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Syllabus

Master of Science in Education

EDU 721: Technology within Inclusion Education – Spring B 2024

Credits - 3

Description

This course introduces learners to the use of technology in the inclusive education of individuals with disabilities. Methods and techniques for evaluation and determination of appropriate uses of assistive technology are addressed. A range of assistive and inclusive technologies are covered as well as teaching strategies that support the implementation of technologies. Using technology in universally designed educational environments is examined. Participants will be expected to have access to and use selected teaching and learning technologies with learners with disabilities in inclusive settings.

Materials

Required:

Other supplementary materials will be provided in each week’s module. 

Recommended:

  • American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th ed. American Psychological Association. (ISBN 978-1433832154, ISBN 978-1433832161, E-text ISBN 978-1433832185). Available from the UNE Libraries in print on both campuses.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

  • The learner utilizes a variety of developmentally appropriate instructional methods that take into account individual learners’ strengths and needs, enabling each learner to demonstrate and advance their learning. (INTASC 1b 2a, 6e, 7c, 8a)
  • The learner assesses Assistive Technology supports for inclusion. (INTASC 2f, 4g, 5c, 8be)
  • The learner uses Universal Design for Learning Principles related to Assistive Technology to remove barriers to learning for learners of all abilities. (INTASC 3e, 8be)
  • The learner engages in ongoing professional research and learning to inform and evaluate the use of Assistive Technology for learners with disabilities and for inclusive practices. (INTASC 7, 9)
  • The learner shares personal reflections and collaborates with other school professionals to discuss Assistive Technology applications for inclusion. (INTASC 1c,10b)
  • The learner utilizes IDEA and other legal precedents to inform classroom Assistive Technology choices that support the ways that learners can access, engage, and express their learning. (INTASC 7, 9)

Assignments

Weekly Discussions

This course has eight required discussions. The discussion topics are related to weekly topics and provide an opportunity for students to share ideas about how the content applies to professional practice.  Your instructor will participate in the discussions as both a guide and an observer.

Week 1: Assistive Technology in Your Setting

Using the readings and supplementary materials for Week 1, create a summary of the selection, acquisition, and use of assistive technology in your setting, including how AT is considered in the IEP process.

Week 2: Assistive Technology Research Investigation

After completing the assigned reading and video assignments for this week, choose one low-, medium- or high-tech assistive technology that you would like to understand better and that might be valuable to a learner in your setting (past or present). In your investigation, you will consider a variety of areas of technology support, then you will submit an evaluation of the technology you researched. 

Week 3: Designing an Educational Experience

For this week’s assignment, you will design an educational experience that contains Bugaj’s (2018) elements of educational experience design, using the acronym CURRE (Curiosity, Uniqueness, Risk, Real World, Enjoyment). With this acronym in mind, you will design an educational experience that takes into consideration access for learners with disabilities first.

Week 4: Redesign a Learning Experience with POUR 

This week you are asked to re-examine the learning experience created in Week 3 through the lens of accessibility and POUR (Perceivable, Operational, Understandable, and Robust). Your submission should have annotations or a reflection that describes the ways in which your learning experience aligns with accessibility and the POUR expectations. 

Week 5: It’s a RIOT! 

In this assignment, you will assume the role of an Accessible Design Facillitator charged with determining the best assistive technology supports in a case study provided in the course. Using Bugaj’s RIOT framework, you will create a product that shows the documentation of assistance provided, using each element of the RIOT framework. 

Week 6: Technology 4 All Tool Review

This week’s assignment requires you to identify and review an educational application, extension, online game, applet, simulation, or any other type of web-based activity that requires interaction with the learner. 

Week 7: Quality Indicators of Assistive Technology Self-Assessment

You will complete the QIAT Self-Assessment for your setting, then reflect upon the areas of strength, areas of challenge, plans for sharing the results with administrative teams, and building capacity in your setting, based on your results.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignments100 Points
8 Weekly Discussions32 points (4 points each)
Week 1: Assistive Technology in Your Setting6 points
Week 2: Assistive Technology Research Investigation 10 points
Week 3: Designing an Educational Experience 12 points
Week 4: Redesign a Learning Experience with POUR12 points
Week 5: It's a RIOT!12 points
Week 6: Technology 4 All Tool Review 6 points
Week 7: Quality Indicators of Assistive Technology Self-Evaluation10 points
Total100

Schedule

Course Dates:

Week 1: Mar 13 – Mar 17
Week 2: Mar 18 – Mar 24
Week 3: Mar 25 – Mar 31
Week 4: Apr 1 – Apr 7
Week 5: Apr 8 – Apr 14
Week 6: Apr 15 – Apr 21
Week 7: Apr 22 – Apr 28
Week 8: Apr 29 – May 5

