Courses

A general category used only for the evaluation of transfer credit.

Students will develop a thorough and systematic understanding of the development of education and schooling in the United States. Relationships between school and society will be analyzed primarily from a sociological perspective. Themes include the connection between liberty and literacy, centralized versus local control of schools, expansion of schooling, inequities in schooling, and the differentiated curriculum.

In this writing intensive seminar students will explore the legal structure of schooling in the United States, primarily by studying cases that have reached the U.S. Supreme Court. We will begin with an overview of legal and extralegal sources of control in schooling, a review of the United States Constitution, and discuss some landmark court rulings regarding school issues. The class will study a set of cases collectively and each student will engage in independent study of a legal issue of her or his own choosing. We will use writing as a mechanism for intellectual exploration throughout the course. Note that this course is not eligible to fulfill a Social Science General Education requirement.

This course provides a venue in which to explore chosen topics in Educational Studies at the intermediate level. Topics vary according to the interests of students and faculty. In some cases, the course may be repeated for credit. This course may be cross-listed based on the topic and disciplines that inform it.

This course explores the learning-teaching process in the elementary grades. Topics for the course include learning theories, developmental patterns of the young child, learning profiles, differentiated instruction, and methods of teaching. This course includes a 30-hour curricular service learning commitment each week to an area school classroom. The student will complete a variety of activities that focus on the learner, the teacher and the learning-teaching process, using the school experience as a "laboratory" to gather primary sources of information. Course is a curricular service learning course.

This course explores the learning and teaching process in middle and high school settings. Students will build an understanding of adolescent development, including its physical, social, emotional, and cognitive aspects. It emphasizes evidence-based teaching strategies, behavioral support techniques, and the application of these strategies in teaching to address learning obstacles and ensure equitable education for all students. A key component of this course is curricular service learning, which serves as a practical lab where students can apply the teaching methods learned in class. Course is a curricular service learning course.

This course is designed to extend students' understanding of the discipline of teaching and provide in-depth practice of strategies introduced in previous courses. Elements include planning, instructional strategies, assessment, motivation, student groupings and classroom management. Assignments require students to put course concepts into practice.

Prerequisite(s): EDUC 249 or EDUC 250.

The student may request to apprentice in a local school, social service agency, or non-profit organization with a teacher or other supervisor. The student will observe and provide assistance in the setting and confer regularly with the Field Experience Coordinator through journaling and class meetings. Course is a curricular service learning course.

Prerequisite(s): EDUC 249 or EDUC 250.

This is a special topics course.

This is a special topics course crosslisted with ENGL 310, JOUR 310 (JOUR number pending)

This course is designed to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the primary quantitative research methodologies in education and their associated data analysis techniques. Aimed at enhancing scientific literacy, the course covers the foundational elements of designing, conducting, analyzing, and evaluating quantitative research in education. Students will engage with experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental methods, including observational and survey research. Key objectives include mastering research design principles, understanding control, reliability, and validity in educational research, and developing proficiency in statistical analysis. With a focus on practical application, this introductory course encourages students to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world educational topics and contexts. It is well-suited for those new to quantitative research and those seeking to refine their understanding and application of statistical methods in education. Prerequisite: EDUC 213.

This course will introduce students to qualitative research in the field of education and invite them to explore various methodologies within the interpretivist tradition through course-based readings and engagement in their own qualitative study. The course will seek to affirm the qualitative-oriented ways students already attempt to make sense of the world around them and support their development of new perspectives and tools for systematic, qualitative inquiry. The course will also ask students to consider who they are in the research process, and how their worldviews and understanding of themselves might shape hyphenated-encounters with human participants. In order to pursue these larger course goals, we will engage in close readings and analysis of shared course texts as well as original qualitative studies.

Prerequisite(s): EDUC 213.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

In this course students consider questions regarding how people learn and the role of education in society from a philosophical perspective. Class members read primary works of selected educational theorists including Plato, Isocrates, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Dewey, and Martin. Students develop a familiarity with major educational themes of the past and engage current issues and problems in education.

Prerequisite(s): EDUC 213.

The purpose of this course is to explore literacies within schools and communities, and to understand the sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, and developmental dimensions of these human practices, which are so integral to educational endeavors. Emphasis is placed on theories of literacy and learning as a way to think about classroom instruction, variation in reading, writing, and composition as social practices, and the role literacies play in mediating the human experience within and beyond the classroom. The course includes a 30-hour service-learning commitment in an area school or community organization. Course is a curricular service learning course. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 249 or EDUC 250.

Disability is a facet of human diversity that is often overlooked. This course explores a wide range of developmental disabilities, focusing mostly on physical impairments and intellectual disabilities. We will discuss the impact of disabilities on the individual's development and how families respond to the various challenges that often arise. In addition, we will review some general concepts concerning disabilities, including prenatal development and testing, ethical issues, cultural influences, relevant public policy including federal and state laws and regulations, early intervention, and the family-centered approach. Some of the disabilities that will be examined include metabolic errors, disorders of hearing and communication, neural tube defects, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disabilities, Fragile X, ADHD, and disorders on the Autism Spectrum. This course fulfills the Power and Justice (P) GE requirement. Note that this course is not eligible to fulfill a Social Sciences General Education requirement.

Prerequisite(s): PSYC 100 or PSYC 199.

The goal of this course is to examine the historical and contemporary experiences of LGBTQ+ students and teachers in schooling and to consider, more broadly, schools as sites where normative notions of gender, sex, and sexuality can be reinforced and/or disrupted. Relatedly, the seminar will support students in the development of habits of mind, strategies, and practices that (re)make schools spaces where diverse gender identities and sexualities are acknowledged, imagined, and embodied, and queer futurity (Muñoz, 2009) can be realized. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 213 or QS 101. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 213 or QS 101.

This is a course on women’s educational history in the United States. The scope encompasses some general patterns in women’s educational experiences—as students, teachers, school administrators, and in higher education at particular points in U.S. history. Examining gender issues in historical context allows us to get a handle on how education, ideology, and political economy influence the contours of societies, and limit or extend possibilities for individuals.

Independent study or seminar work on selected topics under the guidance of staff members.

Prerequisite(s): Consent of chairperson.

Independent study or seminar work on selected topics under the guidance of staff members.

Prerequisite(s): Consent of chairperson.

The goal of this course is to examine the historical experiences of African Americans in education and related aspects of life. Much of the course will focus on Blacks' experiences in schooling in the South from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In addition, students will contrast African American schooling experiences with those of Native Americans and others during this period. Prerequisite: EDUC 213 or BLST 235.

This is a special topics course crosslisted with QS 268.

In its examination of current pressing issues in U.S. education, the central concern throughout this course is the relationship between teachers and students; schools and society; and people and the world. Particular attention is given to pedagogies informed by critical theory. The course includes a 25-30-hour service-learning commitment in an area school or community organization. The course is a Curricular Service Learning course. This course fulfills the Social Sciences and Women of Color in the U.S. distribution requirements for WGST majors and the Black Studies (BLST) cross-listed course requirement for WGST majors/minors. Crosslisted with WGST 391 and BLST 372 Prerequisite: EDUC 213.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

Students will build upon knowledge and understanding of selected topics developed in previous coursework in education, develop the skills required in the process of doing research and preparing work for presentation or publication, and reflect upon study in the major through a culminating ePortfolio assignment.

Prerequisite(s): Senior standing in Educational Studies.