Course Syllabus
EM203 Learning in 280 Characters or Less Minor in Education
Faculty of Education, Waterloo Campus
Winter
2022
Instructor Information
Robin Persad
Contact: MyLS email
Course Information
Calendar Description: In a digital world, 21st century learners need to be co -constructors of knowledge.
This course will examine emerging research and innovative approaches to learning that utilize the
potential of digital technology for collaborative, critical, creative and authentic learning.
Know the Land you’re on:
The Waterloo Campus of Wilfrid Laurier University is located on the traditional territory of the Neutral,
Anishnabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. These territories are currently are part of the Mississaugas of
the New Credit and since 1784, the Six Nations of the Grand River. The Waterloo Campus is also within
the Between the Lakes Purchase and Collins Purchase No. 3 (1792) and the Haldimand Treaty (1784)
area.
Course Overview and Approach
This course is an authentic examination of learning in a digital age. Students will critically examine
present and emerging learning theories. Identify and explore a variety of digital learning tools and
approaches—evaluating their costs and benefits to learning. Collaborate with course participant s to
create a database of approaches to learning in a digital age. Complete a Twelve Week Challenge utilizing
the features of Twitter to communicate and collaborate. Demonstrate their deeper learning of one
example of authentic problem solving through digital means using a creative, multi- media approach
unique to their strengths.
Program Learning Outcomes Addressed in the Course
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1.
Describe and compare traditional, current and emerging approaches to learning.
2.
Critically analyze their own approach to learning and how digital technologies and social media
impact and support learning.
3.
Research information to support solutions to an individually relevant problem.
4.
Use creative problem solving to share an individual message as broadly as possible, and reflect
on the process and results of their chosen strategies.
5.
Work collaboratively to identify and discuss approaches to learning in a digital age, including
issues, tools, and outcomes.
6.
Critically examine Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 on-line learning tools and contribute to a collaborative
database summarizing the potential, costs, and benefits of a specific tool.
Course Tools and Learning Materials
•
Online articles located through lesson notes
•
Online resources accessed through URL and access information
Library e -reserve website and access information http://library2.wlu.ca/ares/
•
Course media and technology as listed in course notes and shared by course members
Library http://library.wlu.ca/
Learning Management System course login http://mylearningspace.wlu.ca
Centre for Student Success (writing centre, math centre, academic advising, study skills/supplemental
instruction, accessible learning) http://www. wlu.ca/learningservices
Technology statement:
The main technology used and developed through this course is an online learning platform.
Additionally, web-based resources will also be used. This course requires that students are able to be
online to participate and submit assignments. All assignments must be submitted through MyLS. Email
assignments will not be accepted. It is the student’s responsibility to contact MyLS if technological
challenges emerge and to make alternative arrangements to access the online course if unable to do so
from your own personal devices (i.e., use a computer lab computer, use a public computer, etc.).
Challenges with technology will not be considered as reasonable explanations regarding lack of
participation or incomplete assignments. It is anticipated that student s will be online participating in the
course at least once every two days.
Student Evaluation
Weekly Twitter Challenge 20%: Evidence Due Weekly. Analysis due: Mar 21, 2022
“How Do You Learn” Response 30%: Feb 7, 2022
Spread the News 21st Century Style 50%: Apr, 4, 2021
Learning Activities and/or Assignments
1.
Twitter Weekly Challenge: (20 points) Beginning in the first class, weekly challenges related to
Twitter communication will be presented. Twitter will be used to communicate ideas, questions and
problems within the class and in local and global contexts. A new “challenge” will be introduced each
week. You will receive 4% for fully completing the weekly challenges, from weeks 1-12. (Evidence of
each challenge must be submitted to the weekly dropbox by the due date as one file. One mark will be
subtracted for each challenge missed. Final Twitter Challenge Analysis due Mar 21, 2022 by midnight).
2.
“How Do You Learn” Response: (30 points) The purpose of this assessment is to demonstrate a
critical understanding of learning theory and approaches to learning utilizing video, graphic, or text in a
technology-enhanced response. You will critically analyze learning theories to describe the learning
theory that best describes your own approach to learning i n this course and present the analysis. (Due
Feb 7, 2022 by midnight)
3.
Spread the New s 21st Century Style: (50 points) The purpose of this assessment is to identify an
individually relevant problem from a global perspective, research content to inform a possible solution
and share that news using Web 2.0 and Web 3.1 technologies to communicate the message as widely as
possible. The assessment includes reflection on the process and results of construct ing and sharing
knowledge using digital technologies. The assignment will include a contribution to a collaborative,
course database of critical analyses of the emerging technologies used to present your learning. (Due
Apr, 4, 2021 by midnight).
*Detailed instructions and rubrics are posted in course notes f or each module and in Content under
Learning Assessments.
Weekly Schedule
MODULE ONE: HOW DO WE LEARN IN A DIGITAL AGE?
WEEK 1:
Jan 4-10 Who are learners in the digital age?
