Your Learning & Leading Journey

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
–George Bernard Shaw

Course Outcome

Learners will synthesize their knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values gained through their digital learning and leadership experiences and present a comprehensive plan on how they developed into digital learners and leaders that can identify and promote innovation, create significant digital learning environments, and lead organizational change.

Module Objectives

Learners will:

• analyze and synthesize all key aspects and components of the DLL program and ePortfolio process that contributed to their development as a digital learner and leader and share this experience along with the comprehensive organization of their innovation project.
• will locate, evaluate and compile web-based resources, experts and communities that will help them in their continued growth and development as digital learners and leaders.

Module 4 & 5 Introduction video

Readings

Revisit the – How to Create your ePortfolio page at – https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6065

DLL Why, How & What

The Master of Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) is a collaborative learner-centered program that embraces technological innovation through collaboration, active and authentic learning, and the creation of significant learning environments. The fundamental principles of the DLL include:

Why:
We believe that the Digital Learning and Leading program at Lamar University must prepare our learners be digital leaders who can to lead organizational change using technology innovations and shape the future of digital learning.

How:
To do this, the Digital Learning and Leading program at Lamar University provides an innovative, collaborative learning environment which equips our learners with the necessary tools to effectively bring about change in their organizations.

What:
The Digital Learning and Leading program at Lamar University prepares leaders who can create significant learning environments, lead organizational change, and drive innovation in a digitally-advanced century.

DLL Course Goals

EDLD 5302
Learners will take ownership and agency over the learning process and incorporate learner choice and voice in designing authentic projects that use technology innovations as a catalyst for change in their organizational setting.

EDLD 5303
The learner will prepare and submit an eportfolio that demonstrates their mastery of the learning outcomes for previously completed professional development work (Apple Distinguished Education, Microsoft Certified Educator, Google Certified Educator, EDLD 5302, etc.).

EDLD 5304
Learners will be equipped with tools to be a self-differentiated leader who can address the inevitable resistance to change that will occur when launching innovative digital learning initiatives.

EDLD 5305
Learners will identify technology innovations and embrace them as opportunities rather than challenges and proactively use those changes as catalysts to enhance their institution or district’s learning environments.

EDLD 5313
Learners will identify and incorporate constructivist theories to create and implement significant digital learning environments.

EDLD 5314
Students will analyze and assess global educational technology innovation projects to determine what worked and what could be done better and apply those lessons learned to local innovation projects.

EDLD 5315
Learners will be able to assess the instructional impact the implementation of their innovation plans have on creating effective digital learning environments.

EDLD 5316
Learners who work in the area of educational policy and practice will be able to navigate the emerging educational and legal challenges of a knowledge society where most K-12 students are deeply immersed in online communication, having grown up as “digital natives.”

EDLD 5317
Learners will examine a variety of digital environments and other digital resources to effectively communicate with others the practical implementation and the pedagogical value for educational use.

EDLD 5318
Students will apply constructivist learning theories and instructional design principles in the development and delivery of an online course utilizing significant learning environments through selected course management tools.

EDLD 5388
Learners will effectively apply an innovative teaching practice by collaborating with colleagues to evaluate their impact on learners and design and model authentic professional learning (PL) activities that are active, have a significant duration, and are specific to their discipline.

EDLD 5320
Learners will synthesize their knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values gained through their digital learning and leadership experiences and present a comprehensive plan on how they developed into digital learners and leaders that can identify and promote innovation, create significant digital learning environments, and lead organizational change.

DLL Journey Discussion – How Far You Have Come

In this assignment reflect on the DLL principles and the courses goals in the DLL program (listed in the Reading section) that have helped you become a digital learner and leader and consider what you have accomplished in the DLL program so far:

• Self-directed Learning
• Innovation plan
• Organizational change strategy
• Learning Theory Foundation
• Significant Learning Environment
• Instructional Design/Backward Design
• Measurement strategy
• Online/Blended course
• Paper/Presentation
• ePortfolio
• Personal Learning Network
• M. Ed. Digital Learning & Leading

This assignment will be assessed as part of your course participation grade.

DLL Journey Discussion – What’s Next?

In the second part of the discussion assignment we want you to contemplate the next stage of your DLL journey and review the video What it takes to be a great leader.

