Syllabus – Spring 2014
MPDL635 – Assistive Technology Practices at Landmark College
This is the third course in the five course series of the professional certificate program
on Universal Design: Technology Integration offered by Landmark College in
collaboration with Marlboro College Graduate School.
Course and Instructor Information
Course Title: Assistive Technology Practices at Landmark College
Credit/Non-credit options: Participants completing this course are eligible for 3
graduate-level credits through Marlboro College Graduate School. The course can also
be taken as a non-credit course. To obtain graduate credits, you must receive a grade
of 80% or better on the course.
Format: This is an online course with a 3-day residential component and one
synchronous meeting time (approximately 1 ½ hour) over the 8 weeks of the course.
Online delivery of the course content will be via Moodle (http://moodle.landmark.edu).
The residential component will be held from February 21st through 23rd at
Landmark College, Putney, VT. The synchronous meeting will occur on Tuesday,
March 11th from 6:00 – 7:15 pm EST and involve interaction with a guest faculty panel
from Landmark College. It will take place at a time to be determined and will occur via
Skype or Google Hangouts. Please refer to the Important Announcement section of the
Moodle course for upcoming details. Bottomline – Each student should plan on
participating in the 3-day residential component and the one-hour synchronous time
meeting.
Prerequisites: None
Instructors: Anne M Fein, M.A. and Dr. Caleb Clark
E-mail: afein@landmark.edu
Telephone: (802) 387-6827 – Anne M Fein
Contacting the Instructors: Messages or queries for the instructors should be sent
through Landmark College’s Moodle mail. All messages will be responded to as soon as
possible within a reasonable amount of time. If a matter is urgent, please email directly
to afein@landmark.edu with the subject line: MPDL635 URGENT.
Course Description
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Assistive Technology Practices at Landmark College will address the varying ways that
assistive technologies are used, at Landmark College, to enrich and enhance the
education of students with learning differences. The integration of assistive technology
will be explored through the disciplines of English, History, Math, and Science. A key
focus will be assistive technologies that support specific learning strategies, such as
reading, note-taking, and writing. Also addressed will be technology tools to support
time management and organization of materials. Highlighted technologies will include:
traditional assistive technology software (e.g. Kurzweil 3000, Dragon
NaturallySpeaking); embedded features of high use software (e.g. Microsoft Office,
Inspiration, Adobe); web-based applications (e.g. Google, Evernote); and mobile apps
for phones and tablets.
Course Objectives
The Objectives and Assignments in this course are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy-R
(2001):
 Remembering (R)
 Understanding (U)
 Applying (A)
 Analyzing (AN)
 Evaluating (E)
 Creating (C)
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
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Apply technology solutions, including Kurzweil 3000's text-to-speech, and
Inspiration's concept mapping to enhance the teaching of reading fluency and
comprehension strategies. (U) (A)

Apply technology solutions, including Inspiration's concept mapping, Kurzweil
3000's text-to-speech, Dragon NaturallySpeaking's voice recognition, and
Microsoft Office's word processor, to enhance the teaching of writing strategies.
(U) (A)

Apply technology solutions, including Kurzweil 3000's text-to-speech and
Inspiration's concept mapping, to enhance the teaching of study skills, such as
vocabulary development, note-taking, test preparation, and test-taking. (U) (A)

Assess the potential uses of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets,
for self-management. (U) (AN) (E)

Develop a plan, using technology solutions, for specific learning activities and
student profiles. (U) (A) (AN) (E)(C)
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As a result of the learning experiences in this course, students will become more
cognizant of:

The benefits of assistive technology to students based on current research. (U)
(A) (AN) (E)

