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Welcome to Bob Tipple's  journey through the Master of Distance Education at the University of Maryland University College.




 

I feel my life is full of valuable transitions; over the course of my career I have enjoyed the diverse experiences of being an engineer, a technical manager, senior manager, an executive in a multinational organization, an academic, and now as an educator. The MDE program has been tremendously helpful in this last step in exposing me to the ‘science of teaching and learning’.

I have also been fortunate in being a part of three industry revolutions. First as a software engineer when microprocessors revolutionized the computing industry, second  as a technology executive when technology revolutionized the telecommunications industry, and now as an educator as technology is revolutionizing the education industry. This is an exciting time to be working in distance education; the rapid growth in multi-media, broadband, and communication technologies is making it possible for people from all corners of the globe to readily access comprehensive educational opportunities. The potential for distance education is limitless as it will most certainly be critical learning environment for all students around the world.

The University of Maryland's MDE program has proven to be an excellent window to Distance Education by expanding my practitioner’s view of DE with a broad array of current literature especially in teaching pedagogy, instructional design, learning styles, multimedia technologies, student and faculty support structures, communications, intellectual property regulations, DE leadership and the business of DE. The program is also blessed with outstanding global professors who are experts in their respective fields and student peers with a wealth of experience in all facets of education, which created a stimulating and rewarding learning experience.

This portfolio provides a window into my experiences, each of my MDE courses, and my personal artifacts. 

Thank you for reviewing my portfolio, if you have further questions please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]