EDUC 600 Courses
600. Applications of Learning Theories to Technology Rich Learning Environments. (3)
Provides foundational knowledge and understanding about learning theories that inform the design of technology-rich learning environments, including behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Students will engage in authentic activities that link these ideas to practical real-world application in technology for learning.
601. (SI 549). Learning Technologies Across the Content Areas. (3)
This course presents an overview of the principles underlying current uses of technology in K-12 settings. Students are introduced to key projects in learning technologies and the researchers and developers behind these projects. Technology is examined across a range of content areas. Students are also encouraged to develop critical perspectives about the uses of technology for education.
602. Instructional Gaming. (1-4, may be taken up to four times) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
Introduces students to the theory and practice of simulation, metaphorical, and literal games; provides extensive exposure to gaming used as a vehicle of instruction in various parts of school curricula; provides opportunities to design games for classroom use, with some attention to problems of evaluation.
603. Classroom-Based Evaluation of Learning Technology. (3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
Provides investigation of such topics as the computer as information processor, computer components, operating systems, storage and memory capabilities, peripherals, I/O devices, and comparative programming languages.
Explores foundations for curriculum in elementary, middle, and secondary schools, content trends in each of the subject areas, and effective procedures for school curriculum improvement. Includes such topics as process issues of scope, sequence, and curriculum articulation.
605. Internship in Learning Technologies. (3)
Students enrolling in Internship in Learning Technologies will be paired with area educational institutions where they will focus on solutions to real, ongoing issues and challenges in the uses of technology to support learning. A University instructor and an on-site internship director/mentor will supervise interns. A reflective analytical paper must be completed.
606. Developmental and Psychological Perspectives on Education. (0.5-3)
Discusses developmental theories and psychological research and their application to educational problems at the classroom and school levels. Theories and research are presented from cognitive-developmental, cognitive science, social constructivist, and motivational perspectives.
607. Introduction to Educational Measurement and Evaluation. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing at the doctoral level.
Investigates the development and use of standardized psychological and educational tests in general educational use. Emphasis on criteria for critical evaluation.
Deals with recent curriculum changes in the various content areas; unique aspects of change in educational settings, especially in elementary, middle, and secondary schools; theoretical models of the diffusion of innovations; models of change process in educational settings; the political reality of change in education; and the application of general change literature to educational problems. Analyzes studies of curriculum change in educational settings.
609. Curriculum Development and Evaluation. (3)
Examines curriculum planning, design, implementation, and evaluation in elementary, middle, and secondary schools and at the school district level; emphasizes principles and objectives that may underlie these processes and specific practices that may flow from them. Intended for both experienced teachers and administrators.
611. Mathematics Instruction in the Elementary School. (3) Prerequisites: EDUC 411 or equivalent and permission of instructor.
Presents recent developments in content, methods, and instructional materials for elementary school mathematics; reviews research in mathematics education; applies psychological knowledge to curriculum development and classroom practice.
612. Mathematics Instruction in the Secondary School. (3, may be elected twice)
Presents recent developments in content, methods, and instructional materials for secondary school mathematics; reviews related research; emphasizes critical analysis of national recommendations and experimental materials.
613. Current Issues in Mathematics Education. (3, may be elected twice)
Examines in depth an aspect of mathematics curriculum or teaching methods that is new, controversial, of current interest, or needs modification.
614. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education. (3)
Focuses upon current issues relating to the development of young children in educational settings. Through invitation to professionals in related disciplines, the content is interdisciplinary in nature, focusing research and theory about young children on educational issues. The major focus may change.
615. Early Childhood Education Curriculum. (3)
Explores the relationship between prescriptions for practice and current understanding of children's intellectual and social development. Studies early childhood curriculum in the broader context of curriculum studies and its concern with issues of race, class, and gender in the field of education.
616. History of Early Childhood Education. (3)
Reviews principal historical documents and trends in the field, including the work of Froebel, Pestalozzi, Rousseau, Tolstoy, Dewey, and Montessori.
617. Qualitative Research in Early Childhood Education. (3)
Explores the narrative modeboth literary works and qualitative research studies to situate the study of early education in the lived experience of children, families, and teachers.
618. Early Childhood Assessment. (3)
Introduces key issues and topics, including the meaning of testing and assessment, cautions about using measurement techniques with young children, developmental screening, readiness testing, developmental assessment, and performance assessment.
Reviews the development of high risk infants with particular attention given to etiology and sequelae of high risk infants during the first three years of life.
