Spring Quarter started!

After a well deserved break, here we are again ready for the third quarter. The course line up is a lot lighter, but the pressure to advance the Master’s project and think about the future is exponentially bigger now. All going according to plan 🙂

This quarter I will be taking the following courses + an internship!

EDUC 391 – Engineering Education and Online Learning
“A project based introduction to web-based learning design. In this course we will explore the evidence and theory behind principles of learning design and game design thinking. In addition to gaining a broad understanding of the emerging field of the science and engineering of learning, students will experiment with a variety of educational technologies, pedagogical techniques, game design principles, and assessment methods. Over the course of the quarter, interdisciplinary teams will create a prototype or a functioning piece of educational technology.”

EDUC 404: Topics in Brazilian Education: Public Policy and Innovation for the 21st Century
“The objective of this seminar is to provide students from different backgrounds an opportunity to learn about current issues and debates on Brazilian education. The seminar will cover topics on the history of Brazilian education; an overview of current school reforms at the federal level; educational assessments; education and economic growth; educational equity; teacher labor market; technology and education; early childhood; and higher education to Brazil.”

EDUC 407: Lytics Seminar
“This course is a survey of research methods with applications in online learning. The methods covered are very interdisciplinary, including an introduction to machine learning, text/discourse analysis, causal modeling, and psychometrics. Broader question in research methodology are also covered, including how to formulate a good research question, when to use qualitative or quantitative methods, and the relative merits of theory-driven confirmatory vs. exploratory research. The goal of this course is to support researchers in the online learning space and other fields in their research endeavors.”

EDUC 229C: Learning Design and Technology Seminar
“Four-quarter required seminar for the LDT master’s program. Discussions and activities related to designing for learning with technology. Support for internships and Master’s project. Theoretical and practical perspectives, hands-on development, and collaborative efforts. (LDT)”

EDUC 215: LDT Internship Workshop
“The required internship is a cornerstone of the LDT program. This course will provide students an opportunity to link their academic learning to real world experience through in-class discussions, presentations, and reflective writing. It will allow the program director to monitor the quality of the experience and provide timely advice and support as needed for an optimal learning experience. The course will meet several times each quarter, adjacent to LDT seminar (Fridays, 12-1). An internship agreement will be required at the beginning of the course signed by the faculty advisor), as well as a reflection paper at the end of the course. Students will take the course for 1 unit, unless they request additional units for unpaid internship hours.”

The internship is right here at Stanford, at The Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning (VPTL) working with the Director of Instructional Design to update the course on how to create online courses for Stanford professors. Very exciting! Already started on Monday and will be doing only 8 hours a week – which is what my Visa allows.