EDCI 56800                                                                                                 Summer, 2009

Educational Applications of the Internet

Course Information

 

CLASS July 13 - August 7. All online. Orientation (optional ): July 10, 3:30 -     5:00pm, BRNG 3288 Prerequisite: introductory computer course     or equivalent (i.e., participants should     have basic Internet and computer     productivity software skills)	INSTRUCTOR James D. Lehman Phone: 765-494-7935 (O)     765-463-5758 (H) E-mail: lehman@purdue.edu Website: www.edci.purdue.edu/lehman
Public Course Website: www.edci.purdue.edu/lehman/edci568/intro568.htm Blackboard Vista site: https://blackboard.purdue.edu/webct  (select West Lafayette Open Campus)

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides an in-depth look at the Internet as a tool for teaching and learning, with focus on student-centered learning activities and environments. Emphasis is given to applying the knowledge and skills necessary to create a Web-based, student-centered lesson/unit that provides diverse learners with opportunities for formal and informal learning. Course content is applicable to both independent and collaborative learning as well as use of the Web as the sole educational delivery system or in combination with other approaches including classroom instruction.

 

COURSE MATERIALS

• Required Textbook
  Mills, S. M.  (2006). Using the Internet for Active Teaching and Learning.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.  Order from Amazon or purchase through Purdue bookstores.

• Online Readings
  Additional course readings are listed at the end of the syllabus and in the Resources section of the course website. All ancillary readings are available online.

• Hardware
  • Computer with Internet connectivity
  • Speakers or headphones (for audio content)
  • Web-camera and microphone (optional)

• Software
  • Access to Blackboard Vista and the Web (requires current Firefox or Internet Explorer browser with appropriate configuration and plug-ins)
  • Productivity software (i.e. Microsoft Office, Google Docs, etc.)

COURSE GOALS

The overall goal of the course is to help you develop an understanding of important issues associated with the integration of the Internet in education and to enable you to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate web-enhanced instruction. More specifically, as a function of completing this course, you will:

• Create a personal definition of student-centered learning, and describe technology’s role in that process,
• Review and evaluate web-based instructional activities and resources in terms of their ability to foster meaningful student-centered learning,
• Identify and discuss major issues and concerns that impact how technology and the Web are used to improve teaching and learning,
• Participate in facilitating an effective online discussion on course topics, and
• Create a student-centered lesson that incorporates relevant web-based resources for the purposes of broadening and/or deepening students' understanding of specific curricular content.

This course is designed to engage you in effective teaching, learning, and design activities that support meaningful understanding and classroom uses of the Internet as a tool for student-centered learning. Course learning experiences fall into three broad categories: 1) the examination of key trends and issues affecting the use of student-centered Internet activities via reading and thoughtful online discussions, 2) exploration of various Web resources for teaching and learning, and 3) the design of a web-enhanced lesson that incorporates the principles of meaningful learning.  By engaging in these activities, you will meet many of the ISTE NETS-T standards, including:

• Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
• Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning
• Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
• Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources
• Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning

 

COURSE FORMAT

Participation in this course entails a variety of virtual interactions and discussions. Course discussions will be conducted in Blackboard Vista (https://blackboard.purdue.edu/webct - select West Lafayette Open Campus), a Web-based course development and support environment. The class discussions, which are a key component of the course, will be conducted asynchronously (i.e. whenever it is convenient for you) using discussion forums with a separate discussion forum for each major course topic. Additional courses activities will involve other web-based sites and resources.

 

Doing a class that ordinarily spans 16 weeks in just 4 weeks means that things will necessarily be compressed, and you’ll be busy! The course is divided into 4 weeklong periods (Monday through Sunday), except for the final week which ends on a Friday. In order to keep up with the rapid pace of the course, it is important that you treat the course like any other summer intensive course; if this class were meeting on campus it would meet daily for  about 3 hours per day plus there would be out-of-class work. While you can choose when it is most convenient to participate, it is important that you plan to set aside time each day when you can log on and participate. Online discussions require thoughtful give and take, and they do not work if participants are inactive or wait until the end of the discussion period to jump in. So, find a time that works for you, and develop a routine.