620. Education of Young Children with Special Needs. (3) Graduate standing.
Focuses on early identification of handicapping conditions in young children and on models for effective intervention. Designed as an introduction for special education teachers and for teachers of regular nursery, day care, or kindergarten programs.
621. Teaching Writing in the Elementary and Secondary Schools. (3)
Examines in depth factors related to the development and implementation of instructional programs in writing at the elementary and secondary levels; explores specific instructional techniques.
622 Proseminar in Higher Education (3)
Orients entering doctoral students to the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education. Acquaints graduate students with the study of higher education as an interdisciplinary field of study that bridges practice, theory, and empirical research. Enhances students' abilities in the areas of critical reading, critical thinking and analysis, writing, and inquiry.
623. Research on Literacy. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Reviews issues in reading and writing by analyzing past and current research literature. Students write critical reviews and design research studies.
626. (SI 548). Principles of Software Design for Learning. (3) Prerequisite: EDUC 601/SI 548 or elected concurrently.
Students are introduced to the process of designing computer-based learning environments. Students work in groups to design and prototype learning environments for real classrooms. Attention is focused on ensuring designs are based upon sound pedagogical theory and that learning environments are embedded into curriculum. If possible, this course should be taken in conjunction with EDUC 603.
628. (PUBPOL 628). Issues in Education Policy. (3)
Students will acquaint themselves with the central problems of making, implementing and doing research on education policy; with the governmental systems in which policy is made and executed and with the influences on those systems; and with some of the important research on these matters and leading problems in that research.
632. Readings in the Anthropology of Education. (3)
Explores various explanatory frameworks (genetics, environment, culture, institution, social structure) for interpreting the lower educational achievement of members of traditionally disadvantaged ethnic, racial, and linguistic groups within American society.
635. Research in the Social Studies. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Acquaints students with current scholarly research in the social studies and engages them in a critical analysis of this research. Examines areas of needed research and appropriate research methodologies.
636. Recent Developments in the Social Studies. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Presents recent practice and proposals for change in content, methods, and instructional materials in elementary and secondary schools. Reviews recent national and state trends with emphasis on critical analysis of national recommendations and experimental materials.
637. Practicum in Assessment. (3, may be elected more than once, for a total of 6 credits) Prerequisite: Graduate standing at the doctoral level.
Demonstrates application of theory and techniques of assessment to: 1) test and scale construction, 2) testing programs in the schools, or 3) research methodology.
638. Internship and Directed Field Experience. (1-6) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Enables the student to practice in the field under supervision, achieving greater competence in use of skills in which he or she has been trained. The faculty member under whose direction the work is to be done, or a program coordinator, makes arrangements with the field supervisor, who furnishes a report of the student's work. Partial credit may be obtained for shorter periods or for experience in different locations.
639. Field Experience in English and Special Education. (2 or 3)
Provides opportunities to observe and/or work with students in a variety of educational settings.
640. Independent Study in Educational Studies. (l-3, may be elected more than once) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
641. History of American Education. (3)
Survey of the main periods, persons, and themes in American educational history from the 1770s to the present. Gives special emphasis to recent historiographic debates in the field.
642. Philosophy and Politics of Education. (3)
Explores aspects of philosophy that bear upon educational principles, policy making, and practice, according to well-formed theories; supplies examples from notable policies in force and in development today.
643. Sociology of Education. (3)
Focuses on the role of schooling in reproducing and reinforcing prevailing social, political, and economic relationships and inequities; assesses the potential contradictions between the societal functions of schooling and the professed goals of educators. The course examines sources of educational change, organizational context of schooling, impact of schooling on social stratification, social organization within the school and the classroom, social impact of the formal curriculum, and methods of selection and differentiation in elementary and secondary schools.
644. Comparative and International Education. (3)
Uses an examination of comparative methods to illuminate educational theory and practice in various sociocultural settings around the world. Intended especially for foreign students and others interested in comparative social foundations of education and related policy issues.
645. Education and Cultural Studies. (3)
Provides an introduction to the multi-disciplinary field of cultural studies; places special emphasis on the concept of a multicultural society.
646. Educational Policy Analysis. (3) Graduate standing.
Provides introduction to basic concepts and processes of policy analysis in education.
647. Everyday Life and Learning. (3)
Theories of learning and of development must appeal to a criterion of some kind, by reference to which genuine learning is distinguished from mere change. This course examines the ways that everyday life has become a topic of serious study, and considers the view of learning that arises from its consideration. The aim is to arrive at a deeper understanding of learning as a human and social phenomenon, and consider how we might foster it, as individuals and as an institution.
