Unit name | Education in a Time of Social and Technological Change |
---|---|
Unit code | EDUCM0064 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Professor. Manchester |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Education |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Sociotechnical changes create a wide range of challenges and opportunities for educators and those who support learning around the world. Digital technologies (such as credit-card sized computers, digital games, mobile devices, massive online open courses, robots, social media, tangible technologies) are increasingly becoming embedded in our societies and being used for a wide range of purposes in educational settings. At the same time we are seeing growing global economic inequalities, increasing environmental and resource crisis, rapid demographic and political change and changing learning ecologies where traditional institutions are increasingly seen as ‘unfit’ for purpose. This unit will provide a critical introduction to debates about the relationship between social and technological change and education.
This unit assumes that we cannot understand the current educational landscape without considering social and technological change, and that this requires careful theoretical reflection. The unit therefore explores a range of theoretical approaches concerning technological and social change. This includes the analysis of current debates about technology in education and debates about how social change and technological change are intertwined. The unit then applies these theories in a variety of learning contexts, in educational policies and in practices. The underlying assumption is that social and technological change cannot be understood without engaging in critical inquiry using a wide-ranging literature.
The aims for this unit are:
On completion of this course unit students will be able to:
Teaching will adopt a blended approach involving a mix of face to face lectures with group work and activities provided on-line. Social media will also be used to support learning. Reflective practice is key to the teaching and learning experience – students will be asked to keep a reflective learning diary that will become their reflective critique at the end of the course unit.
For this course unit students are required to submit two pieces of work which are both assessed as 50% of the final marks for the course unit:
Part 1: A weekly critical reflection via a course blog on the theories, concepts and methods introduced on the course and their application in a range of settings – at least 2000 words. Students will be given guidelines on blogging throughout the course and it will be made clear that students must go beyond description to critically reflect on their own learning and understanding throughout the course unit. (50%) (ILO 1-3)
Part 2: A 2000 word academic essay theoretically examining an example of sociotechnical change and it’s various ‘effects’ in a chosen educational context. Students will be expected to critically apply theories and concepts learnt on the course. (50%) (ILO 4&5)
Biesta, G., Feld, J, Hodkinson, P., Macleod, F. and Goodson, I. (2011) Improving Learning through the Lifecourse. London: Routledge
danah boyd & Kate Crawford (2012) Critical questions for Big Data, Information, Communication & Society, 15:5, 662-679, DOI:10.1080/1369118X.2012.678878
Facer, K. (2012) Learning Futures: Education, technology and social change. London: Routledge
Elkjaer, B. (2009) A learning theory for the future. Chapter 5 in Illeris, K. (2009) Contemporary Theories of Learning: Learning Theorists - In Their Own Words, London: Routledge. [electronic resource]
Livingstone, S. and Sefton-Green, J. (2016) The Class: Living and Learning in the Digital Age. New York University Press:New York
Loveless, A. and Williamson, B. (2013) Learning Identities in a Digital Age: Rethinking Creativity, Education and Technology. London: Routledge
Selwyn, N, (2011) Education and Technology: Key Issues and Debates. London: Routledge
Selwyn, N. & Facer, K. (2013) The Politics of Education and Technology. London: Routledge.