Course Description	Class List
Learning Objectives	Course Schedule and Readings
Required Texts	Assignments
Online Resources	Grading
Additional References	Use of Technology
Course Evaluation

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course has been developed to provide an overview of the field of Educational Technology in the context of practical applications. While the popular notion of "technology" is associated with a variety of pieces of equipment, such as computers, video cameras, and projectors, we will think of technology more broadly as the systematic application of knowledge to solve practical problems, and we will think of the hardware/software as the products and tools of technology. The instructional methodology for the course will be largely problem-based. Participants will work in groups to examine issues, concepts, and scenarios based upon current teaching and learning environments, and construct technology-based solutions to problems they represent.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Examine differences between how adults and children encounter technology;
2. Analyze teaching and learning issues that surround the use of technology in educational settings;
3. Examine both the potential and the limitations of educational technology use;
4. Investigate and construct meaningful applications of the Alberta Education Technology framework;
5. Evaluate conceptual issues related to educational technology;
6. Participate in a collaborative, electronic community to publish, exchange and consider emerging ideas;
7. Engage in practical exercises that have classroom application, both in terms of applications tools and instructional tools.

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REQUIRED TEXTS

FOUR texts are required for the course, which will be supplemented with on-line readings. The first two texts can be purchased through the University of Calgary Bookstore, on-line (via amazon.com) or ordered through any bookstore (i.e. Chapters, Indigo, etc). The third text is available on-line (free of charge) as a  PDF (portable document format) file, and requires Adobe Acrobat to read and/or print. The fourth text can be accessed as a web document (HTML) online, or as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Students are encouraged to download and print the 3rd and 4th texts prior to the beginning of lectures. Students can obtain a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader at http://www.adobe.com.

1. Learning With Technology: A Constructivist Perspective.
Jonassen, D., Peck, K., & Wilson, B. (1999). (Book). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
234 pages, $35.95 (Cdn), [paper] ISBN 0-13-271891-X

2. Teaching With Technology.
Norton, P., & Wiburg, K. (1998). (Book). Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 308 pages, $62.95 (Cdn), [paper] ISBN 0-15-503087-6

3. Alberta Learning ICT Program of Studies
Information and Communication Technology, Kindergarten to Grade 12: An Interim Program of Studies- http://ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca/ict/ You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print this text. [On-line] Available: http://www.adobe.com/

4. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, Council for Educational Development and Research. (1995, Report). PLUGGING IN: Choosing and Using Educational Technology. [On-line]. Available: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/edtalk/toc.htm 

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ONLINE RESOURCES

 

In addition to the texts listed above there are several online sources that are recommended for research on educational technology. The World Wide Web will be your best source of information and the following are some of the major sites you may wish to review throughout the course. I also recommend that you use a web search engine such as Yahoo or Excite to look for resources on Educational Technology. Please note that websites change frequently -- please let me know about sites listed on our course web site that are no longer active.