Learning, Media, & Technology MEd Course of Study

Course of Study

Learning, Media, & Technology program requirements for graduation:

• Completion of 33 credit hours of coursework
• Completion of culminating master's project

College of Education Requirements:

• A total of 21 credit hours must be completed in the College of Education
• A total of 18 credit hours must be taken at the 600 or above course level
• Only courses taken at the 500 level or above count towards program requirements
• No more than 9 independent study (IS) credits may be applied toward your degree
• A total of 6 credit hours may be transferred from other universities

• A total of 6 credit hours may be transferred from another program at the University of Massachusetts
   

  2025 Course Schedule

Spring 2025

• EDUC 615CT: Creativity, Technology, and Learning (online) 
• EDUC 615X: Designing Digital Media for Teaching and Learning (?)
• EDUC 890C: Culminating Projects for LMT & DMDM Certificate (online) 

Summer 2025

• EDUC 615CT: Creativity, Technology, and Learning (online)

EDUC 595A Educational Film Production

This course will introduce students to the basics of video production, including pre-production (e.g., script writing, storyboarding), recording video (e.g., composition, equipment, digital tools, lighting, audio), and post-production (e.g., editing). Through project-based activities, students will learn how to apply their knowledge of multimedia design principles and learning theories to the development of interactive and accessible videos that enhance teaching and learning.

EDUC 603 Computer Mediated Communication

This course will analyze characteristics of computer mediated communication systems such as networked multimedia, discussion boards, blogs, wikis, chat, instant messenger and 3-D virtual environments.  Students will participate in online communication systems.

EDUC 612 Education Web Design: Creation & Evaluation

This course will introduce students to the basics of designing educational websites, such as online courses, digital portfolios, and online learning modules. Through interactive projects, students will learn how to create well-designed, accessible, easy to navigate websites that facilitate learning. Topics covered in the course include: html/java programming, user interface design, multimedia production, visual design, digital accessibility, writing for the web, copyright and creative commons, and usability testing. The course will feature multiple authentic learning web design projects, such as the development of digital portfolios as well as modules for an open online course.

EDUC 615GR Teaching & Learning with Technology

In this course, students will examine how technology mediates and influences teaching and learning in and across formal and informal contexts. Students will engage in a series of technology-related design challenges to build confidence, knowledge, and skills in designing and using technologies for teaching and learning. Students will explore the theoretical, societal, and practical issues related to using new technologies in informal and formal educational settings. And, students will discover how to enrich and advance teaching and learning with digital tools, digital media, and emerging technologies.

EDUC 615X Designing Digital Media for Teaching & Learning

This project-based course focuses on the theoretical and practical issues related to designing digital media (e.g. videos, animations, podcasts, infographics) and environments (e.g. interactive websites) for teaching and learning. In this course, we will explore the ADDIE Model of Instructional Design, learning theories, multimedia design principles, and effective pedagogical strategies and apply this knowledge to the design of educational digital media.

EDUC 647M Making & Makerspaces in Education

A makerspace revolution is here. K-12 schools and libraries are dedicating physical spaces as maker places and equipping them with 3D printers and other tools; administrators are urging those spaces and tools to be used for learning; students are wondering what they can create in these new settings. But what is a makerspace? And, how does Making (aka the design of physical or digital artifacts) fit into informal and formal educational settings? In this course, you will engage in a series of interactive, hands-on making activities with low-tech and high-tech tools to examine the theoretical, practical, and societal issues related to Making and Makerspaces in education.

EDUC 692D Digital Tools & Apps for 21st Century Students

In this course, students will explore a variety of digital tools and apps that can enhance teaching and learning. Students will discover how to find digital tools and apps by cultivating a digitally enhanced professional learning network. They will learn how to evaluate digital tools and apps in order to make an informed decision about which tools to use in educational settings and how to use tools and apps to improve learning experiences for all students. By the end of the course, students will be able to employ digital tools and apps to create transformative learning experiences for informal, formal, K-12, and higher education settings.

EDUC 692K Foundations and Theories of Learning

The proposed course is an in-depth survey of major psychological and socio-cultural theories of human learning as they have been developed over the last 125 years.  It is designed to provide master degree and first year doctoral students with a broad understanding of the various learning theories currently held by professional educators and educational researchers, as well as an understanding of the historical roots of these theories.  Participants will engage in readings, discussions, and individual and group projects in both face-to-face and online learning environments as a means of constructing their knowledge of this area.  The course is centered on the explication of two major theories regarding human learning; the information processing theory of cognition and the situated learning theory of cognition.

EDUC 737 Educational Media Theory

Research and theoretical aspects of media in education systems; special reference to philosophies, learning systems, and communication models which relate to the teaching-learning situation.

EDUC 890C Culminating Projects for LMT & DMDM

Advanced study of recent developments, research, and theoretical frameworks in digital media learning. Topics covered may include: social media, digital storytelling, computer supported collaborative learning, and microgenetic learning analytics. The course is only for students within the Learning, Media and Technology Master Degree program to work on their culminating project.

EDUC 897C Seminar in Digital Media Learning

During an era when fake news goes viral, social media algorithms shape our perceptions, clickbait personality tests are used to collect private data, media files can be manipulated by anyone, and bots and artificial intelligence influence how information spreads on social media sites, teachers and learners must be able to critically examine the power structures that shape how digital media is designed, shared, and consumed. In this course, students will analyze, create, and remix digital media and examine the recent developments, research, and theoretical frameworks in digital media learning. 

Examples of class/student projects

• Designing Digital Media for Teaching & Learning Open Online Course
• Elementary Theory of Music - Interactive eBook
• High School Biology Hyperdocs
• Overcoming the Language Barrier
• Interactive Educational Website for fourth-grade in Chile
• Learning in a Community of Gamers Animation
• What Video Games Teach Us About Growth Mindset Presentation
  • What Video Games Teach Us About Growth Mindset Final Paper