Survey of Innovation in Technology

Catalog description

Technologies are being introduced at an astounding pace, and their adoption is increasingly being driven by consumers rather than by institutional needs and considerations. For educational technology managers, the ability to critically assess new tools and foresee where technology is heading are essential skills. In this course, students will examine the introduction of a variety of mass communication and digital technologies in the recent past in order to develop an understanding of the common elements that have characterized technical innovation in U.S. society and their potential use in education. In taking a case-study approach to the topic, students will conduct research on the relative success of, and societal/institutional reactions to, the various technologies. Students will also study failed technologies in an effort to understand what elements might have been missing. The course will culminate with each student developing their own measurement and assessment of a current "new" technology and develop a strategic plan as to how it might be pursued/implemented in their own school or district.