Research Exercise

by Courtney L. Teague EDD 7007, CRN 50005 Principle of Distance Education

Nova Southeastern University June 3, 2012

Teague Research Exercise Part I: The Institution and Programs 1. List the name, mailing address, and website URL of the institution. The institution selected for this assignment is Capella University. The mailing address of the university is 225 South 6th Street 9th Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55402 (Capella University, contact us, 2012). The website URL for Capella University is www.capella.edu. 2. What degrees and majors are offered in the identified program? Capella University offers Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in Education with a program focused on Instructional Design for Online Learning (Capella University, masters degree programs (2012); Capella University, doctoral programs, 2012). 3. For how long has the institution been offering the identified program at a distance? Capella University began offering the Doctoral degree and Masters programs in Instructional Design for Online Learning at a distance since 1993 (Capella University, about capella, 2012). 4. What course delivery technologies are used? The course delivery technologies Blackboard, iGuide, phone, email, fax, podcasts, blogs, video, SMARTTHINKING, Youtube, Capella Mobile (an iPhone app, an Android app, and mobile site); intranet/extranet, DVD, satellite TV, or CD-ROM (Capella University, online learning, 2012; Learner Handbook. 2011).

Teague Research Exercise 5. Is there a face-to-face component of instruction? If so, where is it conducted, and for what duration? Yes, there is a face-to-face component for Doctor of Philosophy degree. There is a residency requirement of three 4-day weekend experiences in Minneapolis, Minnesota at specific stages in the program (Capella University, instructional design for online learning specialization, 2011).

6. How long does it take to earn a degree in the identified program?

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Instructional Design for Online Learning requires 120 quarter credits for completion (Capella University, instructional design for online learning specialization, 2011). The Master of Science in Education in Instructional Design for Online Learning requires 48 quarter credits for completion (Capella University, masters instructional design online learning specialization, 2011).

7. Is the institution accredited? If so, by what organization?

The Higher Learning Commission is the accrediting agency for Capella University and Capella University is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1997. In 2000, Capella University became the first online academic institution to become a charter participant of the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (Capella University, about capella, 2012).

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8. Is the institution public or private? If private, is it for-profit or not-for-profit?

Capella University is a public proprietary institution (Capella Education Company, n.d.;U.S. News, n.d.).

9. What is the total enrollment of the institution?

According to Capella Education Company (n.d), the total enrollment of the institution is more than 37,553 students with more than seventy six percent pursing masters and doctoral degrees.

10. What is the tuition (per course or per year)?

The Doctor of Philosophy costs $4,596 quarterly tuition and $4,125 quarterly tuition (comprehensive examination and dissertation). The Master of Science degree costs $420 per credit (Capella University, tuition chart, 2012).

Part II: The institutions website: A. How would you rate the visual appeal of the site? What elements are visually appealing, and which aspects are less so?

The visual appeal of the site includes proper headings. There is adequate contrast between the text and background. The homepages layout is beginner user friendly. The Universitys diversity is noted visually by the pictures of men and women of

Teague Research Exercise various ethnic backgrounds. The colors are calm and individuals with visual impairments should be able to manipulate the website with little help.

B. Is the site easily navigable and well organized? Provide examples.

Yes, the website is easily navigable with the exception of the web designer should have placed an informative note that states click bullets to see more information. The parent pages are not noted and users unfamiliar with functioning of child pages would not know to click the parent pages to see more selections.

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The Featured section on the bottom of the page keeps information fresh.

C.

Does the site contain sufficient information to answer questions 1-10? If not, provide details.

No, the detailed program enrollment was not listed on the website or could it be searched for using the websites search tool. I also had to search on another website to determine if the school was public or private.

Teague Research Exercise D. What is the most positive aspect of the website?

The most positive aspect of the Capella Universitys website is that each video has a transcript for individuals who are hearing impaired.

E. What aspect of the site is most in need of improvement?

Teague Research Exercise The aspect of the site most in need of improvement is the need of a menu bar. In order to find the contact us section, I had to scroll to the bottom and look to the right and click a link for the online form to pop up.

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References Capella Education. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.capellaeducation.com/company_information/capella_overview.aspx Capella University. (2012), About Capella accreditation. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/about_capella/accreditation.aspx Capella University. (2012). About Capella history Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/about_capella/history.aspx Capella University. (2012). Contact us. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/contact_us/contact_us_index.aspx Capella University. (2012). Instructional design for online learning specialization. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/education/phd/instructional_design_onl ine_learning.aspx Capella University. (2012). Online learning. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/online_learning/frequently_asked_questions.aspx#interact Capella University. (2011). Learner handbook. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/inc/pdf/Learner_Handbook.pdf Capella University. (2012). Schools programs degrees masters. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/degrees/masters.aspx

Teague Research Exercise Capella University. (2012). School programs degrees phd. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/degrees/phd.aspx Capella University. (2012). School programs education. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/education/phd/instructional_design_onl ine_learning.aspx Capella University. (2012). Tuition chart. Retrieved from http://www.capella.edu/inc/pdf/tuition_chart.pdf

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U.S. News. (n.d.). Capella University. Retrieved from http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/capella-university32673