FDN 5420: Hypermedia in Education
Course Requirements

 

Class Expectations:

1. Attend class - Policy outline on page 67 of the Graduate Bulletin.  Class cancellations due to inclement weather or other disasters will be announced through the cohort listserve.  Generally, if your school district has closed schools we will not have a class in that district.  If we do decide to have a class, please use your own discretion and come only if you are sure of your safety.
    
2. Keep current - Participate in class - demonstrations, discussions, and activities.
    
3. Participate in on-site field trips and conferences:  as mutually agreed to by instructor and students.
    
4. Successfully complete all projects and activities - as outlined in the evaluation section of this class.
    
5. Change any assignment - in such a way that it is meaningful and useful to you and your students.

 

Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated on the successful completion of the following activities:

1. Learning the Tools:  Using a variety of hypermedia tools, become familiar with the technologies presently available and ways they can be used to enhance instruction in learning environments. You (and your teammates) will be asked to explore at least two pieces of software with which you are unfamiliar and to share your experiences by responding to questions in the S-Mart and participating on the discussion board. (20%)
   
2. Completion of Final Project:  Prepare and present a full scale, usable, learning activity that can be used for a learner population of your choice. Each project should include a series of learning activities that require students to engage in and use major hypermedia tools.  These activities should include:

• A problem to solve
• Knowledge to structure
• Assurance that each group member will achieve competence with each type of tool
• Requirements for collecting, analyzing, and making decisions about the content learned
• Requirements for active collaboration within and between groups of students
• Demonstrate a direct connection to the classroom, school, or district goals and state DPI and ISTE standards.

• Actual topic and scope of each project will be negotiated between participants and the instructor.  These projects may be completed in collaborative groups.  Projects will be presented to the entire class at the end of the semester. Other educational professionals will be invited to attend these presentations.

As you develop your project and plan for your presentation please include the following:

• What you gained, personally, from developing this project.
• The participants: Reflect on the groups with whom you worked and or discussed issues while developing this project.
•  Identify with whom you interacted in cross-program, cross-cohort and within cohort groups and grade level/subject area and what you gained by working with these different groups and different people.
• Your team: Reflect on the people, places, tools, and resources you relied up to complete your project as well as make decisions.
• The connections between your project and the state DPI and ISTE standards.
• The impact: reflections on what direct, indirect, observed and/or hidden differences this project has had or will have on your students, parents, colleagues or school leaders - and how you know.
• Who, outside our program, was involved? Please identify folks who were involved in developing or implementing this project but were not enrolled in our classes. (Your principal, students, parents, superintendent, etc.)

Each member of a group developing these projects should achieve competence with the hypermedia tools used. These projects will be presented to the entire class at the end of the semester. (35%)

3. Demonstration of Your Understanding of the Research and Practice in Using Hypermedia in Learning Environments:  Review research and activity reports on the uses of hypermedia in learning settings. Write a paper on what hypermedia is, how it can be used in a learning environment, and what the critical issues are when considering the use of hypermedia. Cite your sources. (10%)
    
4. Creation of Hypermedia Version of Your Position:  Using hypermedia software of your choice, present the position you established in the above paper on the use of hypermedia in learning settings in a hypermedia format. (10%)
   
5. Establishing of the Difference:  In a format of your choice, explain the difference between writing a paper and preparing the same information in a hypermedia format. (5%)
    
6. Participation: Participate on the class Discussion Board and respond to questions in "Café Così che cosa?". (10%)
    
7. Mapping (with your teammates) the hypermazes, noting key concepts and the organization of the mazes as they delineate key features of hypermedia. You may use whatever format, software or materials you deem suitable for the task. (10%)
    

8. Final Reflection Paper

   • Complete a reflection paper that includes: 
     • a summary of activities undertaken during the class to add to or increase existing skills and knowledge, and an outline of goals and possible activities for continuing to add to or increase existing skills and knowledge
     • a self-analysis of what you have gained personally from the class
     • an indication of individuals and groups you have interacted during the course both within and outside your cohort, what you gained by working with these different folks
     • reflection upon your contributions to your groups and what, if anything you would do differently
     • the impact, direct and indirect that what you have learned and been involved with in the course will influence change in your classroom, school or district
     • indication of who, outside our program you contacted or worked with during this course
     • a planning proposal that will present a course of action for you as an individual in your efforts to integrate computers and information technologies into future professional roles.

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