Emerging Trends and Innovation in Education (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

This course focuses on discussing the future of education in technology rich environments. What are the emerging trends? How are the paradigms of learning changing? What do the future learning environments look like? What is the role of educator? What are our students like, how do they learn? How do the changes in students’ living worlds and learning environments affect their cognitive processes and learning?

After completing the course, the participants will be able to:

- recognize and discuss the main emerging trends in education
- reflect upon the changing roles of educators and learners
- critically evaluate emerging changes due to policy, technology, social and economic drivers
- apply the obtained knowledge in planning of learning environments in facilitating students’ learning and in assessing their learning outcomes
- adopt a proactive role in developing their working environment using the obtained knowledge and ideas.

Content (course unit)

Commercialization and commoditization of education.
Unbundling of educational institutions and services.
Techno-solutionism and the influence of ‘Silicon Valley culture’ to education.
Education as an app and the ‘Uberization’ of work.
The use of AI and algorithms to drive educational planning and personalization.
The use of big data and learning analytics in education.
Open education, OER and MOOCs.

Location and time

Time and place: The intensive week is January 15 - 19, The remainder online from March 12 - April 22.

Exam schedules

Assessment is not in the form of exams.

Assessment methods and criteria

Grading criteria rubrics will be based on the principles of authentic learning and assessment and use the SOLO framework – “Structural Observation of Learning Outcomes” (Biggs and Collis, 1982, Biggs 1999).
All assessments will include negotiated assessment criteria.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Students will be working individually, and in collaborative groups within an online learning community.
One intensive week face to face, otherwise online.
Teaching strategies will include readings, discussion, facilitation, group and individual work, synchronous and asynchronous. Active participation and collaboration will be essential. Students will be expected to demonstrate their learning by presenting work in writing, visually, orally and in presentations.

Learning materials

Learning materials and recommended literature:
Materials will be provided online in the Tabula LMS and are expected to be supplemented by the student’s own research and inquiry based learning.

Student workload

Student's use of time and work load: 5 cr = 133 hours of student work individually and collaboratively in groups

Completion alternatives

Alternative ways of completing the module: No any other way unless Accreditation of Prior Learning via HOPS

Practical training and working life cooperation

Practice and cooperation with working life: all tasks will be related to the participants' working environments incorporating authentic assessment and applying theory to practice.

International connections

Participants are drawn from diverse cultural and national backgrounds and their experiences will feed into the learning of the whole cohort. We will examine global educational trends.

Assessment criteria - fail (0) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

0= Failure to complete tasks or submit work by agreed deadlines. No demonstration of appropriate concept or relevant processing of information. Students’ works under this category have poor structure, irrelevant detail and some misinterpretation of the question, showing little logical relationship to the topic and poor use of examples.

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

(1) = Preliminary processing but task is not approached appropriately. The structure of the students’ work under requires further development. Dogmatic presentation of a single solution to the set task. This idea may be restated in different ways. Little support from the literature.
(2) = Some aspects of task addressed but no connection or causation of relationship of facts or concepts. Students’ works required further development of structure. A range of material has been selected and most of the material selected is appropriate.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

(3) = Several concepts are integrated so that the coherent whole has meaning. Students’ works under this category are fairly well structured. Some issues identified. Attempt at a limited framework. Most of the material selected is appropriate.
(4) = Work is well structured with a clear introduction and conclusion. Framework exists which is well developed. Appropriate material with concepts integrated and connected. Content has logical flow, with ideas clearly expressed and application of knowledge or ideas. Clearly identifiable structure to the argument with discussion of differing views.

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

(5) = Students’ works under this category are well structured with clear introduction and conclusion. Issues clearly identified; clear framework for organizing discussion or stages of problem solving; appropriate material selected. Evidence of wide reading from many sources, including those researched by the student. Clear evidence of sophisticated analysis or innovative thinking. Ideas and concepts are connected, work provided evidence of higher order skills including analytical thinking, critique, critical thinking and creativity.