The campuses of Thompson Rivers University are located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwepemc Nation within Secwepemcul’ecw. As we share knowledge, teaching, learning, and research within this university, we recognize that this territory has always been a place of teaching, learning, and research.
We respectfully acknowledge the Secwepemc—the peoples who have lived here for thousands of years, and who today are a Nation of 17 Bands.
We acknowledge Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc.
We acknowledge T’exelcemc and Xat’súll.
We acknowledge the many Indigenous peoples from across this land. (Knowledge Makers, n.d.)
Introduction
On This Page
Welcome to EDDL 5151: Contemporary Issues in Technology Enhanced Learning.
This Course Guide contains important information about the course structure, learning materials, and expectations for completing the course requirements. It also provides information about how and when to contact your Open Learning Faculty Member, an expert in the course content, who will guide you through the course. Take some time to read the Course Guide to familiarize yourself with what you need to do to complete your course successfully.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your Open Learning Faculty Member. We hope you enjoy the course.
Course Description
Participants will explore a variety of methodologies, tools and technologies to enhance teaching and learning in their specific educational context. They will engage in critical discourse about the use of information technology in a number of different educational settings, evaluate the resources available to them, and develop strategies to make the most effective use of those resources for themselves and their students.
Prerequisites
A Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor’s degree in another discipline with teaching qualifications or experience, or permission from the School of Education’s Associate Dean or designate.
Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:
- Identify a variety of contemporary issues in technology-enhanced learning and digital learning environments.
- Critically examine implications of contemporary issues in specific aspects of technology-enhanced learning and digital learning environments.
- Explore relationships between contemporary issues and pedagogical approaches.
- Interpret research literature to situate issues in the context of current and historical discourses.
- Analyze a selection of issues in technology-enhanced and digital learning environments to a specific selected problem setting.
Course Materials
This section describes the course materials that you will need for EDDL 5151:Contemporary Issues in Technology Enhanced Learning.
Required Textbooks and Materials
All required resources are available free of charge online.
Online Materials (Subject to Availability from the Publisher)
Thompson Rivers University is not responsible for the content or privacy policies of third-party websites. Please read the terms of use of third-party websites carefully. If you need help accessing the site, please contact the publisher directly.
Required Hardware, Software, Computer Skills, and Other Resources
Technical Basics lists the hardware, software, and computer skills requirements for your course.
The other resource that you need for this course is the following:
- A computer with Internet access.
| If you have questions about course materials, email OL Materials |
Course Topics
EDDL 5151: Managing Your Technology Classroom includes the following topics and units:
- Unit 1: Learning Technology and Media
- Unit 2: Social and Ethical Issues
- Unit 3: Open Educational Practices
- Unit 4: Learning Design and Delivery
- Unit 5: Contemporary Issues in Technology-Enhanced and Digital Learning Environments
Learning Activities
In this course, you will study independently and in groups with other learners. Your Open Learning Faculty Member will support your learning throughout the course. Working through course activities and readings will help you to meet the learning outcomes and successfully complete your assessments.
Readings
The readings are a core resource of the course, so be sure to read carefully and take notes. You will access the readings online or via TRU Library.
Blogging
You are asked to start a WordPress blog that will become your ePortfolio. You are expected to read and comment on posts from other learners, ask questions, and share your knowledge and expertise. The community is what makes this course an exceptional learning opportunity. Read Online Discussions for information about discussion guidelines and etiquette.
Videos
The course includes links to online videos. You may find it valuable to take notes while watching the videos to refer to when completing assignments.
Web Applications
You will use various web applications throughout the course. If you have difficulty accessing or using an app, contact your Open Learning Faculty Member
Assessments
To complete this course successfully, students must achieve a passing grade of 70% or higher in the course overall and 70% or higher on the mandatory Final Project.
| Note to students: You must maintain a GPA of 3.00 to remain in the Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning program. One grade of F can result in dismissal from the program. Students with B- or lower in two or more courses must withdraw, regardless of their GPA, unless the program coordinator recommends otherwise. |
The following table illustrates how your final grade will be determined for this course.
| Assessments | Value |
|---|---|
| Assignment 1: ePortfolio and Blog Posts | 20% |
| Assignment 2: Team Presentation | 20% |
| Assignment 3: Discussion Posts and Participation | 10% |
| Final Project: Major Project Paper (mandatory) | 50% |
| Total | 100% |
Non-completion of an assignment will result in a mark of zero for that assignment.
Always keep a copy of each assignment you submit so that you have a copy to refer to in the event of a telephone or email conference with your Open Learning Faculty Member.
Grading Scale
The official grading scale for all Open Learning courses is the TRU Academic/Career/Developmental Programs scale as noted in TRU’s Grading Systems and Procedures.
