College of Education - Graduate
Online M.Ed. in Educational Technology Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I qualify for admission into the online M.Ed. in Educational Technology degree program?
A: If you are not already enrolled in the GVSU COE on-campus hybrid/blended graduate educational technology degree program, and you live OUTSIDE the tri-county (Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon) area, then you may qualify for the online program.
Q: How do I know whether the online program is the right one for me?
A: Each student must decide for themselves whether a completely online graduate degree program is their best option. Some questions to consider are: Am I confident and competent with technology? Have I been successful when taking online courses in the past? Am I a self-directed learner? Do I need face-to-face contact to feel connected to other students and the instructor?
Q: Is there a sequence of courses that I need to follow to complete the program?
A: EDT 621 requires a pre-requisite of 15 credits BEFORE students can enroll. This course has been designated in our program where students who wish to enroll in a thesis (ED 693) for their capstone must declare their intent as required by university policies. For more information, see the M.Ed. Capstone options section below. Other courses do not have pre-requisites.
Q: What are the course requirements for the program?
A: The M.Ed. in Educational Technology degree requires the following courses:
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Core Technology Courses
- EDT 619 - Curricular Integration of Educational Technology
- EDT 620 - Evaluating and Applying Instructional Media
- EDT 621 - Topics in Educational Technology
- EDT 626 - Assessment/Evaluation with Educational Technology
- EDT 629 - Online Instructional Design/Development
- EDT 634 - Planning/Managing Educational Technology
- EDT 635 - Instructional Systems Design
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Foundations Courses
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Select one:
- EDF 671 - Educational Policy and Practice
- EDF 672 - Social/Cultural Foundations of Education
- EDF 660 - Educational Inquiry and Evaluation
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Select one:
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Capstone Course, select one:
- ED 693 - Master's Project*
- ED 695 - Master's Thesis*
- 3 graduate credits of electives
*See information on capstone options and timeline for declaring intent to complete a thesis below.
Q: How do I apply for the program?
A: Submit an application for the graduate degree at the GVSU Graduate Admissions Online Application.
Q: What happens after I have been accepted into the program?
A: Students will receive a letter from the College of Education indicating that they have been accepted into the graduate program. Once accepted, the university will send you a letter with your student (G) number, user name and PIN for enrolling in courses using Banner.
After acceptance, students will hear from an academic advisor (by e-mail) following up on their admission and reviewing information provided. Prior to setting up an advising session, students should complete and submit the online self-assessment.
Q: Will I be assigned an academic advisor?
A: Yes, an academic advisor will contact you via e-mail to welcome you to the program, answer any questions you might have and setup an initial advising session. Advising sessions are available via telephone or online in Wimba.
Q: How is advising done in the online program?
A: Students are always welcome to visit Grand Rapids, MI, but are not required to do so. Alternative means of scheduled advising sessions include telephone or synchronous (Wimba) sessions. Advisors will setup a day and time for advising sessions which will occur at least once-a-year. During these sessions, students can ask questions, get information, clarifications, and find out which courses are available in the future. Students can also contact their academic advisor by e-mail when they have questions about the program, courses, etc.
Q: Which courses should I enroll in using Banner?
A: Banner includes all courses offered by GVSU and only those courses identified as “Online” in the Location column do not require on-campus class sessions. “Hybrid” courses have some required on-campus time and are generally for students in our on-campus programs.
Q: I tried to enroll in an online course in Banner but it says a permit is required? What do I need to do to get a permit to enroll?
A: Assuming that you have been accepted into the online M.Ed. in Educational Technology degree program, your advisor can notify the enrollment specialist in the Student Information Services Center (SISC) and request a permit for a specific course. When you setup an initial advising session with your advisor, you should indicate which courses you are interested in enrolling in for the academic year so he can request a permit for that course. Recall that only students in the online degree program will be guaranteed seats in the online educational technology courses. If you have a question about an available course, you can e-mail the SISC at coeserve@gvus.edu - Be sure to indicate in your e-mail that you are a student in the Online Ed Tech program.
Q: Which elective courses qualify in this program?
A: The criteria we use to transfer in credit from outside GVSU are that the course must be (a) graduate-level, (b) from an accredited institution of higher learning, (c) grade B or higher, and (d) fit into your program. Elective credits can come from graduate courses at GVSU, graduate courses from other colleges of universities that are accredited by NCATE, or graduate-level credits offered by school districts, ISDs, or other academic agencies.
Q: How does the online program compare with the hybrid/blended program?
A: The content, activities, and assignments are identical in the online program to the hybrid/blended on-campus program. The course readings, assignments, projects, and activities are the same, but they occur in BlackBoard in the online program and no required visits to campus are necessary.
Q: Where can I find more information about the M.Ed. in Educational Technology degree, the courses offered, the schedule, etc.?
A: The best source for information about the program, courses, and requirements for the online M.Ed. in Educational Technology degree is our website. For information on graduate courses offered in the COE, visit our graduate course page. To view a schedule of available courses, and to enroll in courses, go to the annual class schedule. To enroll in a course, go to Banner; using your user ID and PIN, you may log into the system, view, and enroll in available courses.
Q: I have been accepted into the online M.Ed. in Educational Technology program. What should I do now?
A: If you haven’t already done so, please setup an online advising session to review the program and your status. You should also download, fill out, sign and return the planned program for the M.Ed. in Educational Technology degree. This Adobe Acrobat format file (PDF) can be opened in Acrobat Reader and you can enter your personal information into the planned program. Open the file and click on the Name, Student G Number, Address, etc. fields and type in your information. To officially “sign” the document, you will also need a digital ID. If you already have one, you can attach it when you click on the Student Signature field. If you do not have one, you can create one by following the instructions and prompts. Once signed, you should send the updated planned program to edtech@gvsu.edu. Or you can print and sign the form, and mail it back to the College of Education.
M.Ed. Capstone Options
The GVSU College of Education offers students two (2) options for completing their M.Ed. capstone experience: a development project (ED 693) or a research/thesis (ED 695).
- ED 693 - Master's Project: A project involves curriculum or program development, and applies theory to practice. For a project, students create and describe evaluation of a product that is used in a professional capacity.
- ED 695 - Master's Thesis: A thesis is a traditional research capstone where a candidate for an advanced degree gathers data, analyzes that data, and presents the results along with their interpretations. During a thesis, students analyze data to answer a research question or test a hypothesis of interest.
Students may choose either option and there are different requirements depending on your choice. Information on the COE Website provides help when choosing a thesis or project, as does course work completed in EDT 621 – Topics in Educational Technology. Students who choose to complete a project (ED 693) must submit an application (available online) the term before they plan to complete their project and there are deadlines for applications for each term.
Students who choose to complete a thesis (ED 695) must declare their choice between 30-60% of completion of their course work (after completing 12-18 credits, during EDT 621), must identify a thesis advisor, form a thesis committee, and register for ED 695. Those students who select a thesis option, and are unable to finish their thesis in one term, can enroll in ED 696 and complete their thesis in a subsequent term. Other university requirements for completion of a thesis (ED 695) can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies thesis and dissertation information page. Students who are considering a thesis (ED 695) are encouraged to talk with their advisor after completion of 18-credits so they can designate their plans as required by GVSU.
Agt/10-12-12
Page last modified February 18, 2013
