Overview of IST Distance Education: Distance Education: Instructional Systems Technology, School of Education, Indiana University at Bloomington

Distance Education: Instructional Systems Technology

IST Graduate Programs Offered at a Distance

IST Distance Education News

Spring semester IST Distance Education courses are in session! To see your course Web site(s) and plan the courses you'd like to take in future semesters, visit the Course and Discussion Area
Did you know that IU distance education students have access to a wide variety of free and discounted hardware and software? Click here for details.
September 1 (International)/November 1 (U.S.) Application Deadline for Consideration for Spring 2008 Enrollment

The Instructional Systems Technology Department offers both a master's degree, the IST Master's @ a Distance, and a Certificate in IST. Students in both programs share the same courses. The Certificate program differs primarily in that it is a 15-credit-hour program providing a basic grounding in instructional design while the master's is a more extensive and intensive 36-credit-hour program. The Certificate does not confer a state licensure for teaching in the public schools nor at this time is it a certification that appears on your transcript. Rather it is a certification issued by the School of Education indicating that the courses on your transcript reflect a basic grounding in instructional design.

Students in the Certificate program may apply to the master's program at any time. However, there are somewhat different admission criteria for the master's, and thus it is not guaranteed that Certificate students will be admitted to the master's program. However, if you are admitted, all of the Certificate courses will transfer to the master's program.

Indiana University does not make a distinction between online and residential courses. Indeed, our online courses, as described below, have the same core characteristics and requirements of our residential program. Neither the courses nor the degree or certificate are identified as being at a distance on your Indiana University transcript.

Characteristics of the Programs

We provide:

An entirely online curriculum.
A program focused on instructional design for academic and corporate settings.
An emphasis on the role of technology as a tool to support learning and instructional delivery.
Flexibility in movement through the program.

We engage students in:

Team-based learning.
Real-world projects.
A rich and diverse community.

We develop students':

Design competence.
Analysis and evaluation skills.
Systems thinking.

Tuition and fees

All distance students pay in-state tuition rates, regardless of where they live. Rates for the academic year are announced each June (the academic year begins in the Fall). The 2007-2008 in-state tuition and distance education fees are shown in the table below:

Tuition per credit hour	Distance Education fee per credit hour	Total cost per credit hour	Total cost per 3-credit course
$269.05	$35	$304.05	$912.15

Prerequisite Computer Competencies

Students entering either program are expected to have basic computer competencies as described at: http://www.indiana.edu/~istde/admission_require.html#computerrequirement

IST Distance Master's Program

The IST Master's @ a Distance is a 36-credit-hour program, generally spread over a 3-year period. Up to 9 of these credit hours may be transferred from other institutions if they fit into your overall goals and the program structure; talk to your advisor about the possibility of transferring particular coursework.

The following courses are offered by the IST and Educational Psychology departments. Other courses may be offered in the coming years that are not listed here. See the course list for a brief overview of the courses or click the course titles below for more details about each course.

IST Core Courses (12 credits required)

R511: Instructional Technology Foundations (3 credits)
R521: Instructional Design & Development (3 credits)
R541: Instructional Design & Production Process I (3 credits)
R561: Evaluation & Change in the Instructional Design Process (3 credits)

Other IST Required Course (6 credits required)

R505: Workshop in IST (3 credits)
R625: Designing Instructional Systems (3 credits)

IST Electives (9 credits required)

R519: Effective Writing for Instructional Technology (3 credits)
R547: Computer-Mediated Learning (3 credits)
R626: Instructional Strategies & Tactics (3 credits)
R586: Practicum in IST (3 credits)

Non-IST Required Course (3 credits required)

P540: Learning & Cognition in Education (3 credit hours)

Outside Electives (6 credits required)

Consult your academic advisor about identifying appropriate outside electives. The nature and mix of courses taken outside of IST must be structured to support the overall thrust of your program of studies, i.e., courses which support the focus and/or setting for which you are preparing. Typical options include courses in: Business, Computer Science, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Psychology, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Adult Education, Library and Information Science, Telecommunications, etc. Please click here to view IU Online's Web page, which provides information about courses offered online by IU that you may be interested in taking as your outside electives.

Instructional Project and Portfolio

In addition to at least 36 credit hours of coursework, the Master's @ a Distance program has project and portfolio requirements. Prior to graduation, a student is required to submit for review his or her instructional project and a portfolio. These are reviewed by a faculty committee with the student during the portfolio review. The purpose of these projects is to provide a synthesizing experience for the student and to provide quality career counseling.

Portfolio

A portfolio must be developed and submitted to the IST Department for review and approval. The portfolio will present two sets of information in an organized fashion. The first will be a set of products developed by the student. You may include in your portfolio the product developed in the instructional project. Additional products developed by the student in other course, via a practicum and or internships, in conjunction with a graduate assistantship, etc. may also be included in the portfolio.

The second set of information will consist of the following four items:

Completed program of studies form
Statement of the student's career goals
Professional resume, and
Listing of professional references

See http://www.iub.edu/~ist/programs/portfolio.html for more information about the portfolio process.

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0
Completed online application (ApplyYourself), which includes transcripts, personal goal statement, and letters of recommendation.
GRE: Score of 900 + 3.5 analytic (Old GRE 1350, verbal 600)
TOEFL for international or non-native English speakers: minimum 600 for paper test, 250 for computer test

IST Distance Certificate Program

The IST Certificate Program is designed to enhance your skills in instructional design and development and knowledge of instructional technology. Use this program as a springboard to further your career goals, to receive additional training in your chosen career, or to prepare yourself for a master's or Ph.D. program in instructional technology. This Certificate program provides a unique opportunity to experience instructional technology at a leading program. When you have completed this program, you will receive a certificate from the School of Education, in addition to the course credits on your Indiana University transcript.

Please note:
The Certificate in Instructional Systems Technology is NOT a state teaching license nor an endorsement on your teaching license. The master's program requires a separate application; completion of the Certificate program does not guarantee admission to the master's program or doctoral program in IST.

Certificate Requirements

A student must complete 5 course (15 credit hours) to fulfill the requirements of the IST Certificate program, including 4 required courses and 1 elective course.

Required courses for the certificate program:

R511: Instructional Technology Foundations (3 credits)
R521: Instructional Design & Development (3 credits)
R561: Evaluation & Change in the Instructional Design Process (3 credits)

And one of the following production courses (based on prior production experience)
R541: Instructional Design & Production Process I (R521 prerequisite or equivalent experience)
R547: Computer mediated Learning (R541 prerequisite or equivalent experience)

Elective courses for the certificate program:

Students must complete one elective from the following list:
R519: Effective Writing for Instructional Technology
R547: Computer Mediated Learning (R541 prerequisite or equivalent experience)
R626: Instructional Strategies and Tactics (R521 prerequisite)

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0
Completed online application (ApplyYourself), which includes transcripts, personal goal statement, and letters of recommendation.
TOEFL for international or non-native English speakers: minimum 600 for paper test, 250 for computer test
GRE is not required