E-teaching 1, Pedagogy in Online Learning, 10 ECTS

Objectives

The goal of the course is to provide participants with a knowledge of, and practical experience in, logging into and using a virtual classroom,

building blended or online learning environments, supporting and guiding online students in their learning processes, and describing, discussing and selecting ICT-supported pedagogical approaches.

The course is designed to prepare educators, lecturers and subject professionals to develop, manage, implement, support and moderate online learning and enable them to become active members of an online community for online tutors.

Content

Module 1: Technology and pedagogy
Technology and pedagogy in the virtual classroom. Log into and navigate in the Learning Manangement Systems (LMS).
Asynchronous and synchronous conferencing, threaded discussions, tools, folders and files.
Self-instructional courses vs online learning communities. Online identity. Nettiquette.

Module 2: Online learning and learning environments
Some challenges related to online learning:
Content and control, cost structures, pacing and workload, access and flexibility.
Online tutoring skills, e-moderating: the 5-step model (Salomon)
Collaborative Learning Environments, Communities of Practice, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL).

Module 3: Pedagogical approaches
Theoretical background for learning and learning environments. Academic writing.
Learning theories: Instructivism, constructivism, socio-cultural (constructivist) approach
Deep and surface learning, collaborative learning. Theoretical background for communities of practice.
Student types, learning styles and personalised follow-up. Introduction to accelerated learning and mindmaps. Performers and learners.

Module 4: Tutoring
Developing students’ online skills and ‘scaffolding’.
Conferencing: planning, starting, maintaining, moderating, reflecting and negotiation of meaning, threading, weaving. Handling conflicts.

Module 5: Assessment
Assessment methods, reflection on learning processes, support & feedback to students, standardised grading,
academic writing, handling of plagiarism, academic integrity

Learning outcomes

Upon course completion, the students ‘walks out the door’ with the knowledge or ability to i.a.:

• develop good online learning environments in an LMS
• select and apply various pedagogical approaches to practical situations according to aims and objectives
• create a virtual learning environment and work in and guide others in an online learning community
• develop, moderate and maintain asynchronous, threaded discussions in an multicultural environment
• scaffold and assess a learning process, give appropriate support and feedback, handle conflicts and plagiarism
• produce and evaluate learning products, such as articles, lectures and systems for assessment and feedback

Mode of delivery
Carefully elaborated study guides with learning tasks and activities, learner-focused approach with tutor support, many-to-many communication, group work, negotiation of meaning in asynchronous threaded discussions, group hand-ins in addition to individual hand-ins. Group and individual studies. Peer tutoring.

Course starts

By appointment

Examination

Hand-ins during the course, Student activity in the forum, Portfolio assessment.
Participation and portfolio, 60 %
Three-day Home exam, 40 %

Pace

Part time course. (Estimated student total workload: 240 - 300 hours distributed over 16 - 18 weeks.)

Who can participate?

Formal criteria: Academic degree: Bachelor's/Master's/PhD level or equivalent.

Basic ICT skills (tool: Fronter). Command of written English at an academic level. Access to the Internet. Commitment to frequent (preferably daily) participation and contribution.

More information

Course description

University of Agder
Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
Further Education centre
Servicebox 422
N-4604 Kristiansand
NORWAY

anette.k.tyler@uia.no
Phone: +47 38 14 23 38

Fees:
NOK 8.000
(NOK 100 = USD 17,22 pr. January, 2010)

Semester fee
In addition to the course fee, you will have to pay the semester fee. (Currently the semester fee is 580 NOK). Please note that the course and semester fee do not include course literature.

Application deadline: By appointment
Please note we are depending on a sufficient numbers of applications to start the course.