School of Teaching & Learning
Graduate Seminars for Spring 2024
EME 6065: Human-Computer Interaction and the Learner
Professor
Dr. Pasha Antonenko
Periods
Monday, 4th – 6th
Description
Human-Computer Interaction is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the design, implementation, and evaluation of usable, effective, and enjoyable technologies. Students in this class will explore the interface between educational technology, curriculum and instruction, cognitive science, graphic design, software and hardware engineering, and define the principles of effective human-computer interaction in educational contexts. We will also discuss usability evaluation methods and deduce implications for learning with educational games and simulations, mobile applications, and adaptive learning systems. The course is targeted at graduate students in educational technology but students from other graduate programs are also welcome to participate.
EME 6638: Stealth Assessment for Learning
Professor
Dr. Seyedahmad Rahimi
Periods
Monday, 7th – 9th
Description
With advances in learning sciences, computer sciences, technology, and psychometrics we now can design and develop assessments such as stealth assessment that are embedded into the fabric of learning environments (e.g., an educational game). Stealth assessment is ubiquitous, unobtrusive, and in real-time. It aims to blur the boundaries between game play, learning, and assessment. As the learners interact with the learning environments and provide evidence for what they know and are capable of, the stealth assessment machinery diagnostically estimates their level of knowledge and skills in various grain sizes. These estimates then can be used as the basis for providing learning supports, feedback, instructions, or matching the challenges in the learning environment (e.g., game difficulty) to students’ proficiency level and help them maximize their learning. Stealth assessment has been used to assess hard-to-measure competencies (e.g., creativity, persistence, problem solving) and knowledge acquisition (e.g., physics understanding, calculus, art history). In this graduate seminar course, students will learn about the related theories, examples, and the design and development processes of stealth assessment.
LAE 7936: Seminar in English Language Arts
Professor
Dr. Angela Kohnen
Periods
Tuesday, 6th- 8th
Description
In this seminar, we will explore how scholars in literacy and the humanities have addressed the promises and challenges of the Internet. What does it mean to be literate in our current age? What are the literacy practices of young people online in and out of school? How might educators support the development of 21st century literacies for all students, K-college? We will draw on scholarship from the related fields of media literacy, information literacy, digital literacy, and multiliteracies, and bring a critical lens to our understanding of literacy in the age of the internet.
EDG 6305: Multiple Perspectives on Teaching
Professor
Dr. Julie Brown
Periods
Thursday, 3rd- 5th
Description
This course surveys classical and contemporary theories of teaching and learning, including cognitive, constructivist, sociocultural, and andragogical perspectives. Students will analyze, critique, compare, and contrast a variety of theories; apply select perspectives to an education case study; examine research related to their topic of interest that applies two theoretical perspectives from the course; and explore implications of these perspectives for educational research and practice.
RED 6346: Seminar in Reading: Language and Literacy Across Disciplines
Professor
Dr. Zhihui Fang
Periods
Thursday, 4th – 6th
Description
This course is for graduate students who are interested in using evidence-based language and literacy practices to support learning and inquiry across academic disciplines. It discusses theoretical, empirical, and practical perspectives on language/literacy issues in disciplinary learning and teaching. It illuminates some of the ways language and literacies are used in core school subjects and presents CCSS-aligned strategies that help students comprehend, critique, and compose academic texts.
EDG 6931: Mathematics Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Professor
Dr. Kristen Apraiz
Periods
Tuesday, 9th – 11th
Description
This graduate course will focus on the principles and strategies for mathematics teaching and learning in higher education. Students will begin by exploring learning theories and how they can shape undergraduate – and graduate – level mathematics instruction. They will then explore and practice evidenced-based strategies for instruction and assessment through reading relevant literature, designing learning activities, and trying out new techniques. The primary content focus will be on undergraduate mathematics, with an emphasis on teaching proof and supporting learners in foundational courses with varying mathematical backgrounds and prior achievement levels. Students will also have the flexibility to engage with particular topics, skills, or course content that interest them.
