Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/November 2022). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas The MSc Education (Digital and Social Change) is an exciting and innovative programme, in which you will develop a strong theoretical understanding of new technologies, education and society. At the core of the programme is a strong commitment to digital inclusion and social justice that addresses contemporary issues regarding the impact of digital and social change in education. You will conceptualise and design learning technologies through participatory approaches, examining how they impact the marginalised in the UK and globally. At a time when many people are discussing significant moral questions regarding technology and its use in education, including for example, the ethics of Artificial Intelligence, there is a pressing need for a new generation of researchers and practitioners that can affect social change through stronger theoretically-informed practice, design and policy. The department welcomes students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds including but not limited to education, computer science, sociology, communications and international development. You will have a commitment to social justice in education, a questioning stance on technology and an interest in developing interdisciplinary knowledge. Aims of the course 1. Critically assess and understand the role of technology in education across the lifecourse 2. Develop the expertise to address the challenges posed by digital inequality 3. Understand how to embed innovative learning technologies in practice 4. Cultivate design prototyping skills 5. Understand the relationship between social justice, technology and learning Learning outcomes By the end of the course you will develop: 1. The ability to integrate educational theory and practice 2. An in-depth and comparative understanding of learning theories and their appropriate use to develop informative research questions 3. The necessary research skills for progression to the next stage of your career, including doctoral study 4. Specialist technical and social knowledge, enabling the evaluation of technologies for digital and social change 5. An understanding of the ethics of technology when working with marginalised communities 6. Informed insights into state-of-the-art technical tools utilised in machine learning and critically evaluate their application to, and limitations for, digital and social change in education 7. The ability to develop and manage a research project, and work collaboratively and reflectively on contemporary research issues. Pathway Modules The MSc Education (Digital and Social Change) consists of six modules.

• Key Concepts in Digital Education (core; taught by DSC team)

• Social Justice and Technology (core; taught by DSC team)

• Foundations of Education Research I: Concepts and Design (core)

• Foundations of Education Research II: Strategies and Methods (core) or Perspectives and Debates in Qualitative Research (core) or Intermediate Quantitative Research (cores, should prerequisites be met)

• Critical Digital Innovation (optional; taught by DSC team)

• Education, the Internet and Society (optional; taught by DSC team)

• Decolonising communication: Research as communication (option)

• Core Principles in Child Assessment (option).