Educational Technology

A learning goal is what you should know by the end of the class. The broad learning goal for this class is that, by the end of the class, you will have the requisite knowledge to make a real contribution to the Educational Technology field.Even established experts in the field do not know everything, however, and neither will you. Instead, by the end of this class, you will have sufficient knowledge to contribute to the field in some way, though not every way. This means the learning goal of the class is determined in part by your own goals in taking this class: - Are you interested in understanding how technology can help education more theoretically? Then your learning goals would include knowledge of research methodologies, promising pedagogical strategies, and current theories in the community. - Are you interested in designing technologies that can help learners learn better? Then your learning goals would include knowledge of pedagogical strategies, current state-of-the-art tools, and the open problems in education and technology. - Are you interested in evaluating existing technologies? Then your learning goals would include knowledge of research methodologies in user testing, current state-of-the-art tools, and broader issues surrounding the impact of such tools. - Are you interested in contributing to the education enterprise more broadly, even if it isn't at the point of learning? Then your learning goals would include knowledge of the current problems in the field, broader issues surrounding the use of tools in supporting education, and the present tools that address those problems.By achieving these learning goals, you will end the class with the knowledge necessary to contribute to the portion of educational technology in which you are most interested.