How assistive technology can be an integral part of a Universal Design in
Learning environment (U) (A) (AN) (E)
Topics Outline
1. Introduction to Assistive Technology
Week 1: February 17 – February 22
2. Assistive Technology and the Reading Process
Week 2: February 23 – March 1
3. Assistive Technology and the Writing Process
Week 3: March 2 – March 8
4. Assistive Technology and Self-management
Week 4: March 9 – March 15
5. Assistive Technology in the Content Areas
Week 5: March 16 – March 22
6. Assistive Technology and STEM
Week 6: March 23 – March 29
7. Assistive Technology Implementation
Week 7: March 30 – April 5
8. Assistive Technology Implementation in Practice
Week 8: April 6 – April 13
Guide to Weekly Modules
The content for each week is set up as a Module. Each module will consist of:
1.
Objectives – List of objectives linked to the assignments.
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2.
Learning Activities - Activities aligned to module objectives and serves
as instructional content for the module topic. (Example: Viewing PowerPoint
slides; Readings, Assignments, Explore Assistive Technology Integration).
3.
Talk Time – Discussions based on queries and points raised by course
participants and the instructor during the residency and scheduled synchronous
meeting time (to take place via Skype or Google Hangout). Graded.
4.
Participation Prompts - Discussion questions to guide postings for
module topic. If you choose, you can also post an audio recording of your
comments using AUDACITY. This is a free downloadable audio recorder and
editor available at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Graded.
5.
Additional Resources – A resource repository on universal design and
technology to be created and added to by all members of this learning
community. Participation in this forum is not graded, but regular contributions to
this section can result in 5 extra grade points for the course.
A new Module will be made available every Sunday morning. Preceding modules
should be completed by Saturday evening. Anticipate for the module assignments to
occupy15 to 20 hours of work per week.
Course Assignments and Grading
Due Dates:
Due to the fast pace of the course, all assignments are due by midnight of the assigned
date. With the exception of the Discussion Forum postings, late assignments will be
accepted up to 2 days (48 hours) beyond their due date. A 5% reduction in grade per
day will be assessed. Due to the collaborative nature of the Discussion Forums late
submissions cannot be accepted unless the instructor is contacted, in advance,
regarding extenuating circumstances.
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Course Assignments
The final course grade is determined by your performance on the following four
assignments. Examples and details of these assignments can be found on the
course Moodle page in the Course Activity Packet, including the grading
criteria.
1.
Participation Prompts: You will be prompted to participate in in five
online discussions on different topics throughout the course. You must post an
original response to each Participation Prompt according to the schedule
below. You can also post a resonse to someone else’s comment. For full credit,
each of your responses should follow the specified directions in the prompt and
be posted by the due date indicated in Moodle Calendar tool. (20 points total; 5
points each)
First weekly Participation Prompt: post by 12:00 AM EST on Wednesday
Additional Participation Prompts: post by 12:00 AM EST on Friday
2.
Talk Time: During the Talk Time sessions (Residency & Synchronous
Meeting) we will be discussing queries and comments presented by course
participants and instructors. The first 3 Talk Time sessions will be face-to-face
and take place during the Residency Component (Feb 21-23) of the course. The
4th Talk Time session will be held during a synchronous online meeting from
6:00 – 7:15 PM EST on Tuesday, March 11th. You will receive 5 points for each
of the Talk Time sessions you attend. In the sessions we are looking for
participation and thoughtful engagement. (20 points total; 5 points each)
3.
Assistive Technology for Self-Management Presentation: You will be
researching, analyzing, and synthesizing resources to create an informational
presentation on assistive technology options for enhancing self-management.
The goal of the assignment is to create a web-based “product” directed to
professionals on a theme related to self-management. Presentations will be
posted on the course Moodle site to serve as a resource for other course
participants.
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The presentation must be completed by 12:00 AM EST on March 15th. (20
points)
4.
Assistive Technology Implementation Project: This assignment
requires you to create an Assistive Technology Implementation Plan that can be
used for academic purposes and addresses specific academic needs for
students with learning disabililities, Attention Hyperactivity Disorder, and/or
Autism Spectrum Disorders. Included will be a written proposal, a detailed
implementation plan, and a sample lesson.
The goal of the assignment is to create a comprehensive plan to implement
assistive technology in an educational setting to support academic functioning.
This assignment must be completed by the end of the course on 12:00 AM EST
on April 13th. (35 points)
Course Grading
The final course grade will be distributed as follows:
Assignments
Points Percentage of Final Grade
Talk Time (4 @ 5 points each)
20
20%
Participation Prompts (5 @ 5 points
25
25%
each)
Assistive Technology for Self20
20%
management Presentation
AssistiveTechnology Implementation
35
35%
Project
TOTAL 100
100%
Final letter grades for this course are determined based on the following scale:
A 95-100
A- 90-94
B+ 85-89
B 80-84 – Need at least an 80 to be eligible for graduate credits
B- 75-79
C 70-74 – Failing for the Graduate Level
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Grading Rubrics
Participation Prompts – 5 points each.
3 points – Well thought-out response and rationale for your position.
1 point – Inclusion of citations and references supporting your response (at least one
scholarly reference) – APA style
1 point – Demonstrates editing for organization (logical flow of ideas), grammar, and
spelling.
NOTE: Participation Prompts are meant to be collaborative discussions.
Responses should be a minimum of one paragraph in length, but no more than
three paragraphs in length.
