D660 prepares teacher candidates at Western Governors University to use technology purposefully.
WGU describes it as an innovative course that equips students to integrate technology in their teaching, and covers best practice for online pedagogy, assessment and feedback, collaborative learning and the use of multimedia and interactive elements.
It also provides a foundation for supporting digital literacy in K-12 education and prepares candidates to use technology for their own productivity, including data analysis and representation. The common trap is choosing tools because they are popular. The course rewards the opposite: start with the learning goal, then justify the tool.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course | D660, Instructional Technology and Online Pedagogy |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Subject area | Teacher education, educational technology |
| Competency units | 3 CUs in the B.S. Elementary Education program guide |
| Typical work | Technology-supported instruction and online learning design |
What D660 Covers
| Competency (summarized) | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Apply instructional technologies for mastery of standards | Pick tools that serve a stated objective for all learners |
| Apply online pedagogy | Structure online learning with clear tasks, interaction and feedback |
| Implement technology for teacher productivity | Use tools to organize, analyze and represent data |
| Plan instruction building digital literacy | Teach pupils to find, judge and create digital content responsibly |
Key Concepts Explained
Purpose Before Tool
Ask what learners need to do, then ask whether a tool makes that easier, deeper or more accessible. If it only adds novelty, leave it out.
Example: A teacher wants grade 5 pupils to explain a food chain. A shared slide where groups drag and label organisms supports discussion and gives instant visible evidence. A flashy quiz game that only tests vocabulary does not match the goal of explaining relationships.
Online Pedagogy
Online learning needs deliberate structure: clear instructions, short tasks, ways to interact and prompt feedback. Without them, learners drift. Consider access too: bandwidth, devices and accessibility features.
Digital Literacy
Pupils learn to search effectively, evaluate sources, communicate safely and create. A lesson can plan each as a visible outcome, not an assumption.
Selecting and Justifying Tools
A convincing technology plan answers four questions for each tool: what is the learning goal, why does this tool help more than a non-digital alternative, how will learners access it, and how will you check that it worked.
| Learning goal | Tool type | Why it can help |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborative planning | Shared documents or boards | Makes group thinking visible to the teacher |
| Practice with feedback | Interactive quizzes | Gives immediate, low-stakes responses |
| Explaining ideas | Simple recording or slides | Lets learners rehearse and share reasoning |
| Teacher data work | Spreadsheets | Organizes scores and shows trends in charts |
For online lessons, add structure that classrooms provide naturally: a short welcome task, clear steps, a check-in point and a way to ask for help. Mention privacy and safe use when pupils create or share content, and accessibility features such as captions and text-to-speech.
Typical Work and How to Approach It
| Type of work | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Technology-integrated lesson | Alignment of tool and objective | State the objective first, then the tool and why |
| Online learning plan | Online pedagogy | Show sequence, interaction and feedback points |
| Productivity use | Data handling and representation | Show a simple table or chart and explain the decision it supports |
| Digital literacy activity | Teaching safe, critical use | Name the skill and how you will check it |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Tool lists with no rationale. Each tool needs a reason tied to an objective.
- Ignoring equity. Address access, accessibility and support for learners with limited technology.
- No feedback loop online. Show where and how learners receive responses.
- Weak data representation. Pick a chart that matches the question being asked.
Study Tips for D660
- Write one sentence per tool: "I use X so that learners can Y."
- Plan a backup for when technology fails.
- Practice with the free tools in your own work, such as spreadsheets for simple data displays.
- Match each section of your answer to a competency heading.
Final Checklist Before You Submit
- Each tool is linked to an objective and a reason it adds value.
- Access and accessibility are addressed for all learners.
- Online tasks include instructions, interaction and feedback.
- A digital literacy skill is named and checked.
- Your productivity use includes a clear data display and interpretation.
- You have a plan for when technology fails.
A short note on safe and responsible use, such as privacy settings and age-appropriate tools, shows professional awareness.
How We Help with D660
Send your task instructions, grade level, objective and rubric. A writer can talk through tool selection with you, edit your plan for clarity, or build an annotated model online lesson for you to study.
GradeEssays is independent and not affiliated with WGU. Our work is a study and reference aid. Use it to learn, then complete and submit your own work in line with WGU's academic integrity policy. We do not access course portals. Free revisions; full refund if late.
Make Your D660 Technology Choices Defensible
Share your lesson idea and rubric. We help you link every tool to a learning goal and explain it clearly.
Start My D660 HelpFree revisions · Full refund if late · Written from scratch for your order
Frequently Asked Questions
Instructional Technology and Online Pedagogy, a WGU teacher-education course on using technology in instruction and designing online learning.
Yes. WGU's description says it provides a foundation for supporting digital literacy in K-12 education.
The focus is educational use, not programming. Comfort with common digital tools helps.
One that supports a clear learning objective and is accessible to your learners.
The course prepares candidates to use technology for data analysis and data representation in their professional work.
No. We provide tutoring, models and editing so you can complete your own work.