{"id":2214,"date":"2021-12-15T11:46:41","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T17:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.graduateprogram.org\/point-park\/?p=2214"},"modified":"2021-12-15T11:46:41","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T17:46:41","slug":"the-importance-of-earning-a-masters-degree-in-learning-design-and-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.graduateprogram.org\/point-park\/2021\/12\/15\/the-importance-of-earning-a-masters-degree-in-learning-design-and-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Earning a Master’s Degree in Learning, Design, and Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Role did Technology Play in Curriculum Design and Classroom Practices Before COVID?<\/h2>\n

Before the pandemic, technology usage as an essential tool for teaching and learning was an important part of traditional teaching for nearly every teacher and student.\u00a0Teachers have used technology hardware and software tools to enrich learning, increase motivation, and enhance communication during the past decade.\u00a0A wide variety of technological applications were used as a routine part of instruction to engage students, supplement instruction, and customize learning needs.<\/p>\n

How has Technology in Education Changed Since COVID Started?<\/h2>\n

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, various technologies that made teaching and learning possible when meeting face-to-face in traditional classrooms were no longer an option for\u00a0schools across the nation.\u00a0The importance of technology, for example, course management systems, facilitated content delivery while many students were learning from home. The use of new technologies to deliver lessons increased dramatically across the curriculum for nearly all content areas.\u00a0As the pandemic wanes, new technologies remain an essential part of instruction. The pandemic provided an unprecedented opportunity to pilot the use of new and emerging educational technologies.<\/p>\n

How has the Learning and Design Process Changed Since COVID Started?<\/h2>\n

There is now a much greater reliance on tools and apps that facilitate synchronous learning, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Because there has been so much communication among teachers and students during the pandemic that has been technology-enabled, teachers have taken the opportunity to use other technologies in learning activities and assignments.<\/p>\n

What skills does the M.Ed. in Learning, Design, and Technology Program Impart on Its Students?<\/h2>\n

Instructional technology has become so common and ever-changing that, rather than teach particular technologies, the M.Ed. in Learning, Design, and Technology<\/a> program aims to give these mid-career students multiple opportunities to share information with one another, focusing on how the technologies they use align with learning objectives, and activities, and assessments.<\/p>\n

The program emphasizes:<\/p>\n