Course code: EDUA11222 | Course leader: Dr Sian Bayne

This course is the foundation element of the MSc in E-learning, and gives you the opportunity to explore a range of key e-learning themes, and to become familiar with studying online. You will take part in a range of stimulating, confidence-building collaborative activities, which will be backed up with a high level of one-to-one tutor support. The course will give you the chance to engage hands-on with digital learning environments, offer practical guidance on the effective use of new technologies for learning, and also explore some of the cultural and contextual issues which define e-learning as a vibrant field of study – its politics, practice, meanings and methods.

During the course you will have the opportunity to become familiar with using discussion boards, chat, virtual worlds, wikis and other social media for learning. You will have the chance to try a range of innovative approaches to learning using technology, and to explore some of the theories and philosophies behind their use. You will use a weblog to record and reflect on your studies, and will be able to craft your final assignment topic so that you can use it as a way of exploring an e-learning issue of direct relevance to you.

This is a double-credit course, worth 40 credits toward your final qualification.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course you will be able to:

• critically evaluate a range of technologies in terms of their impact on teaching and learning;
• begin to design your own online learning resources;
• contextualise your own practice in terms of the key issues emerging from current research in e-learning.

Examples of student work from this course

Course handbook for this course