Ashford 2: – Week 1 – Discussion

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Learning   in a Technology-enhanced Environment

 A peer reviewed journal or article is an article or journal that has been reviewed by experts in the field and deemed to be worth reading by other professionals. Typically this is an extensive process in which reviewers are carefully vetted for expertise and professional experience. In this assignment, you will have an opportunity to examine a peer reviewed article and apply what you have learned to a professional scenario or activity.
 

Please refer to the following tutorials for guidance on conducting scholarly research at the Ashford Library:

About Scholarly      Journals and Online Databases How to Conduct      Research Using the Ashford Library

Step 1: Research

This activity will be appropriate for your ePortfolio      and addresses Program learning Outcome 4. Locate one peer reviewed article      from the Ashford University Library, which describes the effects,      benefits, advantages, etc., of instructional technology on learner      achievement. Look for an article that can be applied to your own      profession or you may use another educational environment (K12, higher      education, military, corporate, etc.). The article needs to come from a      peer reviewed source (e.g., Proquest, ERIC databases) and be a full-text      article.

     Tip: Suggested search keywords are “benefits advantages instructional      technology.” Please specify the database where you located the article(s)      as part of your APA citation. Summarize the article in one paragraph, including an      overview of the topic, key concepts, findings and recommendations. Include      the APA formatted reference information. In a second paragraph, using an example from your      profession or another educational environment, what insights or ideas from      your peer reviewed article can guide the use of technology to support      learner achievement?

Step 2: Application

Create a collaborative wiki, blog or website tool (e.g.      Wikispaces, PBWorks, WIX, etc.). You will continue to use this tool for      the rest of the class as your ePortfolio platform. Upload your content from Step 1 (a-c) above that      summarizes the research article you found from the Library and the      implications to a professional or educational environment that you      identified. In your initial post to this discussion question, make      sure you include the link to your website, and test it prior to      submitting.

Guided Response – Visit and review at least two of your classmates’ postings. Provide feedback on their assessment of use of collaborative technology in the educational environment they identified. Offer suggestions or comments that might improve their summaries for application of learning in a technology-enhanced environment.
 

Review this Required Resource: Five Principles of Effective Web Design (http://simplyadammann.com/blog/2013/2/5/5rsdlgz9b3fp5n4mm1ntxtnhuffqfu)
 

Provide insightful comments or questions regarding the content and format of your classmates’ websites. Look for items such as layout, use of images, ease of navigation, overall look and feel, typos, etc.