Main Content
Syllabus
Emerging Web 2.0 technologies and learning.
Overview:
Web 2.0 tools and social media are becoming an increasingly more pervasive part of our daily lives. From online social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, etc., to collaborative platforms such as Wikis, Diigo, Youtube, etc., technology tools are allowing individuals to move from consumers to prosumers of information, and allowing individuals to become active participants and creators of content and content dissemination. This unprecedented level of participation and interaction has resulted in the formation of online “communities” around specific topics and interests, with an increased and visible use of tools to support knowledge building and sharing. For educators, examining the tools, practices, and communities that form around specific interests can lead to fruitful methods of engaging the learners in practices and interactions that are familiar from their everyday engagement with these tools. Additionally, social media tools offer a variety of professional development opportunities to engage learners in building and sharing their expertise.
Learning Objectives:
The objectives of this course are for participants to:
-
engage in various social media technologies as both observers and participants
-
document and reflect on interesting practices surrounding various social media that can be turned into educational or personal knowledge development opportunities
-
formulate a personal statement about learning and teaching with Web 2.0 tools
-
formulate design blueprints and design assessments based on opportunities and challenges of using specific Web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching
Course Materials:
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Technical Requirements:
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course expectations:
As this is an upper level undergraduate/graduate course, please be aware that the workload is structured per expectations of graduate level work. You should plan to spend between 9-12 hours each week on your class work (including reading, interaction, and assignments). The level of different activities will vary each week--for example, you may do more reading on some weeks, or more activities on some weeks, or a combination thereof. In all cases, the work is designed to balance out to about the same number of hours per week.
As adults with active lives and professional obligations, please take time to plan appropriate time each week to engage in this course. Because of the way the week is structured in the course (Wednesday to Tuesday), the main activity portions of the week tend to fall on the weekends, when you will likely have more time to engage in interaction with peers. Please inform me in advance if there are weeks where you may run into issues with schedules or deadlines.
Assignments:
Since this course deals exclusively with Web 2.0 tools, our engagement in this course will closely map the type of engagement and processes that are visible in these environments. Some of these processes include (but are not limited to):
- persistent exploration of and engagement with new technologies (including trouble shooting)
- active discussion and conversation between participants
- critical reflection and examination of various technologies and their impact on learning
- equal opportunities for demonstrating expertise within the community
Specific processes and deliverables that are key to engagement in this course are listed below:
Engagement with peers and content:
- Writing ongoing blog posts
- Commenting on peer blogs
- Curating group blogs
- Engaging in group discussion via Diigo
- Engaging in Voicethread discussion
Creating artifacts to support professional and personal development:
-
Individual tech tool briefing on a specific Web 2.0 tool (added on the course wiki)
-
Group tech policy report (on course wiki)
-
Personal learning philosophy + word cloud at the beginning of the semester
-
Personal learning philosophy + video at the end of the semester
-
Podcast of practitioner interview
Further details for the deliverables are presented below:
Ongoing engagement with peers and content
Ongoing blog posts
First blog posts for each week should be made no later than Saturday night. Posts made on Sunday will lose a point on the overall scale. Posts made later than Sunday will not be eligible for points. Blog posts will be graded using a holistic scale that relates to quality of thought, integration of content and resources, and ability to extend the dialogue. The following three levels will form broad categories for evaluation.
Excellent (3 pts): Post is intellectually sophisticated and engages with the content appropriately and in depth. Post extends the discussion beyond the presented material (i.e., is not a restatement or summary of reading materials) and provides clear support for positions/opinions taken (including references, resources, personal experiences, etc.,)
Good (2 pts): Post is intellectually sophisticated and engages with the content appropriately and in depth. Post may not extend the discussion too much beyond presented material or may not provide sufficient support for positions/opinions taken.
Acceptable (1 pt): Post indicates mostly restatement/summarization of content with some justification. There may be a few original ideas but they are not developed or elaborated substantially.
No post = 0 points.
Comments on peer blog posts
The first comment on a peer blog should be made no later than Monday morning. Beyond that time frame comments are ineligible for points. Peer comments are also graded on quality of posts.
A comment that analyzes the peer post and extends the discussion in new ways, and that integrates content and justification will gain 1 point. A comment that just agrees or superficially restates peer post will get no points.
Blog curator activity (a/k/a Group Leader Blog Summary)
At least once during the semester, you will be asked to summarize and synthesize the thinking of the blogs within your specific group and then present it as a post on your blog. A thoughtful analysis of and integration of key points, and ability to extend the thinking contained within these varied posts and viewpoints, will gain 4 points. If the synthesis is incomplete or insufficiently representative of the posts being summarized, then a point (or two) may be deducted, depending on the severity of the omissions.
Group discussion via Diigo
At various points in the semester, we will be using Diigo to read and annotate a text. Use of the tool to engage in conversation will gain 2 full points.