648. Schools and the Production of Persons. (3)
Examines both the conceptual and empirical writings of authors who have regarded schools not simply as places of learning, but as sites for the production of persons. A concern with implications for the problems currently facing public schools will orient our inquiry. Readings will draw from psychological, sociological, anthropological, and philosophical perspectives. We will also sample representations of schools in the media.
649. Foundational Perspectives on Educational Reform. (0.5-3)
Critically examines selected contemporary reform efforts in education from the perspective of one or more of the foundation disciplines. Aims to develop in the career educator a broader and deeper understanding of the tensions between ideas and practice in dynamic social environments. Graduate course required of all new Educational Studies master's students.
650. Reflective Teaching Field Experience. (1-12) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Introduces preservice teachers to school settings where observation, inquiry, and participation in the processes of teaching and learning are possible. Provides opportunities for the development of instructional strategies and teaching practices, as well as for inquiry into the contexts of classrooms and schools.
655. Directed Research in Educational Studies. (1-6, may be elected more than once) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Comprises supervised master's and doctoral research projects; may also be used for supervised work on a master's thesis, education specialist research project, or field study.
657. Practicum in Educational Studies. (1-6, may be elected more than once) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Enables application of knowledge and theory through supervised field experience. The student, supervising faculty member, and field supervisor design, implement, and evaluate the experience.
658. Workshop in Educational Administration. (1-6, may be elected more than once) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Considers basic problems in school administration using workshop format and procedures.
661. History of Postsecondary Education. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Reviews the history and development of higher and continuing education in the United States, with special attention to forces that have shaped its development; examines the history of critical philosophical debates about and issues concerning the nature and role of higher and continuing education.
662. Learning and Development in Higher Education. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Examines patterns of intellectual, social and emotional development and change among older adolescents and adults; reviews and research on learning and development among college and university students.
665. Management of Student Affairs and Support Services. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Examines institutional strategies for organizing, staffing, and funding the extensive array of programs and services designed to meet students' economic, social, developmental, and academic needs. Also focuses on the nature and purpose of student affairs functions and support services and how they can be effectively managed, coordinated, and integrated with the academic purposes of the institution. Intended for master's students with an interest in student affairs and doctoral students attempting to develop an awareness of this important area of institutional functioning.
670. Financial Management in Nonprofit Organizations. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
Provides an introduction to financial management and related issues in nonprofit organizations, including colleges and universities, schools, government agencies, and other entities. Topics covered include introduction to nonprofit accounting and control, interpretation of financial statements, financial analysis, budgeting, and financial accountability.
690. Academic Affairs and Student Development in Postsecondary Education (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing
Introduces students to concepts and theories that underlie scholarship and frame practice in academic and student affairs. Special attention is given to teaching-learning environments and the factors that shape them, such as societal pressures, organizational cultures and structure and characteristics of the individuals who participate.
691. (LING 691, ANTHRCUL 674, COMM 691, ENGLISH 691, PSYCH 691, ROMLANG 691) Literacy: Interdisciplinary Conversations. (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Opportunity for students to work with faculty from several disciplines in considering the nature and uses of literacy. While disciplinary specialization has sharpened the focus of our discussions about literacy, this specialization has left too little opportunity for intensive exchange across disciplines and across cultures, and literacy is an area that draws upon and contributes to many disciplines. This course will focus on developing a common language, agenda, and definition of issues in literacy that have been and need to be examined.
695. Research and Educational Practice. (0.5-3)
Provides an overview of research methods used in educational inquiry. Enables students to review a variety of research studies done in education, to become familiar with techniques used in their conduct, and to acquire facility in interpreting them.
696. Consultation and Collaboration for Inclusive Literacy Education (3)
Within the context of schools and classrooms, students will engage in consultation and collaboration with other professionals to increase their collective ability to meet the needs of all children as they work together to create inclusive learning environments. The course will focus on the knowledge and the skills necessary for effective consultation/collaboration, as well as on the process of transforming curricula and instructional practices for diverse learners.
697. (PUBPOL 695). Education Policy (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
This course focuses on three issues that are at the heart of current efforts to reform American education. One is a current plan to radically revise Chapter 1 (formerly Title I of the 1965 ESEA), which is the largest and oldest federal effort to improve schools for students from disadvantaged circumstances. A second issue is recent efforts to establish much more demanding national and state standards for school performance, in order to dramatically upgrade teaching and learning in schools across the U.S. A third is proposals to organize public education around family choice.
699. Implications of Research on Effective Instruction and Classroom Learning. (3)
Explores the ways in which research on teaching and research on school learning can be integrated to provide a richer understanding of the teaching-learning process.
