Education Database Online

This course is designed to introduce the student to the Master of Arts in Education Program. Students will engage in self-assessment and reflection focused on the philosophy of serving the needs of all students within the context of the community.

Students will learn important terminology defining the basic concepts for both formative and summative assessment. Exploration of different types of assessment tools and their use to inform instruction in the classroom will be included in this course. Equivalent to EDU 618. Offered online and on-campus

This course fosters awareness of individual learner characteristics which impede successful achievement. Milder forms of learning disabilities, emotional disorders, and dysfunctional social conditions that are prevalent in typical instructional situations will be discussed. Alternative pedagogies utilizing computer technology applications and online instruction to alleviate such barriers will be explored.

In this course the student accesses sources of educational information, evaluates research evidence, studies various types of educational resources, and applies research to the instructional setting. The focus of this course is research on issues in educational technology and the use of technology tools for making data-driven decisions using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Students will explore and experience the impact of interpersonal communication concepts and skills upon the creation and maintenance of positive human relationships. The student will develop a knowledge base of selected cultural groups to acquire the competency to identify basic cultural modalities that have an effect upon the teaching and learning processes. Students will demonstrate the integration of the course content to their own personal values and teaching styles. The student will also demonstrate application of human relationship skills to the educational setting and the community.

Students focus on learning about current methods of differentiated teaching at the level in their chosen content area. The course is organized around four components of the teaching cycle: (1) Assessing student learning needs, (2) Planning for instruction, (3) Implementing strategies, aids, media and resources for effective differentiated instruction, and (4) Conducting assessment and continuing professional development.

This course focuses on leadership in the educational environment to bring about change needed to meet learning needs of all students. Students will evaluate and reflect on their personal leadership in their educational environment. Leadership tools to provide increased learning opportunities will be used to design learning experiences and evaluate results.

The Capstone is a course in which students will demonstrate their attainment of the program outcomes through application of a research topic related to an educational setting need or interest. This capstone experience is designed to extensively explore a topic within the student's area of specialization and will be taken upon successful completion of all specialization courses.

This course explores strategies and techniques to support the success of language and culturally diverse students. The values, customs, and communication styles of cultural groups and their implication for teaching are considered. Research-based instructional approaches to developing English learner literacy will be examined.

In this course students will study the structure of the English language in order to better understand the difficulties that arise in learning a second language. English phonology, syntax, analysis, and application of linguistic theory will be studied.

Strategies for English Language Learners in the content areas while maintaining a language development focus will be illustrated. Specific strategies, materials, technology, and learning activities will be examined to support learning.

Various tools and methodologies for assessing English proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing for both ELL children and adults will be critiqued. Formative and summative assessments will be explored with an emphasis on the application and appropriateness of their use for instructional design.

Proctored, computer-based objective exam

Students will be able to choose from three areas of emphasis, depending on personal and professional interests. These areas include: instructional design, evaluation, and research. If carefully planned in advance, the individual domain projects may serve as components of the capstone. For capstones with the instructional design emphasis, students will design, manage, and develop an instructional product for which there is an identified need. The product can be delivered via the medium of choice (e.g., print-based, computer-based, videobased, web-based, or a combination of these), but students must provide a rationale for the medium selected. The instructional product you develop for your capstone should be an exportable form of instruction designed to bring your target audience to a mastery of predetermined knowledge and skills. For capstones with the evaluation emphasis, students will provide a summative evaluation of a program. These programs may relate to almost any sector, such as school that involves the education of ELL students. Summative evaluation is used to provide evidence of a program’s worth and is often used to make “go/no go” decisions. You should plan to share your results with your school or organization. For capstones with the research emphasis, students will design and conduct a databased investigation of a conclusion-oriented question (decision oriented investigations are most generally considered to be evaluation projects). The project report should be of publishable quality and may be submitted to an appropriate professional journal at the completion of the project. At the minimum students should plan to share their results with their schools or organizations.

The final master's exam will be a comprehensive oral defense and is held by conference call. Questions related to your work in the program will test your preparation and ability to synthesize and practically apply information obtained from your courses, self-directed study, and project experiences. The purpose of the defense is a checkpoint to ensure that you have acquired the critically required skills and knowledge specified in the program competencies.

Performance assessment

Performance assessment

Objective assessment

Performance assessment

Performance assessment; includes 30 hours of teaching English language learners (ELLs)

Performance assessment

Performance assessment

Objective assessment