Designing a Collaborative Multimedia Course: Culture and School Success

As an extension of a graduate program at the University of Utah designed to prepare teachers to work more effectively with American Indian students, a multimedia distance education course entitled "Culture and School Success: Teaching American Indians," was developed. Two major outcomes were identified: to educate a minimum of 350 educational professionals per year in their home communities in best practice interventions for American Indian children and youth in Utah; and to develop and test an innovative technology enhanced model for curriculum development and distance delivery which included cost effectiveness, longevity, and flexibility in its use. To assist in the design process, an instructional designer facilitated a series of large group brainstorming sessions utilizing a systematic approach to the process. Four stages or levels of design were addressed: course parameters, content, scaffolding, and media element design. Themes developed during this process that were used to guide the class design included historical context, self-reflection, student-designed solutions, and evaluation. The end result was an outline listing the elements to be covered in each session. The process will continue with producing the video elements, developing print materials, researching enrichment activities, training facilitators, exploring possible World Wide Web interactions, and designing student activities/projects. (AEF)