MA Digital Education

If you’re a learning technologist, education professional or teacher looking to enhance your knowledge of digital education and broaden your career opportunities then this qualification is for you. This online Masters degree will help you grasp the theories underpinning digital education, learn to use and evaluate the latest learning technologies, and look towards future developments in the field.

Specialist modules such as Digital Education in Practice and Designing Digital Education will help you acquire work-based practical skills, and our excellence in digital education means you will have the opportunity to engage, collaborate and learn in creative ways at a pace that suits you.

You’ll benefit from studying digital education practice whilst being an online learner yourself, and the interactive, collaborative and community-based delivery of this Masters programme will provide opportunities to engage with fellow professionals while harnessing the expertise of our academic staff.

In a field where research can often overstate conclusions from short-term interventions, you will learn to approach research critically and develop skills to carry out research and evaluations in your own professional settings both during and after the programme.

Course options – PGCert, PGDip and Masters

This Masters is part of a suite of postgraduate programmes available in Digital Education at Leeds.

We offer PGCert, PGDip and Masters level options, all by online distance learning, as we know that not everyone can commit the time required for a full masters and it can be a challenge to balance professional development with work and home life.

The modules on this programme provide a strong foundation of knowledge and practical skills in digital education and research methods training. You will learn about different perspectives and current research in the field of digital education. You’ll develop the skills needed to plan, develop, analyse and evaluate digital learning resources and will be able to directly apply your learning in work-based contexts.

There are four taught modules each worth 30 credits and one independent research study module worth 60 credits. Each taught module provides a range of interactive learning content in which you will learn to critically engage with learning theories and educational technologies in the context of digital education practice.

You will have access to cutting-edge research-informed digital education practice and a team of digital education researchers and practitioners with international reputations.

You will also have access to the Pathways to Success online resource as you commence the programme. This will introduce you to online learning, research-based learning, and the University of Leeds.

Course structure

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Education in a Digital Society
• Digital Education in Practice

Year 2

Compulsory modules

• Researching Digital Education
• Designing Digital Education
• Dissertation in Digital Education

Learning and teaching

Teaching methods will include content delivery through online audio, video and text lectures plus online readings and additional resources. In addition, there will be weekly online (synchronous) seminars for group discussion and student support plus weekly asynchronous group activities using a range of digital tools. This interactional approach will not only deepen learning but also provide a sense of community as you will be able to build relationships with fellow students.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Each module will take a different approach to assessment, enabling you to gain practical experience of presenting information using a range of digital technology tools. For example, you might be asked to present work as a poster, a multi-modal presentation, a website, an audio presentation with quizzes or a video.

This programme is designed to aid professional development in the field of digital education, enabling you to apply for promotion or a higher level post within an existing career path or to change career direction, for example, into CPD provision, educational software development or full time-learning technology support.

Research methods training will also be very useful to enhance your own professional practice and that of your institution and could lead on to a doctorate if desired.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate.