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DAPS Core Course Cluster Course number/titleFaculty instructor Course Description developmental period
e.g., early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, young adults
developmental skills/domains
e.g., cognitive, social, emotional, bio/physio, neuro, identity, language, literacy, numeracy, whole child
context
e.g., family, classroom, peers, community
any focus on psychological/eduational/developmental assessment or methodologyspecific theories What is the Core Course Required Assignment for Ph.D. students who want to count this course as a core course? Please specify if this is an additional assignment or something all students complete.

This assignment should promote ...
- theoretical understanding of the major psychological, social, educational, developmental issue(s)
- methodological skills needed to conduct or critique research
syllabus and/or
course website
When is the course offered?
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DAPS Core Course Cluster I: Cognition & LearningEDUC 315A: Computer Supported Collaborative LearningPeaThis seminar introduces students to foundational concepts and research on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is defined as a triadic structure of collaboration mediated by a computational artifact (participant-artifact-participant). CSCL encompasses two individuals performing a task together in a short time, small or class-sized groups, and students following the same course, digitally interacting. The course is designed for LSTD doctoral students, LDT masters' students, other GSE graduate students and advanced undergraduates inquiring about theory, research and design of CSCL.link
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EDUC 333A: Introduction to Learning Sciences: Understanding Learning and Learning EnvironmentsLeeThis course is an introduction to the foundational ideas and origins of the learning sciences as they relate to conceptualizing, analyzing, and improving learning through the complementary work of researching and designing new learning environments, technologies, tools, and experiences. Core perspectives represented include those that are cognitive, situative, sociocultural, developmental, and critical about what, how, and why people learn new ideas and practices in authentic settings. Activities include detailed analysis of readings, learning environments, learning technologies, and emerging field directions.link
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EDUC 364: Cognition and LearningRuiz-PrimoThis course focuses on helping students to advance their knowledge of cognitive psychology and what this field can offer to understand learning and educational practice. We will discuss how people learn, understand, and remember information, and why some people seem to be better at this than others. Topics discussed include the construction of knowledge, thinking about thinking, and the motivational and affective factors that shape thinking processes. Upon successful completion of this course, you will have a deeper understanding of how learners' knowledge, motivation, and development contribute to making meaning of information and to the actions they take to learn.The papers do not focus on a specific developmental period. The papers, span childhood to adulthood.
Cognition in the context of education
Cognition from different perspectives: learners, instructional materials, instruction, learning environment (classroom communities) and assessment.Assignments include:
1. Readings
2. Weekly questions and remarks
3. Final paper
4. Paper presentation
Cognitive and sociocultural perspectivesThe final paper is an individual examination of a topic (e.g., cognitive strategies, metacognition, role of errors in learning, self-regulation, motivation, development of expertise) considering a perspective: instruction, learning, assessment and measurement.linkEvery Fall
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EDUC 366: Learning in Informal and Formal EnvironmentsBarronHow learning opportunities are organized in schools and non-school settings including museums, after-school clubs, community art centers, theater groups, aquariums, sports teams, and new media contexts. Sociocultural theories of development as a conceptual framework. Readings from empirical journals, web publications, and books.Collaborative written or multimedia research project in which students observe and document a non-school learning environment.Empirical/theoretical papers focus on developmental processes and span early childhood to adolescence Homes, schools, community-based organizations; online affinity groups; parks and other less structured recreational contextsEthnographic method; Field notes; artifact-based interviewing, Functional pattern analysis
