Courses
Learning and Developmental Sciences / Educational Psychology Courses
- EDUC-P 506 Topical Workshop in Educational Psychology (0-3 cr.) Individual and group study of selected topics in the field of educational and school psychology.
- EDUC-P 507 Assessment in Schools (3 cr.) Introductory assessment course for teachers and school administrators. Topics include principles of assessment, formal and informal classroom assessment instruments and methods, formative and summative assessment, interpretation and use of standardized test results, social and political issues in assessment, use of student data bases in schools.
- EDUC-P 510 Psychology in Teaching (2-3 cr.) Basic study of psychological concepts and phenomena in teaching. An analysis of representative problems and of the teacher's assumptions about human behavior and its development. Intended for current and prospective classroom teachers who are working toward a master's degree.
- EDUC-P 513 Gerontology: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (3 cr.) Multidisciplinary perspectives on aging. Topics include: research methods; demographics; historical and cultural aspects of aging; biological and social theories of aging; physical, cognitive, and personality changes in old age; physical and mental health in old age; social relationships in old age; and death. Implications for social policy are emphasized.
- EDUC-P 514 Life Span Development: Birth to Death (3 cr.) A survey course of human development from infancy through old age, emphasizing the life span perspective of development. Classical stage theorists, current popular conceptions, major research findings, and educational implications for all life stages from birth to death.
- EDUC-P 515 Child Development (3 cr.) Major theories and findings concerning human development from birth through the elementary years as they relate to the practice of education. Topics include physical development, intelligence, perception, language, socioemotional development, sex role development, moral development, early experience, research methods, and sociodevelopmental issues relating to education.
- EDUC-P 516 Adolescent Development (3 cr.) Examination of major theories and findings concerning biological, cognitive, social, and emotional development during adolescense, emphasizing educational and clinical implications. Topics may include puberty and adolescent health, identity development, decision-making, the role of families, peers and romantic relationships, schools and achievement, and socioemotional problems in adolescence.
- EDUC-P 517 Adult Development and Aging (3 cr.) Development in early, middle, and late adulthood. Topics include: development research methods; racial and ethnic diversity in adult development; social relationsips in adulthood; work, leisure, and retirement; changes in health, sensory, cognitive, and personality functioning; coping; mental health interventions; and communicating with the elderly.
- EDUC-P 518 Social Aspects of Aging and Aging Families (3 cr.) This course explores the social, familial, resource needs, and unique life problems of older adults. Contemporary responses to these needs and conditions by the public health and social systems are examined. The course involves critical analysis based on theory and research of current social events relating to issues in aging.
- EDUC-P 525 Psychological Issues in Education (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing. Historic, current and emergent issues in psychology and education are explored. Issues are selected that reflect psychological theory and that have practical implications for education. While designed for teachers and other educators, students from all disciplines are invited.
- EDUC-P 526 Theory and Method in Educational Psychology (2-3 cr.) The major conceptual systems and methodologies that shape educational, school, and counseling psychology. For students majoring in educational, school, or counseling psychology.
- EDUC-P 530 Instructional Psychology (3 cr.) Psychological concepts, research, and methods related to instruction and effective teaching. Instruction is considered in both school and nonschool settings, and in both teacher-conducted and instructor-free modes. Topics include relevant theories of instruction, knowledge representation, problem solving, cognitive strategies, transfer, and instructional decision making.
- EDUC-P 540 Learning and Cognition in Education (3 cr.) Survey of theoretical positions in the areas of learning and cognition, with emphasis on their relevance for the design of classroom learning situations.
- EDUC-P 544 Applied Cognition and Learning Strategies (3 cr.) Survey of applied cognitive psychology, including information processing, schema theory; cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies; reading comprehension; mnemonic devices and other study skills; expert-novice research; technology related learning supports; process and protocol analysis; problem representation and problem solving in math; and new assessment tools and measures.
- EDUC-P 545 Educational Motivation (3 cr.) Examines motivation as a theoretical construct, as a research topic, and applications to educational contexts. Course emphasizes cognition-motivation link.
- EDUC-P 566 Social Psychology in Education (3 cr.) P: P525 or consent of instructor. Application of social-psychological concepts and principles in education: role theory, attitude theory and measurement, attitude formation and change, leadership, group dynamics, social perception, communication and interaction, organizations, theory and methodology in social psychology.
- EDUC-P 571 Proseminar in Learning Science (1 cr.) Presentations by Learning Science faculty and students as well as invited speakers from throughout the world. Students enroll each semester until they accumulate 5 credit hours. Students will discuss and write critiques of presentations as well as make a presentation.
- EDUC-P 572 Introduction to the Learning Sciences (3 cr.) The course is a review of the major philosophies, methodologies, and conceptual systems that shape the learning sciences.
- EDUC-P 573 Learning Science Apprenticeship (1-3 cr.) Across two semesters, students work in research laboratories of Learning Science faculty and meet weekly as a group to reflect, discuss, and collaborate. Students will write a research proposal for their use in Learning Science Apprenticeship II.
