EDU 622: e-Learning and Knowledge Management Technology

Overview

Designing and implementing e-learning and knowledge management solutions requires a firm understanding of their underlying technologies and an ability to converse and work with technical experts. For those new to these technologies, this course provides a broad knowledge of the necessary tools and technologies. For those already familiar with such technologies, this course will fill in gaps and suggest new applications for these technologies.

For each tool or technology, you will learn what it is, what are its advantages and disadvantages, when to use it, and how to combine it with other tools and technologies. And, because technologies advance at Internet speed, you will also learn to locate timely, accurate information, track trends, and spot breakthroughs. This course will not turn you into a technology expert, but will enable you to deal productively with an Information Technology department.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Research, evaluate, pick, and deploy individual tools and technologies.
• Combine technologies to create online courses, blended learning, best-practices efforts, informational and product-support websites, knowledge catalogs, and data warehouses.

• Avoid being bamboozled by fast-talking salesmen, slick brochures, or staged demos.
• Systematically and objectively compare candidates for a particular application.
• Locate and participate actively in Internet newsgroups and online forums on the latest relevant technologies.

This is not the kind of course where you succeed by proving to the instructor how much you know or by saying what the instructor wants to hear. Here you succeed by demonstrating your ability to do the job. The ability to do the job involves a lot more than reciting facts gleaned from papers or lectures. It involves researching murky areas, filtering out what does not matter, coming up with creative solutions, organizing your supporting evidence, getting feedback on your preliminary ideas, and continually revising your ideas to make them as effective as possible.

Required Texts
EDU 622 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore