Syllabus

Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study in Education

EDU 635 Advanced Elements of Learning Experience Design (Summer 2021)

Credits - 3

Description

This course addresses authentic online learning challenges by ensuring that participants research and implement emerging technologies for the intended audience using methods such as asynchronous video, emerging digital narrative forms, simulations, and gamification.

Materials

Included in the course

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Research and develop effective technology-enabled online learning experiences
Examine a variety of emerging technologies
Apply phases of the design thinking process to educational challenges
Analyze the benefits of and concerns about technology in learning environments
Compare educational tools to assess their utility for a learning task
Evaluate educational tools for equity, accessibility, and privacy
Practice the basics of visual, web, and user experience design as it applies to online learning experiences
Advocate for the use of specific learning technologies or educational tools.

Assignments

EDU 635 Course Project

Read through this project description (final submission is due in Week 7) and identify a challenge or project you want to solve or enhance with advanced technology or media in this course.

Learning Challenge

For your course project, you will choose a topic, a challenge, to build a product or part of a product using concepts and skills from this course.

For example, if you want to think about gamification in your course, your final may be a course map with ideas for building in gamification. You may have time to build out one or two of those ideas, but probably not the whole course! Or, it could be a short animation that would preview how you plan to use animation in your course in the future.

Week 4 Proposal

By the end of Week 4, you will submit your project proposal as outlined in the assignment description. Be as detailed as possible at this stage (that is, in your proposal), but it is okay to ask questions. Your project may evolve throughout the course.

Week 5 Meeting with Instructor

You will meet with your instructor in Week 5 to discuss your idea and the progress you have made. You will submit your notes as your assignment this week.

Week 6 Sharing with Class for Feedback

You will share your prototype or work-in-progress with your peers for feedback in Week 6 Discussion.

Week 7 Final Project Submission

In Week 7, it’s time for your final submission!

You will be assessed on your overall concept and use of course materials, NOT on having a working prototype by the end of the course. Feel free to take some risks and have fun!

Week 8 Final Project Presentation

An important part of many projects is being able to convince others that implementing your idea is the correct course of action. In ed-tech, that can mean presenting it to anyone from potential shareholders, to teachers or administrators, a principal, or a department head. Regardless of your proposal audience, you need to be able to sum up the important points of your project in a short amount of time. This week, you will present your idea in the format of a brief pitch to advocate for your chosen technology.

Assignments and Discussions

In addition to regular discussions, you will also be practicing best practices for designing learning materials and experiences and sharing them with the class (in most cases).

Week 2 Redesign and Record a Presentation

Week 3 Interactive Storytelling

Week 4 48-hour Game Design Challenge

Week 6 Use of Basic Web Design

Grading Policy

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

Grade Breakdown

Assignment	Points	Percent of Final Grade
Discussions	5 discussions x 4 pts + 5 discussions x 6 pts = 50 pts total	50%
Week 3 Assignment	6 pts	6%
Week 4 Assignment: 48 hr Design Challenge	6 pts	6%
Week 4 Project Proposal	7 pts	7%
Week 5 Meeting with Instructor and Notes	5 pts	5%
Week 7 Final Project Submission	20 pts	20%
Week 8 Final Project Presentation	6 pts	6%
Total	100 pts	100%

Grade Scale

Grade	Points Grade	Point Average (GPA)
A	94 – 100%	4.00
A-	90 – 93%	3.75
B+	87 – 89%	3.50
B	84 – 86%	3.00
B-	80 – 83%	2.75
C+	77 – 79%	2.50
C	74 – 76%	2.00
C-	70 – 73%	1.75
D	64 – 69%	1.00
F	00 – 63%	0.00

Schedule

Week 1: 6/23 – 6/27
Week 2: 6/28 – 7/4
Week 3: 7/5 – 7/11
Week 4: 7/12 – 7/18
Week 5: 7/19 – 7/25
Week 6: 7/26 – 8/1
Week 7: 8/2 – 8/8
Week 8: 8/9 – 8/15

Week	Topics	Assignments Due
1	Introduction to Technology in Learning	Introductions due Friday by 11:59 PM, Optional Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM Week 1 Discussion: Initial Post due Friday by 11:59 PM, Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM
2	Multimedia Storytelling	Discussions (two this week): Initial post due by Friday 11:59 PM, Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM (when required)
3	Interactive Storytelling	Discussion: Initial post due by Friday 11:59 PM, Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM Assignment due by Sunday 11:59 PM
4	Game-Based Learning and Gamification	Discussions (two this week): Initial post due by Friday 11:59 PM, Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM (if required) Assignments due by Sunday 11:59 PM Course Project: Schedule Meeting with Instructor
5	Visualizing Information/Work Week	Discussions (two this week): Initial post due by Friday 11:59 PM, Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM Meet with Instructor by Wednesday Assignment due by Sunday 11:59 PM Self-Assessment Quiz due by Sunday 11:59 PM
6	Interaction Design/Work Week	Discussion: Initial post due by Friday 11:59 PM, Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM (if required) Assignment due by Sunday 11:59 PM
7	Equity, Accessibility, and Fairness in a Digital World	Discussion: Initial post due by Friday 11:59 PM, Responses due by Sunday 11:59 PM Final Project Submission due by Sunday 11:59 PM
8	Future of Technology in Learning	Final Project Presentation – by Wednesday 11:59 PM; Responses optional Reflection due Friday 11:59 PM; Responses optional

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:

Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
Education Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/education/
Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

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:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

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

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:

Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
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.