The M.Ed. C&I with concentration in Digital Teaching & Learning is an online program
designed to attract a wide range of students representing varied teaching and learning
environments where digital learning is present. The program includes the Digital
Teaching and Learning Certificate coursework along with coursework focusing on Internet
law, project management, and designing online Professional Development across a wide
range of learning environments. Students will examine and explore a variety of topics,
issues, and design strategies appropriate for creating, managing, evaluating, and
delivering digital effective digital instruction. In order to meet the digital needs
of a wide population—coursework is aligned with the Standards and Competencies for
Instructional Design Professionals as well as the International Society for Technology
in Education Standards and Competencies for Instructional Design Professionals.
How is this program different than other M.Ed. programs offered through the College
of Education at MTSU?
This degree is unique in that coursework places emphasis strictly on digital teaching
and learning in education, non-education, business, non-profit, museum, institutional,
and professional settings. Course content is broad and covers varied learning environments
where digital learning is present. Emphasis is placed on best practice for online
and remote delivery as well as content creation, design, and evaluation of digital
learning programs. The degree also prepares individuals for a diverse range of careers
spanning from the young learning environments to higher education and related professional
learning settings.
High School teacher says program has allowed her to grow in profession
As a high school math teacher, Zoe Gillespie loves how implementing technology in the classroom brings math to life for students allowing
them to represent abstract concepts through visual concrete representations, manipulate
the graphs of functions, and receive instant feedback on their work. “The Digital Teaching and Learning Certificate has taught me how to better organize my courses through a learning management system to ensure all
students receive the instruction and support they need through scaffolding and differentiation,” Gillespie said, adding, “My professors and peers have provided me with a multitude of resources and ideas that
I’ve been able to adapt and use with my own students. Being a part of this program
has allowed me to grow in my profession and implement more online discussions and
tasks with my classes.” Gillespie said in the future she would like to be an instructional coach and help teachers improve their practices as they adjust to
the increase in online teaching and learning.
Certificate helps student feel more confident in skills
When Emilee Dehmer started the DTOL program she was working as an educator at a museum
and had helped them pilot their first distance learning programs. When COVID-19 hit,
we were creating more and more online content for teachers and virtual field trips
and this program seemed like a perfect match for what she was doing. “Having no prior
teaching experience, this program was especially useful in learning more about how
to write lesson plans, learning objectives, and curriculum. Beyond that, it helped
me learn more about what teachers want for classroom content and added to my list
of resources for my team,” she said. Since starting the certificate, Dehmer transitioned
to a new position as a Digital Specialist at a different museum where she helps a
network of 13 sites with digital programming. “While I no longer create content for
students directly, the information and resources I have gathered are helping me create
training content for our sites on digital storytelling, best practices, and online
learning,” she said. Dehmer also runs a Museum Consulting agency, with her specialty
being in digital content and education. “This certificate has helped me feel more
confident when talking to museums and gives them more confidence in me with my credentials.
The DTOL certificate has already been extremely useful in all my jobs, even though
I'm not working directly in a classroom setting. The content can be related to many
fields of work and the professors are accommodating in making sure you get the most
out of the program based on your specific needs and career alignment,” she said.
Graduates from the Digital Teaching and Learning concentration may be employed in
a variety of positions. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Business Training Developer
- Classroom Teacher
- Course Developer
- Curriculum Developer
- Digital Education Coordinator in the P-16 through Adult Setting
- Digital Education Developer in the P-16 through Adult Setting
- Digital Learning Evaluator
- Digital Learning Specialist
- Digital Project Manager
- Instructional Leader
- Museum Education Developer
- Non-profit Digital Workshop Designer
- Online Curriculum Designer
- Online Instructor in Education-based and Non-education based Settings
- Online Instructor in Higher Education
- Professional Development Coordinator
- Professional Development Designer
- Technology Coach
This online degree and certificate program is offered by the Womack Educational Leadership
Department and leads to a Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) with a major in Curriculum
and Instruction and a concentration in Digital Teaching and Learning. The program
is designed for practicing teachers; curriculum designers and developers; technology
coaches; instructional leaders; instructional designers; tech-related professionals;
online instructors in education and non-education settings
The M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with concentration and professional certificate
in Digital Teaching and Learning prepares individuals across a wide range of learning
environments for a future in digital teaching and learning for PreK-12, higher education,
professional organizations, businesses, non-profit institutions, museums, and other
related settings where online learning and training is present.
Coursework is aligned with the Standards and Competencies for Instructional Design
Professionals as well as the International Society for Technology in Education Standards.
This program is delivered entirely online.
For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS button to the right.
A Master of Education (M.Ed.) with a major in Curriculum and Instruction is offered.
The department also offers a major in Curriculum and Instruction leading to the Specialist
in Education degree (Ed.S.) with a specialization in Culture, Cognition, and the Learning Process.
Also available are both on- and off-campus cohorts.
Other graduate degrees
The Womack Educational Leadership Department offers both the Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) with
a major in Administration and Supervision. The specialization in Higher Education
can lead to either an Ed.S. or M.Ed. Students choose either a research or practicum
path.
There is also an Instructional Leader Licensure program specialization delivered through off-campus cohorts meeting at various locations.
Also under the Administration and Supervision major is a concentration in Agricultural Education Leadership leading to the M.Ed.
