Becoming a Digital Educator Module Handbook

Becoming a Digital Educator

Module Details

Module Leader – Dr Peter Shukie

Peter.shukie@blackburn.ac.uk

01254 292509

Course Attendance (weekly)

Tuesday 9 – 12

Room UC215

Course Dates

Tuesday 12th September 2023 –

Tuesday 16th January 2024

Introduction

Welcome to the module ‘Becoming a Digital Educator’. The first thing to say is this module is not all about the ways we use technology. It is about why and how we use technology and the implications this might have. We will use technology and we will explore what it feels like, what implications it has, when we do.

Every time we use technologies we take part in a way of seeing education, what it is and what it is for. Like theories of learning, technology involves choices and these are often farreaching.

Your task during the module is to consider what technologies are, and what benefits and limitations they bring. We develop these in future modules in Year Two and Year Three, and this is a module that will provide a strong foundation for these explorations.

Some of you will be accomplished users of technology, some of you may not be and may even find it scary! That is perfect, we want to see this as undergraduates, curious and looking for answers.

We come to this work at a time of excitement and of fear. Things like Artificial Intelligence bring opportunities and also frightening

concerns about human agency. Social media brings global connectivity but is often linked to mental health concerns. Data is both easy access to services and scary concerns about privacy. What does all this mean for education? That is what we hope to discover, together.

The film Wall-E (2008) is a motif for us on the module. It is a film we will use to start things off, to see how everything around us can be used to provoke ideas and be seen critically. Mark Fisher (2010) considers that the film shows us an image of ‘control and communication’ (read Mark Fisher here). Humans in the film do not come out well, they have been reduced to a passive and unpleasant life by technology. We will be aware of two terms in our investigation of technology – utopia and dystopia. For us, the core theme will be technology in education. Is it providing a positive experience, a negative experience, or something between the two? You will bring your ideas and experiences to the sessions and to your assignment as we find out.

The module outline (in this handbook) allows us to look at specific technologies, theories about learning with technology, educational applications of digital tools and the impact these are having. You have all had

experiences of Covid, of lockdown and rapid rise of technology. These will be invaluable as we think about the ways our own lives are impacted by these tools.

This will be exciting, enjoyable and developmental and I look forward to our work together.

The outcomes of the module (in the handbook) are what you will be assessed against, to see if we have made progress. I will list some additional qualities I think will be useful for us to succeed on the module:

Qualities

• A curious approach to the world of education and technology. A desire to find out and look deeper.

• A willingness to read materials and look for other forms of information to develop your knowledge (films, websites, lectures, good social media posts)

• A positive attitude to making contributions in the sessions. There are no silly questions – everything is valuable and so lively and supportive discussions are vital to achieving knowledge

Learning Outcomes for the module

These outcomes highlight what you should be able to demonstrate on completion of the module. Read them, we will discuss in class, and your job is to make sure you know what they mean, and how you have achieved them in your work.

1. Generate a personal online presence that utilises a range of web 2.0 and online applications appropriate to study at undergraduate level.

2. Write/ create a range of reflective commentaries on learning theories and practices used in technology enhanced learning

3. Describe some issues and benefits related to technology enhanced learning.

4. Create a portfolio that demonstrates your use and experiences with online tools and applications.

Complete Task 1 after reading these outcomes and completing the in-class discussion.

Task 1:

Write what you think is necessary to complete each of the outcomes using your own words.

Module Outline (Topic View)

This is an indicative content list and not necessarily in the order we will look at them. We may spend longer on some sections than others. You will have opportunity to focus your assignments in the portfolio on some areas of specific interest to you.

1. What is E-Learning? Looking at the different definitions and relating to students’ own experiences and practices.

2. Covid – what did we learn as students, educators and people?

3. The issues and benefits related to increased use of technology enhanced learning in the education sector; the issues and benefits related to Social Networking sites.

4. The creation and development of a personal online identity that is appropriate for professional and academic use.

5. Assessment – at this Level 4 stage the discussion will be on what is

meant by assessment, how varied approaches to assessment are applicable to different learning approaches (behaviourist/ cognitive/ constructivist) and the benefits of each of these specifically in different online methods of delivery.

6. Pedagogy – the focus on different learning approaches will explore the theoretical backgrounds of key learning theories as they are applied to technology

7. Privacy in a public world. Students will reflect on their online identity to develop a netiquette for use in forums/ VLE/ online applications. The emphasis is on issues of online safety, privacy, and ways to manage and mitigate issues related to identity online.

