Digital Insights
Revising Educational Technology Courses in Teacher Education: Engaging Students in the Curriculum Review Process
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mohammed Estaiteyeh
The Teacher Education program at Brock University offers stand-alone courses on digital technologies. Given the rapid technological advancements and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to reflect on teacher candidates’ (TCs’) preparedness in using educational technologies and to implement best practices in these courses to ensure that TCs strive in a digital world upon program completion. Accordingly, a team of teacher educators engaged in a rigorous process to review and redevelop the offered digital technology courses in the program. As part of the participatory curriculum review process, the team explored the needs of TCs and their feedback on previous iterations of the courses. The team also consulted with other faculty members to ensure curriculum alignment and examined relevant literature on course design in relation to TCs’ TPACK (technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge) development. This paper documents the curriculum revision process with a focus on how students were engaged in curriculum development. It presents the findings of surveys administered to Year 1 and Year 2 TCs and focus groups aimed at discussing their feedback and suggestions. It will also present the educational technology program that resulted from the curriculum review process. This research is timely and will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of teacher preparation in educational technology, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).
Decolonizing Digital Education: Pathways and Possibilities in a Global Context
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Helena Andrade Mendonca
This PhD research has been dedicated to examining the dynamics of online undergraduate and graduate courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores how digital media can either facilitate or hinder dialogic, contextualized, and collaborative practices in alignment with literacy pedagogy and the Freirean perspective, emphasizing active student engagement in knowledge construction. The study primarily focuses on the internet as the primary arena for learning interactions and delves into the concept of digital colonialism as a contemporary and evolving phenomenon in online spaces, considering virtual environments like Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, and CGScholar as part of the analyzed data. Conducted as a qualitative, netnographic study, this research relies on data generated by students and educators, predominantly sourced from various online resources and virtual environments. Building upon this analysis, the study proposes pathways for decolonial digital education, drawing from decolonial pedagogical theories. It examines courses and learning programs through three essential layers: the learning environment, mobilized knowledge and pedagogical resources, and the interactions that transpire among students, knowledge, and educators. The initial findings unearth promising educational opportunities that align with the principles of cyber-social learning and e-learning ecologies. These possibilities revolve around the integration of reflexive, critical, and collaborative pedagogical approaches, fostering sustainable human-machine interactions. This research represents a vital step towards reimagining digital education in a decolonial framework, addressing the evolving landscape of online learning in the post-pandemic era.
Developing Intercultural Competencies in a Digital Age in Higher Education in South Africa: Cultivating Global Dialogues
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Naziema Begum Jappie
Intercultural competencies and the digital platform is intwined in the fabric of teaching, learning, and assessments for student success in higher education. These are integral to virtual learning and exchange within higher education that are expected to develop these competencies. However this is not always the case because these are not always explicitly integrated into the academic agenda. Universities in South Africa are regionally and globally engaged through collaborative research, international students and exchange programmes but it is not enough to have these students engage on a specific topic, expect them to develop intercultural competencies. The development of intercultural competencies must go beyond academic engagements, integrating social justice issues into developing cultural competency that will enable students to develop their intercultural competencies. This model adopts an intersectional perspective which recognizes that social identities interact to shape people’s sense of themselves and their experiences. If activities and skills to improve students’ intercultural competencies are not purposefully infused into the face to face and digital learning platforms, then developing these competencies and expected outcomes will not be achieved. This research is aimed at assessing whether the integration of these competencies as a teaching and engagement strategy to deliberately infuse intercultural activities into the digital platform, contributes to the development of intercultural competencies in students at universities’ in South Africa. The findings are relevant for higher education academics and internationalisation practitioners interested development of students' intercultural competencies.
