MA Technology and Education Futures

EFPM200: SoE Success for All

Ensuring there are opportunities for you todiscover, grow, and thrive whilst you are with us in the School of Education is important to us. This compulsory non-credit bearing module has been designed to support your transition into masters level study in a UK university by developing a range of skills, knowledge, and experiences for success during your time here and beyond. This will include things like study skills and academic writing support, but also opportunities for you to establish a sense of 'belonging' within the SoE community through participation in a range of activities. We want you to feel a welcomed and valued member of our community.

The principal aim of this module is to enable you to discover, grow and thrive as a Masters level student whilst in the School of Education. As a result, this module will provide opportunities for you to:

• Develop and grow your knowledge, skills, and understanding of how to succeed within the academic discipline of Education at Masters level which promotes critical engagement with theory, research, policy and practice in the field
• Experience a sense of belonging so that you feel a valued member of our internationally and culturally diverse SoE community and are therefore able to thrive in an environment which celebrates and embraces difference.
• Discover opportunities to engage in the wider university community and effect change
• Ensure that you continue to discover, grow and thrive through engaging in 'next steps' sessions which are targeted at supporting your decisions for post-masters study and/or future employment

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EFPM332: Technology, Learning and Pedagogy

In this module you will explore issues around digital technology in education practice and develop a critical understanding of the role of technology for your own education future.

You will interrogate key concepts such as play and gamification, immersion (AR/ VR) and personalisation (AI) and use these to critically consider the relationship between new technologies, pedagogy and educational practice. You will explore and experiment with practical ways in which new technologies might be used in teaching and learning. And you will reflect on debates around some of the key issues that have emerged in the networked age, such as mis/disinformation, ethical AI and automation, and how to bring these into educational practice.

Using a variety of digital tools, face-to-face seminars, hands-on and online activities, and drawing on a range of literature from educational technology, digital sociology and psychology, you will not only develop your critical understanding of issues around technology in education, you will also discuss, theorise and imagine, with other students, what probable, possible and preferable digital futures of education may look like.

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EFPM914: Education Studies

Have you ever wondered what education is for, who it serves, or who decides how it should be organised? This module will enable you to take a critical and questioning approach to a number of issues in education and to further develop an engaged and informed understanding. You will be encouraged to explore different issues by adopting different theoretical approaches and disciplinary perspectives. This module provides an important foundation for further study on our other MA Education modules and will be accessible for current and future educational professionals alike.

There are no pre-requisites to this module. You may be asked to read material in advance of the taught session.

The module has the following principal aims:

To enable you to develop a strong understanding of the core theoretical approaches and disciplinary perspectives which underpin education, in order for you to be able to recognize the particular and distinct contributions that they make to this field of study

To advance your understanding of education as a complex, holistic, multi-dimensional field

To enable you to draw upon different approaches and perspectives in a confident, structured and imaginative manner, in order to address a range of key educational questions

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EFPM920: Digital Education Futures

In this module you will critically explore the role of digital technology in education and education futures with the aim of developing a critical and holistic understanding of 21st century education.

We will draw on current social perspectives on education, that foreground the importance of dialogue, thinking skills and creativity in our networked lives. We will consider some of the key issues that impact education, such as datafication, inclusion and trust, while also exploring some of the ways in which education is changing because of the advent of technology, for instance through the lens of digital and data literacies, the role of AI in education and the possible role of neuroscience for education.

Lastly, we will look towards the future by exploring futures thinking and sustainable digital futures for education.

The main aims of the module are:

• To introduce you to social perspectives of learning with new technologies and to develop your understanding of the way in which technology, creativity and thinking skills can be integrated in education
• To explore key issues around educational technology, such as digital literacies, sustainability and inclusion
• To introduce you to a range of theories, methodologies and research that are central to understanding the role of technology for education and education futures
• To enable you to critically explore the connections and tensions that may exist between theories and practices, and also between the needs and aims of different stakeholders in education technology (teachers, learners, policy makers, commercial companies, etc)
• To encourage you to critically consider the ways in which technologies may shape the ways in which you understand education and pedagogy, and vice versa - both now and in the future.

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EFPM308: Preparing for Educational Research and Dissertation

This is the final module for campus-based School of Education Masters programmes. This 60-credit module will introduce you to educational research and support you in designing and/or carrying out a small-scale research project on an educational topic of your choice; it is expected that this topic will be linked to your pathway/programme.