Talk Time – 5 points each.
3 points – Well thought-out response and rationale for your position.
1 point – Inclusion of references supporting your responses.
1 point – Demonstrates collaborative approach through respect for the
contributions of others.
Assistive Technology for Self-Management Presentation – 20 points
5 points – Describes the functional limitations the assistive technology (AT) is
meant to address and how the assistive technology will be used.
5 points – Details the rationale for the selection of the AT.
5 points – Inclusion of citations and references supporting your
recommendation. (APA style)
5 point – Demonstrates editing for organization (logical flow of ideas) and visual
clarity
Assistive Technology Implementation Plan – 35 points
Proposal – 15 points
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5 points – Draws explicit link between assistive technology recommendations
and targeted academic area and/or function.
5 points – Supports recommendations with citations and references
5 points – Demonstrates editing for organization (logical flow of ideas),
grammar, and spelling.
Implementation Plan – 10 points
10 points – All aspects of implementation plan completed thoughtfully and
thoroughly.
Sample Lesson – 10 points
5 points – All aspects of implementation plan completed thoughtfully and
thoroughly.
2 points - Demonstrates integration of Universal Design Principles.
3 points – Demonstrates application of course concepts and information.
Course Modules Overview
Text:
Hall, T. E., Meyer, A., & Rose, D. H. (Eds.). (2012). Universal Design for Learning in the
classroom: Practical applications. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Note: In addition to the assigned readings outlined below, you will be engaging in
research using scholarly sources, professional organizations, and the World
Wide Web.
Module 1
Mon 2-17 to Sat 2-22
Module 2
Sun 2-23 to Sat 3-1
Introduction to AT @ LMC
Residency - Fri 2-21 to Sat 2-22
AT & the Reading Process
Residency - Sun 2-23
Readings
Hall et al. – Ch. 1, pgs. 1-8
Hall et al. - Ch. 2, pgs. 9-24
Rose et al, pgs. 507-518
Readings
Hall et al. - Ch. 3, pgs. 25-37
Engstrom, pgs. 30-39
Anderson-Inman, pgs. 153-160
Crooks & Katayama, pgs. 1-13
Assignments
Talk Time (2 - Residency) - 10 pts.
Assignments
Talk Time (1 - Residency) - 5 pts.
Participation Prompt - 5 pts.
Module 3
Sun 3-2 to Sat 3-8
Module 4
Sun 3-9 to Sat 3-15
AT & the Writing Process
AT & Self-management
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Readings
Hall et al. - Ch. 4, pgs. 38-54
Montgomery & Monks, pgs. 33-38
Readings
WATI - ASNAT, Ch. 9, pgs. 1-38
Assignments
Participation Prompt - 5 pts.
Assignments
Talk Time (Faculty Panel) - 5 pts.
Self-management Presentation - 20 pts.
Module 5
Sun 3-16 to Sat 3-22
Module 6
Sun 3-23 to Sat 3-29
AT & Content Areas
AT & STEM
Readings
Hall et al. - Ch. 7, pgs. 90-105
Pisha & Coyne, pgs. 1-17
Readings
Hall et al. - Ch. 5, pgs. 55-70
Hall et al. - Ch. 6, pgs. 71-89
Horney et al, pgs. 45-61
Assignments
Participation Prompt - 5 pts.
Assignments
Participation Prompt - 5 pts.
Module 7
Sun 3-30 to Sat 4-5
Module 8
Sun 4-6 to Sun 4-13
AT Implementation
AT Implementation
Readings
SET-BC, pgs. 74-79
Assignments
Participation Prompt - 5 pts.
Assignments
AT Implementation Plan - 35 pts.
Course Etiquette and Expectations
Academic Integrity and Student Code
As a member of the student community at Landmark College you will be responsible for
acting in accordance with the College’s Student Code of Conduct, available
at http://intranet.landmark.edu/student_life/handbook.cfm
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Netiquette
Please observe courteous and professional communication with peers and instructors at
all times. If you are new to online learning, you may want to look at this guide titled, The
Core Rules of Netiquette.
Accommodations & Special Circumstances
If you require accommodations for any activities or assignments due to a documented
disability or if you have emergency information to share, please contact either Anne
Fein via email indicated at the top of this syllabus.
Required Course Materials
Textbook : Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom: Practical
Applications
Hall, T. E., Meyer, A., & Rose, D. H. (Eds.). (2012). Universal Design for Learning in the
Classroom: Practical Applications. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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Available through –
o Amazon – Paperback ($26.60) and Kindle version
o Guilford Press – Paperback ($23.80), Hardcover, and eBook
Additional reading and resource materials will be accessible in the instructional
modules via Landmark College’s Libraries' eJournal subscriptions, Libraries' Electronic
Course Reserves (ECR) and the Internet.
Software and Platform Requirements
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Microsoft Office Suite (XP or 2007; or Open Office)
Microsoft Office Power Point
Microsoft Office Excel
Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Standard
This course is facilitated online via the learning management platform, Moodle.
Landmark College’s online course management system, Moodle, is an open source
product designed to meet accessibility standards. Moodle measures and evaluates
accessibility levels using two sets of standards; Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
issued from the United States federal government and the Web Accessibility Initiative
(WAI) issued by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). See
http://docs.moodle.org/dev/Accessibility for more documentation.
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Minimum Technical Skills
To be successful in this course, you will need the following minimum technical skills:
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Use electronic mail (such as email) with attachments.
Save files in commonly used word processing program formats.
Copy and paste text and graphics.
Work within two or more browser windows simultaneously.
Run and access audio and video clips from the Internet.
Open and access PDF files.
Use Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Standard.
Create PowerPoint presentations with the ‘notes’ function.
Evaluation of the Course
Students will be provided an opportunity to evaluate this course at the end of the 8
weeks. Please consider giving us your feedback. The evaluation form is available on the
Moodle site for this course.
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