Assessment tasks

Assessment overview

Assessment item (including exams held in the exam period)	Due date of assignments	Weighting	Addresses learning outcome(s)	Addresses generic skill(s)
1. ICT research journal	End of week 6, with research analysis milestones at weeks 3 and 5	60 % total	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 10
2. Professional magazine opinion piece OR ICT integration task	End of week 7	40 %	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 10

1. ICT research journal, 60 % total

Assignment-specific learning outcomes

Upon completion of this assessment item, you should be able to

1. Engage critically with key issues relating to ICT and education
2. Present an informed and coherent view on important issues relating to the use of ICTs in teaching and learning
3. Communicate your ideas and opinions in a scholarly fashion

Task

Research two (2) topics related to ICT and education and keep an ongoing record of your investigations in a research journal. The journal may be presented in electronic or paper format. As part of your in inquiries, you will be expected to submit a 600 – 800 word research analysis of each topic that you examine.

Purposes

This assignment is designed to help you to

• Develop your online research skills
• Gain a deeper understanding of, and draw informed conclusions about, issues relating to ICT and education
• Broaden your technical knowledge of ICT
• Identify a range of technologies appropriate for teaching and learning purposes
• Evaluate various technologies for ‘fit-for-purpose’ in a particular teaching episode
• Integrate ICT appropriately into your teaching practice

Guidelines

The research journal itself (due end of week 6)

• You must research two (2) topics related to ICT and education and keep an ongoing record of your investigations in a research journal.
• You may want to work out a research question instead of simply dealing with a general topic area, e.g.,  “What factors inhibit uptake of social networking by schools?” Feel free to run your question past me if you think it would help.
• You may wish to include videos, hyperlinks, journal articles, audios, diagrams, graphs, slideshows, quotes, thought pieces, reports, images, magazine articles, etc. Examples will be posted on the LWT blog.
• I will be looking for at least 5 journal entries on each topic. Entries may be substantial, but informal, written pieces, or just notes/scrapbook-style entries with some explanatory detail. The final research analysis for each topic, however, should be more scholarly (see below).
• You should try to keep the journal going whilst you on prac.
• Your final journal entry should be a substantial one that reflects on your experiences in the course. Ask yourself,
  • What do I understand differently now?
  • How has my thinking on unit topics either changed or solidified?
  • What, based on my professional experience placement, works in theory but not in practice?
  • Where are there still gaps?
  • What will I need to watch out for in my teaching?

You are not required to write this entry, but it would be nice if you did.

• The journal may be presented in electronic or paper format. Of course, you are encouraged to present your work electronically, not least because the medium is the most flexible for incorporating rich media, hyperlinks and the like; however, you will not be penalised if you choose to hand in your assignment on paper. Submission details will be posted on the LWT blog.

Examples

Feel free to explore these research journals from grad students enrolled in Enhanced Learning in Professional Contexts to get an idea of what you could do in your journal

• Aaron’s ELPC journal
• An education student struggling with technology (Vicki)
• Becoming Mrs V. B. (Courtney)
• Blogging time … (Kylie)
• Boonaddy’s blog (Harriet)
• Brenspot
• Calen Robinson ELPC 6705
• Chaddotikolo’s Blog (Chad)
• Claretron’s cool-a-mondo- bloggerondo (Clare)
• Digital here, there and everywhere (Alan)
• ELPC Journal (Amy R)
• hELPC! (Peter)
• I Sea Tea (Benjamin)
• ICT journal (Jacklyn)
• ICT Research Journal (Claire)
• Ingrid’s blog
• It’s Education (Jennifer)
• Jenna – ELPC
• Kirsty Budding’s Blog
• Mike DV
• Scuse Me Miss! (Shannon)
• Teach and Reflect (Steven)
• Teacher in Training (Felicity)
• Technology and Education: will their powers combine? (Kathy D)
• The Perry File (Tahlia)
• Tom Bluck’s blog
• Who c? You c! Ict! (Devon)
• Whole New World (Louise H)
• You Found Out What About ICT? (Stuart)

