Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
Nil
Incompatible
COMM140 Digital Communication Technologies , EDEZ104 Digital Cultures and Capabilities
Unit rationale, description and aim
The use of digital technologies permeates all facets of everyday life. The internet, social media, blogs and podcasts have facilitated the emergence of digital cultures.
This unit is designed to enable pre-service teachers to understand the influence of digital technologies on contemporary life, culture, communities and professional and interpersonal communication. Pre-service teachers will explore a range of digital technologies including social media, website platforms, cloud-based technologies and digital imaging and media software, gaming and virtual reality platforms. Ethical and safety considerations within digital environments are a focus within this unit.
This unit aims to introduce multimedia skills to pre-service teachers who may have had limited experience with emerging communication technologies and develop their understanding of digital technologies and emerging digital cultures and their impact on society.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Describe how changes in technology impact on humans and their environment and the issues that surround these changes | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
| LO2 | Demonstrate an understanding of a range of digital technologies and their implications on interpersonal and professional communication (APST 3.4, 4.5, 7.1; ACECQA A4, C7, F3) | GC1, GC2, GC4, GC7, GC9, GC10 |
| LO3 | Evaluate and implement principles of design in various digital communication technologies (APST 2.1, 3.1, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5; ACECQA B9) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11 |
| LO4 | Produce digital content and manipulate digital platforms including websites, 2D imagery and basic animation (APST 2.6, 3.4, 4.5; ACECQA A4, C4) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10 |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. |
2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. |
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
3.6 Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning. |
4.1 Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
4.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. |
7.1 Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession. |
ACECQA Curriculum Specifications
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:
A. Child development and care A4 child health, wellbeing and safety |
B. Education and curriculum studies B9 curriculum planning, programming and evaluation |
C. Teaching pedagogies C4 teaching methods and strategies C7 contemporary society and pedagogy |
F. Early childhood professional practice F3 professional identity and development |
Content
Topics will include:
- Digital communication platforms and technologies such as games, websites, mobile apps, peer-to-peer and social networks.
- Emerging communication technologies
- Understanding software and digital environments from a ‘conceptual’ perspective
- Approaches for understanding digital environment, such as ‘object structures’, ‘conceptual model’ or ‘strategic knowledge vs. command knowledge’
- Collection and storage of digital data (e.g., text, image and audio)
- Manipulation of digital data (text, image and sound)
- Design principles for the visualisation of digital data
- Approaches for the design of software documentation, such as Carroll’s minimalism
- Ethical considerations and implications (e.g. security and privacy) around the collection and dissemination of digital data
- Interaction between digital systems and real people (i.e. the human-technology interface)
- Adapting technologies and interfaces for stakeholder
- Ethical, social and cultural impacts of emerging digital communication technologies.
- Maintaining safety of self and others in a digital environment.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit may be offered on-campus, online or in a multi-mode. This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the teaching period comprising of directed tasks and self-study.
An emphasis is placed on pre-service teachers as adult learners with responsibility for their own learning and who are capable of problem-solving. The learning in this unit is enquiry-based, learner-focused and student centred. Teaching and learning strategies are designed to be flexible and promote self-regulated and guided learning, underpinned by adult learning principles and may include:
- Reading guides that involve directed reading as well as self-directed online study materials
- Discussion Forum online postings and responses designed to encourage peer collaboration
- Webinars and podcasts for lecturer and student communication and for further information.
The unit is hosted on a Learning Management System (LMS) site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between content and educational experiences.
Mode of delivery: This unit may be offered in different modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants.
On Campus
Most learning activities or classes are delivered at a scheduled time, on campus, to enable in-person interactions. Activities will appear in a student’s timetable.
Multi-mode
Learning activities are delivered through a planned mix of online and in-person classes, which may include full-day sessions and/or placements, to enable interaction. Activities that require attendance will appear in a student’s timetable.
Online unscheduled
Learning activities are accessible anytime, anywhere. These units are normally delivered fully online and will not appear in a student’s timetable.
Online scheduled
All learning activities are held online, at scheduled times, and will require some attendance to enable online interaction. Activities will appear in a student’s timetable.
ACU Online
In ACU Online mode, this unit is delivered asynchronously, fully online using an active, guided learning approach. Pre-service teachers are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions and receive regular and timely feedback on their learning.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the course learning outcomes by demonstrating academic and professional standards. The Digital Cultures and Capabilities unit will focus on developing understanding of, and skills across the professional knowledge, practice and engagement needed to meet expectations of the Graduate Attributes and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate level. Assessment One is a collaborative task with a focus on developing Design and Productions skills manipulating a range of digital platforms working in a team environment. Assessment Two is designed to develop critical thinking skills through analysis of a range of provocations exploring the impact of technology and ethical implications of digital cultures.
The two assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development of content knowledge and skills to develop pre-service teachers understanding of digital technologies and emerging digital cultures and their impact on society.
Minimum Achievement Standard
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, pre-service teachers are required to complete ALL assessment tasks and achieve an overall Pass grade.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Individual Task Reflective Journal Pre-service teachers will develop an online reflective journal, with a series of blog posts that respond to a series of provocations regarding technology and the digital environment which include:
| 50% | LO1, LO2 |
Assessment Task 2: Team-based Digital Content Design Project Working in small groups, pre-service teachers will design and implement a project that engages with two or more digital communication technologies. This assessment item has three stages: Stage 1: The Pitch Working in teams, students will research, design and present ideas for the digital product. Stage 2: The digital product Working in teams of 3, pre-service teachers will deliver a communications project that incorporates a realisation of two technologies Stage 3: Project evaluation
| 50% | LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
eSafety Commissioner, Australian Government: Cyberbullying: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/cyberbullying
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. Spotlight: Bullying in Australian Schools https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/research-evidence/spotlight/spotlight_bullying.pdf?sfvrsn=613bf73c_6
Recommended references
Attrill, A. (2015) Cyberpsychology. Oxford University Press.
Education Services Australia (2015). Digital technologies hub. Department of Education, Australian Government.
Ess, C. (2020). Digital media ethics (3rd ed.). Polity Press.
Ewing, R., Lowrie, T., & Higgs, J. (2010). Teaching & communicating : Rethinking professional experiences. Oxford University Press.
Flew, T. (2014). New Media (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2016). Social media and education: Reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning. Learning, Media and Technology, 41(1), 6-30, DOI: 10.1080/17439884.2015.1064954
Howland, J.L., Jonassen, D.H., & Marra, R.M. (2014). Meaningful learning with technology (4th ed.). Pearson.
Liu, K. (2015). Critical reflection as a framework for transformative learning in teacher education, Educational Review, 67:2, 135-157.
Kelby, S. (2015). The Photoshop elements 13 book for digital photographers, New Riders.
Thompson, S., & Thompson, N. (2018). The critically reflective practitioner. Palgrave Macmillan.
Williams, B., Damstra, D., & Stern H. (2015). Professional WordPress design and development. Wiley & Sons.