EPD - Educational Psychology, Doctorate

EPD 654 Multi-tiered Support in Mental Health

This course explores systems and methods of integrating multi-tiered support services including social, emotional, and behavioral evidence based interventions (EBI) to support learning in schools. Focusing on integrating academic and social-emotional service delivery within levels or tiers, the course highlights the role of leadership in building systemic change through team collaboration and use of empirically-based practices in a school-wide Response to Intervention (RtI). Topics of study include direct and indirect mental health services for children, families, and schools to promote learning, prevent and respond to problems, and cultivate family-school collaborative services. The course also addresses systemic challenges of diversity including cultural, ethnic, linguistic, gender, and socio-economic factors. Prerequisite(s): Entrance to the School and Educational Psychology Doctoral Program. 3 semester hours

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EPD 659 Studies in Family-School Partnerships and Relationship-Building

This course examines interactive dynamics of families and schools that lead to the construction of collaborative family/school partnerships. These family/school partnerships are designed to enhance learners' cognitive and social-emotional growth and learning and to promote mutual family/school involvement in the process of quality schooling for children. The influence of diverse family and school characteristics, resources, beliefs, attitudes, and values will be examined for their contributions to building collaborative home/school relationships. Evidence-based theoretical and research approaches will be explored and applied to the process of building meaningful family/school collaborations. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing or permission of instructor. 3 semester hours

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EPD 660 Advanced Studies in Cognition: Learning and Knowledge as Social Practices

Students in this seminar deepen their understanding of social processes that contribute to learning in diverse settings; a dynamic view of knowledge as a result of participating in communities of practice; and understanding of identity development as an aspect of socially relevant learning. The applicability of these ideas is considered when students analyze and critique learning in their chosen learning environment, and identify connections between the learning/teaching practices in diverse instructional settings and the nature and distribution of the knowledge acquired by the participants. This course requires a minimum of 15 hours of field work. Prerequisite(s): Advance standing; a graduate level course on learning in instructional settings (EPS 541 or EPS 511) 3 semester hours

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EPD 667 Advanced Studies in Cognition: Learning through Design-Based Research in Schools

This course is devoted to the study of cognition and learning in classroom and school contexts. Students examine learning through a process of design-based research. Individuals engaged in design-based research utilize domain-specific learning theory and research to outline cycles of instructional design, enactment, and analysis, and redesign in natural learning contexts. Students examine examples of published design research to derive frameworks, principles, and methods for action. Students draw from the literature to develop their own design experiments including appropriate assessment tools and evaluation processes to embed within the design. Students are expected to design and implement one research cycle during the course. Pre-requisite(s): EPS 541 Cognition and Instruction (or equivalent course); a graduate level research design course. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

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EPD 668 Interpersonal Relationship in Culturally Diverse Educational Environments

The social fabric of today's schools is woven with many cultures and languages. This complex fabric requires educators and students to understand individuals from cultures outside their own. To develop such understanding, students first explore and critique the vast literature on ethnic and cultural issues in conflict creation and its resolution and peace education. Students also examine theories, research, and practice related to identity development, perception of "the other," and prejudicial attitudes and behavior. Lastly, students explore the interrelations among theories, research and practice in building positive social relations and manage or resolving conflicts in diverse educational cultural settings. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing or permission of instructor. 3 semester hours

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EPD 669 Advanced Studies in Problem-Solving Special Education and School Psychology Service Delivery Systems

Students will learn about IDEIA changes that legitimize service provision in a 3-tier prevention model based on severity of educational needs and intensity of resources required to produce meaningful educational benefit. These services are delivered through a Problem-Solving model, including FLEX in Illinois. Students will learn a variety of forms of Problem-Solving that have a strong philosophical underpinning and procedural components (e.g. universal screening, progress monitoring) that distinguish it from referral-test-place special education practices. Procedural practices as implemented in schools and states across the country will be presented. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing or permission of instructor 3 semester hours

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