Dave Sandor's Annotated Transcript of Master's Courses
This transcript contains my reflective summaries of the courses I completed in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology and Serious Game Design and Research certificate programs offered by Michigan State University.
Master of Arts in Educational Technology
ACE621: The Adult Learner
Transfer course from Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Semester: Fall 2011
Instructor: Dr. Jeff Ritchey
Semester: Fall 2011
Instructor: Dr. Jeff Ritchey
This was the first course I took in the Adult Education and Communications Technology program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. It provided an introduction and overview of learning theories, models and frameworks with implications for adult education in a variety of contexts. We also discussed important contributing figures in the fields of psychology, sociology, and cognitive science. Throughout the course, we also completed side research projects into different technologies useful for education. My research into learning games, and especially emerging language learning games, formed the foundation for future research projects in my later courses.
CEP820: Teaching and Learning Online
Semester: Fall 2013
Instructors: Dr. Anne Heintz, Sandra Sawaya
Instructors: Dr. Anne Heintz, Sandra Sawaya
This course served as an overview of the subjects of online learning and teaching. We discussed emerging trends in the technology supporting online learning courses, as well as techniques and considerations for managing fully online classrooms. We surveyed recent developments in policy and practice related to online programs in K-12 and higher education, and considered recent research demonstrating the potential benefits of online learning as well as some of the persistent arguments against it. Throughout the course, each student explored several Course Management Systems (CMS) and related Web-based communication technologies and considered the affordances and limitations of each. For the culminating project, I chose to develop a hybrid, flipped classroom course module in an Advanced English as a Second Language course for adult learners. This was my first experience designing and developing a course module completely on my own, and it challenged me to think deeply and creatively about how I could best adapt ESL content to an asynchronous, online format that would be usable, accessible, and appropriate for language learners.
CEP817: Learning Technology by Design
Semester: Spring 2014
Instructors: Dr. Punya Mishra, Jon Good
Instructors: Dr. Punya Mishra, Jon Good
This course presented an overview of general design theory and practice through discussions and meditations on “the Six Steps” of the creative process identified by Scott McCloud--Idea/Purpose, Form, Idiom, Structure, Craft, and Surface—as well as the culmination of good design: Quality. Throughout the course, we studied aspects of good and bad design across various media by discussing the philosophies of successful artists, writers, educators, and technologists regarding their crafts and examining examples of good and bad design in the world around us. We reflected on the general tension between design and function as well as that between art and design, and we discussed the designer’s role in the creative process. We considered and experimented with “subversive” methods of educational practice including treating teaching as a kind of performance art and learning as a designed experience. This course challenged my thinking about education, technology, design and writing in many ways, on many levels, and ultimately pushed me to reach a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the principles of good design. In particular, it furthered my understanding of effective communication techniques, principles of information design, and web design heuristics.
CEP800: Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings
Semester: Summer 2014
Instructors: Joshua Rosenberg, William Cain
Instructors: Joshua Rosenberg, William Cain
In this course, we reviewed key psychological theories describing the learning process from a variety of perspectives and philosophies. We also discussed implications of learning theories on educational practice. In particular, we discovered the importance of affect (or the learner’s emotional state) to the learning process as well as the need for learners to confront misconceptions before real learning can take place. Through the course, we were also introduced to the growing importance and popularity of project-based teaching strategies, which draw from theories like social constructivism, situated cognition, and cognitive apprenticeship. We were also introduced to the practice of “action research,” where educators experiment with new methods, techniques, or tools in live classrooms, record results, and make adjustments in an effort to continually improve. In true "project-based" form, for our final project, we each conducted our own action research, planning and testing a technology-enriched lesson plan with representative students, then reflecting on the results.
CEP822: Approaches to Educational Research
Semester: Summer 2014
Instructors: Tatyana Li, Dan Freer, Dr. E. David Wong
Instructors: Tatyana Li, Dan Freer, Dr. E. David Wong
This course introduced us to the methods of research study design used by educational researchers and practicing teachers. It also introduced us to key concepts in statistics as well as useful formulas and procedures for evaluating and interpreting findings. Throughout the course we engaged in hands-on practice, analyzing various datasets and critiquing the designs of past research studies. We also engaged in in-depth reviews of peer-reviewed research findings related to our chosen areas of study. For this project, I took the opportunity to conduct a literature review on technology-based practices of teaching listening skills to language learners. Through my review, I gained several useful insights with bearing on both ESL teaching contexts and my current work in transcription training.
