Unit name | Digital Cultures and Participatory Learning |
---|---|
Unit code | EDUC30024 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Grant |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
none |
School/department | School of Education |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will examine some of the key challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning that arise as a result of technological and social change. Students will reflect on a range of conceptual and empirical work that considers how digital cultures influence our learning experiences across the life course, and how digital technologies foster different communities of knowers and forms of knowledge. Opportunities will be provided to explore the digital spaces in which learning now happens, the new ethical issues that arise for
learners and educators as they engage with digital cultures, and the possibilities for creativity and participation that arise as well as the ‘participation gaps’ that may prevent some groups from benefiting.
The aims for this unit are to enable students to:
On completion of this course unit students will be able to:
Formative assessment:
Through review of student portfolios and class discussion of portfolio content.
Reflective practice is key to the teaching and learning experience on this unit – students will develop and maintain a portfolio to record, examine and reflect on their own experiences of digital cultures and learning and the ideas introduced throughout the unit. This portfolio will be instrumental in putting together their critical reflection and academic essay at the end of the course unit.
As part of this unit, students will be asked to develop and maintain a portfolio through which they record, examine and reflect on their own experiences of digital cultures and learning and the literature and theory introduced throughout the unit. This can be in a digital format (e.g. blogs, multimedia, podcasts, videos, social media posts, etc.) or paper-based format (e.g. notebooks, scrapbooks). This will be part of the preparation for and discussion in weekly sessions and be used as a basis for the two summative assessments detailed below.
Summative assessment:
Part 1: (ILO 1, 2 & 4) A critical reflection on your own experience(s) of digital cultures and learning, drawing on and extending one of the entries in your portfolio. 1,000 words maximum (40%).
Part 2: (ILO 1-3) An academic essay applying theoretical concepts to digital cultures, participation and learning. This can be developed from one (or more) of the digital portfolio entries. Thus, students will choose from a list of topics or can also suggest their own (to be approved by unit tutors). 2500 words maximum (60%).
Ito, M., Baumer, S., Bittanti, M., Cody, R., Herr, B., Horst, H.A., Lange, P.A., Mahendran, D., Martinez, K., Pascoe, C.J., Perkel, D., Robinson, L., Sims, C., and Tripp, L. (with Judd Antin, Megan Finn, Arthur Law, Annie Manion, Sarai Mitnick and Dan Schlossbery and Sarita Yardi) (2010) Hanging out, Messing around, Geeking out: Living and Learning with New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Livingstone, S. (2007) From Family television to Bedroom Culture: Young People’s Media at Home. In Devereux, E. (Ed.), Media Studies: Key Issues and Debates. London: Sage.
Loveless, A. and Williamson, B. (2013) Learning Identities in a Digital Age: Rethinking creativity, education and technology. London: Routledge.
Marsh, J. (2011) Young Children's Literacy Practices in a Virtual World: Establishing an Online Interaction Order. Reading Research Quarterly, 46(2), 101–118.
Prendergast, D. and Garattini, C. (eds) (2015) Aging and the Digital Life Course. Life Course, Culture and Aging: Global Transformations. New York/Oxford: Berghahn.
Sefton-Green, J. (2013) Mapping Digital Makers: A Review Exploring Everyday Creativity, Learning Lives and the Digital. London: Nominet Trust. Retrieved from: http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/NT%20SoA%206%20-%20Mapping%20digital%20makers.pdf.
Selwyn, N. (2004). The Information Aged: A Qualitative Study of Older Adults’ Use of Information and Communications Technology. Journal of Aging Studies, 18(4), 369–384.