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
•
Create a Toondoo (comic strip) to introduce yourself to your Learning Group.
Assignments:
•
Post introductory Toondoo to course discussion board
Submit Twitter challenge Week One: screen shot of your Twitter Account homepage and post it to the
week 1 dropbox.
WEEK 2: Jan 11-17 How do you learn in a digital age?
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
•
Write 150 - 200 word summary of learning theory for your group on course discussion board.
Assignments:
•
Submit your reference and summary to your Module 1 Learning Group
•
Submit Twitter challenge Week Two: screen shot of who you are following (Follow at least 5
other people from the course; and 5 people outside the course, and your instructor @Robin PersadWL).
Anyone outside the course can be celebrities, sport groups etc.
WEEK 3: Jan 18–24 The 3 M’s: Multi -media, Multimodal, Multi -tasking
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
Assignments:
•
Submit evidence of your learning for a new task to the Lesson 3 Dropbox.
•
Complete Google Form to analyze your learning.
•
Submit Twitter challenge Week Three: screen shot of your tweet about your first lessons in this
course using the class hashtag #EM203Robin
WEEK 4: Jan 25–31 The 3 A’s: Anywhere, Anytime, All the time Learning
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
Assignments:
•
Participate in an on-line synchronous discussion in your Learning Group.
•
Submit Twitter Challenge for Week Four: screen shots of your replies to at least 5 class
members’ tweets.
MODULE 2: WHAT DO WE LEARN IN A DIGITAL AGE?
WEEK 5: Feb 1-7 Domain Know ledge: Surface Skimmers or Deep Divers?
Learning Activities:
 Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes
 Create concept map of your chosen problem.
Assignments:
•
Post a concept map of a problem that interests you.
•
W eek Five Twitter Challenge: submit screen shot of at least 10 Followers on Twitter.
•
Submit “How Do You Learn” Response to Dropbox in MYLS (by midnight, end of week 5).
WEEK 6: Feb 8-14 Authentic Learning: When will I use this in ‘real’ life
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
•
Indicate how you attempted to solve the word problem by completing the Google Form.
•
Review concept maps of members in your learning group.
Assignments:
•
Complete Google Form on problem solving.
•
Tweeted problems you identified from the concept maps of the peers in your learning group. (3
of them).
•
Add your evaluation of the tool you used to create your concept map to the Google database:
Concept Mapping Tools.
•
Week Six Twitter Challenge: submit screen shot of your retweet of someone in the class.
WEEK 7: Feb 15–28 Access to Information: Just Google it!
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
•
Create Venn diagram comparing a Library Database search and a Google search.
Assignments:
•

Submit pdf of Venn Diagram to Lesson 7 Discussion forum.
Week Seven Twitter Challenge: Quoted a tweet that is of interest to you, and submitted evidence of
your twitter activity to the Week 7 dropbox in MyLS . This can be any tweet that resonates with you or
connects to you about your problem you have identified.
WEEK 8: Mar 1-7 Global Perspectives: It’s a small world after all!
Learning Activities:

Summarize information from a global expert rel ated to your problem/solution.

Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes
Assignments:
•
Submit discussion post summarizing information from a global expert related to your
problem/solution.
•
Week Eight Twitter Challenge: Examine Tweets that are trending this week and retweet one
that interests you, and submit evidence of this to the Week 8 dropbox.
MODULE 3: WHAT TOOLS DO WE USE TO LEARN IN A DIGITAL AGE?
WEEK 9: Mar 8-14 The 4 C’s: Communication
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
•
Create an infographic of information related to the problem you have identified.
Assignments:
•
Submit infographic to discussion forum in MYLS.
•
Submit summary of your choice of tool for creating infographic to Google Database: Week 9
Evaluation of Digital Tools.
•
Week Nine Twitter Challenge: submit a screen shot of your tweet of a link to a website t hat
addresses the problem you have identified and tweet a pic that represents the solution to the problem
that you have identified
WEEK 10: Mar 15–21 The 4 C’s: Collaboration
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
•
Analyze components of collaborative learning.
•
Comment on blog.
•
Identify tips for Social Media and Commenting Etiquette.

Post conclusions about effective components of collaborative learning to discussion forum in
Assignments:
MYLS.
•
Post top 3 tips for Social Media and Commenting Etiquette in discussion forum in MYLS.
•
W eek Ten Twitter Challenge: Examine the results of your Twitter traffic using the Twitter
Analytics.
•
Submit your final analysis and reflection of the Twitter Weekly Challenge to Dropbox in MYLS
(due by midnight, end of week 10).
WEEK 11: Mar 22–28 The 4 C’s: Creation
Learning Activities:
•
Analyze variables that impact creativity.
•
Create a presentation of your problem and solution using a digital tool.
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
Assignments:
•
Post list of variables that impact creativity to Discussion Forum in MYLS for your Learning Group.
•
Share the digital tool you have chosen in the Google Database: W eek 11 Evaluation of Digital
Tools.