Consider Roselinde Torres 3 key questions as well as the 3 key questions we have repeatedly asked you consider in various courses in the program as you consider your next steps:

• What worked?
• What could you do better?
• What lessons have you learned?
• Where are you looking to anticipate change?
• What is the diversity measure of your network?
• Are you courageous enough to abandon the past?

This assignment will be assessed as part of your course participation grade.

Digital Learning & Leading Journey Synthesis Assignment

Assignment Value: 150 points

In this final part of your DLL capstone we are asking you to analyze and synthesize all key aspects and components of the DLL program and ePortfolio process that contributed to your development as a digital learner and leader. You must share this experience along with the comprehensive organization of all your work.

Instructions

Create a visual representation of your DLL journey. You can create a video, digital story, Prezi, infographic(s) other digital tools to show your audience:

• Where you started
• Who was involved
• The highs and lows of your learning process
• How you felt throughout the process
• What you have created
• What you have accomplished – (course goals)
• What worked
• What you could do better
• What lessons you have learned
• Where you are now
• What you plan to do next

This list is just a starting point for your synthesis—you need to make this your own. You will need to link to all your existing work and resources to support your visual representation and will also need to create a well organized blog post to further synthesize and support your experience in the DLL program.

At the end of each of the courses with the DLL program, we have asked you to organize and present the module assignments into a cohesive section of your ePortfolio. You will need to do the same PLUS you will also need to organize all your course work into a cohesive section of your ePortfolio. Consider, at MINIMUM, the following sections or components:

• About/Bio (Great place for your learning philosophy)
• Main Interest
• COVA & CSLE
• Projects (Innovation plan)
• Categories
• Archives
• Links
• Social Media connections
• Contact
• Navigational structure
• Reading List/Books etc.
• Search

Ensure that you create an organizational and navigational structure that connects all the components and clearly demonstrates that all the pieces fit into a bigger strategy or approach.

Please remember – This assignment is unique to you, your circumstances, and your organization so you need to keep in mind who your audience is, why and how they will use this information, and what impact you are looking to make.

Submission Details:

To submit the assignment URL you will be required to use the provided document template: Assignment 3-EDLD5315-Submission.docx

• Download the document template,
• Past the URL into the space at the top of the document template,
• Add your name to the document,
• Rename the file with your name and assignment identifier
• Upload the file to Blackboard by or before the deadline.

The School of Education is using this submission process in its online courses for two reasons:

1. We wish to provide you an offline copy of the assignment instructions that you can refer to.
2. We want to ensure there is a consistent and permanent record of assignment submissions that can efficiently be converted to hard copy.

Formats:

• Use the APA format to cite your sources.
• Use the assignment name, your last name and first initial (assignment name + last name + first initial) to label your assignment submission document.

5320 Capstone
Weeks 1-3
Weeks 3-4
Weeks 4-5

Leveraging choice, ownership, voice through authentic learning

Course Outcome/Goal

Learners will synthesize their knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values gained through their digital learning and leadership experiences and present a comprehensive plan on how they developed into digital learners and leaders that can identify and promote innovation, create significant digital learning environments, and lead organizational change.

Module Outcomes/Goals

Learners will:

• explore and analyze how the COVA approach has aided them in their learning process and
• apply the principles of the COVA approach to creating significant learning environments that provide their learners with choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning opportunities.

Module 1 & 2 Introduction Video

Readings

The following resources are available to help you in your final synthesis.

CSLE+COVA website

https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6988

COVA eBook

Harapnuik, D. K., Thibodeaux, T. N., & Cummings, C. D. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and Voice through Authentic Learning Opportunities. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291

Peer Reviewed Book Chapters

Cummings, C D., Thibodeaux, T. N., & Harapnuik, D. K. (2017). Using the COVA learning approach to create active and significant learning environments. In Keengwe, J. S. (Eds.). Handbook of research on digital content, mobile learning, and technology integration models in teacher education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. Submitted for Publication. – Using the COVA Approach to Promote Active Learning-Chapter Draft.pdf

Thibodeaux, T. N., Harapnuik, D. K., Cummings, C. D., & Wooten, R. (2017). Learning all the time and everywhere: Moving beyond the hype of the mobile learning quick fix. In Keengwe, J. S. (Eds.). Handbook of research on mobile technology, constructivism, and meaningful learning. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. Submitted for Publication. – Learning All the Time and Everywhere-InPressDraft.pdf