- EDUC-P 574 Topical Seminar in Learning Sciences (1-3 cr.) Special topic seminars by Learning Science faculty or visiting scholars. Potential topics include higher education pedagogy, embodied cognition, gaming/simulation in problem solving.
- EDUC-P 600 Topical Seminar in Learning, Cognition, and Instruction (3 cr.) P: Previous graduate course work in learning, cognition, or instructional psychology. A seminar involving an intensive analysis of the research and theory on selected topics in learning, cognition, and instruction, as well as implementation issues in an educational environment.
- EDUC-P 601 Educational and Historical Foundations of Psychology (3 cr.) The course surveys the history and systems of psychology from ancient Greece to the present day. Psychology is modern when it becomes a scientific discipline. We consider four specialties of this discipline: school, counseling, developmental, and educational psychology.
- EDUC-P 622 Social Development (3 cr.) P: 12 hours of graduate course work. Social development from birth to young adulthood. Topics include: attachment relationship; self-concept and understanding of others; temperament and personality; parent-child relationships; sibling relationships; friends and peer relationships; and the development of agggression. Implications of theory and research for educators and clinical practitioners are emphasized.
- EDUC-P 623 Advanced Child Development (3 cr.) P: P515 or equivalent. Seminar for doctoral students in issues of human development covering infancy, preschool, and elementary school ages. Emphasis is placed on the educational implications of development. Readings include current theory and research articles.
- EDUC-P 624 The Biology of Behavior: Implications for Educational & Clinical Practice (3 cr.) P: 12 hours of graduate course work. Research in developmental neuropsychology applied to educational practice and to clinical practice in school psychology and counseling psychology. Topics include: the interaction of biology and experience; child maltreatment and brain development; implications of brain research in the development of attention, memory, self- regulation, language, reading, mathematics, temperament, emotions/depression, attachment, and aggression.
- EDUC-P 625 Family Processes and Child/Adolescent Development (3 cr.) P: 12 hours of graduate coursework. Areas of family process are examined in relation to child and adolescent development. These include the parenting subsystem (attachment, styles, beliefs, practices, and corporate punishment), the marital subsystem (conflict, divorce, remarriage), and the family system. The effects of child temperament, culture, and poverty will be emphasized. Implications of theory and research for educational and clinical practice will be emphasized.
- EDUC-P 631 Theorizing Learning in Context (3 cr.) P: P572. Course examines and analyzes the fundamental ideas about learning and knowing that engage the field. Specifically, this course will consider four aspects of knowing and learning: epistemological perspectives; cognitive development; motivation; and learning theory.
- EDUC-P 632 Designing for Learning in Context (3 cr.) P: P572. Course examines current design frameworks based on contemporary learning theory, experiencing exemplary learning environments, and understanding the resulting research. The goal of this course is the ability to design learning environments that have a local impact on the learners as well as a scholarly impact.
- EDUC-P 633 Capturing Learning in Context (3 cr.) P: P572. Course examines theories and methods for capturing, supporting, and assessing knowing and learning as it occurs in context, in order to build theory while refining practice. Each student will carry out and document knowing and learning in at least one context using at least two different methods to capture learning.
- EDUC-P 640 Thinking and Learning in Social Contexts (3 cr.) P: P525, P530, P540, P550, or equivalent of any of these. Examines social contexts literature relevant to creating effective learning environments and guiding learner psychological development. Emphasis on sociocultural theories of mind and learner-centered psychology. Topics may include social interaction and classroom discourse, cooperative learning, scaffolded instruction, cognitive apprenticeships, intersubjectivity, and problem-based learning.
- EDUC-P 650 Topical Seminar in Educational Psychology variable title (1-3 cr.) Intensive advanced study of research and theory on selected topics.
- EDUC-P 671 Advanced ProSeminar in Learning Sciences (1 cr.) Faculty and students from Learning Sciences, Cognitive Science, and Informatics participate in public presentations, and critical debates of research. Course activities include developing, presenting and critiquing students’ research studies. Intended for second year Learning Sciences students.
- EDUC-P 674 Advanced Topical Seminar in Learning Sciences (1-3 cr.) P: P574 or 12 hours of graduate course work. Topical seminar for doctoral students in Learning Sciences. Possible topics include higher education, pedagogy, embodied cognition, gaming/simulation, and problem solving.
- EDUC-P 681 Psychology of Cultural Diversity: Equity and Opportunity in Public Education (3 cr.) P: 12 hours of graduate course work in psychology or permission of instructor. Addresses the history and context of racial and socioeconomic disparities in public education and methods for addressing these inequities. Data on racial test score gap and minority overrepresentation in special education are studied. Several education subsystems are considered as possible sources of educational inequity, including curriculum, discipline practices, and teacher expectations. The course includes examination of the history and influence of race and racism in the U.S., the concept of white privilege, and an exploration of role-specific strategies for improving equity in public education.
- EDUC-P 682 Developmental Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence (3 cr.) Emphasis on a developmental approach to understanding psychopathology of childhood and adolescence. Students will learn about emotional, behavioral, developmental, and educational problems of children and adolescents over time, their stability and change, and risk and protective factors. Discussion of current research and practical applications are included.