The major in Library Science leads to a Master in Library Science (M.L.S.)
A major in Professional Counseling includes programs leading to an Ed.S., with concentrations
also available in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling.
Curriculum and Instruction, Digital Teaching and Learning Concentration, M.Ed.
Dorothy Valcarcel Craig, Program Director
(615) 898-2332
Dorothy.Craig@mtsu.edu
The M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Digital Teaching and Learning is designed for practicing teachers at varying levels of their careers, curriculum designers and developers, technology coaches and instructional leaders, instructional designers and tech-related professionals, online instructors representing a wide variety of areas in both education and non-education environments, and those preparing for a future in digital teaching and learning for PreK-16.
Students completing the program will earn an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in addition to a certificate in Digital Teaching and Learning.
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Digital Teaching and Learning requires
- an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college;
- undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above
- application through MTSU Graduate studies.
Students pursuing an M.Ed. degree must be fully admitted prior to their initial semester of coursework.
Application Procedures
Applicant must
- submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php).Once this initial application has been accepted, the applicant will receive directions on how to enter the graduate portal to be able to submit other materials.
- submit official transcripts of all previous college work.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Digital Teaching and Learning requires completion of 33 semester hours.
Once admitted to the program, candidate must
- complete 33 semester hours with no more than 30 percent of the total degree hours dually listed as undergraduate/graduate hours (see specifics in Curriculum section below);
- successfully complete a written comprehensive examination during the semester of graduation (exam may be retaken once).
Curriculum: Curriculum and Instruction, Digital Teaching and Learning Concentration
The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.
Required Courses (33 hours)
DTL 6000 - Digital Teaching and Learning Environments
3credit hours
Introduces digital learning, course management systems, digital tools, models and strategies for digital learning, deep thinking in the online environment, developing creativity, and risk taking in the digital classroom. Focuses on creating and establishing home-school-student partnerships to ensure success in the digital classroom.
DTL 6010 - Curriculum Design for Digital Teaching, Learning, and Diversity
3credit hours
Examines new media tools and literacies, content creation and development across curriculum areas, standards-based digital instruction, and research-based practices to address the challenges of diversity, equity, and access for all PreK-12 learners.
DTL 6020 - Digital Citizenship: Literacy and Content Instruction
3credit hours
Emphasis placed on developing personalized, standards-based, content and literacy instruction. Focuses on developing digital citizenship through appropriate instruction based on diverse student needs and options for content and resources.
DTL 6030 - Assessment and Evaluation in Digital Teaching and Learning Environments
3credit hours
Examines technology as a means for effectively completing the instructional cycle. Explores technology tools in order to evaluate, analyze, and transform ways to engage in appropriate assessment to improve practice and ensure student learning in digital environments. Focuses on data-driven decision making.
DTL 6040 - Project Management in Digital Teaching and Learning
3credit hours
Explores principles of the project management cycle as related to the instructional design process specific to digital teaching and learning (DTL). Content begins with the processes involved in the scope and sequence of content within projects and moves to management timelines, scheduling, input and output, project charters, and quality control. Goal, topic, and/or concept task analysis will lead to the development and design of a project management plan for a specific DTL environment.
DTL 6050 - Designing DTL Professional Learning Programs
3credit hours
Study and application of principles and models related to digital learning professional learning (PL) needs, program planning, and resource management for a variety of adult learners within varied digital teaching and learning (DTL) settings. Emphasis placed on elements of learning, models of collaboration, learning structures, leadership, and tools to support cross-environment collaborations. Effective strategies for professional development (PD) return on investment and return on instruction examined as well as means for identifying PD that supports varied initiatives and learning environments.
FOED 6021 - Foundations and Legal Aspects of Digital Teaching and Learning
3credit hours
Focuses on the foundations and legal aspects of digital teaching and learning (DTL) across a variety of educational and non-educational settings. Emphasis on the basics of copyright laws, fair use guidelines, Internet law, and ADA compliance regulations relevant to the design process. Investigates the aspects of intellectual property as it applies to educational settings and non-educational settings. Through the use of Internet case law-the goal of the course is to develop skills and competencies needed for applying a practitioner-based framework for analyzing copyright issues that might be present in any DTL setting.
FOED 6610 - Analysis and Application of Educational Research
3credit hours
Qualitative and quantitative research applicable to the field of education. Both producers and consumers of educational research with a literature review presented to support possible solutions to significant hypotheses or problems.
FOED 6620 - Action Research for Practitioner-Based Learning Environments
3credit hours
Examination of action research processes as related and applied to practitioner-required and work-based settings. Design and implementation of an IRB-approved action research study related to a selected learning environment.
FOED 6860 - Education and Digital Youth: Language Learning in a Participatory Culture
3credit hours
Examines the impact of digital media and the current school-aged population of English language learners. Emphasis on language learning and instruction using a variety of online media, developing multiple literacies, and designing appropriate language and content instruction using appropriate web tools.
SPSE 6905 - Online Course Development for Higher Education
3credit hours
Prerequisite: SPSE 6551 or SPSE 7551 or permission of instructor. Evaluation and application of best practices in online instructional design. Includes a broad overview of instructional design history, theories, and current trends. Applies the principles of online learning and integration of instructional technologies to promote effective online instruction.
Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.