The module consists of online materials and/or taught components that build and support the research skills you require. If you choose to do an empirical or literature-based study, a dissertation supervisor will support you in writing a research proposal, carrying out your project and writing up your dissertation. If you choose to do an empirical study, a dissertation supervisor will support you in writing a research proposal, carrying out your project and writing up your dissertation. If you choose to write a more detailed research proposal, a supervisor will support you in developing and articulating your understanding of research paradigms, methodology, methods, and ethics.

The aim of the module is to develop your understanding of a range of methods of educational enquiry and to provide the necessary theoretical background to carry out a research enquiry, usually in a professional context. Specifically, the module will enable you to:

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EFPM642: Dissertation Portfolio

Drawing from the discipline of teaching inquiry, this module will introduce you to ideas, resources, and tools to support your own education inquiry, promoting the discussion of contemporary issues in education, alongside creating an educational artefact or resource aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning of others. You will engage in iterative cycles of exploration, investigation, and reflection, deepening your understanding of key educational concepts and related them to developing questions regarding specific issues in contemporary education. Through inquiry-based learning, you will pose questions, reflect on your practice and the practices of others, gather information from existing academic research, and make informed decisions regarding how to enhance the learning of others.

We use the terms artefact and resource to refer to something which is designed and created by you with the intention of addressing a specific issue in education practice. Previous artefact examples and research questions include:

• How can Chinese education enhance teaching methods to foster critical thinking skills? Artefact: a Whodunit murder mystery role play lesson
• How does creative dance education enhance elementary school students' mental wellbeing: Artefacts: lesson plans and teaching resources
• How can we help busy teachers to embed creative thinking in everyday teaching? Artefact: Podcast Series which interviewed a range of academics regarding their conceptualisations of creativity.
• What are the existing problems faced by primary school teachers in China when disciplining students? Artefact: shadow puppet video
• What are the most effective strategies and tools for helping primary school students transition from spoken Arabic dialects to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)? Artefacts: lesson plans and teaching resources
• How does the integration of identity formation in professional development programmes in Peru influence teachers' motivation and resilience? Artefact: in-service training materials

This module aims to develop your knowledge and skills in:

• Understanding teacher inquiry and its application to educational practice
• Developing, reviewing, and refining project aims within an inquiry framework
• Reviewing and synthesising relevant academic literature to support your understanding of a chosen educational problem
• Applying theory, research, and policy to practice through the design and creation of a practice‑based educational artefact or resource
• Critically evaluating both the final artefact and the learning processes that informed its development

This module provides a distinctive opportunity to investigate an educational issue of personal or professional significance and to develop a practice‑based artefact informed by research.

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EFPM375: Education for Diversity

This module explores diversity and issues of identity in education from a range of theoretical and practical perspectives. It draws on an intersectional framework (gender, social class, disability, race, culture etc.) that is organised around important and timely issues in education. Your study will involve a critical examination of a wide range of different ideas and theories associated with identity and diversity, such as intersectionality, post-colonial theory, critical race theory, feminist theory, inclusion, and social justice, which are considered to shape, and be shaped by, education. There are no pre-requisites for this module

The principal aims of this module are:

• To enable you to explore, and build a sound knowledge base, from which to critically evaluate issues of diversity in education
• To explore these key issues from different identity perspectives, e.g., gender, social class, disability, race, culture etc. and from an intersectionality perspective
• To introduce you to a range of theories, methodologies and research projects which are considered central to understanding diversity in education, and to critically evaluate their utility
• To encourage you to critically consider the role which education might play in creating a more diverse, just, equitable and sustainable world
• To offer you the opportunity to examine the linkages, fragmentations and tensions which might exist in theory and practice and consider the ramifications which these might have for education
• To enable you the opportunity to explore the links between your own educational experiences and develop empathy for and understanding of the experiences of other people

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EFPM376: Contemporary Sociologies of Education

