Digital Futures for Education
| Module title | Digital Futures for Education |
|---|---|
| Module code | EFPM316 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Judith Kleine Staarman (Convenor) |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
In this module you will explore the trajectory and possible future implications of digital technology for education. You will engage with some of the key concepts in learning and technology, such as creativity, ubiquity and sharing; and will use these ideas to critically consider emerging educational practice and new technologies and pedagogy. Using a variety of digital tools, face-to-face seminars (for campus students) and online activities, and drawing on a range of literature from educational technology, e-learning and psychology, you will not only develop your critical understanding of issues around technology in education, you will also discuss, debate and theorise with other students what the digital future of education may look like.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Through an exploration and discussion of theoretical, professional and practical applications of new technology in education, the module aims to develop your critical understanding of how technology shapes education, both now and in the future. There is a strong focus on the social nature of learning with new technology and you will familiarize yourself with a range of digital tools for education, such as twitter, blogging and wikis as well as asynchronous discussions and digital games. You will be strongly encouraged to reflect on and link back your ideas to your own practice and experiences.
Specifically the module will enable you to:
develop a conceptual, critical and experiential understanding of the social nature of learning with new technology;
identify possible affordances of technological tools for teaching and learning;
identify and interpret educational theory and research and relate this to educational practice with new technology;
identify and interpret evidence and discuss this in the context of academic and professional reading work independently and with originality;
develop a critical understanding of ethical issues involved in teaching and learning with new technology
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate a systematic understanding of theoretical perspectives and practical concerns in the area of educational technology;
- 2. demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature of learning processes around new technology, with a specific focus on social aspects of teaching and learning;
- 3. demonstrate an ability to critically reflect on the affordances of technological tools for teaching and learning;
- 4. demonstrate an ability to synthesise relevant theoretical perspectives and arguments in current debates about core dilemmas in educational technology;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. identify systematically and evaluate insightfully current research and advanced scholarship relevant to the field of educational technology, creativity and thinking;
- 6. explore critically the multiple lenses through which educational technology can be interpreted and developed;
- 7. evaluate and critique ideas and concepts encountered on the pathway in the light of different theoretical approaches;
- 8. apply theoretical insights, through critical reflection, to your study of the pathway;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 9. demonstrate the ability to identify and critically discuss current issues in educational technology;
- 10. demonstrate the ability to construct organised, structured, critically reflective and analytic writing;
- 11. demonstrate the ability to manage time and engagement in the context of masters level study that has a high level of independent study;
- 12. demonstrate the ability to take the initiative in contributing collaboratively in interactive learning contexts; and
- 13. demonstrate communication skills both oral and written and in on-line contexts.
Syllabus plan
The precise structure of the module varies year by year, but in general, the first cluster of sessions will focus on some of the key concepts of digital education, such as computer-supported collaborative learning, communities of inquiry and affordance theory. We will engage with these theoretical ideas through engagement with a range of digital tools such as wikis, blogs, twitter and/ or games.
In the second cluster of sessions, we will reflect on some of the core dilemmas for technology in education, such as the promise of openness versus the threat of surveillance and cyber bullying, the promise of democracy versus the danger of control and the loss of literature versus new literacies. There will be further opportunity to discuss experiences and ideas with fellow students through digital media.
In addition, there will be some practical experiences, for instance through a school visit and a session on multi-touch technology, which will further enhance your understanding of the links between digital technology, practice and pedagogy.
Throughout the module, you will participate in online activities, and a host of online material and digital tools will be made available for both campus and distance students. You will be required to write and develop a blog, which will enable you to present your developing ideas to peers and to critically reflect on the module content in relation to educational practice and the wider literature. You will also need to comment on other students’ blogs and the feedback you receive will form the basis of a reflective and critical re-drafting of your own blog for the main assessment of the module.
Your final submission will be a referenced, theorized and critical reflective blog, containing various sections and topics, which will be explained in the module. The blog will be submitted near the end of the second term, to allow you to develop your blog in depth and to widen the scope of your blog as a result of experiences in other modules on the course.
