BSc Education

The unit will take as its starting point the increasing role digital technologies play in society and education and consider the implications of this for education. It then explores relevant learning theory and debates around the value of technologies in the educational process. Students will critically evaluate different digital technologies and consider their value for education and meeting the needs of learners in different contexts.

The unit will look at different technologies like Multimedia, digital games, virtual and augmented reality, mobile devices, or social media as examples of digital tools. Students will also be engaging with the design and development process of specific digital learning material. The course will be run using these tools and the students will reflect on their experiences and do project work and presentations. By the end of the semester, students will not only possess a critical understanding of digital technologies in education but also demonstrate the ability to critically analyze, propose solutions, and communicate effectively via presentations.

• Develop a critical understanding of digital technologies (e.g., Multimedia, social media, mobile phones, digital games, augmented and virtual reality software etc.) and how they can be adopted and/or integrated (or not) in different educational settings and contexts 
• Develop a critical understanding of appropriate learning theories and instructional design principles relevant to technology mediated learning for different educational settings
• Provide practice in developing teaching materials that use digital technologies to support the development of knowledge and skills 
• Develop digital skills relevant both to social and educational media
• Enable a critical evaluation of digital learning using an understanding of learning theory, technological affordances and contextual constraints

The unit seeks to develop students' ability to evaluate the impact that digital technologies can play in specific educational contexts, and to do so using a critical understanding of learning theories and instructional design principles. By developing the ability to use, design, critique and evaluate digital learning technologies, students on the course will stand out on the education job market as technologies are increasingly present in every aspect of education. Most importantly, students will develop the ability to create learning materials that are informed by a critical stance on the various perspectives related to technology affordances, literature and contextual constraints. These skills are not only in a range of sectors where digital content creation is sought after as a key skill; they also enable students to become independent content creators which they can use as a starting point for self-employment.  

Unit 1: Introduction to Digital Technologies in education
Unit 2: Learning theories and Instructional design principles
Unit 3: Affordances of educational technology
Unit 4: Gamification and Game-based learning
Unit 5: Online learning
Unit 6: Immersive learning environments
 

• Critically evaluate and apply appropriate design principles for technology mediated learning according to different context and learning aims
• Draw connections between key learning theories and instructional design principles to inform digital material design
• Evaluate affordances of different digital technologies for teaching and learning

• Analyse and critique the different stances on the role of digital technologies in education
• Reflect on how different digital technologies can be deployed to deliver different educational outcomes in different contexts
• Analyze the implications of emerging technologies on pedagogical practices and educational outcomes

• Design digital learning materials using different digital tools to meet a learning goal, reflecting a critical stance on literature
• Evaluate digital learning materials based on a clear rationale informed by awareness of learning theory, technology affordances and contextual constraints

• Critique and create digital media skills (integrating, adopting, critiquing, creating digital media content)
   
• Create accessible learning material for educational purposes