Coursework includes (1) reading responses; (2) leading a discussion; (3) fieldnote completion; (4) final paper & presentationSociocultural perspectives, Guided and intent participation in family settings;; Practice-linked Identity development; Ecological perspectives on interest; distributed cognition; Child/community capital;This project provides you with the opportunity to develop your skills as an observer and documenter of learning environments. In addition, you will have the chance to develop your own conceptual framework for identifying key learning resources and processes within any setting. To accomplish these goals you will be making naturalistic observations in one or more settings, writing full field notes for a minimum of 4 of your observational sessions, and writing up a final report that summarizes your observations and connects them with some of the concepts we discuss this quarter. • Naturalistic observation is not simply watching what is going on in front of you, but rather is a systematic process of analyzing what you see, looking for specific behaviors/interactions/skills as they unfold in the context of different activities, and then developing specific categories that represent the different patterns of behaviors/interactions/resources you see in your observations. Your observation skills require that you “learn to see” in a different way, as you are learning to look for, recognize, understand, and interpret patterns of learning interactions, resources, and processes. Through the readings this quarter you will become familiar with ways that researchers have analyzed learning environments and learning processes (e.g. learning through ”intent participation”, “assembly line instruction”, learning through “legitimate peripheral participation”, developing “practice-lined identities”, “editing a space”, “seeking teaching”, ”apprenticeship learning” ). Within these terms are more detailed descriptions of roles, relationships, participation structures, connections to values, and material resources for learning. • Your final report will have four sections. The first section will be devoted to describing the setting, a second section will be devoted to reporting your research methods, a third section will focus on analyzing how your chosen environment is organized to support learning in the setting, and a fourth section will be devoted to making recommendations for making the learning environment more generative for those who participate in it. These sections are discussed in more detail below. You will present your project to the class during week 9 or 10 (March 2nd or 9th). The final paper is due on March 16th by 5pm. Upload your paper to Canvas and make sure your last name is included in the document filename and included at the top of your paper. This paper should be no longer than 15 pages double-spaced, 12 point font (not including appendices).link
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EDUC 368: Cognitive Development in Childhood & AdolescenceMcCandlissThe course focuses on a constructive perspective and moves to a sociocultural perspective characterizing learning by individuals and groups through interactions embedded in a culture. This course focuses on helping students to advance their knowledge of cognitive psychology and what this field can offer to understand learning and educational practice. The course explores cognitive topics such as construction of knowledge, thinking about thinking, and motivational and affective factors. Upon successful completion of this course, you will have a deeper understanding of how learners’ knowledge, motivation, and development experiences contribute to the meaning they make about information they receive and the actions they take to learn. The course focuses on both theoretical and practical knowledge.
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EDUC 398: Core Mechanics for LearningBlairThis course considers whether there are core mechanics of learning that can drive learning forward, and if so, how to build them into learning environments. We will sample several key learning mechanics that have been demonstrated to promote specific kinds of learning outcomes. The course is a mix of basic theory, research methods, and application of learning principles.
no specific developmental period - spans early childhood through adult learnerssamples several learning mechanics that promote different kinds of learning outcomes, such as memory, skill development, self-efficacy, transfervariedreadings generally focus on empirical papers involving experimental studiessamples several theoretical perspectives based on chapters of ABCs of How we Learn Book. Includes behaviorist, cognitive, developmental, perceptual, socio-culturalFor the final project, you will design, run, and write up a small experiment on a learning-related research question of your choice. Your study must incorporate at least one core mechanic of learning in the participant experience and/or research question. The core mechanic used may be one we’ve covered in class or not. We will have individual/group meeting(s) to help flesh out a tractable research question and design. The purpose of this assignment is for you to gain experience going through the different stages of conducting an experimental study to examine a learning question of interest. link
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EDUC 432: Designing Explorable Explanations for LearningSubramonyamIn this graduate-level course, students will learn how to design explorable explanations (and more broadly interactive simulations) for learning. We will apply concepts from instructional design, constructivist learning theory, and information visualization to design engaging explorable explanations. Students will follow the human-centered design process to iteratively build working prototypes of explorables. Students will also develop the skills necessary to offer design feedback, and critique and evaluate explorable explanations.link
