Graduate Courses
Master of Arts in Educational Technology and Online Learning Course Descriptions
This course approaches curriculum through a practical lens with an emphasis on developing a cohesive Pre-K to grade 12 curriculum that is aligned with state standards, engages each student in meaningful learning, and promotes the mission, vision, and core values of the school district. Aspiring leaders learn to create technically sound assessments and select appropriate instructional strategies, resources, and technologies that are engaging and present all students with an equitable opportunity to learn. Course topics include culturally relevant pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, and using multitiered systems to support English learners and a wide range of students with diverse learning needs. The course considers curriculum as a key component in systems of continuous improvement and collaborative professional learning.
This course focuses on the school leader's role in implementing personnel processes and systems for professional learning that ensure each student has equitable access to effective teachers, learning opportunities, and academic and social support. Aspiring leaders learn how to recruit, hire, support, develop, and retain effective and caring teachers and other professional staff and develop an effective and culturally competent team invested in collective responsibility for each student'ss success. Course topics include principles of adult learning and motivation, New Jersey law related to tenure and the evaluation of educational personnel (e.g., AchieveNJ, TEACHNJ), professional frameworks for effective teaching and leadership, differentiated models for learning and growth, and the induction and mentoring of new personnel. Prospective principals practice clinical supervision and develop the ability to collaboratively examine practice and provide collegial feedback.
This course focuses on the key role of the principal as a leader in the selection, use, and evaluation of instructional technology. Students are encouraged to think critically about technology, both in role in the teaching-learning process as well as in its role in school management (ISLLC 1, 2, 3; NJDOE 1, 2, 3).
Note: This course requires that students use Microsoft Access software, which is a Windows-based product and will not run on Macs. Students can run this software and other Windows software on a Mac using Apple's Boot Camp technology or third-party virtualization tools like Parallels or VMWare Fusion. These tools make it possible to run Mac OSX and a Windows operating system side by side. This solution will require a Windows license.
This course focuses on the conceptual framework of technology, theories, and practices in educational environments. Students are provided the opportunity to investigate educational technology, analyze theories related to instructional design, and apply 21st century skills to teaching with technology.
This course provides an overview of curriculum development and the infusion of relevant education technology as it applies to individual needs in the on-site and online environments. The course will provide a framework for integrating technology with teaching and the overall development of knowledge in curriculum and classroom instruction.
This course is designed to provide both a theoretical and a practical foundation for current and future school leaders in the adoption and adaption of technology in administrative, curriculum, and instructional areas. The course will trace the development of educational technology today and provide the basis for leaders at all levels to make sound judgments about using technology to improve student learning and professional effectiveness. Included will be an examination of data-driven decision making and the overall collection and use of data.
Capstone Project in Educational Technology and Online Learning provides for a research-based Capstone experience for degree candidates in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology and Online Learning (MAETOL) program. For the Capstone project, students will synthesize prior knowledge with the research necessary in the course to complete the first three chapters of a research-based technology plan for his or her selected level. This culminating experience provides the student with a practical study that could be conducted in or applied to his or her own educational situation or future positions.
This course provides students an opportunity to articulate and apply best practices gained from courses taken in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology and Online Learning program to design and implement a formal evaluation of an educational technology or online learning program. Major topics include: types of evaluation, evaluation design and theory, measurement, sampling, data collection, data analysis, and presentation and utilization of findings. The course focuses on the capacity-building potential of evaluation and its impact on the quality and delivery of educational technology and online learning programs and requires students to complete a formal evaluation of an existing educational technology or online program. Students will be expected to conduct data analysis and are expected to design and execute all aspects of the evaluation; identify and critique the state of the empirical evidence related to the evaluation; and prepare and report project findings and implications.
Note: You are required to spend a minimum of 60 hours engaged in an educational technology and/or online learning program as a part of your program evaluation. In this regard you should contact and begin working with your Supervising Administrator as soon as possible to set up your supervised tasks and experiences. You will record and log the time spent engaged in the educational technology and/or online learning program in a Practicum Self-Report Log that you download from the course Web site. The Supervising Administrator will be asked to certify and sign-off on the Practicum Self-Report Log, without which you cannot pass and receive credit for this course.
This course is designed to give adult educators a theoretical base and practical orientation to the culture of online learning as well as tools and concepts to use in creating and teaching online courses. The course emphasizes a variety of readings, individual student work, and a class discussion of online learning accompanied by practical experience in designing an online course. Because of the theory-base and instructional approach used in this course, participation by every student is crucial so that students can both learn and support each other in their learning process.
One of the few things that almost all agree on is that technology is changing rapidly. How can teachers and learners keep up? This course takes the prudent track of discussing technology in the broader context of how to make decisions, solve problems, and learn/teach technological skills.
How is instructional design for online learning different from instructional design for other modes of delivering instruction? This course provides critical discussion of and practice in the ideas and practices that enhance quality in online learning and is designed for teachers who wish to develop effective online courses. Through readings and course discussions, students will gather and evaluate instructional material appropriate for online teaching and apply good instructional design principles to online teaching situations. Students will explore specific issues related to online courses and will plan, implement, and evaluate strategies that present the material to promote student learning in the courses.
The technology enabling online learning allows communication and interaction between student and texts, student and teacher, and student and other students. This course considers the theoretical aspects of communication and interactivity and the practical skills of facilitating online discussions and online interactions. With the advent of web 2.0, the interactive web, there are new ways of communicating with students. Some are appropriate for an online class, some are not. This course will examine communication in light of new developments, keeping in mind that all courses must conform to solid pedagogical principles. Students will also be working to develop a "philosophy of online teaching" statement that is often required when applying for an online teaching position.
Technology and the Human Community: Challenges and Responses looks at technology historically and philosophically. The course focuses on technological issues affecting contemporary and emerging professional, public, and private structures. A central issue is the role of the citizen in dealing with political, economic, and social pressures related to technology. A key purpose of this course is for students to exchange views by engaging in and discussing serious social and technological issues with a view toward their resolution.