MSc Educational Technologies - LC504 - With Specialisation to Science Education - With Specialisation to Technology Education - With Specialisation to Language Education 1. Specific Titles The programme provides a multiple exit point. Students can opt to stop at any of the three specified levels. (1) Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Technologies (2) Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Technologies (3) MSc Educational Technologies 2. Objectives The principal objective of this Postgraduate Programme is to train professionnals, who after a minimum of two years of studies and academic research, will be able to master the engineering of e-learning content development, communication and pedagogical multimedia to benefit companies and public administrations. This means the study of Internet and multimedia technology, graphic design, pedagogical engineering methods and communication strategies as well as the market of services and the use of specific e-learning applications, platforms and tools. The intention is to create special links with businesses, making it possible to offer them specific support for retraining of their staff while developing promising niches of activity. Moreover, the "practical" approach chosen as a teaching model, is intended to fill the skills deficit, as expressed by professionals. 3. General Entry Requirements Successful completion of an undergraduate degree with at least a Second Class or 50%, whichever is applicable or a GPA not less than 2.5 out of 4 or equivalent, from a recognised higher education institution. OR alternative qualifications acceptable to the University of Mauritius. 4. General and Programme Requirements - Special Cases The following may be deemed to have satisfied the General and Programme requirements for admission: (i) (ii) Applicants who do not satisfy any of the requirements as per Regulations 3 above but who submit satisfactory evidence of having passed examinations which are deemed by the Senate to be equivalent to any of those listed. Applicants who do not satisfy any of the requirements as per Regulations 3 above but who in the opinion of Senate submit satisfactory evidence of the capacity and attainments requisite to enable them to pursue the programme proposed. (iii) Applicants who hold a full practising professional qualification obtained by examination. 20
5. Programme Duration The Programme will be offered on a part-time basis. The duration of the graduate Programme should normally not exceed 4 years (8 semesters). Normal Maximum Master s Degree: 4 Semesters 8 Semesters Postgraduate Diploma: 3 Semesters 8 Semesters Postgraduate Certificate: 2 Semesters 4 Semesters 6. Credits per Semester Minimum 3 credits subject to Regulation 7. 7. Minimum Credits Required for the Award of Master s Degree: 36 Postgraduate Diploma: 24 Postgraduate Certificate: 12 Breakdown as follows: (Minimum) Core Taught Dissertation Electives/ Modules Optional Modules Master s Award: 15 credits 12 credits 9 credits Postgraduate Diploma: 15 credits 9 credits Postgraduate Certificate: 12 credits 8. Assessment The Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma will be assessed using a combination of written courseworks, mini-projects and supervised exams (where applicable) as provided in the structure. Apart from the application of knowledge and skills acquired throughout the Programme, the students will be able to shape a view of the context in which those skills and competencies are applied (organisation, relations among different actors, etc ). Details of Continuous Assessment and Examinations (i) (ii) All exam papers will be set by respective resource person(s) delivering the module, with respect to University existing rules and regulations. Each module will carry 100 marks and will be assessed as follows (unless otherwise specified): Assessment will be based on a written examination of 3-hour duration and continuous assessment carrying a range of 10% to 30% of total marks. Continuous assessment may be based on laboratory works, and/or assignments and should include at least 1 class test. For a student to pass a module, an overall of 40% for Continuous Assessment and Written Examination components would be required without the minimum thresholds within the individual continuous assessment and written examination. The following modules, given their practical, research-oriented project based nature will be evaluated on a purely continuous assessment basis. 21
ILT6011 Social Networking (3 credits) ILT6019 Research in Learning Technologies (3 credits) (iii) All modules of 45 hours duration carry equal weighting. Students, wishing to choose between one of the three specializations will have to embark on a Masters Research Project in the area of specialization they choose. In this case, their project will have to be approved by the supervisor and a second assessor (preferably an external moderator) beforehand. Furthermore they will have to opt for the elective module ILT6017- Digital Media Project in Science/Technology/Language Education and the mini-project should focus in the area of specialization they wish to opt for. 9. Plan of Study Students are required to submit at the end of Semester 1 a Plan of Study for their whole Programme of Studies, indicating the list of elective modules and in which semester each of them will be taken. The University reserves the right not to offer a given elective module if the critical number of students is not attained and/or for reasons of resource constraints. Not all electives may not be on offer. 10. List of Modules MSc Educational Technologies Code Module Name Hrs/Wk MODULES Credits ILT 6019 Research in Learning Technologies 3+0 3 ILT 6023 Social Networking 1+4 3 ILT 6012 Interaction Design 2+2 3 ILT 6013 Principles of Learning Design 2+2 3 ILT 6014 Applied Visual Communication 2+2 3 ILT 6018 Masters Research project - 12 ILT 6015 Multimedia Learning Objects 2+2 3 ILT 6016 Web Development & Technologies 1+4 3 ILT 6017 Digital Media Project in Science/Technology/Language - 3 Education ILT 6020 Knowledge-based Learning Environments 3+0 3 ILT 6022 Project Management 3+0 3 11. Programme Plan MSc Educational Technologies YEAR 1 Semester 1 Semester 2 Code Module Name Hrs/Wk Credits Code Module Name Hrs/Wk Credits ILT 6019 Research in Learning Technologies 3+0 3 ILT 6013 Principles of Learning Design 2+2 3 22