This module offers students an in-depth exploration of the relationship between society and education in contemporary times from diverse sociological points of view, considering global and local contexts where educational processes and problems take shape. It draws on key contemporary and emerging social thinkers, and sociological concepts and approaches applied to different pressing issues in education such as hegemony, cultural capital, teacher professionalisation, emotional labour, biopolitics, genealogy, . You will study core ideas in sociologies of education from scholars such as Pierre Bourdieu, Michael Young, Michael Apple, Michael Foucault, Raewyn Connell, Judith Butler, and postcolonial sociology. The module takes a cutting-edge look at new and emerging areas of attention in the sociologies of education, such as mental health; curriculum, the politics of knowledge, inequalities, social justice and power; the culture of success; teacher professionalisation; and the emerging influence of technologies and life sciences on schools. The module will equip students with the knowledge and skills to be able to work in complex educational organisations, bringing understanding and capacities to intervene in the socio-cultural issues and dilemmas faced by governments, civil society organisations, educators, families, students, and schools.

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EFPM839: Transdisciplinary Collaborations for Creative Futures

Within this module you will learn with staff and students from across the University, collaborating beyond traditional academic boundaries in a transdisciplinary way where disciplines serve the issue in hand, rather than serving each other. You will work in transdisciplinary teams to explore complex social, educational and ethical issues facilitated through a combination of Creative Pedagogies and Design Thinking. You will be encouraged to collaboratively, and critically, produce original ideas, and think innovatively about the future through research-based activities, fieldwork and creative workshops that blend the arts, sciences, social sciences, humanities and business. Using appropriately innovative assessment techniques, the module will equip you to respond to the global complexity and uncertainty that you will inevitably encounter when you graduate.

There are no pre-requisite or co-requisite modules; it is suitable for M-level students from across the University, including interdisciplinary pathways.

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EFPM907: Creativity in Education: Valuing, Facilitating and Assessing It

What is creativity in education and how can we facilitate and assess it? In this module we explore the value of creativity in education, how it manifests and can be facilitated in different disciplines including how we can assess it. The module draws on research and practice within the arts, social sciences and science educational research. It is taught by a team of specialists in creativity, the arts and interdisciplinarity in relation to education. You will develop your understanding of accounts of creativity with particular reference to key theoretical approaches and will explore pedagogical issues for creativity in learning and teaching, including assessment. The module includes a focus on theory, policy and practice and gives you opportunities to discuss these with reference to varied disciplinary, cultural and educational contexts.

This module is suitable for specialist or non-specialist students. It is a core module on the MA Creative Arts Programme and is open optionally to students on other SoE MA Programmes. There are no pre-requisite modules.

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EFPM910: Education Policy

The purpose of this module is to explore key issues and debates in the field of education. The module will introduce you to the ideas, theories and concepts underpinning education policy debates and to contemporary developments in this field. It seeks to enable you to critically examine education policy developments both within and between national contexts and travelling policy as it moves between different international settings. As such you will be asked to critically examine policy developments in a range of local, national and international contexts and to undertake a study of an education policy development in a setting with which you are familiar.

The principal aim of this module is to facilitate critical examination of education policy in global, national and local contexts. It will seek to develop the following:

• Knowledge and understanding of education policy and its relationship to wider changes at local, national and international levels
• Knowledge and understanding of key ideas underpinning education policy changes, policy processes and developments
• A more developed knowledge and understanding of educational practices and institutional arrangements as they have developed in the context of policy change
• Critical thinking in relation to theoretical perspectives on education policy as a field of contest
• The capacity to effectively contribute to debates about education policy development and change
• The capacity to examine the implications of policy frameworks and discourses for educational institutions and teaching and learning practices

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EFPM919: Critical Perspectives on Inclusive Education

This module explores inclusive education from a range of critical perspectives. The concepts of inclusion, disability, difference and diversity will be examined and critiqued. Inclusive and special school provision from different global contexts will be studied in depth. Different critical perspectives including: Disability Studies, Globalisation and Inclusive Pedagogy. You will be encouraged to reflect upon the development of special and inclusive education systems in your own countries as well as considering a range of international and global perspectives.

• To introduce you to a range of critical perspectives on inclusive education which are considered important to international inclusive education research and practice.
• To explore inclusive education from an international and inter-cultural perspective through engagement with research and community educational projects in a range of different contexts.
• To encourage you to critically consider the role which education might play in creating more inclusive education systems.
• To offer you the opportunity to examine the tensions, inequalities and contradictions which might exist in the implementation of inclusive education in different parts of the world.
• To enable you to reflect on your own experience of inclusive education and draw connections with those of different cultures across the world.

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