8. Environment – Asking the student to consider the environmental impact of any given technology will require a description summary of some key issues to do with the ways in which

learning can talk place in different circumstances and contexts

9. Bullying & harassment– with a critical approach to skills discussed in the module, this will be specific to the learning issues related to issues and advantages that are based on the use of online space as site of potential hazards, and looking at ways to enhance the safety, and privacy, in educational settings.

10.Evaluating technology for increased use in our lives.

11.New Developments and what they might mean. A focus on AI but also concerns with what is happening during the programme of your study.

The Assignment:

The assignment for this module is a single digital portfolio made up of FIVE distinct sections. You will create this using OneNote and the Notebook function. You can access a sample of the Digital Portfolio here

Deadline of Submission of Portfolio –20th December 2023

the five sections are as follows:

Portfolio Section One: Me and Technology (500 words)

Write a document that covers the following points:

1. What do you consider your strengths and areas for development to be when using technology in education?

2. Provide a summary of the JISC capability tool and identify three strengths and three areas for your personal development.

3. Provide a summary of your approach to technology and what skills/ attributes/ experiences you have had that will help or that you need to develop.

Portfolio Section Two: Learning Theory and Technology (1000 words)

This is the first academic presentation you will make in the module that asks for references. It is a short essay and asks you to answer the following:

Consider two learning theories we have encountered on the module and consider how they might be used in technology enhanced learning.

You will need to:

a. Describe the learning theory you have chosen (this can be Gamification/ Connectivism/ Behaviorism/ Complexity Theory/ Rhizomatic Learning/ Social Constructivism OR any other theory you might have encountered on the course - please check with your tutor in the assignment support sessions).

b. Highlight the ways each theory has been used with technology in the educational contexts. You can discuss the ways we have used technology in our module, or use examples from school, college or from your own research.

c. Provide a summary that shows any strengths or weaknesses that might be encountered when applying the chosen theories to technology.

Note: You will be expected to write this as a formal academic essay. It will require:

• References from suitable academic sources

• Every reference/ citation referenced using Harvard in the body of the essay

• A reference list using Harvard

This is the longest section of the portfolio but do not panic! Make sure you have read about the theories you will use, find good, reliable and academic sources for reference. Write a plan and speak with your tutors as you create this essay.

Portfolio Section Three: Online Identity

This section is in three sections of approximately 200 words each. You will look at a range of online social media platforms (personal and professional) that you have used or recently been introduced to. The can include Facebook/ Instagram/ TikTok/ Linkedin/ X (formerly known as Twitter); Discord; WhatsApp – or any other platform you have used or are interested in discussing).

In each section you will include:

1. a brief description of each platform

2. A summary discussion of its uses

3. A consideration of its strengths

4. A consideration of its weaknesses

The word count is tight and this is about analysis of the tools not just description. We are looking for you to show us that you can see the differences between social media platforms and the ways these are used in education.

Portfolio Section Four: A Netiquette Guide to Safe and Productive Educational Use of Technology (400 words)

What is safe use of technology in education? What advice would you give to students using technology to be productive? How might technology be useful for creativity? What must be considered when using technology to join social media platforms (be careful of the intended users, this is not applicable to younger children). Here is where your advice and guidance will be shared with others (hypothetically).

In this section of the portfolio you will create a user guide for students. You can choose the context of the guide (for Primary children at KS1 or KS2, for Secondary, for Further or Higher Education). The guide will be based on your own experiences and the material we have covered in the module.

There should be clear and distinct points, it must be clear and the information provided as suggestions. Each point should be accompanied by a brief rationale for why you think the advice (in each point) is necessary. For example, his may appear as:

1. Make sure to use CRAAP Detection when referencing material you find online. This is the advice.

Use online tools to develop your own judgement when using material you have found through web searches. It is not always the best advice but there are skills and techniques to use that can help ensure the work is

safe. The CRAAP Test is one such model, designed by Professor Howard Rheingold and used to guide your awareness of the sources used. This is a rationale as an example of the kind of justification you might provide.

Things to note:

• Make the guide clearly that – a guide - made up of several individual points (at Least 5 points would be expected)

• Make sure you identify who the guide is for –Primary Ks 1, HE Undergraduates, or whoever the focus of your guide will be.

• Make sure you reference any work you use to support the rationale.

Portfolio Section Five: Weekly Reflection –SUMMARY (500 words)

In this portfolio element you have 500 words to write/ record/ present a summary of your sessions on the module. You may use Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle, or write it in a way that considers these elements:

1. What did you achieve over the module in terms of new knowledge/ ideas/ concepts/ thinkers? These will require discussion of how you developed awareness over the module. The focus is on you, not the theorists, which did you prefer? What will you return to in the future?