EDG 7982: Practitioner Research: Theory and Practice
Professor
Dr. Nancy Dana
Periods
Tuesday, 9th – 11th
Description
This course is designed as a research-based mechanism for professional learning, practitioner research can play an important role in the continual professional development of practicing educators as well as the initial preparation of the next generation of teachers. This course will explore the practitioner research movement in three four-week segments: (1) the theoretical underpinnings of the practitioner research movement, (2) the “nuts and bolts” of conducting and coaching practitioner inquiry, and (3) current research on practitioner research. The course is appropriate for both PhD and EdD students as well as EdS and advanced master’s students in all academic disciplines who are working in and/or aspire to work in initial educator preparation, study their own professional practice, and/or lead the professional learning of practicing educators in schools. The virtual blended late-afternoon synchronous/asynchronous format make it an attractive option for teaching assistants with daytime course responsibilities and practicing professionals in any geographic location, as we will meet synchronously via zoom every other week after a school day ends (4:05-7:05pm), with asynchronous readings and activities in between. The final four-week segment of the course will be individualized for every student, as they conduct an independent project of their choosing (for example, the draft of a manuscript targeted for publication for PhD students, a prospectus for a practitioner research dissertation for EdD students, or a modest cycle of inquiry for advanced master’s students). In addition to collective readings and course experiences for all students, readings and assignments will be customized for each individual to be relevant to their current educational role, interests, and course aspirations.
EDG 6664: Survey of Research in STEM Education
Professor
Dr. Kent Crippen
Periods
Wednesday, 6th – 8th
Description
Focusing on mixed methodologies and design-based research, through the creation of a collaborative research proposal, this advanced course is intended to develop an understanding of the foci and research methods used in STEM education. Using current research from across the disciplines of STEM education and the Learning Sciences, students will explore the relationships among the complex, multidisciplinary nature of STEM, contemporary theoretical perspectives, and innovative strategies for addressing compelling questions related to curriculum, instruction, and learning.
EDG 6668: Teaching Adults
Professor
Dr. Sevan Terzian
Periods
Wednesday, 7th – 9th
Description
Why do we teach adults? And what has it meant to teach adults with excellence? In this graduate-level course, we will study principles of teaching adults, theories of adult learning, and the beliefs and practices of exemplary instructors—particularly in college and university contexts. We will also explore the purposes of teaching in higher education and other settings where adults learn. Students will be encouraged to apply the insights gained from this course to their own teaching experiences and academic aspirations.
EDG 7252: Perspectives in Curriculum, Teaching, and Teacher Education
Professor
Dr. Vicki Vescio
Periods
Thursday, 9th – 11th
Description
This course will involve a collaborative exploration of enduring issues related to teaching, learning and teacher education. The central questions we will confront appear simple, yet their answers have deep implications for education: What should schools teach? Who should decide what and how schools teach? How should the effectiveness of schools be determined? What are the best ways to prepare future teachers? Traditional answers to these questions have been the topic of scholarly writings for over 100 years. However, the answers are still debated in contemporary education without a consensus. Simultaneously, decisions about curriculum, teaching and teacher education are being made through a political process that may, or may not, be influenced by the knowledge of educators. For example, current debates around issues such as standardized assessment, accountability, school choice, performance-based teacher pay, alternative certification programs, and school curriculum (to name just a few) are largely political debates and decisions that impact schools are typically legislative in nature. In this course we will focus on these prevailing controversies to explore how they have come to impact our current system of education.
EDF 5552: The Role of Schools in Democratic Society
Professor
Dr. Elizabeth Washington
Periods
Online
Description
This course is designed to engage teacher-scholars in key issues centered around the place of schooling in a robust, deliberative democracy. We will consider the climate of political polarization, attacks on the nature of the public sphere, determinants of what kind of civic education students will get, and the challenges of teaching controversial issues. We will explore theoretical, political, and educational perspectives, while maintaining a focus on classroom teachers and the challenging work they do to prepare students for participation in a vibrant civic culture. My additional goals are to facilitate students’ use of this body of work to inform their own scholarship and teaching, and to support their skills and confidence in facilitating and participating in scholarly discussions with peers. Ultimately, the goal is to explore a variety of models for democratic citizenship education, so that students can draw their own conclusions about what they want their model to look like in their own classroom.
Select Research and Evaluation Methodology Courses
- EDF 6400 Quantitative Foundations of Education Research Overview – Yiqin Pan – Wednesday 3-5th periods
- EDF 6402 Quantitative Foundations in Educational Research: Inferential statistics – Anne Seraphine – online – asynchronous
- EDF 6403 Quantitative Foundations of Educational Research – Corinne Manley – online – asynchronous
- EDF 6475 Qualitative Foundations of Educational Research – Keondria McClish – Tuesdays 5-6th periods
- EDF 7483 Qualitative Data Collection (Instructor TBA) – Wednesday 7-9th periods
- EDF 7479 Qualitative Data Analysis – Kakali Bhattacharya – Tuesdays 5-7th periods
