"Leadership Issues
in Educational Technology"

 

Course Number: EDIT 895, Section 001

Mondays 7:20 - 10:00

East Building 121

Instructor:   Chris Dede

Graduate School of Education
George Mason University

Office Hours: M 4-7, T 1-4, or by appointment

Office: Commerce II Building, Room 111 (on University Drive just south of the fire station near the center of Fairfax); follow online directions, then go to first floor of Commerce II building next door

Phone: (703) 993-2019

Fax: (703) 993-2013

Email: cdede@gmu.edu

Website: www.virtual.gmu.edu


Table of Contents


Course Objectives

As a result of this course, participants will be able to :


Course Resources

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School.  
J. Bransford, A. Brown, & R. Cocking, Eds. National Academy Press, 1999.

The Dance of Change: The Challenges to Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations. P. Senge, A., Kleiner, C. Roberts, R. Ross, G. Roth, & B. Smith. Doubleday, 1999.

Readings from a variety of sources, including files linked to the course website

 
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Course Requirements


Class Activities

This course will utilize a combination of lectures, seminar discussions, media, guest speakers, field trips, and projects to help students exemplify leadership by building knowledge networking communities of learning and practice.

 

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Assignments

Each student is expect to complete the following two written assignments with their associated activities. Both a brief individual plan for each of the two assignments (submitted via email) and the assignments themselves are due on the dates specified in the Course Outline. In addition, participation in class and via electronic discussions counts for 30% of the grade; this is assessed by both quality and quantity of interactions.

1) Evaluating an Existing Knowledge Network (40%)

This assignment involves selecting an existing "knowledge network" for detailed analysis; scanning available materials and related documentation about the network's processes, content, and evaluation; participating as a member of the network (if feasible); and synthesizing its merits, demerits, likely evolution, and design implications into an ten page paper.

After this paper is submitted, the assignment also involves making a fifteen minute oral presentation to the class about your findings. This talk/demonstration is required, but ungraded.

2) Planning to Implement a Knowledge Network (30%)

This assignment involves identifying an organization that could benefit from creating a technology-intensive community of learning and practice, assessing the opportunities and challenges in designing and implementing such a knowledge network, developing strategies for overcoming problems and barriers, and synthesizing this analysis into a ten page strategic plan for implementation.

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Assessment


Course Topics and Schedule
(Subject to Change via Postings in Townhall and on Course Website)

Date

Topics

Readings/Assignments
8/30

Introduction to the Course 

Leadership as Building Communities of Learning and Practice

 

Instructor's Presentation in First Class

Readings for 9/13:             

Leadership without Followers

Knowledge Mobilization, Dissemination, and Use

How People Learn, Chapters 1-2

Dance of Change, Chapters 1-2

J. Roschelle & R. Pea. (1999). "Trajectories from Today's WWW to a Powerful Educational Infrastructure" Educational Researcher, 28 (5), 22-25, 43. (handout)

Assignments for 9/13:

Post Introductions to Townhall

Register for Course Mailing List

 9/6 No Class --
Labor Day Holiday
9/13

We Meet Today in the CHd Library, Krug Hall Room 108

 

An Illustration of Organizational Learning: Simulation of School Change

 

Readings for 9/20:

How People Learn, Chapter 3

Dance of Change, Chapter 3

Tapped In: An On-Line Teacher Community

Assignments for 9/18:

scan NCSA Access Center information

directions to NCSA Access Center

Assignment for 9/20:

Please register for Tapped In and download any necessary free software by following these instructions. We will use this tool for synchronous brainstorming the week of September 27th.

Please skim MS NetMeeting 2.1 information; we will use this tool for synchronous small-group meetings the week of October 4th.

Knowledge Network Evaluation Topic Due (via email)
please see submission guidelines

 9/18

Saturday

Field Trip to NCSA Access Center in Ballston  
9/20 Knowledge Networking Technologies

 

Knowledge Network Evaluation Topic Due (via email)

 

Readings for 9/27:

How People Learn, Chapters 4 -5

Dance of Change, Chapters 4-5

Assignment for 9/27:

Practice Communication and Collaboration in Tapped In

9/27

 

No Face-to-Face Meeting

Synchronous Brainstorming in Tapped In on the Various Forms of Knowledge Networking

 

Readings for 10/4:  

How People Learn, Chapters 6-7

Dance of Change, Chapters 6-7

Assignment for 10/4:

Practice Communication and Collaboration in NetMeeting

10/4

No Face-to-Face Meeting

Synchronous Small Group Work in Netmeeting on Leadership

 

Readings for 10/11:

How People Learn, Chapters 8-9

Dance of Change, Chapters 8-9

10/11

 

No Face-to-Face Meeting 

Asynchronous Townhall Discussion on Similarities and Differences Between Individual and Organizational Learning

10/18 The Emotional and Social Dimensions of Knowledge Networking: Implications for Leadership

Readings for 10/25:

How People Learn, Chapter 10

Dance of Change, Chapter 10

Assignments for 10/25:

Knowledge Network Implementation Topic Due (via email)

Knowledge Network Evaluation Due (via email)
please see submission guidelines
10/25 Synthesizing Ideas on Individual and Collective Learning from Readings

Knowledge Network Evaluation Due (via email)

Knowledge Network Implementation Topic Due (via email)

Readings for 11/1:

Dance of Change, Chapters 11-12

11/1

 

Presentations on Existing Knowledge Networks

 
11/8

No Face-to-Face Meeting 

Asynchronous Townhall Discussion
on Barriers to Using Knowledge Networking for Leadership and Learning

11/15 No Class - Release Day for Field Trip
 
11/22

 

Presentations on Existing Knowledge Networks

 

 

11/29

 

 

Synthesis: Strengths and Limits of Knowledge Networks

 

Knowledge Network Implementation Due (via email)
please see submission guidelines
12/6

 

No Class --
Release Day for Field Trip

 

Knowledge Network Implementation Due (via email)
12/13

 

No Face-to-Face Meeting

Asynchronous Townhall Discussion
on the course

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On-Line Resources

Resource Sites

Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT)

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

MOO -- The Missing Link in Online Education

 

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