Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education (MDDE) 610
Status:
Open
Delivery mode:
Grouped study. Delivered via Brightspace.
Credits:
3
Area of study:
Distance Education
Prerequisites:
None
Precluded:
None
Notes:
MEd program students must complete MDDE601 & MDDE602 prior to all other courses.
Overview
This course will give you hands-on experience with, and allow you to make a critical evaluation of a number of the computer-based technologies that are currently used in distance education. This course walks the talk and, as you progress through the course, your instructor will use a number of different technologies to present material, and to notify you of upcoming course-related activities. You will use a number of these technologies to communicate with your classmates and the instructor, to participate in class discussions, to make presentations to the class and other individual and class activities.
Outline
- Attributes and Affordances of Media
- Selecting Appropriate Educational Technologies
- Self-Directed Learning Through Technology
- Social and Collaborative Tools
- Generative AI Applications
- Video Conferencing Technologies
- Broadcasting and Streaming Instructional Content
- Online Learning Management Systems
- Emerging and Future Trends
- Supporting Innovation and Change
Learning outcomes
The goals of the course are as follows:
- To gain hands-on experience with, and undertake a critical evaluation of, a variety of educational technologies.
- To apply media attribute schema and Bates ACTIONS/SECTIONS criteria to various media.
- To apply adoption theories to a particular technology that could be used in your own local teaching/learning context.
Evaluation
| Activity | Weight |
|---|---|
| Assignment 1: Course Enhancement Proposal Part 1: Problem Identification: This assignment asks you to write a paper that describes the current status of a course you propose to change and the program in which this course is offered. This description should be adequate to describe the situation to someone who is not familiar with the course content, the program or the institution offering the course, and why you believe (or what evidence you have) that the course needs improvement. | 20% |
| Assignment 1: Course Enhancement Proposal Part 2: SECTIONS Analysis: In this assignment you will use a SECTIONS analysis to examine in detail two broad categories of educational technologies (from those discussed in this course) that could be used to enhance the course identified in Part 1, and the specific learning objectives and activities that you have highlighted. Your final product for this assignment will be side-by-side SECTIONS analyses of two categories of technology, with a recommendation for using one specific type, as well as side-by-side SECTIONS analyses of two competing applications, with a recommendation for which application to integrate into the course you identified in Part 1. | 20% |
| Assignment 1: Course Enhancement Proposal Part 3: Briefing Note: In this assignment, you are to write a short proposal to modify that course to include one or more of the technologies covered in this course. The proposal should include a rationale, adoption attributes of the technology, context, and process for development. | 20% |
| Assignment 2: Learn Something with CAI or a Mobile App: Identify something that you have always wanted to learn to do. This could be a computer program, playing a musical instrument, learning to make buttercream icing, etc. You will use a Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) program (Web-based instruction is a type of Computer Assisted Instruction) or a mobile app to teach you how to do this. You will demonstrate your competence with whatever you have chosen to learn by preparing a blog post, website, or Mahara ePortfolio collection that demonstrates both what you learned and the way you used the CAI program. Show why you chose this CAI program or mobile app in the first place, what you hoped to learn, what you achieved, and how you achieved what you did. You should also include a critical reflection on the use of CAI or mobile apps for learning in general, and a final recommendation to others about the application that you used. | 15% |
| Assignment 3: Group Project: Students will form into 4-5 groups at the beginning of the course. Each group will select one technology that particularly interests them. They will prepare a short demonstration of that technology for the rest of the class. Some topics that you might consider for a group project include the development of a podcast that demonstrates how you could use this technology to deliver a distance education course or a presentation on how cell phones can be used in distance education. | 20% |
| Class participation: Students are required to reflect and respond on the content of the course collaboratively in a number of different electronic environments. | 5% |
| Total | 100% |
Materials
In keeping with the philosophy of Open Education, this course uses a range of open resources and resources available through students' Athabasca University Library accounts. Specific resources may be updated from term-to-term, as digital technologies evolve. Links to all required resources will be provided via the Online Study Guide and Readings within the Brightspace course learning space.
Important links
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.
Updated April 23, 2025
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