Postgraduate Module Descriptor


EFPM315: Teaching Thinking in the Internet Age

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

The first cluster of sessions will focus on the theoretical background behind the idea of teaching thinking in the context of the Internet Age. You will engage with theories of thinking and teaching thinking including theories linking communications technology and mentality. In particular you will be asked to reflect on ideas from Piaget, Vygotsky, Bakhtin and Dewey as well as more contemporary theorists.

In these sessions, you will begin writing a formative assessment in which you are asked to reflect on the relationship between modes of communication and education, forming part of a literature review. You will also begin work on a collaborative wiki about approaches to teaching thinking which will focus on the role of social media in education.

In the second cluster of sessions, you will be introduced to a range of approaches to teaching thinking and you will be asked to consider the relationship between thinking and the use of cultural artefacts and media of communication. There will be plenty of opportunity to discuss ideas with peers, both through online media and face-to-face (campus students only).

In the final sessions of the module, the teaching for thinking and creativity movement will be explored in its historical context. This will be related to the ideas from the early sessions about the link between technological mediation and cognition and to the theories of thinking taught in the second set of sessions. These final sessions will relate more closely to the practice of teaching and learning Internet Age skills and you will get the opportunity to present practical projects to peers, relating your experience and learning to the identified aspect of professional practice and the literature. The focus will be on critical reflection and evaluation. Each of you will have one peer who will be detailed to give focused feedback, using common prompts, on the work so far and how the critical reflection and associated reading has informed current and future practice. The feedback will form the basis for the redrafting of the written work in the form of an essay.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
302700

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2010 sessions of 2 hours each. Face-to-face seminars (Campus) and online moderated seminars or webinars (Distance)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities10Commenting online in response to specific tasks given in sessions.
Guided Independent Study10Reading or viewing tasks given as preparation before sessions
Guided Independent Study100Supervised research for the essay task
Guided Independent Study40Supervised research for the presentation to peers
Guided Independent Study50Participation in wiki
Guided Independent Study70Guided online research and discussion

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).