 

Weeks Topic Activities & Assignments Dates

Week 1

 Intro to Assistive Technology (AT) and Legal Precedent

Discussion: Video Introductions

Refer to Week 1 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignment: Assistive Technology in Your Setting

Assignments Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Friday

Week 2

 The AT Continuum and Device Accessibility

Discussion: The AT Continuum and Device Accessibility

Refer to Week 2 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignment: Assistive Technology Research Investigation

Assignments Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday

Week 3

 The Birth of the Educational Experience Designer

Discussion: Hot Topics in Assistive Technology

Refer to Week 3 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignment: Designing an Educational Experience

Assignments Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday

Week 4

 AT and Accessibility

Discussion: AT and Accessibility

Refer to Week 4 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignment: Redesign a Learning Experience with POUR

Assignments Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday

Week 5

 Support Can Be Beautiful!

Discussion: Teams-based Approaches in Assistive Technology

Refer to Week 5 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignment: It’s a RIOT!

Assignments Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday

Week 6

 AT for the Masses

Discussion: AT for the Masses

Refer to Week 6 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignment: Technology 4 All Tool Review

Assignments Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday

Week 7

 Building Capacity in AT Service Delivery and Systemic Change Discussion: QIAT Self-Assessment

Refer to Week 7 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignment: Quality Indicators of Assistive Technology Self-Assessment

Assignments Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday

Week 8

 Wrap-Up

Discussion: Wrap-Up

Refer to Week 8 Module for Reading and Viewing

Assignments Due: FRIDAY at 11:59 PM ET

*Submit your initial post to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday; responses are due by FRIDAY. 

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Education page

UNE Libraries:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:

Information Technology Services (ITS)

  • ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

Instructor information

Please see your instructor’s self-introduction in an Announcement in the first week of the course.

Course structure and components

The course is composed of 8 Learning Modules and students are expected to complete one module per week according to the course schedule. There are 3 major components for this class: Readings and resources for each weekly learning module, discussions, and assignments. Each assignment description is found within the module it is due.
Because of the nature of online learning, participation is critical. Students are expected to keep abreast of module requirements, communications, projects, and discussions, and post relevant comments or responses in a timely manner. All assignments have due dates, and all work is expected to be submitted on or before the due date.

Correspondence

  • Announcements: announcements are used regularly. Check them daily.
  • Ask the Instructor: This is a forum in your Discussion Board. Questions regarding general class issues such as clarification on content, clarification on assignments, technical assistance should all be asked here. Do not post any personal questions here.
  • Email: email rather than course mail is used to communicate with your instructor. See the intro announcement for the email address.
  • Assignment feedback: Generally, your feedback will be contained within your assignment and uploaded for you to view once the grade has been given.
  • General support: Review the Support page for contact information and a directory as to who is here to help.

 

Minimum technical skills

For this course, you will be expected to be able to use e-mail and attachments, to send files, to copy/paste, and to use the internet. You should also be familiar with being able to convert documents to MS Word compatibility mode) for formatting submission and sharing of documents. Additionally, you will be required to access various online technologies such as a screencast maker, YouTube, VoiceThread, and other Web 2.0 tools.

Privacy/Confidentiality

As in any University class, you may want to share real-life examples from your organizations during discussions and in your written work. It will be necessary to respect the same rules of the classroom in this setting. Please do not share information that clearly identifies someone or some situation in your organization that you know should not be divulged outside your organization. You can share examples without breaking confidentiality. I also ask that each of you respect and honor confidentiality and keep any references or information within the course.

Late assignments
Due to the nature of a part-time graduate course, it is reasonable to expect that issues regarding work and family life may arise. The late penalty is as follows:

  • 10% (i.e., one letter grade) deduction for assignments submitted no later than 48 hours after the due date (i.e., Tuesday, midnight EST).
  • 20% deduction (i.e., two letter grades) if submitted no later than 96 hours after the due date (i.e., Thursday, midnight EST)
  • Assignments submitted after midnight on Thursday will not be accepted.

AI Use

The Graduate Programs in Education holds the position that Grammarly and other AI writing and generative technology should not be used when completing course assignments, unless explicitly permitted by course faculty and assignment instructions. These tools do not support a student’s personal and direct capacity to develop and hone skills in creativity, logic, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, theorization, and writing, which are central to graduate-level rigor, assessment, and research. Use of these tools when not explicitly permitted may result in an academic integrity infraction.

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools the University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Attendance Policy

8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.