 

GRADING

Grades are earned through the application of concepts, drawn from class readings and discussions, to course projects and assignments. Full participation in the online community is required. Points associated with each assignment are shown in the table below. See the schedule for due dates.

Assignment	Points
Participation — Online Class Discussions and Weekly Activities	80
Facilitating a Discussion Topic	20
Web-based Resources Wiki	30
Design of Web-Enhanced Lesson	70
TOTAL	200

Grades will be assigned on the basis of accumulated points as follows: 185 or more = A;
180-184 = A-, 175-179 = B+, 165-174 = B; 160-164 = B-; 155-159 = C+,
145-154 = C, 140-144 = C-, 135-139 = D+, 125-134 = D, 120-124 = D-.

 

• Late Work. Late assignments received within two days of the due date will be penalized 20% of available points; no late work will be accepted beyond two days late or after the end of the course. Online discussion participation cannot be late; lack of participation earns 0 points.
• Academic Integrity. All students, but especially those in education, should aspire to high standards of academic honesty. This class encourages cooperation and the exchange of ideas. However, you are expected to do original work, to do your own work except for group projects, and to properly reference sources when using information from others. Any single instance of academic dishonesty will result in failure of the assignment in question. More than one instance will result in failure of the course.>
• Special Needs. Students with disabilities must be registered with Disability Resource Center in the Office of the Dean of Students before class accommodations can be provided. If you are eligible for academic accommodations because you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
• Emergency Info. In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances. Here are ways to get information about changes in this course: Blackboard page, my email address - lehman@purdue.edu, and my office phone - 765-494-7935.
• Problems. If questions or problems do arise during the course, please contact me as soon as possible. Problems are generally easier to deal with when they’re small. Contact me in person, by telephone, or by e-mail.

 

ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS

Participation (80 points).  A running dialog about course topics will be maintained via the Blackboard discussion forums. It is expected that you will fully participate in the online discussions. This means posting your own thoughts about the weekly topics, commenting on others' ideas, and responding to questions about your own postings. Class participation points will be earned on the basis of quantity (meeting at least stated minimums), a peer-evaluation process described more fully below, and quality. While it is relatively easy to post numerous, non-substantive comments, it takes more thought and effort to post intelligent, meaningful comments that move the discussion forward.  For example, meaningful postings tend to:

·         Provide concrete examples, perhaps from your own experience

·         Identify consequences or implications

·         Challenge something that has been posted, perhaps by playing “devil’s advocate”

·         Pose a related question or issue for consideration

·         Suggest a different perspective or interpretation

·         Pull in related information from other sources (e.g., books, articles, websites)

Consider your time commitment to our online discussions to be critical to your own success as a learner, as well as to the success of the course. Remember, your online time replaces face-to-face class meetings, but you have the wonderful option of attending in your PJs! To facilitate shared responsibility for creating and maintaining quality in our discussions, we will make use of a peer feedback system in Blackboard. Beginning in the second week of the course, you are required to complete a peer evaluation of one posting (your choice) of each of three other members of the class each week. You can choose to praise an excellent posting or constructively critique one that you think could have been improved. Giving peer feedback will be part of your participation grade.

 

Facilitating a Discussion Topic (20 points). In addition to your weekly participation, you will work either individually or in teams (depending on total course enrollment) to lead a discussion thread on a topic during one week; assignments/dates will be provided in Blackboard. Your responsibility as a discussion leader includes: 1) presenting the topic and narrowing it, if necessary, 2) selecting a reading for the class to read prior to the discussion, 3) determining the structure for the discussion and posting guidelines for participants, 4) facilitating the discussion, and 5) synthesizing the discussion thread at the end of the week. It is up to the facilitator(s) to determine how to structure the discussion. Consider techniques such as:

·         Posting an interesting and stimulating question or case study to spark a lively discussion

·         Using a debate or role playing format in which different students are asked to represent different viewpoints and/or positions

·         Using a relevant news article or story and linking it to other readings

 

Web-based Resources Wiki (30 points). As part of a team, you will research one or more Web resources applicable to teaching and learning. A list of possible resources will be provided. Your team will use a wiki, a collaborative Web development tool, to create an informational website about your assigned Web resource(s). The website will be designed to educate interested others about the Web resource(s) that you research and its potential applications for teaching and learning.