2. How have you developed your own skills/ uses of technology in the module? This will vary depending

on what you could do before, but try to think in terms of skills you have gained and/or other factors you have considered (such as how you use them for study, any other factors like privacy/ sustainability/ preferences you have).

3. Sum up your experiences on the module and make a clear action plan (up to 4 bullet points) around what you will do next in preparation for your L5 modules and future study).

We love ambitious adventurers on the course! You can write this section, or use video to present ideas or use a presentation tool to upload and share your reflections. Please discuss with your tutor when deciding which to make sure it is going to meet the outcomes.

Submitting the Portfolio:

The portfolio Notebook is made up of the Five Key Sections and some additional sections we build over the module. All can be submitted by sharing a link to the Notebook by deadline. ONLY THE FIVE KEY SECTIONS ARE GRADED. So, you will have an introduction section, and the weekly summaries. These are not graded or marked.

It is important that you highlight (in name and colour of tabs) the five key elements. We will do these in the support sessions but do check with your tutor before submission if unsure.

Some useful links:

• The sample Portfolio is here - Becoming a Digital Educator Portfolio

• The JISC capability Tool is found here (for use in Portfolio Section One)Discovery tool | Building digital capability (jisc.ac.uk)

• Moodle pages for the module are hereCourse: EH10331 Becoming A Digital Educator, Section: Welcome to the Module (blackburn.ac.uk)

• Peter’s email as a link is here –peter.shukie@blackburn.ac.uk

• Blackburn College website is here –www.blackburn.ac.uk

Reading List

Core Texts (these are texts we suggest you read to get a strong understanding of the technology enhanced learning)

Bates, A.W. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age –Second Edition. Vancouver, B.C.: Tony Bates Associates Ltd. Retrieved

from https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teach.

Beetham H & Sharpe R (2020). Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age: Principles and practices of Design (3rd Edition). London: Routledge

Stommel, J., Friend, C. & Morris, S.M. (2020). Critical Digital Pedagogy. Hybrid Pedagogy

Inc. https://cdpcollection.pressbooks.com

Recommended Reading (these recommended texts provide extension to the sessions we will cover. They will be useful for you when creating assignments).

Anderson T (2008) The Theory & Practice of Online Learning, available online at www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120146

Abbott C (2001) ICT: Changing Education, Routledge Falmer

Carr, N. (2013). The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 978039307222

Fisher, M. (2010). Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?. Winchester, UK: Zero Books. pp. 2. ISBN 9781846943171.

Garrison D (2016). E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Community of Inquiry Framework for Research and Practice (3rd Edition). London: Routledge Falmer

Mirlees, T. & Alvi, S. (2019). EdTech Inc.: Selling, Automating and Globalizing Higher Education in the Digital Age. London: Routledge.

Selwyn, N. (2016). Is Technology Good for Education. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Shukie, P. (2023). Class dismissed: The application of popular education to create digital spaces of working-class emancipation beyond restrictive formal education practices. Journal of Class & Culture, Volume 2, Issue 1, Apr 2023, p. 27 - 48

FURTHER READING (these texts are exciting too, we suggest them for those of you exploring further in your work and want some ideas of the literature available in this sector).

Jackson S (2004) Ahead of the Curve: future shifts in Higher Education, Educause, January 2004

Crystal, D. (2001). Language and the Internet. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472395209

34018

Eubanks, V. (2011). Digital Dead End: Fighting for Social Justice in the Information Age. MIT Press

Ko, S. and Rossen, S. (2010). Teaching Online: A Practical Guide. London: Routledge

Poore, M. (2013). Social Media in the Classroom: a best practice guide. London: Sage.

Salmon G (2006ed) E-Tivities: The Key to Active Online Learning. London: Routledge Falmer

JOURNALS (journal articles are important and will increase in use as you progress through Year One to Year Three. Try to read at least one article a week and get a feel for what journal articles are, what they do, how you might use them in your work).

Beetham, McGill & Littlejohn, (2009) ‘Thriving in the 21st Century, Learning Literacies for the Digital Age’ JISC LLiD Project p4)

Kimble, C. (2011), Building effective virtual teams: How to overcome the problems of trust and identity in virtual teams. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 30: 6–15. doi: 10.1002/joe.20364

Wenger E (2000) Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems. Organization, 7, (2), p 225- 46

WEBSITES (this very small list of websites is just a sample. We will add many more but we also want you to start reviewing and selecting websites from your own research).

The Digital Divide

- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/856868 1.stm Facebook

Finally….

Please check your emails and the Moodle page for updates.

Remember the deadline for the portfolio is 20th December 2023.