Credits 20
Timetable Autumn term
Tutors Khaled El Ebyary and Zoe Handley Module Number EDU00062M
Core/Option Option Aims
To develop awareness of how technology can assist learning and teaching To explore the relationship between technology and current ideas about
learning and teaching
To practise evaluating, adapting and designing technology-enhanced teaching materials
Learning outcomes Subject content
Students who complete the course successfully should be able to: Evaluate technology-enhanced learning and teaching programmes Establish appropriate methods for teaching a specific group of learners Be aware of varying needs of different types of learner and understand how
respond to these through the use of technology
Engage with recent research on educational technology
Academic and graduate skills
Formulate arguments and contribute to discussion
Engage critically with published research and with practical learning problems Take part in group work and problem-solving activities and team work
Demonstrate effective planning and time management
Word-process, use the VLE, and a range of other technologies
Module content
More and more governments around the World are investing in technology for schools. This module is designed to give students an introduction to the issues
associated with the use of technology in educational contexts and the knowledge and skills to allow them to decide which technologies and software they should adopt in their classes.
The module will consist of nine tutor-facilitated sessions, involving discussions, demonstrations of technologies, group work and practical tasks. Every session will have a strong pedagogical component, emphasising the practical applicability of the content discussed. Students will be expected to participate actively, sharing their everyday experience of using technology. Students will also be encouraged to contribute to a class blog throughout the term, on topics related to the module. Assessment
Assessment is by 5,000 word assignment. This can be an essay on a given topic, a critical review or an annotated lesson plan incorporating and justifying the use of
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technology in educational contexts. You will be given more information about assessment at the beginning of the module.
Reading
Apart from the bibliographies recommended for each session, you may find the following titles useful:
Crystal, D. (2001/6). Language and the internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Crystal, D. (2008). Txtng: the gr8 db8. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Habgood, J., and Overmars, M. (2006). The game maker’s apprentice: Game development for beginners. Apress.
Harasim, L. (2012). Learning theory and online technologies. London: Routledge. Herring, S. (1996). Computer-mediated communication: Linguistic, social, and cross- cultural perspectives. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Kalantzis, M. (2000). Multiliteracies : literacy learning and the design of social futures. London : Routledge.
Kukulska-Hulme, A. & Traxler, J. (2005). Mobile learning : a handbook for educators and trainers. London : Routledge.
Laurillard, D. (1993). Rethinking university teaching : a framework for the effective use of educational technology. London: Routledge.
Levy, M. & Stockwell, G. (2008). CALL dimensions: Options and issues in computer- assisted language learning. London: Routledge.
Levy, M. (1997). Computer-assisted language learning: Context and conceptualisation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Macaro, E., Handley, Z. L., & Walter, C. (2012). A systematic review of CALL in English as a second language: Focus on primary and secondary
education. Language Teaching, 45(01), 1-43. 10.1017/S0261444811000395 Prensky, M. (2007). Digital game-based learning. St Paul, Minn: Paragon House. Selwyn, M. (2011). Education and technology: Key issues and debates. London: Continuum.
Thomas, M. & Cutrim Schmid, E. (2010). Interactive whiteboards for education: theory, research and practice. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Thomas, M. (ed.) (2011). Deconstructing digital natives: Young people, technology and the new literacies. London: Routledge.
Course outline
Week 2 Introduction, key issues and debates Week 3 How people learn with technology Week 4 How teachers teach with technology Week 5 A visit to the InterActive Lab
Week 6 Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) and Wikis
Week 7 Evaluating and researching technology-enhanced learnig and teaching
Week 8 Social Networking and Gaming
Week 9 How teachers use technology for assessment Week 10 Student presentations
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Course details Week 2
Introduction, key issues and debates
The first session will introduce current policies for the introduction of technology in schools and then focus in on some key issues and debates in this area. In particular, we will discuss: (1) the digital native/digital immigrant debate and related issues such as pedagogical and school reform; and, (2) the impact of technology, in particular netspeak and texting, on literacy and new conceptions of literacy for the digital age. Week 3
How people learn with technology
In this session, key developments in the history of the use of technology in education will be used to illustrate the relationship between theory and practice. More
specifically, we will discuss: (1) behaviourist learning theory and technology (e.g. PLATO), (2) cognitivist learning theory and technology (e.g. intelligent tutoring
systems), (3) constructivist learning theory and technology (e.g. Logo), and (4) socio- cultural learning theory and technology (e.g. virtual learning environments).
Week 4
How teachers teach with technology
In this session, we discuss how technology has become a ubiquitous part of learners' lives. Most schools and homes have connected computers or Internet-enabled
devices. The session therefore focuses on the basics of learning activity design and the different approaches to integrating technology in teaching. The theory behind these approaches will be discussed and related to approaches to language learning and teaching more broadly, and practice will be illustrated through hands-on
demonstrations. In particular, students will be introduced to the authoring software Hot Potatoes.
Week 5
A Visit to the InteractiveLab
This will involve a visit to the Computer Science building at Heslington East where students will have a chance to see several research labs, including the Interactive Home Laboratory - where the Human-Computer Interaction research group
undertake much of their research, along with their multi-disciplinary partners. Week 6
Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) and Wikis
In this session we will look at the potential use of computer-mediated communication (CMC), i.e. e-mail, on-line discussions and chat, and Web 2.0, an extension of CMC which allows the collaborative production of user-generated content using tools such as blogs and wikis, in language learning and other subject areas. Demonstrations will include a number of activities that might be implemented using CMC and Web 2.0.
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Week 7
Evaluating and researching technology-enhanced learning and teaching
This session will focus on evaluating and researching technology-enhanced learning and teaching activities and materials. In the first part of the session, the main
approaches to evaluation including checklists, surveys and software reviews will be introduced and discussed. This will be followed by a discussion of appropriate
methods for researching the use of technology in education. In the second part of the session, students will be given the opportunity to evaluate a technology or piece of software for themselves.
Week 8
The future: Social Networking and Gaming
In this session, we will discuss a number of more recent innovations including social networking and gaming. The session will focus on how social networking can be used for teaching and learning purposes. Furthermore, The discussion of the use of computer games in education will consider both the use of games developed
explicitly for educational purposes (e.g. Phonomena and Zombie Division) and the reuse of commercial video games for educational purposes (e.g. The Sims). Through the aforementioned examples, we will also consider different ways of integrating gaming into educational materials. Mobile technologies, including PDAs,
smartphones and tablet PCs’ will also be considered, with a focus on the benefits of mobile learning.
Week 9
How teachers use technology for assessment
First, key issues related to assessment will be introduced, namely reliability, validity and authenticity. A number of technologies which can be used to enable automated assessment and increase the range of possible stimuli used in examinations will then be introduced. These technologies will include: parser-technologies, speech
technologies, and multimedia. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of computer- based assessment will be discussed.
Week 10
Student presentations
In this final session, students will be asked to give a presentation related to any of the issues discussed in the module. This is an opportunity for students to explore
additional technologies, such as free on-line translation, e-books, e-portfolios, virtual worlds, learning management systems, and so on. Alternatively, students might explore further issues related to the use of technology in education such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies.
Department of Education Modules handbook
September 2015 Page 119