Master of Education
Course Descriptions
EDU 501 Current Trends in Education (3 credits)
Introduction to graduate studies through a study of political, social, and economic forces that currently shape American education. Attention is given to educational history, reform and renewal, the role of the teacher, the challenges of diverse populations, family structures, technology, legal considerations, pressure to reform education and professionalism in teaching. This course must be taken at ODU; transfer credit will not be accepted for this course. Core course.
EDU 502 Technology Leadership (3 credits)
This course explores the philosophical underpinnings of leadership perspectives that affect the successful application of instructional media and technology in the classroom. Students will study the integration of technology into educational settings, including creating and communicating common goals and understanding the nature of change in an information-rich society. Topics include exploration of expectations for technology leaders within current models, supervision, evaluation, effective policy decisions and implementation of reform.
EDU 505 Technology and Learning (3 credits)
This course is designed to investigate the issues, concepts, and philosophical considerations behind uses of technology in education. Emphasis will be on integrating appropriate technology as tools for teaching and learning as well as on developing new teaching strategies, and resources in alignment with local and national standards. Prerequisite: Basic proficiency in word processing, database management, presentation tools and spreadsheet concepts.
EDU 511 Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)
The focus of this course is on exploring access, instruction, and curriculum development with regard to past, present and future strategies. Emphasis is placed on integrating theoretical and practical dimensions. Multiple conceptual frameworks for developing curriculum and reflective inquiry will be investigated. Core course.
EDU 515 Assessment Practices (3 credits)
This course is designed to aid the educator in interpreting and utilizing assessment data as applied in educational settings. Formal assessment and informal assessment will be studied. Emphasis is placed on how to assess within the classroom, how to apply assessment results to teaching, and how to use published research to improve student learning. Core course.
EDU 518 Content Area Reading and Writing: Instruction and Technology (3 credits)
This course examines principles, strategies and methodologies that are designed to improve student achievement in the content areas. Research, theory, and implications for instruction and technology will be examined and reviewed. Topics include purposes and types of reading; content reading learning design and delivery and methods of assessing reading strategies and skills in student-centered reading instruction.
EDU 521 - Psychology of Learning (3 credits)
This course focuses on learning theories and current issues in the psychology of learning,
the social and emotional growth and diverse needs of students, and guidance and counseling
theories, strategies, and practices. Topics include research related to child development,
best teaching practice, learning styles, theories of multiple intelligences and
constructivism. Core course.
EDU 528 Issues in Classroom Management and Discipline (3 credits)
This course will focus on current issues in classroom management, notably Positive Behavioral Supports, as well as procedures all teachers need to know about participating in the completion of Functional Behavioral Assessments for students (with or without Individual Education Plans (IEPs)) whose behavior seriously disrupts school of classroom activities or endangers others.
EDU 533 Professional Ethics, Law, and Teaching (3 credits)
This course provides an overview of the emergence of and justification for ethical issues in education. The course will compare and contrast the professional ethics of educators and other professions, begin to develop skills for thinking and writing critically about ethical claims related to the education profession, and encourage the students to think about how to maintain an ethical educational career and life. Core course.
EDU 546 Instructional Decision Making (3 credits)
This course provides opportunity to assess instructional models used in the classroom.
Students will evaluate instructional methods and resources to enhance instructional
decision-making. Topics include integration of content areas with new curricular materials
and resources, development of new teaching strategies for emerging curricular models, and
development of instructional procedures for students such as grouping strategies, learning
outcomes and implications for diverse populations.
EDU 560 Research Methods in Education (3 credits)
This course will focus on basic types or research conducted in education, including both quantitative and qualitative, as well as procedures for analyzing data for each type of research. Students will be able to identify and understand good research and to develop action research to move theory to practice. Prerequisite: EDU 515 or permission of instructor. Not open to students who have completed EDU 561.
EDU 561 - Educational Research Methods (3 credits)
This course introduces students to quantitative and qualitative research. Students are
encouraged to design studies that address important and current educational issues, gather
data, analyze data, and derive conclusions based on their analyses. The strengths and
limitations of various educational research designs, data collection and types of
instruments used to measure educational outcomes will be emphasized. Topics include review
of statistical tests common to research studies, action research, single subject research,
ethnography, and case study method. Core course.
EDU 562 Research Proposal (3 credits)
This course focuses on preparing the research proposal including writing the complete proposal, securing appropriate permissions, including Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and fully preparing to begin the proposed research during EDU 630-Research Project in Education. Not open to students who have completed EDU 561. Prerequisite: EDU 560.
EDU 565 Addressing Diversity in the Classroom (3 credits)
This course will focus on current issues related to all types of diversity in P-12 classrooms: educational exceptionalities, including giftedness, linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and economic diversity, and best practices to provide appropriate education to diverse learners.
EDU 582 Mentoring, Collaborating and Communication Through Technology (3 credits)
This course examines the effective use of technology as a tool to enhance mentoring, collaboration and communication in the educational setting. Topics include using advanced communications technology to solve communication problems, critically evaluate information and media messages, apply technology to meet the needs of diverse external audiences and work effectively in multicultural setting, and to use, organize and manage research effectively to enhance learning.
EDU 584 Seminar in Teaching and Learning (3 credits)
This course will be a topical seminar focused on current trends in teaching and learning, and will involve initial development and design of the Professional Teaching Portfolio. Pre-requisite: Completion of Core Courses.
EDU 597 Internship: Theory into Practice (3 credits)
This internship may be completed in the candidate’s school, but may require up to two days of observation and work in another school (depending on the demographic composition of students and faculty in the home school). Individualized assignments related to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and diversity will allow the candidate to observe students dissimilar to those he or she teaches daily and to demonstrate knowledge of and skill in content areas and pedgogy. Pre-requisite: Admission to Internship and completion of Core Courses.
EDU 625 Portfolio Development (3 credits)
This course will guide candidates in the development of their professional portfolio. The portfolio is a performance based assessment designed to evaluate the complex knowledge, skills, and dispositions of teaching described in the program standards.. Pre-requisite: EDU 584.
EDU 630 Research Project (3 credits)
This course requires the completion of the research project proposed (and approved) in EDU-562 and the writing and presentation of the final report to the ODU community. Pre-requisites: EDU-560 and EDU-562.