CEP815: Technology and Leadership
Semester: Fall 2014
Instructors: Dr. Leigh Wolf, Joshua Rosenberg
Instructors: Dr. Leigh Wolf, Joshua Rosenberg
In this course, we explored factors affecting and influencing the use of technology in learning programs. At the same time, we also considered factors affecting and influencing leadership in education and educational technology. We examined perspectives of leaders, inside and outside of educational contexts, on leading and engaged in intensive self-reflection on our own leadership qualities or aspirations. Throughout the course, we studied frameworks and models for integrating technology into educational programs, including TPACK (Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge) and SAMR (Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition), and practiced applying TPACK to plan a technology-based initiative for a learning program. We also practiced leadership by crafting policy briefs and official guidance regarding a "thorny issue" in our professional practice.
CEP807: Capstone Portfolio Course
Semester: Spring 2015
Instructors: Dr. Matthew Koehler, Spencer Greenhalgh, Sarah Keenan, Brittany Dillman, Joshua Rosenberg
Instructors: Dr. Matthew Koehler, Spencer Greenhalgh, Sarah Keenan, Brittany Dillman, Joshua Rosenberg
In this course, we reviewed heuristics of good web-based portfolio design. We reviewed examples of prior students' work, discussed aspects we liked and did not like, and explored technology for developing and publishing websites. We developed our own portfolio sites in stages, curating information from past professional experiences as well as coursework completed in the MAET program. Our sites went through several rounds of peer reviews and revisions, building to a final presentation and showcase of our finished portfolios. Throughout the capstone, we also completed reflection and synthesis papers describing our learning goals before and after the MAET program and evidencing our development as educational technology professionals and scholars.
Serious Game Design and Research
TC831: Theories of Interaction Design
Semester: Fall 2012
Instructors: Patrick Shaw, Dr. Carrie Heeter
Instructors: Patrick Shaw, Dr. Carrie Heeter
This course served as an introduction and overview of the interactive elements of games that create engaging, meaningful and fun experiences for players. We discussed theories that describe how games can work as effective vehicles for teaching players skills and concepts as well as inspiring new behaviors or perspectives. We also examined theories such as "self-determination" that explain why and how games can successfully sustain deep player engagement and motivation for long periods of time. We analyzed the properties of successful game designs as well as the those of unsuccessful ones, and discussed practical elements of game development, including budgeting. The main project for this course entailed developing a plan and proposal for a game-centered research project.
TC841: Understanding Users
Semester: Fall 2013
Instructors: Patrick Shaw, Dr. Carrie Heeter
Instructors: Patrick Shaw, Dr. Carrie Heeter
In this course, we discussed methods of conducting design research to inform user and player experience design. We also discussed heuristics of good interface design--particularly relating to digital games, mobile applications, and Web-based products. The course included an overview of the history of design research from its beginnings in industrial design to present day iterations and applications. Special attention was given to ethics in research, and we all completed the Training Tutorial on human subject research protections provided by the MSU Office of Regulatory Affairs in compliance with the Institutional Review Board requirements. Course content was hands-on and highly project driven, encouraging us to apply new knowledge and learn by doing. I learned several valuable techniques including methods of brainstorming and wireframing new concepts, paper prototyping for quickly testing and refining design iterations, and developing user personas based on demographics and other information to guide design decisions.
TC830: Foundations of Serious Game Design
Semester: Spring 2014
Instructors: Patrick Shaw, Dr. Carrie Heeter
Instructors: Patrick Shaw, Dr. Carrie Heeter
This course provided an overview of the serious game design process beginning with identification of a design problem or context and audience analysis, through brainstorming and prototyping design elements, to user testing of a finished game, results analysis and revisions. Throughout the course we studied and discussed the application of game-based systems to a variety of "serious" goals including learning, training, persuasion, and behavioral change. We reviewed popular theories and frameworks describing the elements of games and play experiences that work to make games ideal tools, in certain contexts, for communicating ideas, information and perspectives. We also reflected on our own experiences as players, learners, educators, and design professionals to draw connections and build understanding. Throughout the course, we applied new knowledge through stages of serious game design project: we identified a design problem, conducted background research, then designed, developed, and tested a game-based solution. I chose to explore a design problem related to my work as a transcription trainer, and my background research into listening led me to discover valuable resources that laid the foundation for future class projects as well as techniques I could apply immediately to improve my effectiveness as a trainer.