Assignments

Assignment #1 will be worth 25% of your final grade.

It is due at the end of Week 6.

DESCRIPTION:  Individual students will author and publish an original media-based critical analysis of an emerging facet of mobility that is of special interest to the student. Think of this as a self-contained, first-person research product (videocast, podcast, blogpost, media essay, etc) whose value is founded on your credibility and presence as a professional educator and MET researcher. The subject may be a technology, application, cultural phenomenon, social trend, educational program or learning product. No direct connection to teaching or learning is required, but one focus of the analysis will concern education potential, or lack thereof. The primary objective is for the analysis to be published as a highly relevant, usable and valued Knowledge Mill resource in (at least one of) the Mobile Technology, Mobile Culture, and Mobile Education streams of 523.

FORMAT:  This is not an academic paper. Employ a presentation format consistent with effective viewing on mobile devices, optimizing relevancy, usability, and value for a prospective, global audience of education technology professionals. Make it just long enough to deliver true audience value (probably between 500 words / 90 seconds and 1,500 words / 6 minutes, as aiming to sustain attention for a longer period might be a dubious proposition). Consult your instructor if in doubt.

SUBMISSION:  The analysis may be posted directly in 523 or embedded from any reasonably permanent web host or platform, using the “(A1) Analyses” category as well as whichever Knowledge Mill category is most appropriate. Notify your instructor by email when your post submission is live. The intent is for grades to be returned within one week of publication.

RUBRIC:

• Mobility Essence (7/25): Credible, thorough and insightful analysis which captures the nature and significance of the subject and its viability in the mobility ecosystem relative to comparable entities within and outside of the mobile space.
• Education Merit (6/25): Critical assessment of current and prospective value of the subject to specific and/or general domains of education, particularly in relation to other solutions or approaches to the learning objectives.
• Resource Value (6/25): Creative and effective design for mobile delivery together with excellent presentation for engaging and serving the target audience (primarily professional educators, scholars and researchers).
• Rationale (6/25): The author’s professional experience and/or special interest in the subject is evident and adds unambiguous value to the analysis.

Assignment #2 will be worth 25% of your final grade.

Groups & presentation weeks will be assigned at the end of week 1.

DESCRIPTION: Small teams of students will collectively research, design, build, demonstrate and publish an original ‘mobile first’ open education resource (OER) specific to the mobile and/or open learning potentials of a topic identified in the Frontiers Poll during week 1. The OER will be designed to serve the self-guided professional development interests of a prospective global audience of educational technology professionals.

Your detailed A2 instructions are:

1. Strategy: Gather your team to collectively determine a compelling strategy related to your assigned mobility topic that leverages the strengths and interests of your team and strives to create a mobile learning resource of exceptional value for the target audience. You are welcome to service the entire topic or focus on some special feature of it, such as how it relates to a particular subject matter, geography and/or education sector.
2. Teaming: Use whatever online tools and spaces are most effective for your teamwork. Break out the A2 workload evenly across your team, making sure that everyone has a specific, tangible role to play that affords them a real & equal opportunity to shine.
3. Research, Design & Build:  Compose your OER using ‘mobile first’ design principles.  A set of key elements will probably be internal to 523, but other elements may be embedded from the UBC Wiki or any other reasonably permanent web host or platform.
4. Demonstrate: At the beginning of your assigned week post an invitation, using the appropriate Movable Feast & Knowledge Mill categories, to engage your 523 peers with your OER as its first test audience. Although the OER may be designed primarily for self-guided learners, please stage and moderate an appropriate collaborative exploration and discussion of your topic and OER. Respect the cohort’s time and attention: aim for a high quality of engagement rather than large quantities of materials to review and activities to complete.
5. Publish: Use the cohort ‘focus group’ experience to refine your OER, if necessary.  Signify your A2 completion by emailing your instructor an MS Word (or equivalent format) document where each team member has contributed a brief paragraph summarizing their contributions to the team effort..

Grading of A2 will be returned near the end of 523, after most of the teams have presented.

RUBRIC:

• OER Design (7/25): Compelling, coherent, grounded research and analysis with highly effective pathways for active learning, understanding, and further development. Teamwork is clearly evident.
• Mobile Design (6/25): Creative and effective design for ‘mobile first’ delivery of the OER & ‘mobile first’ engagement of the cohort during demonstration. Teamwork is clearly evident.
• Feast Hosting (6/25): Graciously and expertly hosted materials and activities for effective cohort exploration and examination of the topic and OER. Teamwork is clearly evident.
• Published OER (6/25): Professional-quality OER enhanced via cohort interactions, published and ready to serve the target audience. Teamwork is clearly evident.

Assignment #3 will be worth 25% of your final grade.

It is due at the end of Week 12.

DESCRIPTION: Individual students will author and publish an original media property that presages a prospective future aspect or dimension of mobility – one that does not exist now, but could or should – that would have significant relevance to the student. Think of this as another self-contained, first-person research product founded on your credibility and presence.  Alternatively, a pair or small team of students may self-assemble as co-authors (seek approval in advance from your instructor).  The subject may be an extrapolation of ideas encountered in 523 or inspired from elsewhere.  It may be specific to technology, culture, pedagogy or some combination. You may present a potential solution to an existing problem, predict a transformation of practice, scope an opportunity, specify a needed technology, describe a new application, or employ any other structured introduction to a desired future.  Use a storyboard, scenario, wire-frames, animations or any other strategy to effectively engage your audience with your forecast.  The primary objective is to author content that will be highly relevant, usable and valued in the 523 Knowledge Mill.

