Dr. Areej Mawasi teaches courses that integrate sociocultural perspectives on learning, design-based research methodologies, digital media, AI literacies, and human-computer interaction.
Course 2160001: AI in a Socio‑Cultural Context
This course examines artificial intelligence literacies through technical, sociocultural, and critical perspectives. The course explores how AI systems shape learning, knowledge building, and human–machine interaction across diverse cultural phenomenon and linguistic contexts.
Key topics of the course include:
- Definitions and frameworks of AI literacies
- Social and cultural dimensions of AI, (e.g., reproduction of injustice, biases, contextual relevance)
- Human-AI collaboration grounded in learning theories and critical pedagogy
- Historical developments in educational technologies
- Aesthetics and design in the age of Generative AI
- Ethical and responsible use of AI tools in education
Course 216038: Design Research and Methods in Education
This graduate-level course introduces students (particularly those with STEM backgrounds( to the foundations and applications of Design-Based Research (DBR) in learning environments and educational technology design. It examines how systematic DBR approaches can support the transformative design of learning environments and pedagogies.
Key topics of the course include:
- Distinguishing between design and design as a research methodology
- Core concepts and seminal literature in DBR in education
- Histories and traditions of participatory research
- Design of learning environments across multiple settings, places, and contexts (e.g., physical, digital, in/out of school, public spaces)
- Human-centered design approaches from human–computer interaction (HCI)
- Storytelling, data collection and curation, and narratives in design processes
- Speculative and futures-oriented design thinking
The course equips students with theoretical and methodological tools to critically analyze and design innovative, research-informed learning experiences.
Course 218324: Practice vs. Theory in E‑Learning
This course introduces students to contemporary research and practice in innovative digital technologies for learning. It explores leading approaches in education and digital media, examining how online and digitally mediated learning shape experiences across diverse settings, including schools, public spaces, and the home.
Key topics of the course include:
- 21st‑century digital literacies
- Connected learning and learning ecologies
- AI in education
- Game‑based learning and game design
- Transmedia and multimodal learning environments
- Youth, children, and families engagement with digital media and technologies out of school
In this course, students develop foundational perspectives on learning theories and digital‑media practices, design thinking for learner experience, ethical thinking related to learning technologies and vulnerable populations, and practical design principles for implementing educational technologies across varied learning environments.