Research analysis

• A research analysis of each research topic you choose to investigate for the journal will be due in weeks 3 and 5.
• Each research analysis must consist of a minimum of 600 words and a maximum of 800 words.
• Your research analysis should be scholarly and demonstrate intellectual engagement with the topic. It should be referenced correctly (aim for a minimum of 3 references if you are unsure).
• Information about how to submit your research report and analysis will be posted on the LWT blog.
• The research analyses are intended as formative assessment pieces, i.e., they are meant to give you an indication on how you are going, and they are designed to feed into the final assessment pieces for the unit. Research analyses 1 and 2 (due weeks 3 and 5 respectively) will each be graded at 15% of your final grade. This means that your research journal is actually made up of:
  • Research analysis 1: 15 %
  • Research analysis 2: 15 %
  • Final, overall research journal: 30 %
  • TOTAL: 60 %

In writing your research analysis, you may want to ask yourself

• What are the main themes in the topic area?
• What areas of controversy have I found?
• Where is there agreement or disagreement?
• What are the main arguments or positions?
• Are there policy implications?
• Are there infra/structural implications or problems that need to be addressed?
• Are there professional development concerns?
• What needs to be done to help solve the problems?
• What are the main issues relating to the topic?
• Do different scholars/research bodies hold different opinions?
• What are the controversies in the area?
• What are the opportunities for teachers?
• What are the opportunities for learners?
• What obstacles are there to the uptake of ICTs in the topic area?
• What further research needs to be conducted?

A very basic format for your research analysis would be along the lines of

• I examined X topic.
• These are the main issues and arguments (with citations).
• Here is my evaluation of the situation.
• Further research needs to be conducted around XYZ.

Examples

• Podcasting
• Social networking
• The text generation
• Teacher PD in ICT
• Social networking in schools — do the benefits outweigh the risks?
• The effect of ICT-supported education on expectations of teachers
• Educational Gaming and its benefits
• The digital divide
• Art and technology

You can view more by looking at the student blogs and research journals, above.

Possible electronic tools suitable for the research journal task

• Tumblr
• WordPress or Edublogs
• Blogger
• Mahara portfolio via LearnOnline

We will learn about these as we go along. If you wish to use a private blog, then you will need to add me as a viewer or contributor under the email address meg@meganpoore.com.

Possible topic areas

You may research any two issues that interest you, provided they deal with current issues relating to ICT and education. If you choose your own topic, but are unsure as to whether or not it is suitable for investigation (i.e., there might not be much material available, or maybe the topic isn’t quite ICT and education-related enough), then please feel free to discuss it with me. Some topics are suggested below, but you are not bound by them.

• Role of ICT in contemporary society and schooling
• Current issues in ICT and education
• Student learning with ICT outside of schools
• The digital divide
• New media literacy
• Cyberbullying and cybersafety
• ICT competency and proficiency standards and measures
• The best tools for the job
• Impact of ICT on education
• Individual needs education and ICT
• Social networking
• How ICT can enhance student learning
• How ICT is used in teaching and learning
• Teacher roles in an IT supported world
• Mobile learning
• Educational gaming
• Digital creativity

Assessment rubric

A full assessment rubric will be provided. You will be assessed on

• Demonstrated development of thinking
• Understanding of issues
• Critical engagement with issues
• Scholarly communication
• Navigability of journal
• Technical knowledge of ICTs appropriate for educational purposes

2. Professional magazine opinion piece, OR ICT integration task 40, %

Professional magazine opinion piece

Student examples from Enhanced Learning in Professional Contexts

View student examples of the professional magazine opinion piece

Assignment-specific learning outcomes

Upon completion of this assessment item, you should be able to 

• Engage critically with key issues relating to ICT and education
• Present an informed and coherent view on important issues relating to the use of ICTs in teaching and learning
• Communicate your ideas and opinions in a professional fashion

Task

Write a 800 – 1000 word opinion piece for publication in a (fictitious) teacher professional magazine called Today’s Teacher.

