× Discontinuance of ITMA Program:


Please be aware that the ITMA program will be phased out over the next two academic years while the School of Education engages in curricular restructuring. I understand this may be disappointing news; please know we remain committed to ensuring you successfully complete your degree in a timely manner.

We have reached out to the faculty in the ITMA program to help plan for the phase-out of the current curriculum. To support students currently enrolled, we will be preparing a plan of study for each student enrolled in the ITMA program to allow students to finish their program within two academic years.

Please check your email for additional communication regarding the phase-out process and course offerings. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Nancy Bradley, Associate Director of the Office of Academic Programs at nbradley@vt.edu.

We look forward to assisting you in the successful completion of your degree!
Course Description

Welcome to Theoretical Foundations of Technology Enhanced Learning. In this course you will be introduced to the foundations of human learning and development as they relate to both formal and informal learning settings. The main focus is on psychological principles of learning and how these can be applied in technology enhanced learning (TEL) environments. There is not a single theory that can explain all aspects of human learning, so you will be introduced to many different theoretical perspectives on learning and apply these in a variety of settings using a wide range of technologies.

Course Objectives
  • Explain the basic principles of the main theories of learning, motivation, and of cognitive and language development.
  • Compare and consider the uses, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the theories
  • Apply principles and concepts of the different theories in technology enhanced learning contexts
  • Develop and revise your own philosophy of learning
  • Create a technology enhanced mini-lesson based on the theoretical foundations of TEL.

Required Reading Materials

We will use the following book throughout the course:

  • Woolfolk, A. (2015). Educational Psychology. (13th Edition). New York, NY: Pearson.

We will also use other readings and articles throughout the course that will be available through the Virginia Tech University Libraries.

Lessons and Readings
Lessons Readings
Lesson 1: Introduction to TEL No required Readings
Lesson 2: Behavioral Views of Learning Chapter 7: Behavioral Views of Learning
Lesson 3: Cognitive Views of Learning Chapter 8: Cognitive Views of Learning
Lesson 4: Complex Cognitive Processes Chapter 9: Complex Cognitive Processes
Lesson 5: The Learning Sciences and Constructivism Chapter 10: The Learning Sciences and Constructivism
Lesson 6: Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation Chapter 11: Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation
Lesson 7: Motivation in Learning and Teaching Chapter 12: Motivation in Learning and Teaching
Lesson 8: Cognitive Development Chapter 2: Cognitive Development
Lesson 9: Learner Differences and Learning Needs Chapter 4: Learner Differences and Learning
Lesson 10: Your Views Towards Learning No Required Readings
Course Assignments

Throughout this course, you will be working on four different types of assignments.

  1. Completion of Captivate Self-Assessments: You will complete self-assessments in Lessons 2 to 9 in order to assess your own learning throughout the course. These quizzes provide you with feedback that can help you better understand the reading materials. They may give you a better understanding of the theories and principles you understand well and and the ones you may still need to work on. Because the purpose of the self-assessments is to determine your readiness to proceed with the assignments, you will not submit the self-assessments nor receive any points for their completion (0%).
  2. Philosophy of Learning: You will develop and revise your own Philosophy of Learning as you move through the different lessons. This Philosophy of Learning accounts for 15% of your grade.
  3. Application-Based Scenarios/Case Studies: In most lessons you will also work on cases and scenarios in which you will apply what you learned in the lesson in a technology enhanced learning environment. These scenarios make up a large part of your grade (55%).
  4. Final Project: You will choose an objective that you would like to teach to a specific audience. This objective can relate to a topic that is of interest to you personally or may relate to something you are working on in your professional life. You will develop a technology enhanced mini-lesson and relate this lesson to principles and guidelines of the theories that you learned about throughout this course (30%).


Assignment types Percentage of your grade Points
1. Completion of Captivate Self-Assessments 0% 0
2. Philosophy of Learning 15% 30
3. Application-Based Scenarios/Case Studies 55% 110
4. Final Project (Development of a Technology Enhanced Mini-Lesson) 30% 60

Please see a specific breakdown of the points and the individual lessons below:

Lessons Assignments (and point specification) Total Points per Lesson
Lesson 1: Introduction to TEL Personal Philosophy of Learning Draft (10) 10
Lesson 2: Behavioral Views of Learning Scenario Applications (15) 15
Lesson 3: Cognitive Views of Learning Scenario Applications (15) 15
Lesson 4: Complex Cognitive Processes Scenario Applications (15) 15
Lesson 5: The Learning Sciences and Constructivism Scenario Applications (15) 15
Lesson 6: Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation Scenario Applications (10) 15
Lesson 7: Motivation in Learning and Teaching Scenario Applications (10) 15
Lesson 8: Cognitive Development Scenario Applications (10) + Draft Final Project (15) 25
Lesson 9: Learner Differences and Learning Needs Scenario Applications (10) 10
Lesson 10: Your Views Towards Learning Revised Philosophy of Learning (20) + Final Project (45) 65
Submitting Assignments

We have created an online student interface that allows you to submit assignments, check grades, and review the assignment rubrics. This will allow the graders to organize and grade your activities in a timely manner, and provide useful feedback. When an assignment has been graded you will then be able to log back into this interface to view your score and any feedback that was given. The student interface will also allow you to review the grading rubrics for each assignment. Please bookmark this direct link to the SASI (online student interface).

Course Grading

The following scale will be used in determining final grades:

Percentage Grade
93-100% A
90-92% A-
87-89% B+
83-86% B
80-82% B-
77-79% C+
73-76% C
70-72% C-
67-69% D+
63-66% D
60-62% D-
Honor Code

As part of an intellectual and ethical community, you must practice complete honesty in the preparation and submission of all work. Cheating, dishonesty and plagiarism of any kind, including the misuse of internet sources, are not tolerated. Any instances of academic dishonesty will be reported and may result in a “Fail” for the course. For information about the Undergraduate Honor System, refer to https://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/expectations/graduate-honor-system/ghs-constitution.html Please read carefully Section 3 under Article I Purpose and Description.

The tenets of the Virginia Tech Graduate Honor Code will be strictly enforced in this course, and all assignments shall be subject to the stipulations of the Graduate Honor Code. For more information on the Graduate Honor Code, please refer to the GHS Constitution at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/expectations/graduate-honor-system/ghs-constitution.html/

Support

If you have any questions about this module, please contact us at itma@vt.edu. (Note: This course is designed to display properly on desktop, laptop, or tablet computers. It is not designed for use with smart phones.)

References

All vector images in this course are either designed by Freepik.com or by Evelien Schilder.