Artifacts (products produced during the course)
Personal learning philosophy (v1)
Reflect on your philosophy of learning. Based on your education and experiences, what is your view about learning and how it occurs? If you are aware of any philosophies/theories of learning, which would you subscribe to? What is the role of the learner and the teacher in a learning environment? How do you know if learning is occurring and what are visible indicators or signs of learning? What is the role of technology in learning?
Respond to these questions in a blog post in your blog. Identify 3-5 key words that represent your post. Then go to wordle.net and create a word cloud of your post, and post it on your web page. What do you see as the most prominent words and do they match the keywords you had identified?
Additional details are provided on the appropriate lesson page.
Individual tech tool briefing
Identify 5 participatory technologies of interest and list them in your individual wiki page. Provide links to each technology (website) as well as at least two actual examples of them in practice (i.e. being used in a teaching/learning sitaution). Write a short description for each technology, why you selected them, and how you can see each of them being used in a teaching/learning situation.
Additional details are provided on the appropriate lesson page.
Group tech tool policy document
In your assigned groups, look through the technologies identified by your group members. Create a group wiki page, which should contain the following:
- Links out to all the group members' individual wiki pages
- Has a main page that classifies all the technologies identified by the individual group members. You can classify using the chart offered by Hsu, Ching, & Grabowski, or any other classification you think is useful. Also, briefly describe why these technologies were classified as such.
- Group summary and evaluation of the technologies. As a group, pick two technologies that you think are most immediately useful/pertinent to learning and teaching. Explain why you think so. Provide 4-5 references related to the technologies you selected -- these could be examples in practice, practical/applied reports of use in learning, and/or empirical reports of use in teaching/learning.
Additional details are provided on the appropriate lesson page.
Podcast of practitioner interview
Identify a peer or colleague, who uses Web 2.0 tools for teaching or for learning. Interview your colleague about her/his use of technologies and tools and post to your blog site. Feel free to ask any questions that you'd like and also make sure to include these questions:
-
What does s/he see as the role of soical media and Web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching?
-
What tool(s) is s/he using?
-
What has s/he learned as a result of working with these tools?
-
What suggestions would s/he have for someone who is looking to use social media for teaching, learning, or professional development?
The interview (podcast) you post should be around 10 minutes in length. Please email me the name of the person you plan to interview and the name of one contingency person in case the first doesn’t work out for some reason.
Additional details are provided on the appropriate lesson page.
Personal learning philosphy (v2)
As we move toward the end of this course, reflect on the texts, experiences, and peer interactions during the course. Look at your learning philosophy v1 and highlight how your philosophy has changed over the semester. What do you now see as the role of the learner and the teacher? What do you see as evidence that learning is happening? How do you consider the role of technology in learning? Write a revised learning philosophy that reflects changes in your thinking based on your work in this course.
Create both a blog post and a short video based on this philosophy.
Create a video presentation that conveys the key elements your learning philosophy, especially as it has been informed by your work in this course. The length of your video should be somewhere in the range of 3-5 minutes.
Additional details are provided on the appropriate lesson page.
Grading:
|
Activity
|
Points
|
|---|---|
|
Ongoing blog posts
|
27 |
|
Comments on blog posts
|
20
|
|
Blog curator activity (1 post)
|
|
|
Voicethread participation
|
|
|
|
|
|
Learning philosophy v1 + wordle |
6 |
|
Podcast Practitioner Interview |
10 |
|
Learning philosophy v2 + video |
20 |
|
Individual tech tool briefing |
10 |
|
Group review and summary of tech tools
|
20 |
|
Total
|
130
|
94-100% - A; 90-93% - A-; 84-89% - B; 80-83%- B-; 74-79% - C; 70-73% - C-; 69% and below F
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments. Please note that as this is a course on emerging technologies, I may occasionally change the syllabus if new items of interest come up or if I identify alternate ways to support the learning of the group. Any changes to the syllabus will be communicated to you via email, as well as be marked on the syllabus page. Check the syllabus and lesson pages for each week to make sure you are accessing the most up-to-date information.
All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday.
Week 1: Orientation and Introduction Week
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 2: Learning and Web 2.0
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 3: The Networked Learner
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 4: The New Ecology of Learning
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 5: Becoming a Networked Learner/Teacher
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 6: Educational Applications of Web 2.0
| Engage |
Optional
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 7: Wikis and Learning
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 8: Media Sharing and Learning
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 9: Social networks for learning
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 10: Participatory culture and learning
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 11: Learning across spaces
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 12: Future of institutions and pedagogy in a digital age
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 13: Break
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Week 14: Putting It All Into Practice
| Engage |
|
|---|---|
|
Reflect/Create |
|
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Policies
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Course Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.