FORMAT:  This is not an academic paper. Employ a presentation format consistent with effective viewing on mobile devices. Make it just long enough to deliver true audience value (probably between 500 words / 90 seconds and 1,500 words / 6 minutes, as aiming to sustain attention for a longer period might be a dubious proposition).

SUBMISSION:  The analysis may be posted directly in 523 or embedded from any reasonably permanent web host or platform, using the “(A3) Mobile Forum” category and whichever of the Mobile Education, Mobile Culture and Mobile Technology categories is most appropriate. Notify your instructor by email when your post submission is live. The intent is for grades to be returned within one week of the conclusion of the session.

RUBRIC:

• Forecast Substance (10/25):  Compelling, coherent prediction of a feasible future for mobility, grounded in careful research and analysis, and demonstrating an understanding of 523 course ideas.
• Mobile Design (5/25):  Creative design for ‘mobile first’ delivery of the content, with effective engagement of target audiences.
• Quality of Content (5/25): Professional-level care & attention to writing craft and media craft is evident in the finished product.
• Rationale (5/25): The author’s professional experience and/or special interest in the topic is evident, and adds unambiguous value to the product.

Assignment #4 will be worth 25% of your final grade.

It is due at the end of Week 13.

DESCRIPTION: Interaction with your fellow students & instructor is essential to the 523 experience. This final part of your grade for the course will be based on a self-assessed portfolio that demonstrates the consistency and quality of your participation in the course weblog. There are four parts to your Participation Portfolio submission:

1. Keep track of your significant postings and reviews so that you can submit a linked list of between 5 (min) & 10 (max) that best evidence your participation.  It will be prudent for your list to cover most segments of the course.
2. On or before the last day of the course, send your instructor an email entitled “A4 Submission” where the body of the email is a 500 word (max) statement describing your active involvement in the course, cogently linked to the identified postings. Use your statement to objectively rate your overall contribution relative to the cohort (e.g. “top 25%”).

Submit Assignment #4 to your instructor via email.  They will attempt to acknowledge receipt, and to return a grade with your final mark for the course, within one week of the conclusion of 523.

RUBRIC:

• Presence (7/25): Establishes and maintains a consistent and valuable presence in the conversational flow of the materials covered in the course.
• Original Voice (6/25): Consistently raises the discussion to new levels with creative and original interventions, and starts new discussions that carry the discourse.
• Constructive Response (6/25): Actively follows discussion threads to provide constructive responses that celebrate, elaborate, and encourage the contributions of peers.
• Demonstrated Knowledge (6/25): Always on topic, well-researched & well-reflected concerning immediate questions under consideration and the broader objectives of the course.

UBC grading guidelines for master’s level students

(See the UBC Academic Calendar for more details)

A level – Good to Excellent Work

A+ (90-100%) A very high level of quality throughout every aspect of the work. It shows the
individual (or group) has gone well beyond what has been provided and has extended
the usual ways of thinking and/or performing. Outstanding comprehension of subject
matter and use of existing literature and research. Consistently integrates critical and
creative perspectives in relation to the subject material. The work shows a very high
degree of engagement with the topic.

A (85-89%) Generally a high quality throughout the work. No problems of any significance,
and evidence of attention given to each and every detail. Very good comprehension of
subject and use of existing literature and research. For the most part, integrates critical
and creative perspectives in relation to the subject material. Shows a high degree of
engagement with the topic.

A- (80-84%) Generally a good quality throughout the work. A few problems of minor
significance. Good comprehension of subject matter and use of existing literature and
research. Work demonstrates an ability to integrate critical and creative perspectives on
most occasions. The work demonstrates a reasonable degree of engagement with the
topic.

B level – Adequate Work

B+ (76-79%) Some aspects of good quality to the work. Some problems of minor
significance. There are examples of integrating critical and creative perspectives in
relation to the subject material. A degree of engagement with the topic.

B (72-75%) Adequate quality. A number of problems of some significance. Difficulty
evident in the comprehension of the subject material and use of existing literature and
research. Only a few examples of integrating critical and creative perspectives in relation
to the subject material. Some engagement with the topic.

B- (68-71%) Barely adequate work at the graduate level.

C level – Seriously Flawed Work

C+ (64-67%) Serious flaws in understanding of the subject material. Minimal integration of
critical and creative perspectives in relation to the subject material. Inadequate
engagement with the topic. Inadequate work at the graduate level.

C (60-63%) Inadequate work at the graduate level.

F level – Failing Work

F (0-59%)

Students are expected to submit work on time. No assignment will be accepted late without prior consent, and normally 10%/day will be deducted even when such consent is given.

Students are expected to know what constitutes academic misconduct as is described in detail in the UBC Calendar.

Instructors are required to report all instances of academic misconduct to the Department, who will in turn notify the Dean’s Office. The penalty for plagiarism or for cheating is serious, and normally entails suspension from the University and a notation on the student’s transcript.