Applied Technology in Education

Master of Education

About This Program | Program Requirements | Admission

About This Program

Program Purpose

The Master of Education: Applied Technology in Education program is designed for classroom teachers and other educators who want to become more knowledgeable and skillful in instructional and management-related uses of information and communication technology (ICT). The program emphasizes using ICT to change and improve the culture of teaching and learning, especially in terms of learning environments and teacher/learner roles.

The program addresses research, theory, emerging trends and technologies, and best practices involving education-related ICT. The 33-credit degree program consists of 15 credit hours of technology courses and 18 credit hours of school leadership/teaching and learning courses. All technology courses are offered in a "hybrid" format that combines on-campus work in college computer labs with web-based activities using Blackboard^TM. Technology courses (EDT prefixes) must be taken in numerical sequence, beginning with EDT 6000 and ending with EDT 6040.

Program Competencies

The Master of Education: Applied Technology in Education program is intended to:

1. Facilitate an understanding of school leadership and instruction that improves schools, school districts, and the teaching/learning process;
2. Provide an environment that fosters creative thinking and problem solving skills pertaining to school improvement;
3. Provide a balanced theoretical and practical curriculum in a) leadership, b) management, c) legal issues, d) classroom organization, and e) school support services;
4. Examine issues related to the dynamics of school change;
5. Provide teachers a basic foundation in the use of computers and technology, including: operations and concepts, personal use of technology, and the application of technology to instruction;
6. Prepare teachers in educational computing and technology literacy, including: social, ethical, and human issues; productivity tools; research; problem solving; and product development;
7. Provide professional preparation through instruction in teaching methodologies and hardware/software selection, installation, and maintenance; and
8. Prepare teachers in application of telecommunications and networking methods and equipment.

Outcomes Assessment

Multiple assessments are used to determine candidate growth toward achievement of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions described in Master of Education: Applied Technology in Education program competencies and college-wide graduation competencies. Rubrics-based evaluations of fieldwork, projects, assignments, research papers, and final grades for courses represent the first level of assessment. Goals, learning outcomes and activities, external assignments, and assessment strategies are linked directly to program and graduation competencies and are clearly stated on each course syllabus. Other assessment strategies include individual progress and advising conferences, observations of candidate performance in authentic settings, and a capstone project embedded into the final technology course.

Program Design

The use of ICT in schools continues to increase, as do the numbers of students, administrators, and staff who are routinely exposed to computers and associated devices. ICT in the classroom is a prominent subject on many local, state, and national agendas. For some teachers, ICT is a specific content area responsibility, and most teachers use some forms of ICT every day in their classrooms. The increased presence of ICT in the schools has created educational opportunities and challenges unknown just a few years ago. Consequently, several critical needs have emerged:

1. A need for teachers to develop and maintain high levels of ICT-competence, including an awareness of emerging trends and technical innovations;
2. A need for teachers to know how to use ICT to help improve communication, improve student learning, solve problems, and make data-driven decisions;
3. A need for teachers to know how to integrate ICT into all curricular areas; and
4. A need for teachers to understand ICT's influence on the learning environment and on teacher/student roles.

The Master of Education: Applied Technology in Education program addresses the above needs by fostering an application-level of practical expertise at an intermediate level of experience. The technology courses included in the program are based upon the National Standards for Technology in Teacher Preparation issued by the International Society for Technology in Education.