Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning
EDUC 450
Winter 2015
From the syllabus:
Course Overview
Participants in this course will be engaged in a process designed to advance their understanding of how technology can be used to enhance student learning, focusing on K-12 environments but also considering higher education and other formal (e.g., corporate training) and informal (e.g., museums) learning environments.
In the first module (2 weeks) participants will reflect on their own learning experiences and trajectory, learn about theoretical and pedagogical approaches that support technology integration in education at all levels and in a variety of contexts, and begin to understand how the integration of technology for meaningful learning fundamentally alters the work that teachers and learners do in the classroom—or wherever their teaching and learning are taking place.
In the second module (2 weeks) the course focuses our attention on two learner constituencies that may present different challenges to teachers and peers in the classroom: students with learning disabilities (LD) and students who are English Language Learners (ELLs). The module introduces participants to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) methodology for designing and/or adapting classroom teaching and learning practices to address the needs of all learners, whether formally identified as having LD or being ELLs or not.
The third module addresses five different approaches to learning, presenting a theoretical foundation for each along with specific examples of how technology can help support each type.
For each session, students in this course will prepare by doing a variety of tasks: Reading (assigned articles, chapters, websites), writing (posting to course wiki, discussion forum, emails/chats with instructor and peers), practice (with new tools or resources), engaging (in class and by attending the online sessions, joining online office hours, collaborating online with peers, etc.), and creating(developing products and examples).
COURSE GOALS
This course is designed to develop and enhance MA students’ knowledge and deeper understanding of the complexities of teaching and learning, including how to integrate technology into the design of learning experiences, both for personal productivity and to support and improve learners’ achievement of the desired learning goals and objectives. The “Universal Design for Learning” philosophy will be introduced and incorporated to classroom activities that support interdisciplinary connections, and develop communication, collaboration, and other relevant technology-supported skills.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Our MA students will know:
- How to identify and use technology resources to enhance learning outcomes for all learners, including traditionally underserved populations (e.g., video to create “digital storytelling” products that allow students to represent and voice their issues and problems)
- The “Universal Design for Learning” philosophy and how to use it for the design of learning activities that benefit all students, specifically those with special needs and English Language Learners (ELLs).
- A variety of pedagogical strategies and what each does to emphasize student engagement and motivation, support interdisciplinary connections, and how technology can enhance every aspect of the learning process.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will be able to...
- Identify key elements of major learning theories and explain their foundations and pedagogical consequences.
- Apply the principles of constructivist and other theories to the design of learning experiences that address the needs of all learners.
- Use a range of technology tools and resources that expand and enhance students’ learning.
- Design learning activities that integrate and address the learning goals of students with special needs and those who are English Language Learners.
- Use a variety of technology-supported communication and collaboration strategies that support teaching and develop students’ skills.