 

Design of a Web-enhanced Lesson (70 points). As the culminating course activity, you will design a lesson involving student use of engaging, interactive web resources.  Designing a lesson that integrates an Internet activity is similar to creating any other kind of lesson. It requires preparing your learners, engaging them in an interesting and doable task, providing the resources and guidance needed to complete the task, and creating assessment tools. The difference is, of course, that a Web-enhanced lesson uses Web resources and involves learners in Web activities. Individual components of the lesson include:

Ø      Lesson Goals and Objectives Linked to Curricular Standards (10 points)

·         Identify the knowledge, performances, and dispositions you expect your students to acquire.

·         How does this project relate to/integrate with your existing curriculum?

·         Identify relevant national and state standards for your subject area(s) or grade level that are addressed by the project.

Ø      Resources and Web-based Instructional Materials (20 points)

·         Describe the specific websites students will use and how they meet the criteria for meaningful learning. You may create your own web resource, such as a WebQuest, or you may use existing web resources.

·         Describe the other resources and materials needed for the lesson. Include any materials you develop to support the lesson (e.g., handouts for students).

Ø      Specific Student Activities and Implementation (20 points)

·         Describe your lesson implementation plan. For whom is the lesson intended? When and where will the lesson be taught? How long will it last?

·         Describe what students will do during the lesson, including all introductory, primary, secondary, and closing activities. Describe how students will transition from one activity to another (lesson flow).

·         Describe how students will be grouped and how you will manage the activity.

·         Identify any special problems or challenges you think you might encounter.

Ø      Assessment of Student Learning (20 points)

·         What evidence you will gather to determine if/what students learned?

·         Include instruments (rubrics, tests, checklists, etc.) you will use to gather evidence.

 

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

Week	Topics	Readings/Assignments
Week 1 July 13-19	·    Introduction to the course; Personal introductions ·   What is meaningful learning?	Text: Ch. 1-2 Reading: 1
	·    How can the Internet facilitate meaningful learning? ·    Internet Applications for Teaching and Learning ·    Using the Internet for Communication	Text: Ch. 3-4 Reading: 2
Week 2 July 20-26	·    Locating Information on the Web ·    Evaluating Internet Information	Text: Ch. 5 Reading: 3-4
	·    Publishing Information in the Internet ·    Working collaboratively online	Text: Ch. 6, 10
Week 3 July 27-Aug 2	·    Using the Internet as a Tool for Inquiry and Problem-Solving ·    WebQuests and Other Strategies	Text: Ch. 7-9 Reading: 5 Web Resources Wiki due 8-1-09
	·    Assessing Student Learning from the Internet ·    Evaluating Web-based Lessons	Reading: 6 Lesson Goals due 8-1-09
Week 4 Aug 3-7	·    Issues related to the use of the Internet in the classroom ·    Reflections on the use of the Internet to facilitate meaningful learning ·    Course wrap-up	Complete Web-Enhanced Lesson due 8-7-09

 

ANCILLARY READINGS

1. Instructional technology/Utilizing technology for meaningful learning. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from WikiBooks at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Instructional_Technology/Utilizing_Technology_for_Meaningful_Learning.
2. Educational Broadcasting Corporation (2004).  From concept to classroom: The Internet. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/classroominternet/index.html
3. Dodge, B. (2008). Four NETS for better searching. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/fournets.htm.
4. UC Berkeley – Teaching Library Workshops. (2008). Finding information on the Internet: A tutorial. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html.
5. Dodge, B. (1995). Some thoughts about WebQuests. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from http://webquest.sdsu.edu/about_webquests.html.
6. Educational Broadcasting Corporation (2004). From concept to classroom: Assessment, evaluation, and curriculum redesign. Retrieved December May 13, 2009, from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/assessment/index.html.