. To obtain a Netlink ID, go to http://netlink.uvic.ca:880/. Outreach students will need to be assigned a temporary Netlink ID, and must contact the coordinator if they have not yet been assigned one. The conference board can be accessed at http://webboard.uvic.ca/.   Select "Computers in Education" from the "Board" drop-down menu and choose the appropriate conference (either Internal or Outreach). Read the two introductory messages then email compined@uvic.ca and request to be added to the rest of the conferences. In this board, one conference is provided for each module topic, so messages should be posted in the appropriate conference. Once registered in the program, students will be automatically subscribed to the "compined" listserv, which is an email mailing list.  Students who do not want to be subscribed must notify the coordinator of this preference. This listserv will be used to send out announcements with regard to the program and useful resources. For more information on the listserv, click here.

Two levels of certificate are offered.  A certificate signed by the Dean of Education will be awarded at the completion of each level. The two levels must be completed consecutively.  That is, level one must be completed before a certificate can be awarded for level two. A student who has completed Word Processing I is allowed to submit an assignment for Word Processing II; however, a level two certificate will not be awarded until the level one certificate is completed. For a list of the modules, click on the "modules" button in the left menu. Students do not have to wait for marking on one module before commencing the next one.

To obtain the Level I certificate, students must complete the requirements in each of the eight introductory modules on: 1) electronic communication & computer security, 2) Internet browsing/searching, 3) word processing, 4) PowerPoint presentation software, 5) Excel spreadsheets, 6) Access database software, 7) webpage construction, and 8) a capping project on the integration of computers in education.

To obtain the Level II certificate, students must complete the requirements in each of the five intermediate modules on: 1) using the Internet, 2) word processing, 3) PowerPoint presentation software, 4) Excel spreadsheets, and 5) a capping project on the integration of computers in education.

Since the nature of computing is always changing, so will this program.  The structure of this program is always subject to content revisions. This may include a change in lesson, assignment requirements, or number of modules in a level. Please watch the "News" section for any announcements of changes. Lastly, if you see any typos or find any dead links, please, please, please report them. A quick, brief email to compined@uvic.ca would be appreciated.

Student work is to be submitted as an email attachment:

• Email the file(s) as an attachment to: compined@uvic.ca
  In the email message, indicate what platform (i.e., Windows/Mac), software program (i.e., Word), and version (i.e. 97, 2000, etc.) you were using.
• Important: When saving your assignment file, please give it a filename starting with the initials of your name followed by a short description of the module and its level in the certificate program (i.e., the Level I word processing assignment by Valerie Margit Irvine would be named: "VMIwpI").
• Please do not use any spaces when naming files and keep your file name limited to eight characters.

Still have questions?  Please click here to check the list of Frequently Asked Questions to see if your question has already been answered.  If it is not there, then please email your question to compined@uvic.ca.

Copyright © 2001-2002 Valerie Irvine. All rights reserved.
Revised: February 27, 2004 .