ILT 6023 Social Networking 3+0 3 ILT 6012 Interaction Design 2+2 3 YEAR 2 Semester 1 Semester 2 Elective 1 Elective 2 Code Module Name Hrs/Wk Credits Code Module Name Hrs/Wk Credits ILT 6014 Applied Visual Communication Elective 3 2+2 3 ILT 6018 Masters Research project - 12 Each module will consist of 45 contact hours (this includes lectures, tutorials (face-to-face/on-line), seminars and practical sessions. The total contact hours (taught) will therefore be 360 hours. The programme will be delivered in flexible blended mode. There will be a combination of face-to-face lectures, on-line tutorials and conferences with pedagogical support from tutors and lecturers. 12. Outline Syllabus This outline syllabus is not prescriptive and is intended to serve as a guide only. ILT 6019 RESEARCH IN LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES Introduction to research design for educational technologists. The action research approach. C-Cubed approach to academic writing. Grounded Theory approach. The Cluster Analysis Method. Quantitative and qualitative research methods. Plagiarism issues and academic referencing. ILT 6023 SOCIAL NETWORKING Second generation of web-based communities and hosted services. Web 2.0 Applications. Socialnetworking sites, wikis and folksonomies. Network Effects. The Perpetual Beta. The 4 Application Levels of Web 2.0. Innovations associated with Web 2.0. The Web 2.0 framework. ILT 6012 INTERACTION DESIGN Design and evaluation of interactive systems; importance of HCI; User-Centered Design; Cognitive psychology; Usability implications of perception and memory; Design guides; Models of the User; Task Analysis; CSCW. ILT 6013 PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING DESIGN This module has as main aims the acquiring of skills and abilities of the student in a real-life context. Contents of the module are related to multimedia technologies, appropriate tools and production methods and to the specificities of multimedia learning environments and their pedagogical uses. Contents: Multimedia courseware design, course design methods, multimedia and pedagogy, evaluation of multimedia products, prototyping multimedia environments. ILT 6014 APPLIED VISUAL COMMUNICATION This module aims at providing the student with practical and theoretical knowledge about the basic elements and principles of design needed to develop effective computer screen elements and websites. Contents: Principles of visual communication; Theory and use of color; Typography and layout; image size and resolution; layers and filters; image modes. ILT 6015 MULTIMEDIA LEARNING OBJECTS This module introduces multimedia animation techniques with an emphasis on visual aspects rather than interaction. Contents: Multimedia and its components; benefits of the uses of multimedia in business, education and entertainment; developing multimedia applications; software tools. ILT 6016 WEB DEVELOPMENT & TECHNOLOGIES This module aims at providing the student with the theoretical and practical knowledge about the internet and the world-wide web and the skills to organize and develop both static and interactive web 23
pages using JavaScript and HTML. Contents: Introduction to Web design; Basic and advanced HTML; Security; Introduction to JavaScript; Intranets and Extranets; Virtual Organization; Web Applications; Privacy and Censorship; XML and WAP. ILT 6017 DIGITAL MEDIA PROJECT IN SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/LANGUAGE EDUCATION This module is entirely project based and will be assessed as a mini-project. The student is expected to define and propose a suitable project with the help of a supervisor from the academic/teaching team. The mini-project aims at helping the student to carry out a synthesis of the concepts learnt and knowledge acquired throughout the programme as a project. A report of the work needs to be submitted and a presentation will be counted as assessment for the module. ILT 6018 MASTERS RESEARCH PROJECT This involves the submission of a dissertation that treats a research aspect in the field. Students are expected to use well-defined methodologies and to publish at least a conference paper from the project. ILT 6020 - KNOWLEDGE-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Mental models of a learner; types of knowledge and cognitive processes in learning; introduction to expert shells for knowledge bases; content modeling software; methodologies for the design of knowledge based educational software. ILT 6022 PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Need for Project Management. Stakeholders in the Process. Life Cycle Models and Software Development Methodologies. Project Feasibility. Planning Issues and Techniques. Implementation and Testing Issues. Risk Management. The PRINCE2 model: Theory & Practice. 24