ETEC 510: Design of Technology-Supported Learning Environments

Description

ETEC 510 is an online seminar examining research and related exemplary participatory, networked media tools – as these inform the design of technology-mediated environments. It explores constructivist and cultural theories of mind, education, and digital authoring and communication and their significance for the design of dynamic pedagogical environments that support 21st century modes of making, sharing, literacies, and learning. In it, you will author and share digital artifacts and collaboratively design a technology-supported learning environment.

ETEC 510 requires participants:

  • to engage reflexively with academic literature concerning digital media, pedagogical spaces, and the design of spaces for learning.
  • to author various digital artifacts, including the production of a digital story, a stop motion animation, and the production, as part of a collaborative group, of a technology-supported environment for learning.

This course will support the development of your expertise, experience, and comfort with academic research concerning digital media, pedagogical spaces, and the design of spaces for learning, as well as with digital authoring, interactive sharing, and making of social media (e.g. blogs, wikis, iMovie).

Learning Objectives

After completing ETEC 510, you will be able to:

  • Critically reflect on how models of technology integration and learning theory relate to the development and implementation of ICT-based learning experiences.
  • Apply principles of User Experience (UX) Design to the implementation of ICT-based learning experiences.
  • Propose technology-enabled solutions to a range of challenges across different educational contexts and justify choices made in the selection and design of ICT-based learning experiences based on academic literature.
  • Explore a range of educational media and apply principles of design thinking to plan learning experiences appropriate to specific educational contexts.
  • Develop a collaborative learning environment, including considerations for informal learning, gamification, self-paced tutorials, distance education, and social media tools.

Activities

Each Module includes a wide variety of interactivities, which provide you with opportunities to extend your knowledge and understanding of the materials, familiarize yourself with related materials that are on the web, and reflect on your readings and explorations scaffolded by questions that we think reflect important issues that are relevant in the contemporary world of educational research and professional development. Each week, one of these activities is highlighted as a discussion activity, which provides you with a specific focus, activity, and leading questions that will scaffold your participation. You will be expected to use, individually, and sometimes in groups, the discussion forums on the course site to discuss keywords that anchor the primary arguments and threads discussed in the readings and module interactivities. These keyword discussion groups will provide you with an opportunity to share your knowledge, to seek feedback from fellow students as well as your instructor on your ideas, and to ask for help when you need it.

Course modules include:

  • Module 1 – Course Introduction
  • Module 2 – Designing Educational Futures, Now
  • Module 3 – Designs for Thinking, Designs for Making
  • Module 4 – Inclusion by Design
  • Module 5 – Designs for e-Learning Environments
  • Module 6 – Designs for Serious Play

Readings & Resources

This course uses an open textbook as well as other resources, including case studies, online videos, and other online reference materials, along with facilitated online discussions, group work, and iterative assignment work to reach course outcomes.

Examples of required readings and resources

Assignments & Assessment

During the course, in addition to participating in the discussion forums, you will complete three assignments that ask you to engage with the design of technology supported learning environments: Design Project Proposal, Design Wiki Stop Motion Animation authoring project, and your final Design Project.

  • Weekly Keyword Entries (20%)
  • Playing with Design (15%)
  • Design Project Proposal (20%)
  • Curriculum User Guide Draft (0%)
  • Peer Review of Curriculum User Guide (5%)
  • Final Design Project (40%)

Minor course topic, activity, reading/resource, and assignment details may change from year to year.