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=** WIKI PLANNER FOR CAPSTONE PROJECT 2010 ** EDUC 7900: Capstone with Dr. Jennifer Smolka = =Wiki Organizers: Leasa Codner, Henry Briggs and Alison Young =

//For many K–12 and university students, their lives outside of school consist of exciting and highly virtual worlds, where they are engaged with cell phones, interactive games, computers, and multiple digital tools. They live in a connected world where their social networks dominate their lives.// //The reality for many is that schools do not offer motivating and stimulating// //digital environments for learning.//

 For this capstone project, our learning community will identify one area we'd like to change in the workplace to connect the traditional learning environment with the digital world of today’s students. Then, we will develop a collaborative project where the schools and/or classes represented by our learning community could be engaged in a topic of interest, using digital tools for communication. We'll consider a collaborative experience that crosses cultural groups or time zones.

 ** Our Visual Representation of AECT's New Definition of Educational Technology ** 

 ** Table Identifying Our Learning Community Experts ** **//(based on AECT's New Definition of Educational Technology)//** ** Definition Concept ** ||= ** Learning Community Expert ** ||= ** Definition ** || Facilitating Learning, Chapter 2 ||= Henry || __**Facilitating learning**__ refers to using, creating or managing external resources to activate the intended audience's internal processes of information, knowledge and skills acqusition from the material presented, by relating the learning environment to real-world contexts. || Improving Performance, Chapter 3 ||= Henry || __**Improving performance**__ involves instructional design practices that lead planners to think about a wide range of learning outcomes and clarify what types and levels of learning are desired. The systematic approach to target the types and levels of capabilities to be learned based upon rich experiences and applied to real-world context that give the intended audience the opportunity to recognize the consequences of their decisions. || Creating, Chapter 4 ||= Leasa ||= Using, Chapter 5 ||= Leasa ||= Managing, Chapter 6 ||= Alison ||= ** __Managing__ is based on being a change agent in an organization. A change agent is involved in directing short-term projects, resources, personnel, and long-term programs so the goals of an organization are successfully met. Evaluation is an important component to all four aspects and determines if goals are aligned with the needs of those involved. ** || Ethical Considerations, Chapter 11 ||= Alison ||= ** __Ethical considerations__ deal with the individual, the profession, and society. When learning how to effectively use new technologies, the user must also learn how to use them professionally and appropriately without maliciousness towards others. Educational technologists must act in a manner that will further the profession in a positive light. ** || Processes, Chapter 7 ||= Henry Leasa Alison ||= Resources, Chapter 8 ||= Henry Leasa Alison ||=
 * __Creating__ refers to the generation of appropriate and effective instructional materials, learning environments, and teaching-learning systems, using a variety of design approaches. Those approaches can include aesthetic, scientific, engineering, psychological, procedural, or systematic methodologies. ** ||
 * __Using__, the end purpose of educational technology, involves putting learners in contact with appropriate technological resources after careful consideration of theoretical, pedagogical, social, and economical factors. This is accomplished through a series of activities ranging from selection, evaluation, test of usability, utilization, and integration of chosen methods and materials. ** ||
 * __Processes__ are the methods, procedures, developments, and actions of using inputs to produce an output in complex, technology-enhanced learning environments, with the ultimate goal of facilitating learning and improving performance. Such processes are supported by conceptual, theoretical, or practical frameworks. ** ||
 * __Resources__ are any appropriate analog and digital tools, materials, devices and interactions that people use in conjunction with technological processes to facilitate learning and improve performance. ** ||

Reference:  Januszewski, A. & Molenda, M. (2008). //Educational technology: a definition with commentary//.  New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.