EDTEC 561 Measuring the Impact of Technology on Learning (3): Prepares teachers to evaluate the effects of technology use. Prerequisite: EDPSY 421 or equivalent and AEE 521 or equivalent.

Overview

This course is designed to prepare teachers and other educators to use basic quantitative methods to assess the effects of a variety of technology-related innovations in their own classrooms and schools.  Using the skills and perspectives acquired in this course, you will be able to move on to EDTEC 566, and EDTEC 567 where you will design and develop implementation/evaluation projects to examine the effectiveness of technology enhanced learning experiences in your classroom or school. EDTEC 561 was designed for students who expect to enroll in EDTEC 566 and EDTEC 567.  I sometimes make adjustments to this syllabus for students who will not be taking EDTEC 566 or 567.  If you have been admitted to the course with that understanding, be sure to remind me of your status by course e-mail.

Course Objectives

Course content is organized by five themes; problem identification, assessment, problem theory, research design, and Scholarship and Research integrity.  The activities of the themes are intended to help you build skills that will enable you to identify an instructional problem in your professional context and think about that problem in a way that will make you more likely to be able to use technology effectively to address the problem.  The fifth theme, Scholarship and Research integrity (SARI), is a requirement of all graduate students who will collect data from research subjects.  Since you will be collecting and evaluating data from implementation/evaluation projects, you will need to meet this requirement.

• Objectives for the Problem identification and Assessment Themes
  Identify an instructional problem that you can address using a technology-based strategy.  Problem identification includes;
  • using Robert Gagné's hierarchy of intellectual skill to classify cognitive complexity of the problem
  • using item analysis of test results to determine the difficulty of the problem
  • creating a prerequisite analysis of the problem
  • developing and administering a pilot assessment to determine the scope of the problem on the prerequisite analysis
  • use the prerequisite analysis and pilot assessment results to construct a criterion assessment that can be used to evaluate the instructional effectiveness of your technology-based instructional strategy
  • discuss the validity of your assessment and estimate it's reliability.
     
• Objectives for the Problem Theory Theme
  Use current learning theories to explain the cognitive demands of your instructional problem
  • Use information processing and schema theory to describe the cognitive processes that need to be addressed for learning to occur in your problem area.
  • Use Penn State library resources to locate articles in peer reviewed journals that will increase you theoretical understanding of your problem.
  • Use your theoretical understanding of your problem area to describe the essential elements of an instructional strategy that will promote learning in your problem area.
  • using item analysis of test results to determine the difficulty of the problem
  • 
     
• Objectives for the Research Design Theme
  Use instructional design principles that will help you to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional strategies intended to improve learning in your problem area.
  • Use Bransford's adaptation of the Tetrahedral Model to identify possible interactions among learner characteristics, content, the instructional strategy, and the assessment.
  • Use statistical t-tests to evaluate the consistency/congruence  of sets of assessment data with instructional content, and the effects of the instructional strategy on information processing, and identify variables that can confound your results.
  • Complete a tetrahedral analysis of an instructional strategy in your problem area.
     
• Objectives for the Scholarship and Research integrity (SARI) Theme
  • Complete modules on the Responsible Conduct if Research  in the CITI site
  • Discuss themes of RCR as it related to your work in evaluating the effectiveness of technology-based instructional strategies in your professional context.
  • Complete IRB module in CITI site.
  • Discuss IRB issues as they relate to your work with students .
     

Required Course Materials

The following are required materials you need to purchase:

• Nitko, A. J. & Brookhart, S. M. (2007). Educational Assessment of Students, 5th Edition, Pearson.  Inexpensive copies of this book can be purchase through used book sellers such as Amazon. ISBN: 9780131719255
   
• Gagné, E. D., Yekovich, C. W., & Yekovich, F. R. (1993).  The Cognitive Psychology of School Learning, 2nd edition, Longman.  Note; This text is not available through the regular World Campus bookstore.  Inexpensive copies can be purchase through used book sellers such as Amazon. ISBN:  9780673464163

This course also requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. To access these materials, click on the Library Reserves link under the Resources tab. The following materials have been reserved:

• Creating high-quality learning environments: guidelines from research on how people learn. Bransford, John et al.
• Four points to remember: a tetrahedral model of memory experiments. Jenkins, James J.
• Varieties of Learning: Intellectual skills and strategies. Gagné, R. et al.

Additional materials:

• You will need access to the Spreadsheet program Microsoft Excel.
• You will need educational psychology and statistics textbooks for reference as you will be expected to apply knowledge gained in these prerequisite courses.
• Additional readings, exercises, self-assessments, etc. are listed for each lesson in the Course Schedule.

Library Resources

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

Technical Requirements

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 Schedule

The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments. Information for Modules 1 and 2 are provided at the opening of the course.

• Course length: 13 weeks

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account userid and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year from the day the course began (with the exception of library reserves).

Grading

Course grades will be determined on the following basis:

The total points for the course will be approximately 147. Grades will be determined by converting total points earned for activities to the percentage of total possible points for the course. The resulting percentage will be converted to a letter grade using the following scale.

However, many of the activities in this course are competency based which means pass fail.  You will either earn full points or no points for this type of activity.  In cases where no points are assigned to an activity, you will need to redo the activity until the work has been judged to demonstrate sufficient understanding to move on to the next activity.  When you move on, you will receive a point deduction from the initial possible points for that activity. 

Since you are developing essential research skills which you will use in the remainder of the program, all assignments must be completed to be eligible to receive a grade for the course.  If ALL assignments are not completed at the end of the course, the best grade you can receive will be a C.  This grade will indicate that you have not completely prepared for EDTEC 566 and EDTEC 567.

Once you have completed all of the assignments, your letter grade will be calculated using the table below.

Assignments Due

Modules are designed to begin at 8:00 a.m. eastern time each Wednesday. Assignments submitted after 8:00 a.m. the following Wednesday mornings are considered late. If you have circumstances that interfere with submitting an assignment on time, please contact your instructor BEFORE the due data.  Assignments not submitted by the time work has been checked will receive a point deduction unless arrangement are made prior to the due date  or special circumstances exist.

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies. 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.

Academic Integrity

Accommodating Disabilities

Additional Policies

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.