Technology Education

Masters Degrees In Education Technology In Europe

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ith the importance of  technology and its almost mandatory presence in every aspect of today’s world, it is no wonder why one would chose to study this contemporary subject. With Europe integrating a digital approach to education and businesses, there is without any doubt, quite a few places one can choose to pursue her or his studies. We are going to look at the most renowned Universities where you can obtain a master’s degree in Education Technology in Europe.

1. University Of Oulu, Finland

University Of Oulu, Finland

This University offers a two-year international Master’s programme called Learning, Education and Technology, or LET for short. Studies are based on three theoretical pillars:

  • Self-regulation,
  • Collaboration and
  • Technology enhancement.

LET programme seeks to develop knowledge and skills in fields such as designing, conducting, analyzing and assessing tools needed for modern technology-based education.

Once they have graduated, LET students are able to work collaboratively in educational communities by making use of learning theories, evaluate the pedagogical potential of different technologies, understand the process of self-regulated learning as well as design their own technology-enhanced learning platforms.
Career opportunities a LET graduate gets go from educators to human resource developers and even as far as administrators.

2. Far Eastern Federal University, Russia

Far Eastern Federal University, Russia

This University, based in Vladivostok, offers a programme that combines fundamental, theoretical and practical training in the field of information systems and technologies. Its aim is to train professionals in the design, development and maintenance of new information technologies as well as the introduction of IT products in modern enterprises.

Graduates earn a set of acquired competences, ranging from the ability to solve problems in various classes – using modern methods and automation tool – to fundamental skills in the conduct and organization of scientific research.

The faculty boasts its use of modern computing technics as well as its high qualification in the involvement of leading researches and industry practitioners. Students are invited to learn everything needed in the fields of technology and innovation, giving them abilities that will allow them a future position in the ever-growing digital presence in education.

Russian and the EU have collaborated on several occasions in the field of Innovative Projects. Be sure to check our article titled The EU-Russia Collaborative Innovation Project.

3. University Of The Laguna, Spain

University Of The Laguna, Spain

The general goal of this Master’s Degree in Education and ICT could be defined, in a broad sense, as the training of experts with advanced knowledge and skills to investigate in: teaching-learning processes supported by ICT and developed through virtual environments programs training and educational innovation projects on ICT in formal education institutions (both school and university) and non-formal design and development of educational software, online teaching materials, digital content and educational applications distributed through digital media and technologies.

Through this Master’s degree, graduates in degrees such as Pedagogy, Social Educator, Psychology, Communication or Computer Engineer may specialize in the academic and research field of education and ICT.

ICT, or Information and Communication Technologies, has broken into all areas of our lives that imposes new forms and processes of communication and cultural expression.
In parallel, educational activities are also affected by the expansion of ICT. Nowadays, concepts such as multimedia educational material, digital content, virtual campus, edublogs, e-learning, virtual learning environment, educational apps, educational social networks, e-portfolios, personal learning environments, among many others, are evidence that digital technologies are already a reality in the practice of education.

Various e-learning platforms are available for teachers and students alike. For more information, check our article on this widget based project called ROLE.

4. Viseu School Of Education, Portugal

Viseu School Of Education, Portugal

The cycle of studies leading to the Master’s Degree in Education and Multimedia, in this University, aims to train specialists in the area of ​​Information and Communication Technologies and multimedia applied to Education and Training.

Studies are focused on ICT integration in Educational Design and students learn to develop knowledge and skills to design, implement and evaluate learning environments with ICT in a curricular context. School project management is also a competence that this University wants their students to master.

Once they graduate, students will be able to manage ICT projects for schools, develop their own educational programmes, assists students and teachers alike in the effective use of a variety of digital resources in education as well as evaluate the processes used and eventually suggest improvements.

A Master’s degree in Education and Multimedia aims to qualify education professionals the area of ​​Educational Sciences / Educational Technology – educational communication and the use of teaching resources in learning processes.

5. University Of Geneva, Switzerland

University of Geneva, Switzerland.

This University proposes a Master’s degree in Science and Technology of Learning and Training. It trains its students to use technologies in the field of education, while focusing on the analysis and design of computer based learning environments, as well as on the management of e-learning projects.

The particularity in this University is the availability of a subject called Educational Video Games. Other subjects in which students are trained are ICT, meditated communication and e-learning, user centered design and ergonomics and methodology of research in educational technologies

One may work as a consultant responsible for training educators in the use of ICT learning resources, even though the University focuses on multimedia development and design.
Teachers have reportedly been using various interactive digital resources such as educational video games. To learn more about that, be sure to read our article on the Learning Resource Exchange Platform.

6. Center For Research And Interdisciplinary, France

CRI offers AIRE EdTech Master’s programme that focuses on the digital transformation that currently takes place in education.

Based in Paris, the AIRE EdTech Master’s programme focuses on the digital transformation that currently takes place in education. It trains teachers, researcher and entrepreneurs to design projects for the school of tomorrow. It emphasizes the idea that education is now globalized and that learning resources should be available everywhere.