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

Thibodeaux, T. N., Harapnuik, D. K, & Cummings, C. D. (2017). Factors that contribute to ePortfolio persistence. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(1), p. 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP257.pdf

Thibodeaux, T. N., Harapnuik, D. K, & Cummings, C. D. (2017). Graduate student perceptions of the impact of the COVA learning approach on authentic projects and ePortfolios. Manuscript submitted for publication. – Impact of the COVA Learning Approach_InPressDraft.pdf

COVA Reflections: Collaborative Discussions

Throughout the Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) program we have given you choice, ownership, and voice through authentic assignments which we formally refer to as the COVA approach. We have also created a significant learning environment (CSLE) within the DLL program and have modelled the use of the COVA approach and CSLE. Use the following two videos to help you recall the CLSE and the importance of Connecting the Dots:

What to Expect from the DLL

Creating Significant Learning Environments (CSLE)

In this part of your capstone reflection and discussion we want you to consider how the COVA approach and CSLE has aided you in your learning process and a summarize how you will apply the COVA approach to creating significant learning environments that provide your learners with choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning opportunities. Consider the following questions as starting points for your reflection and for your plans on using the COVA and CSLE in your organization:

• Where or when did you first realize that you genuinely had choice, ownership and voice through authentic assignments?
• What was your initial reaction when given the freedom and responsibility to choose to take ownership of your learning through an authentic project? Were you ready for this? If not or if so…what did you do?
• What did you do to adjust to this style of learning? Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
• How difficult was it to take control of your own voice and focus on your organization as the audience for your work?
• Some students had mixed feelings toward promoting change in their organizations—how has your attitude toward leading change grown throughout the program?
• How authentic is your innovation plan; did you just create it to get through the course work or did you really hope to change your organization.
• How does the COVA approach and Creating Significant Learning Environments (CSLE) align or not align with your learning philosophy?
• How has your perspective on learning and your learning philosophy changed? If there hasn’t been any changes explain why.
• Knowing what you know now about the COVA approach how will you plan to use the COVA approach to create significant learning environments in your organization?
• OR will you not use the COVA approach and why?
• How will you give your learners choice ownership and and voice through authentic assignments?
• How will you prepare your learners and colleagues for the COVA approach and CSLE?
• What are some challenges that you will face in using the COVA approach and CSLE?

This assignment will be assessed as part of your course participation grade.

Week 1 & 2 Assignment – COVA Reflection & Application

Assignment Value: 150 points

Throughout the Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) program we have given you choice, ownership, and voice through authentic assignments. How has this process helped you and how can it help others?

Instructions

Part A
In this part of your capstone reflection we want you to consider how the COVA approach and the significant learning environment we have created in the DLL has aided you in your learning process. Consider the following questions that you used in the discussion as starting points for your reflection:

• Where or when did you first realize that you genuinely had choice, ownership and voice through authentic assignments?
• What was your initial reaction when given the freedom and responsibility to choose to take ownership of your learning through an authentic project? Were you ready for this? If not or if so…what did you do?
• What did you do to adjust to this style of learning? Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
• How difficult was it to take control of your own voice and focus on your organization as the audience for your work?
• Some students had mixed feelings toward promoting change in their organizations—how has your attitude toward leading change grown throughout the program?
• How authentic is your innovation plan; did you just create it to get through the course work or did you really hope to change your organization.
• How does the COVA approach and Creating Significant Learning Environments (CSLE) align or not align with your learning philosophy?
• How has your perspective on learning and your learning philosophy changed? If there hasn’t been any changes explain why.

Part B
Summarize how you will apply the COVA approach to creating significant learning environments that provide your learners with choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning opportunities. Consider the following questions and you used in the discussion as starting points for your plans on using the COVA and CSLE in your organization:

• Knowing what you know now about the COVA approach how will you plan to use the COVA approach to create significant learning environments in your organization?
• OR will you not use the COVA approach and why?
• How will you give your learners choice ownership and voice through authentic assignments?
• How will you prepare your learners and colleagues for the COVA approach and CSLE?
• What are some challenges that you will face in using the COVA approach and CSLE?