Academic Integrity
Appropriate academic conduct requires that you complete your assignments independently, honestly, and without misrepresentation or plagiarism. Typically, plagiarism occurs in three forms: when a writer uses someone’s exact words or ideas as if they were her/his own, paraphrases someone’s ideas without acknowledgement or identifying the source, or simply does not include the proper citations.
Be sure to cite all sources of direct quotations and borrowed ideas. If you do not, you could fail your assignments and, potentially, the course.
Each assignment is viewed individually for academic integrity. Please be aware, should you choose to submit multiple assignments at the same time and if an academic integrity violation is discovered in more than one of those assignments, that each assignment submission will be viewed as a separate offence and sanctions will be applied accordingly.
Citing facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials deemed common knowledge is not considered plagiarism.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully familiar with the “Forms of Academic Dishonesty” section of the TRU Student Academic Integrity Policy.
TRU Library also provides the valuable Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It resource.
Be sure to cite the sources you use in assessments and discussions. Check with your Open Learning Faculty Member to see which style to use. TRU Library’s Citation Style Guides is an excellent resource for writing academic citations.
Help Available
The following sections describe the support that is available to you throughout this course.
Open Learning Faculty Member
Your Open Learning Faculty Member will guide your learning in this course, mark and comment on your assignments, and provide you with whatever assistance you need with your coursework. You are encouraged to contact your Open Learning Faculty Member early and often; for example, when:
- You wish to discuss any ideas about the course content.
- You do not understand some aspect of the course instructions or assessments.
- You have difficulty with any of the assigned readings.
- You have a question or a problem arising from your Open Learning Faculty Member’s comments or grading of your assessments.
TRU Library
TRU Library provides you with access to online, print, and audiovisual resources to complete your assignments successfully and for further reading on any topic discussed in this course.
The Distance, Regional, and Open Learning (DROL) services include the direct delivery of library materials at no cost to you and one-on-one research assistance.
Use the Discover search box to search for the library’s resources. You will be prompted to log-in using your TRU network account. You may need to change the default password to your network account before you will be able to access the library’s resources. See Student Network Account for information.
You can request assistance by email or phone 250-852-6402 (Kamloops, BC) or 1-800-663-1699 (toll-free in Canada).
Writing Centre
The Writing Centre can help you with feedback on your writing. You can request help with any stage of the writing process, including: understanding assignment requirements; tips on brainstorming and idea generation; feedback on organization, sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation; resources for academic citations and avoiding plagiarism; and strategies for effective revision. You may ask for help with a specific writing problem or for general feedback. Open Learning students can get support online or in person on TRU’s Kamloops campus.
Technical Support
If you have problems using the tools or features of the course website, check the Technical Basics web page to see if you are using the correct hardware and software required for your course. If you still experience problems, go to the IT Service Desk.
For help, email the IT Service Desk or call 1-888-852-8533 (toll-free in Canada), 250-852-6800 (Kamloops, BC), and 1-250-852-6800 (International).
Curriculum Developer
Irwin DeVries
Over his career Irwin worked in open and distance education at the post-secondary level. His roles included instructional design, online teaching, administration and research. Irwin held a PhD in Education (Curriculum Theory and Implementation) from Simon Fraser University and had adjunct faculty appointments with Thompson Rivers University and Royal Roads University. Sadly, Irwin passed away, much too early, in January of 2024. You can learn a little more about Irwin in this reflection by Brian Lamb.
Curriculum Consultant
Keith Webster
Keith has been an educator for several decades, including many years as a staff instructor in the Canadian Forces and a stint as a high school teacher. Keith became an instructional designer at the University of Victoria in 2004, moving to Royal Roads University in 2015 where he is now the Associate Director for Learning Technologies. Keith has taught educational technology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria and instructional design in the School of Education and Technology at Royal Roads. Keith has taught in the Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning at Thompson Rivers University since it’s inception in 2009. In addition to his work at Royal Roads and TRU, Keith is past-chair of BC’s edtech community of practice — the Educational Technology User’s Group (ETUG).
Keith lives in Victoria, B.C. with his spouse and two kids in post-secondary.
Copyright & Credits
Copyright © 2020 Thompson Rivers University. All rights reserved.
The content of this course material is the property of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and is protected by copyright law worldwide. This material may be used by students enrolled at TRU for personal study purposes only. No part of this work may be forwarded or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the Intellectual Property Office, Thompson Rivers University, copyright@tru.ca.
TRU seeks to ensure that any course content that is owned by others has been appropriately cleared for use in this course. Anyone wishing to make additional use of such third party material must obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Course Development Team 2019
Course Developer: Irwin DeVries, PhD
Course Consultant: Keith Webster, MA
Instructional Designer: Stephen Doubt, MEd
Editor: Chris Ward, BA
Associate Dean, Education and Social Work: Jane Hewes, PhD
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