In their first year of studies in a Master’s degree, students will learn the basics of computer languages and the use of technology in educational purposes. Students are advised to pick five of these courses during their first semester:

  • Cognitive science
  • Educational games
  • Learning by doing
  • New technologies to create and share knowledge
  • Open Science and Open Innovation
  • Pedagogical innovation
  • Scientific communication

During their second semester, they will attend a five months internship but will have to attend to lectures once a week.

During their second year, students will be introduced to project building, after which they will do three internships of three months each. Courses on innovation, analysis and the design of educational project will be held every week.

7. Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Russia

Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Russia

Information Technologies In Education is a Master’s degree that is aimed at training highly qualified specialists in the field of computerization of education, capable of developing, implementing and supporting information systems for various purposes in educational institutions that have the necessary competencies capable of generating and implementing innovative ideas in their professional activities.

Located in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, this educational facility provides graduates with the following skills:

  • Using softwares for educational purposes,
  • Implementing digital technology in learning,
  • Developing an educational programme,
  • Forming a relationship between ICT and the educational environment and
  • Designing a project using information technology

This broad offer of Master’s degree will satisfy any student, whether she or he is willing to focus on the design of educational programmes, the training of future educators in facilities that use digital technology or an entrepreneur-oriented career. There is a couple of decisions to make when advancing to the digital area, be sure to check our article about Strategic Principles For Competing In Digital Age.

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Digital Technology In Cambridge International Examinations

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ambridge is without any doubt one of the most renowned Universities in the world hence their motto: Excellence in Education.  But no education comes without results and results need to be examined. We are going to look at how Cambridge’s International Examination, or CIE, works and explore the role of digital technology in this University.

1. CIE Direct

The Cambridge International Examination Direct platform is a secure online tool which supports the University’s exams officers throughout exams cycles. They would use it to complete key administrative tasks associated with exams. We are going to look at a series of tools used on this platform.

Timetables: Exams officers would have access to uploaded Timetables which would help them for their preparations.  They can download specific Timetables which only show academic documents that are relevant to their work. This makes it easier for them to organize their documents and safely store what is important.

Dashboard: To submit final entries, exams officers use the Administer Exams Dashboard. From here, they add candidates by entering details individually or by importing a spread sheet. They can, then, submit entries by candidate or academic document. Exams officers can download a number of reports to check that the entry details for their centre are correct, such as timetable class report.   They are asked to use the Dashboard to submit an internally assessed mark for every candidate entered for a course work or a speaking task component. Exams officers also need to submit forecast grades for all candidates before a particular exams series, either at the same time or in batches.

Online Results Service: Results are released online through CIE Direct. Exams officers can download results in a variety of formats such as individual statements of results and files containing results for the centre as PDFs or Microsoft Excel spread sheets. CIE direct allows exams officer to give candidates access to their results through the Candidate Results Service.  Inquiries may, then, be submitted.

Bulletin Section:  Cambridge uses CIE Direct to communicate with exams officers. They would post important messages to the Bulletin Section and upload documents such as fees lists.

All schools offering Cambridge qualification will be set up with access to CIE Direct and login details after they registered. Further support for Cambridge exams officers such as video tutorials is available for the exams officer on the website.

At the end of an exam, students put down their pens and get their results a couple of months later. But what happens in between?

 2. CIE’s Marking System

Cambridge International Examinations receives over 8 million answer scripts from all over the world. Every script needs the correct ark so that everybody gets the correct grade.

The first step for making marks is scanning one’s exam script, ready to be reviewed by examiners on a computer. Some exams are marked on paper and some, such as multiple choice, are marked automatically by a computer. For any exam, any student’s work is marked in the same way.

Cambridge examiners are teachers or experts in their subject. It’s really important that they all mark to the same standard. This means that they mark according to the mark scheme and they all apply the mark scheme in the same way. To make sure this happens, a team of experienced senior examiners get together once the exam is done. They will mark a sample set of scripts using the scheme and will agree on the marks.

The script marked by the senior team is the standard for all other examiners. Every examiner practices by marking the same scripts as the senior team to make sure they understand how to mark to the same standard. They, then, mark another set of scripts as a test in order to ensure they readiness to mark actual exams. Senior examiners check the marking of every examiner to make sure that they keep marking correctly; if one examiner is not able to mark consistently, they’re asked to stop and are replaced by other examiners.

3. Transforming Marks Into Grades

Now we have marks for every script how do we work out the grades? The script has been marked, but this isn’t a final result. Cambridge turns marks into a grade by using Grade Boundaries.

Grade boundaries are the minimum marks one needs to achieve a grade. A mixture of statistical evidence and expert judgment is used to agree on the Grade Boundary. This system allows a student not to get a weaker grade just because the paper she or he sat on was more difficult than the previous one. Cambridge tries to make question papers of the same level of difficulty every year but they can vary slightly – Grade Boundaries are used to manage this. Senior examiners carry out final checks on the marking leading to the results.

Digital Technology is not only an efficient and sustainable way of taking care of grades. Teachers also use various programs for their lessons. Be sure to read our article on “The Learning Resource Exchange Service Centre”.

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