Combine Parts A & B into one cohesive post. While the format and structure of the COVA reflection and application is up to you we do encourage you keep in mind that you need to create a cohesive post which will include links to your existing posts or resources you have created that will support or provide examples for your reflection. Your post can include audio, video, infographic, or other media to help summarize and reinforce your ideas.

Please remember – This assignment is unique to you, your circumstances, and your organization so you need to keep in mind who your audience is, why and how they will use this information, and what impact you are looking to make.

Submission Details:

To submit the assignment URL you will be required to use the provided document template: Assignment 1-EDLD5320-Submission.docx

• Download the document template,
• Past the URL into the space at the top of the document template,
• Add your name to the document,
• Rename the file with your name and assignment identifier
• Upload the file to Blackboard by or before the deadline.

The School of Education is using this submission process in its online courses for two reasons:

1. We wish to provide you an offline copy of the assignment instructions that you can refer to.
2. We want to ensure there is a consistent and permanent record of assignment submissions that can efficiently be converted to hard copy.

Formats:

• Use the APA format to cite your sources.
• Use the assignment name, your last name and first initial (assignment name + last name + first initial) to label your assignment submission document.

5320 Capstone
Weeks 1-3
Weeks 3-4
Weeks 4-5

The Master of Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) at Lamar University is a collaborative learner-centered program that embraces technological innovation through collaboration, active and authentic learning, and the creation of significant learning environments. The fundamental principles of the DLL include:

Why: We believe that we must inspire and prepare our learners to lead organizational change using technology innovations as a catalyst for enhancing learning.

How: To do this, we create significant learning environments (CSLE) which give our learners choice, ownership and voice through authentic (COVA) learning opportunities.

What: We prepare leaders who can lead organizational change and drive innovation in a digitally connected world.

While technology is continually used to enhance the learning environment in the DLL, it isn’t just relegated to being another tool that teachers put in their instructional toolboxes. Innovative technologies are used as catalysts to enhance learning and when effectively employed, the technology disappears into the learning environment.

The DLL program is grounded in the approaches of Dewey, Bruner, Papert, and Piaget who advocate that learning is an active, dynamic, and social process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current and past knowledge and experiences. The making of meaningful connections is key to the learning and knowing.

In the DLL program, we create and model significant learning environments (CSLE) where the learner takes control and ownership of their learning. Through authentic projects, DLL students learn how to purposefully assemble all the key components of effective learning and create their own significant learning environments that will then, in turn, help their learners to learn how to learn.

Research and experience confirm that we learn most deeply through effective collaboration and feedback from our peers. DLL collaborative activities are structured so that students can bring their ideas to their group, examine and test those ideas, and then apply those refined and strengthened ideas to their own projects.

Collaboration is not used as a consensus driving process, rather it is part of the significant learning environment where learners are immersed and engage in productive thinking and problem solving and emerge with enhanced knowledge and skills that they can apply in their own classrooms and professional development.

In DLL the student will not be asked to sit and get professional development but will be required to go and show what they have learned through the creation of their own learning ePortfolio. The DLL ePortfolio reinforces learner choice, ownership, voice through authentic learning (COVA) which the DLL students are then able to share with their learners and their learning communities.

What is the COVA?

See the COVA page on this site for more information.

As primary developers of the DLL program Dr. Harapnuik, Dr. Cummings, and Dr. Thibodeaux will be continuing research into the DLL and COVA approach that will explore student perceptions on how choice, ownership, voice, and authentic projects impact their ePortfolios, learning, and learning environments. The findings of this study and ongoing research will add to the growing body of research into how the COVA learning approach will contribute to the continued use ePortfolios as a learning tools beyond the program of study, how the COVA approach can be used to impact student learning, and how this experience transfers to students’ learning environments.

Sinek, S. (2009, September 28). Start with why — how great leaders inspire action. [Youtube]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/u4ZoJKF_VuA

Revised January 20, 2019

Course Goal
Learners will synthesize their knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values gained through their digital learning and leadership experiences and present a comprehensive plan on how they developed into digital learners and leaders that can identify and promote innovation, create significant digital learning environments, and lead organizational change.

Learning Outcomes
Aligning learning outcomes with activities and assessment:

Course Goal
Learners will take ownership and agency over the learning process and incorporate learner choice and voice in designing authentic projects that use technology innovations as a catalyst for change in their organizational setting.

Learning Outcomes:
Aligning learning outcomes/goals with activities and assessment: