EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL ORIENTATION

In this course students explore the basic multimedia elements (text, image, audio, video etc) as well as the design and development of multimedia applications. Then, contemporary quests such us e-books and web2.0 services are discussed. Furthermore, students become familiar with the production of digital content for the internet as well as with the design of activities for the exploitation of digital content in the learning process. Finally, students get familiarized with educational applications categories of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), as well as with the research related to the integration of technological applications in education. The aim of the course is the students to be capable to design and implement simple applications, to evaluate available ICT applications and to integrate ICT into teaching for better achievement of educational aims.

LEARNING GOALS:

The students are expected to:

• know the media elements and their educational role
• develop capability of media development
• develop capability of simple technological applications design and development
• develop capability of educational applications evaluation
• develop capability of  ICT integration to teaching
• develop capability of get access to and exploitation of educational research
• know about the contemporary developments of e-books
• be able to recognize possibilities of exploitation of web2.0 applications and services

The course will investigate the role of materials in the theories in order to highlight the characteristics attributed to their role from the perspective of different learning theories. Also, recognizing the characteristics of educational materials, the principles of their design / selection, management and evaluation will be determined. Finally, through examples of existing and designed materials will explore the various aspects related to their integration into the teaching / learning process.

Through the study and presentation of theoretical articles as well as research on the role of materials in the teaching learning process, students will be able to understand the need for designed integration of educational material for mathematics.

This course examines the ways with which Art (ancient to cotemporary) can be used as educational material and as an alternative way of communicating within the school classroom. More specifically, the following topics are examined:  

• What is Art and what is its necessity? 

The multiple significances / readings of the works of art.
Issues of culture and identity, otherness and historicity of the past; psychological and emotional qualities of the works of art; familiarisation with certain historical and socio-political terms, such as ‘historical time’, peace/war’.
Art in the classroom: ability to undertake initiatives, express personal opinions, encourage teamwork.

• Art in the Museums as an alternative way of teaching:

The Museum as an educational institution: its role and the issues it explores and projects to the public.
Archaeological remains (monuments, finds) as works of art: issues of authenticity, value (symbolic and economic), historicity.
Interpretative, communicative, and educative approach of the Art Museum by the teachers: interpretation of material culture and of the works of art / educational qualities of objects/exhibits/ art works, educational dimension of the museum space.
What are the object and the aims of Museum Education and how are they materialised in Art Museums?  
Methodology for the creation and materialisation of educational programs both at school and in art museums.

• Educational material / educational activities regarding Art & development of programs of museum education in the school class:
• The Box of Art
• Examples of participatory learning through art
• Dramatization / role play
• Story making (e.g. from Kandinsky’s abstract works)
• Discovery of information (e.g. from Cubist & Futuristic works)
• Artistic creations with diverse materials

A main characteristic of the contemporary language teaching internationally is the acceptance and the exploitation of the basic principles of the communicative approach. As a result, the most important goal of language education is the development of the students’ communicative competence. One of the main dimensions of this approach is the emphasis in the selection of the appropriate teaching material, given that through its effective use by students and teachers the development of the basic communicative skills is succeed. The main issues concerning the language teaching material, which are discussed and investigated during the courses, are the below:

• The kind and the characteristics of the language teaching material with respect to the educational level.
• The authenticity of the material.
• The role and the content of course books and the reference books in language teaching.
• The place of the traditional means of language teaching into the modern communicative classroom.
• The exploitation of the content free material in the language lessons.
• The information and communication technologies in language teaching.