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Western Oregon University

CSE 619: Big Thinkers in Educational Technology


(3credits) *** Winter 2014

Gregory Zobel, PhD


Education 202L
503 838-8278
Office Hours: T 11-2; H 2-4
zobelg@wou.edu

Description
This seminar focuses on reading classic texts and groundbreaking recent texts in the field
of technology. Readings vary by term, focusing on themes such as media and culture,
emerging technologies, technology in education, etc. Students should expect to read three
to five books each term.

Student Support Services

Disability Accommodation: If you have a documented disability that may require


assistance, you will need to contact the Office of Disabilities Services (ODS) to
coordinate academic accommodations. The ODS is located in the Academic
Programs and support Center (APSC) Suite 405. The phone/TTY is (503) 8388250.
Writing Center (www.wou.edu/las/humanities/writingctr)
Learning Resource Center (www.wou.edu/provost/aalc/learning)

Class Meetings
This is an online class. Weeks start on Tuesdays and end on the following Monday (i.e.
Week 1 starts on 1/7/14 and ends 1/13/14). All work is due on Monday evenings at 11 pm
unless otherwise noted (i.e. Finals Week).
All work for this class takes place in our course Moodle.
Find it at:
http://online.wou.edu

Course Assessment
1. Book reading responseone per bookposted to your Moodle blog: 40%
(10%/100 points per reading response);
2. Five relevant resources per bookposted to your Moodle blog: 20% (5%/50
points per resource collection);
3. Final paper: 40% (400 points)
a. Brainstorm 5% (50 points)
b. Rough draft 5% (50 points)
c. Improved draft 10% (100 points)
d. Final draft 20% (200 points)

CSE 619/ Winter 2014/ Zobel

Required texts
Please find all required texts listed on the Moodle site or in official course emails.

Workload
Graduate level courses expect four hours of work for every one hour in class. This means
a 3-credit course carries a 15 hour/week workload.

Assignment descriptions
Rubrics for all assignments are available on the course Moodle.

Relevant resources
Texts, like knowledge, are not built in isolation. Events do not occur in a vacuum. Each
text we are reading discusses a major cultural, social, and/or educational issue. Many
voices and perspectives surround these issues. You will locate five relevant resources that
discuss, address, and inform your reading of the topic. The purpose is to: support your
understanding of the issue; establish a larger context for the issues the author discusses;
undertake some research for your final paper. These pieces should be framed with a short
summary of the artifact and its relevance. Resources are not limited to alphabetic text
you can use other media as well. More information is available on the course Moodle
site.

Reading responses
We will read one book every two weeks for the first eight weeks. At the end of each twoweek cycle, you will summarize and respond to several key ideas the author presents.
Using specific, text-based evidence, you will analyze, react, critique, and engage with
these ideas. Additionally, you will integrate points raised or addressed in several of the
relevant reading resources you located. More information is available on the course
Moodle site.

Final paper
The final paper is a synthesis and analysis of several core ideas you find in the texts we
read. Your writing should respond to, critique, and engage with those ideas while
connecting them to an interesting educational, working, or learning issue. The paper is an
academic performance. As such, it should clearly demonstrate your membership in the
academic community, an awareness of several important aspects in the field of
educational technology, as well as larger technology-related issues. More information is
available on the course Moodle site.
Building to the paper
The final paper is a culmination of scaffolding steps through the first eight weeks of the
term: reading the texts; contextualizing them with other relevant resources; connecting
the different texts through themes of similarity and contrast. The final paper is built

CSE 619/ Winter 2014/ Zobel

through a four-step process: brainstorming; drafting; honing; polishing. This occurs


during the terms last five weeks.
The paper is not a single, final piece with little feedback. Instead, the writing process in
this class is meant to foster and support stronger research, writing, and revision practices.
Initial reading responses may be folded into your drafts. Resources may be included in
your paper. The full description is available on the course Moodle.

In-class participation
As with all graduate level courses, course quality depends on every students active
participation. You are expected to actively participate and engage with each other. To
interact with each, you can use the discussion board to create your own threads or ask
your questions. Visiting each others blogs is highly suggestedthis way you can learn
from and engage with each others ideas.
*This term I am not grading or requiring interaction or participation with each other. My hope is that we
can foster an environment of interaction and engagement without the necessity of grades. If this goes well, I
will expand the practice in my other courses. If this does not go well, Ill go back to my prior practices.
A Note on Plagiarism

Much of the work we do in this class involves using online electronic texts and images as
a resource. If you use material found online, you are expected to acknowledge the source
and, in the case of text, paraphrase as appropriate. If you use another writers words, you
must put those words in quotation marks (or use block quote formatting) and formally cite
the source. If you cut and paste text or any other material without crediting your source,
you are plagiarizing. Plagiarism is unethical. If discovered, intentional plagiarists fail.

Grading
It is possible to earn 1,000 points in this
class.
Grades (%)
A 930-1,000
A- 900-929
B+ 880-899
B 830-879
B- 800-829
C+ 780-799
C 730-779
C- 700-729
D 600-699
F below 600

To pass this class, you must complete all


assignments in the course. This includes:
1. Earning a minimum of a C grade
on all assignments outlined in the
course description.
2. Submitting a satisfactory final
paper.
3. Demonstrating the skills required
for properly citing and
referencing sources. This
includes summarizing and
paraphrasing without plagiarism.

Class calendar
For specific course-related due dates, please be sure to check the course
Moodle.

CSE 619/ Winter 2014/ Zobel

Late work and life events


As a policy, no late work is accepted. If we are nearing a due date and you
think you might not make the due date, email me ahead of time to discuss it.
If I have enough warning, I am happy to work around almost any situation or
concernand life has a way of presenting them. Contacting me after the
event, in most cases, does not work out so well. If your family has an
emergency, an accident, or something like that always put your family first
and then contact meeven if it is just a theres a problem, cant get my work
in on time, Ill get you more info asap.
Depending on the circumstances, late work may be docked a percentage or
given no credit.

Computers and back-up


At this stage in the technology game, all of your work should be backed up in your
WOU drive, a Google Drive, and/or some other back-up. If you are investing tens of
thousands of dollars in your education, it is common sense to protect and preserve
Course Outcomes

NETS-T
Standards

Conceptual
Framework

Assessment

y
o
u
r
i
n
v
e
s
t
m
e
n

t.

Your e-mail account


Your @wou.edu email account is your official school email account. All your official
documents go thereincluding course related comments, feedback, updates, etc. It is
vital that you access and use this email account. If you have trouble using this
account, contact University Computing Services immediately and get it sorted. That
email account is the key for so many things on campus, it must be in order. Really.

CSE 619/ Winter 2014/ Zobel

Be familiar with key


issues related to
technology and
educational technology.

5c

Aware

Final paper; reading


responses

Effectively summarize
readings and connect to
educational contexts and
large social events

3c, 3d

Under

Final paper; reading


responses; resource location

Develop graduate-level
writing confidence
and power.

3c, 3d

Pro

Final paper

Proactively research,
identify, and evaluate
sources that contribute
to an understanding of
educational technology
contexts.

5c

Aware

Resource location; final


paper

CSE 619/ Winter 2014/ Zobel

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