Purposes

This assignment is designed to help you to

• Analyse contemporary teacher roles
• Gain a deeper understanding of, and draw informed conclusions about, issues relating to ICT and education
• Argue a case based on evidence, not just opinion

Guidelines

• Due end of week 7.
• Write a 800 – 1000 word opinion piece for publication in a (fictitious) teacher professional magazine called Today’s Teacher. Suggested topics are listed below.
• The opinion piece should be ‘pitched’ at an appropriate level. Your piece should not resemble a formal journal article; instead, a slightly informal tone of writing is acceptable, but your writing should not read as if written for a newspaper. Use magazines such as Teacher or Professional Educator as a guide. Other examples will be provided.
• Bullet points are OK if you need to list a series of points that you later go on to discuss.
• Use sub-headings if you want to.
• Include citations and references where appropriate. Given that you are expected to argue a case, you should reference at least two (2) different sources.
• If you want to do some visual design layout on your opinion piece using Publisher, Pages or other software, feel free. You might then want to embed your article in your blog, using a service such as Scribd.
• Submission details will be posted on the LWT blog.

Suggested topics

You may write on any topic that interest you, provided it deals with current issues relating to ICT and education. You should choose a topic different from those you explored in your research journal research analyses. Some topics are suggested below, but you are not bound by them. If you choose your own topic, but are unsure as to whether or not it is suitable for investigation (i.e., there might not be much material available, or maybe the topic isn’t quite ICT and education-related enough), then please feel free to discuss it with me.

• Students learn more about ICT outside of school
• Role of ICT in contemporary schooling over-hyped
• Government’s site-blocking policy will prevent students from learning
• Using ICT to engage the disengaged
• The myth of the ‘digital divide’
• Moving past the ‘digital divide’
• Schools failing students in raising ICT literacy standards
• Government failing students in raising ICT literacy standards
• New media literacy: essential for lifelong learning
• Cyberbullying: over-hyped and under-researched
• Cybersafety: children inherently at risk on the internet
• Students not ICT proficient enough
• Fit-for-purpose: the importance on choosing the best tool for the job
• Impact of ICT on education cannot be over-estimated
• ICT enhances student learning
• Changing role of the teacher in an IT supported world
• Mobile learning: the value of never being offline
• Tools maketh the teacher
• What online games can teach us about learning
• Teachers’ ICT professional learning in adequate

Assessment rubric

A full assessment rubric will be provided. You will be assessed on

• Understanding of issues
• Justification of your position
• Critical engagement with issues
• Communication style appropriate for a professional publication

ICT integration task

Student examples from Enhanced Learning in Professional Contexts

• The Perry File
• Teacher in Training
• Whole New World

Assignment-specific learning outcomes

Upon completion of this assessment item, you should be able to 

• Formulate an informed and coherent plan for integrating ICT into your teaching
• Illustrate sound educational design principles of ICT integration into your teaching
• Justify your proposed use of ICT in your teaching

Task

Write a series of journal entries that lays out your plan for integrating ICT into your teaching.

Purposes

This assignment is designed to help you to

• Analyse which ICTs would best support your teaching purpose
• Gain a deeper understanding of how to best integrate ICT into your teaching
• Apply what you’ve learnt in the unit so far to your teaching

Guidelines

• Due end of week 7.
• Write a series of journal entries that lays out your plan for integrating ICT into your block placement teaching.
• Minimum six (6) journal entries and minimum 150 words per entry.
• You should consider the educational design elements in your planning, i.e., you should constructively align your learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment tasks (if applicable).
• Suggested entries include:
  • Description of teaching episode
  • Learning outcomes
  • Choice of ICT plus justification for using it
  • Teaching and learning activities
  • Teaching and learning methods or strategies
  • Potential problems and how you would over come them
• Your entries should demonstrate how you plan to integrate ICT into your teaching  based on what you have learnt in the unit so far. You should justify your approach based on the research you have examined.
• Include citations and references where appropriate. Given that you are expected to justify your proposed ICT integration, you should reference at least two (2) different sources.
• Bullet points are OK if you need to list a series of points that you later go on to discuss.

Assessment rubric

A full assessment rubric will be provided. You will be assessed on

• Appropriate ICT selection
• Justification of ICT use
• Educational design
• Communication style appropriate for a research journal