Module: EDU5100-20 Literacy Learning in a Multimedia World

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Caroline Kuhn

Module Tutor Contact Details: c.kuhn@@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

Information technology has become a hot topic in education. Some argue that excessive screen time damages children, whilst others assert that we need to ensure children are ready to participate in the knowledge economy. One area that that is of particular interest is the impact digital media has on literacy. The purpose of the module is to provide you with a critical understanding of the relationship between literacy and technology. We aim to give you a better understanding of the processes involved in learning to communicate, how written text has developed, and how different modes of communication can complement each other. Furthermore, we want you to use this understanding to consider existing educational practice and how digital technologies impact upon it.

2.Outline syllabus

Part 1: Issues relating to the use of digital technologies in education

● Young people and technology

● Using ICT in the Classroom

● Literacy and Popular Culture

● The knowledge economy

● Digital citizenship

Part 2: Writing for the web

● Usability

● Accessibility (writing HTML)

● Impact

Part 3: Theories of communication

● Structuralism

● Pragmatism

● Emergent language

● Multimodality

● Semiotics

● Narrative, intertextuality and genre

Part 4: Creating multimedia texts

3.Teaching and learning activities

• Lectures

• Seminar activities

• Practical workshops

• Individual tutorials

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Digital resource (2,500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 50%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Online article (2,500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 50%