•
Post a link or file of your problem presentation to the Discussion forum for your Learning Group.
•
W eek Eleven Twitter Challenge: submit screen shot of a retweet of one of your tweets.
WEEK 12: Mar 29–Apr 4 The 4 C’s: Critical Thinking
Learning Activities:
•
Read course notes and complete learning activities as listed in notes.
Assignments:
•
View the presentations of problems and solutions posted in your Learning Group Discussion
forum. Add your comments and questions.
•
W eek Twelve Twitter Challenge: submit a screen shot of a tweet you received from an “expert”
related to the problem you have identified.
•
If you cannot find an expert, please share a Tweet of a post you sent to the expert.
•
Work on completion of Spread the News Assignment, due by midnight end of week 12.
University and Course Policies
Missed deadlines
If you miss an assignment deadline or a test:
•
Inform your instructor in writing beforehand;
•
Failure to contact the instructor beforehand may result in a late penalty.
Illness or Bereavement
Student Responsibilities: The following are guidelines. If your specific situation does not match either of
the scenarios described, you should speak directly with your instructor and do whatever you can to
demonstrate responsibility and professionalism.
If you must miss one or two classes due to illness or bereavement:
•
Inform your instructor beforehand, if possible, or at the earliest possible opportunity.
•
You are responsible for all work missed while absent and for any make -up work an instructor
may deem necessary.
•
Complete any missed or make -up work that your instructor assigns. In recognizing that much of
the required learning and application of concepts and ideas takes place in the context of in -class
activities, make -up work is meant to ensure that an adequate amount of relevant work is completed for
a course, even if it is not exactly the same work that other students complete. Instructors wil l ensure
that any assigned make -up work is completed satisfactorily but are not obliged to mark it or return it to
the student.
Absences due to religious observances:
No student should be refused admission or be expelled because he or she is unable to participate in any
examination, study, or work requirement because of his or her religious holy day requirements. An
opportunity will be provided to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may have
been missed because of an absence due to a religious observance providing the instructor has been
notified in writing as early in the term as possible but no later than two weeks before the absence. No
fees will be charged to the student for the costs incurred by the University for such make-up work. No
adverse or prejudicial effect should result to any student who avails herself or himself of its provisions.
Students are responsible for obtaining materials and making up any missed work. Verification of holy
days may be requested.
Late Assignment Policy
Normally the only acceptable reasons for late or missed assignments are illness or extreme
compassionate circumstances. Late assignments will be penalized at a rate of 5% per day and wil l not be
accepted more than 5 days after the due date unless prior arrangements have been made with the
instructor.
Accessible Learning
Students requiring accessible learning accommodations must contact Laurier’s Accessible Learning
Centre for services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the Academic Calendar for
information regarding al services available on campus.
Academic Integrity
Laurier i s committed to a culture of integrity within and beyond the classroom. This culture values
trustworthiness (i.e., honesty, integrity, reliability, fairness, caring, respect, responsibility and
citizenship). Together, we have a shared responsibility to uphold this culture in our academic and
nonacademic behaviour. The University has a defined policy with respect to academic misconduct.
Academic misconduct, is defined in the Student Code of Conduct and Discipline as “an act by a student,
or by students working on a team project, which may result in a false evaluation of the student(s), or
which re presents an attempt to unfairly gain an academic advantage, where the student either k new or
ought reasonably to have known that it was misconduct. Whether or not a stud ent intended to commit
academic misconduct is not relevant for a finding of academic misconduct. Hurried or careless
submission of assignments does not excuse students from responsibility for verifying the academic
integrity of their work before submitting it.”
There are numerous types of academic misconduct, including by not limited to plagiarism, cheating,
submitting the same piece of work for more than one course without the instructor’s permission,
impersonating another person in a test or exam, buying or otherwise obtaining term papers or
assignments, or falsifying, misrepresenting or forging an academic record or supporting document.
As a Laurier student you are responsible for knowing how to avoid academic misconduct and for
knowing that there are penalties for academic misconduct, including, but not limited to zero on the
assignment, zero in the course, a note on your transcript, suspension, and expulsion. There is a formal
process for investigating cases of academic misconduct, which is outlined in the Student Code of
Conduct and Discipline. We expect you to abide by the rules of academic integrity. You are responsible
to familiarize yourself with these expectations and review the resources that will educate and support
you in upholding a culture of integrity. Ignorance is not a defense.
Online tools to check for plagiarism
Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for plagiarism. If requested to do so by the
instructor, students are required to submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for
plagiarism. (Approved by Senate May 14, 2002)
Conversion of levels to grades:
Where indicated in the syllabus, rubrics will be provided for the evaluation of your work and will follow
the WLU Grading System.
Percentage
Equivalent Grade Points
90-100 A+
12
85-89
A
11
80-84
A-
10
77-79
B+
9
73-76
B
8
70-72
B-
7
67-69
C+
6
63-66
C
5
60-62
C-
4
57-59
D+
3
53-56
D
2
50-52
D-
1
0-49
F
0