Boise State University’s College of Education first offered an online master’s in educational technology for educators and trainers more than a decade ago. This week, the research university announced it will expand its online graduate school of education offerings to include a new online doctoral program, an EdD in educational technology.
The Idaho State Board of Education approved the new distance doctoral degree last week after reviewing the university’s mission statement for the new EdD program. Boise hopes the new program will encourage greater research and application development in the emerging area of educational technology.
The doctor of education in educational technology (EdD) program was developed at Boise State University in the summer and fall of 2011. The new degree program is built on the foundation of a highly successful online master’s degree program with a research thesis option that was launched at Boise more than a decade ago.
The Ed Tech program has spearheaded the development of new K-12 classroom technology systems, such as the quest-based learning experience 3D Game Lab. The research efforts of doctoral candidates at Boise will likely continue to focus on new models of learning and efficacy in regards to harnessing Ed Tech systems.
Online Education Doctorate for Rural Educators
In a review of the new doctoral program published in the Arbiter—Boise State’s student newspaper—Dr. Ross Perkins, associate professor in educational technology, warns that although people may be critical of online education, distance learning has consistently been shown to provide the same level of quality as a traditional residential education.
“People shouldn’t be discriminated for where they chose to live,” said Perkins in the Arbiter. Online programs offer rural educators a unique opportunity to study programs not available to them locally.
Boise State has long been dedicated to the use of distance learning to deliver higher education to a remote audience in Idaho and bordering states. The university currently offers a master of educational technology, which is a practitioner-focused, hands-on, project-oriented program for educators wanting to make a difference with their students in their everyday teaching climate.
The new doctorate is expected to draw educators from across the nation who want to combine research with practitioner efforts already underway in local school systems. Demand from master of science in educational technology alumni helped spur the development of the new online education doctorate.
Online students seeking more details on the distance doctorate should contact Dr. Ross Perkins, doctoral program coordinator.
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