PennX: Introduction to Online and Blended Teaching

Week 1: Introduction
Introduction to how technology can help in the classroom, how the roles of teachers are changing in response to trends in and policies regarding technology, and how an understanding of learning theories helps with designing learning spaces

Week 2: Online Learning
Introduction to the history and development of online learning spaces, the key elements and advantages of online learning, synchronous and asynchronous learning, and important considerations and best practices for educators when they teach in online and hybrid environments.

Week 3: Digital Literacies, part 1
Introduction to how individuals make and communicate meaning with digital tools in online communities, defining characteristics of participatory communities, connecting learning with learners’ existing digital literacies, and the relationship between digital literacies and identity.

Week 4: Digital Literacies, part 2
Introduction to the practices of participatory communities, such as remixing, as well as how writing and reading differ when using digital tools in online contexts and how these differences can be leveraged to change learning and teaching.

Week 5: Blended Learning
Introduction to blended learning contexts with a focus on how and why to integrate digital technologies, tools, and networks to augment classroom learning and teaching.

Week 6: Design of Learning Spaces
Introduction to the principles and practices of online design, how these concepts of design relate to the principles of scaffolding and assessment, the educational potential of games and gaming for learning, and other issues to consider regarding online learning such as education standards and professional development.