M.Ed. Course Descriptions

EDU 5000  Current Issues in K-12 Schools (3 credit hours)
Policies, programs, and trends that directly or indirectly impact K-12 schools are examined and evaluated using research, analysis, and assessment in order to determine their relevance to teaching and learning in diverse school settings.

EDU 5200 Intervention Strategies and Techniques (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on examination of the educational literature regarding effective teaching practices and behavior change strategies for students with special educational needs. It provides an opportunity to explore, design, implement, and evaluate school-based interventions for students with high incidence disabilities.

EDU 5250 Best Current Teaching Practices (3 credit hours)
Strategies for effectively using and accommodating best current teaching procedures that have been proven by research to enhance classroom teaching and learning will be examined and assessed in terms of the integration of content areas, use of technology, national and state standards, the needs of diverse school populations, and policies/directives aimed at accountability issues.

EDU 5350 Diversity and Social Issues in Education (3 credit hours)
A study of the social, cultural, and political issues that affect decision-making and student achievement in schools, this course will examine the role of school in the enculturation or “Americanization” of students; the effects of student background and culture on achievement; and the different socio-cultural groups with a political stake in the curriculum and how these groups work to further their interests.

EDU 5450 Issues in Professional Ethics (3 credit hours)
A detailed study of ethical issues encountered by professionals in the contemporary cultural setting.  Traditional Judeo-Christian values and teachings will be explored as they relate to practical applications in the educational field.   Questions related to truthful communication, conflict resolution, power relations, professional integrity, and poverty as well as ethnic, cultural, and racial differences are addressed in the context of Christian leadership and decision-making.

EDU 5500 History and Philosophy of Education (3 credit hours)
This course addresses the relationship between philosophy of education and how various philosophies have historically affected the practice of schooling, in the United States. It will examine how different philosophical schools answer questions related to the nature and purpose of schooling, and how these philosophies have been incorporated and modified to deal with social and cultural changes in United States history.

EDU 5700 Principles of Curriculum Development (3 credit hours)
Study of K-12 school curriculum that includes a development of the philosophical and historical perspective of curriculum in the United States, the current relationship of curriculum to societal needs and policies governing learning and teaching, use and impact of technology, and strategies to equip teachers in the development and implementation of curriculum to meet the needs of today’s learners.

EDU 5850  School and Community Relations (3 credit hours)
Using inquiry, research, and evaluation strategies regarding school and community relations the interdependence of school and community is identified and defined in terms of societal expectations of America’s schools and the effects of these expectations on educational political, economic, and demographic changes on educational policy.

EDU 6050 Assessment of Learners (3 credit hours)
This course is a study of how to use assessment results to improve student learning. The course will consider test validity and reliability so that test results can be interpreted to indicate learners’ proximity to learning targets. Topics include test planning and formatting, strategies for learners' involvement in the testing process, communication with caregivers, portfolios, and scoring instruments.

EDU 6100 Educational Leadership (3 credit hours)
A study of administrative theory leadership principles, including the conceptual and structural organization of public education as well as educational governance at the federal, state, and local levels. It is also a study of administrative theory, leadership principles, the conceptual and structural organization of the environment, and the processes involved in educational leadership. The course is to provide an initial understanding of the nature and specific characteristics of educational leaders, the varied roles of educational leaders and the relevant theories and practices of effective educational leaders to improve student learning.

EDU 6200 Theories of Learning (3 credit hours)
This course provides an analysis of contemporary and historically important learning theories and their applications to K-12 settings. Emphasis is placed on developing the knowledge and ability to apply learning theory to instruction and assessment designed to make learning accessible to all learners.

EDU 6500 Educator as Researcher (3 credit hours)
This course is a study of methods and design in quantitative and qualitative research in education. The primary objective of the course is to conduct action research in schools.   A structure will be provided for systematically finding answers to questions that arise from practice. Techniques will be taught for individuals to identify problems in the school setting and then to select appropriate research methods from which they will collect and analyze data while drawing conclusions from the results.