Postgraduate - UnitHED5061 - Blended learning: Informal learning and technologies in the higher education

This unit examines the role of informal learning and digital technologies in blended learning in a higher education context, focusing on how students use information communication technologies, and how this impacts on contemporary understanding of community and citizenship. The aim of this unit is to understand and evaluate informal everyday technology use in order to inform blended unit and course design practices that will foster student engagement and support life-long learning. The unit will focus on global connectedness and harnessing digital technologies to increase student engagement and promote active and collaborative learning. The unit involves case studies of key relevant digital technologies and their cultures of use, e.g. augmented reality, blogging (and micro-blogging), cloud computing, data visualisation, open access publishing, social networking and virtual worlds. These case studies will be used to understand and develop the knowledge and skills required to critically evaluate and effectively implement the integration of digital media into blended unit design and teaching in higher education.