Connected Classrooms

Fall Mini-2 2016, Carnegie Mellon University

Course Description

Our classrooms and studios are changing in the face of new technology; digital displays, video conferencing, MOOCs, wikis, blogs, blackboard and other tools are transforming teaching. Even with these new tools distances learning and training remains a challenge. We’ll explore the opportunities to deliver rich, adaptive and connected learning experiences over distance through emerging technologies and the integration of internet of things products, wearable technology, real-time collaboration platforms, cinematic virtual reality and video conferencing solutions. This studio course will be offered in both the CMU Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley campuses. Both sites will become ‘living labs’ where students will simultaneously experience distance learning and collaborate to develop, deploy and test new technology solutions for these contexts. Students will be supported in this exploration by regular guest talks from leading academics and industry professions who will provide their insights and guidance on developing solutions for connected and distributed learning. This course is supported by the CMU-Emirates Silicon Valley Innovation Lab.

tl;dr; As part of this design-build course we’ll get hands-on with distance learning. Over it’s 7-weeks, we’ll prototype and explore new tools and tech to enhance learning over distances.

Course Content

• Full Syllabus
• Design Brief
• Modules and Organization
  • Module 1 - Design - Weeks 1-2
  • Module 2 - Develop - Weeks 3-5
  • Module 3 - Deploy - Weeks 6-8
  • Deliverables
• Schedule
• Guest Speakers
• Readings
• Resources
• Course Policies and Grading

Logistics

1. Before the first class complete the skills survey.

2. Our Slack community is the main hub for course updates, discussion and content. Read more about the slack and its role in the course. Use slack communications with the instructors and TA’s too (i.e. don’t email us!). Highly recommended: Download the Slack client for your smartphone or desktop and enable notifications!

3. Projects should be documented on the Gallery. This site contains a guide to using the gallery. These are due before class.

4. It’s your responsibility to be familiar with the course policies and standards. If you cannot attend classes make sure you know what to do.

5. No late work accepted. Please don’t ask.

6. At times you’ll need special software, hardware or tools to complete your projects. Many of these tools are resources available as part of this course. If there’s something else you need let us know.