Online discussions and contributions to the blogs as comments will also form part of the work that will be assessed. Formative assessment includes video blog (vlog) post in which you are asked to review an educational app. This video blog post will be peer reviewed. Moreover, there will be a variety of activities throughout the module, in which you will be asked to reflect, discuss and debate with other students, which will be formatively assessed by the course tutors.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 30 | The teaching sessions will take on a variety of forms, including 9 weekly online and face to face seminars (1-3 hours) and pre-recorded lectures, additional online sessions via a range of collaboration tools (i.e. Adobe Connect, ELE), one practice based session (either in Exeter, or local to student) |
| Guided independent study | 120 | Engagement with specific online materials, readings and tasks, set each week in the seminars and on ELE |
| Guided independent study | 90 | Preparation for assignments |
| Guided independent study | 60 | Self-directed study related to module (additional guided readings and online discussions with staff and fellow students) |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create a video blog post in which you critically review an educational app (for iOS/ Android) . | 2,500 words equivalent | 1-13 | Oral and written peer assessment and tutor feedback |
| Critically reflect on the various topics that are presented in the module and discuss your ideas with other students in the online discussion forum, blogs and other social media that will be utilised | Throughout the module | 1-13 | Written peer assessment and tutor feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theorised learning blog | 90 | 7,000 words | 1-13 | Written summative feedback |
| Contributions to online discussions | 10 | 500 words | 1-13 | Written summative feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorised learning blog | Re-submission of blog (90%) | 1-13 | 6 weeks |
| Contributions to online discussions | Essay (500 words) about one of the topics discussed in the module (10%) | 1-13 | 6 weeks |
Re-assessment notes
The assessment of contributions to online discussions will be re-assessed by the submission of a 500 word essay on a topic set by the tutor, capped at the mark of 50.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Buckingham, D. (2007) Beyond Technology: Children’s Learning in the Digital Age. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Crook, C. & Lewthwaite, S. (2010) Technologies for formal and informal learning, in K. Littleton, C. Wood & J. Kleine Staarman, The International Handbook of Psychology in Education. Bingly, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Gee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hakkarainen, K. (2010) Learning communities in the classroom, in K. Littleton, C. Wood & J. Kleine Staarman, The
International Handbook of Psychology in Education. Bingly, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Heppel, S., Chapman, C., Millward, R., Constable, M. & Furness, J. (2004). Building Learning Futures. London: CABE/RIBA. Retrieved 30th May 2005 from: http://rubble.heppell.net/cabe/final_report.pdf (accessed 21/01/2009)
Hutchby, I and Moran-Ellis, J. (2001) Children, Technology and Culture: The Impacts of Technologies in Children's
Everyday Lives. London: Routledge .
Jewett, C. (2010) Technology and learning: A multimodal approach, in K. Littleton, C. Wood & J. Kleine Staarman, The International Handbook of Psychology in Education. Bingly, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Kirriemuir, J & McFarlane, A. (2004). Literature Review in Games and Learning. London: Nesta FutureLab. Retrieved on 30th May 2005 from: http://www.nestafuturelab.org/research/reviews/08_01.htm
Loveless, A. (2003) Creating Spaces in the Primary Curriculum: ICT in creative subjects. The Curriculum Journal, 14:1, 5-21.
Marsh, J. (2004) Popular Culture, Media and Digital Literacies in Early Childhood. London: Routledge .
Rasmussen, I. & Ludvigsen, S. (2010) Learning with computer tools and environments: A sociocultural perspective, in K. Littleton, C. Wood & J. Kleine Staarman, The International Handbook of Psychology in Education. Bingly, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Shaffer, D. (2007) How computer games help children to learn. New York: Palgrave/MacMillan
Veen, W. and Vrakking, B. (2006). Homo Zappiens: Reshaping learning in the digital age. London: Network Continuum Press.
Wegerif. R. (2007) Dialogic, Educational and Technology: Resourcing the Space of Learning. New York: Springer-Verlag
Wegerif, R. (2012) Dialogic: Education for the Internet Age. London, Routledge
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | none |
| Module co-requisites | none |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 26/06/2013 |
| Last revision date | 30/06/2015 |
