Highlights in Education: NYU’s ECT Doctoral Program

“New York University!”

Ahhhhhh….like music to my ears. I absolutely love this institution. No, it is not Big Ten crazed like my O State (Go Bucks!), but it fulfilled my life in other ways. The very place where I began my graduate journey…

NYU always seems to find a uniquely impressive way to merge academics with the arts, not just have them co-exist on the same campus. I am talking about true collaborative effort taking place within so many of their non-traditonal academic programs. Especially the Educational Communications Technology (ECT) graduate program within the Steinhardt School of Education. The doctoral program is ideal for any educational technologist looking to bring their understanding of learning technologies to a whole new level. ECT Studies @ NYU is arguably one of the most well designed graduate programs (at both the MA and PhD level) available in our field. The curricula screams innovative leadership and training.

The most impressive part of their initiative, from my perspective of course, is the focus on video and interactive web-based learning environments as valid technologies to be used for learning. Many higher ed institutions whose curricula have a strong foundation in education, usually, lack the creative design and development training we need as educational technology designers. Believe me, I know this! I am constantly on the web searching for doctoral programs with a solid foundation in the learning process and a clear vision into the future demands of our profession; it is truly rare to find them, especially amongst the more prestigious universities…for all my Academician Snobs out there

Some of my favorite aspects of the NYU ECT Doctoral Program are:

• Major focus on the design and development of educational video & web (incl. audio/sound editing)
• Focus on cognitive learning and teaching strategies
• Student teaching opportunities throughout New York City school system, businesses, non-profits, etc.
• Multiple educational research opportunities, incl. digital research
• Top educators and educational technologist as professors and mentors
• Focus on learning technologies for areas outside of the typical K-12 sector: non-profit, training, adult education, etc.
• Home to CREATE, the Consortium for Research and Evaluation of Advanced Technologies in Education

…and much, much more!

De Anna L Fench
eduTech gEEk writer