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DAPS Core Course Cluster II: Psychology meets StatisticsEDUC 234: Curiosity in Artificial IntelligenceHaberHow do we design artificial systems that learn as we do early in life -- as "scientists in the crib" who explore and experiment with our surroundings? How do we make AI "curious" so that it explores without explicit external feedback? Topics draw from cognitive science (intuitive physics and psychology, developmental differences), computational theory (active learning, optimal experiment design), and AI practice (self-supervised learning, deep reinforcement learning). Students present readings and complete both an introductory computational project (e.g. train a neural network on a self-supervised task) and a deeper-dive project in either cognitive science (e.g. design a novel human subject experiment) or AI (e.g. implement and test a curiosity variant in an RL environment). Prerequisites: python familiarity and practical data science (e.g. sklearn or R).Primarily early childhood, with some studies of adults aimed at understanding competencies developed in early childhood theory of mind, intuitive physics, exploration and curiosity, etc.varieda variety of infant intuitive physics and psychology, looking-time exploratory paradigmsreinforcement learning, active learning (in the machine learning sense, not the education sense -- though they're related at a high level), foundational theories of motivation and representation buildingThis assignment is something all students complete. There is a core project with several milestones, leading up to a final report and presentation, with a computational component.link
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EDUC 252: Introduction to PsychometricsDomingueConcepts of reliability and validity; derivation and use of test scales and norms; mathematical models and procedures for test validation, scoring, and interpretation.psychometrics, classical test theory, item response theory (IRT)validity, psychological measurement, educational assessment, item response theory (IRT), classical test theory (CTT)For students in this course interested in having it count for core course credit, there will be a writing assignment that fulfills the DAPS requirements. link
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EDUC 266: Educational NeuroscienceYeatman/ McCandlissAn introduction to the growing intersection between education research and emerging research on functional brain development. Students will probe the contributions and limitations of emerging theoretical and empirical contribution of neuroscience approaches to specific academic skills such as reading and mathematics, as well as exposure to general processes crucial for educational success, including motivation, attention, and social cognition. Final projects will explore these themes in the service of interventions designed to improve how these functions.link
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EDUC 463: Computer Vision for Education and Social Science ResearchHaberComputer vision -- the study of how to design artificial systems that can perform high-level tasks related to image or video data (e.g. recognizing and locating objects in images and behaviors in videos) -- has seen recent dramatic success. In this course, we seek to give education and social science researchers the know-how needed to apply cutting edge computer vision algorithms in their work as well as an opportunity to workshop applications. Prerequisite: python familiarity and some experience with data.link
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EDUC 464: Measuring Learning in the BrainYeatmanEverything we learn - be it a historical fact, the meaning of a new word, or a skill like reading, math, programming or playing the piano - depends on brain plasticity. The human brain’s incredible capacity for learning is served by a variety of learning mechanisms that all result in changes in brain structure and function over different time scales. The goals of this course are to: (a) provide an overview of different learning systems in the brain, (b) introduce methodologies and experiments that have led to new discoveries linking human brain plasticity and learning, (c) design experiments, collect data, and measure the neurobiological underpinnings of learning in your own brain. The first section of the course will involve a series of lectures and discussions on the foundations of plasticity and learning with particular attention to experimental methods used in human neuroimaging studies. The second part of the course will involve workshops on designing and implementing experiments in Python/PsychoPy. During this part of the course students will design, present and implement their own experiments as group projects. Finally, students will learn how to collect and analyze MRI data by being participants in their own experiments or analyzing publicly available datasets. Neuroimagin, Experiment design, data analysis, statistics, data visualizationFinal project and paper involving experiment desing, data analysis, and writing up in the format of a manuscript.
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DAPS Core Course Cluster III: Social-Emotional Development and Understanding Risk and Resilience EDUC 245: Understanding Racial and Ethnic Identity DevelopmentLaFromboiseThis seminar will explore the impact and relative salience of racial/ethnic identity on select issues including: discrimination, social justice, mental health and academic performance. Theoretical perspectives on identity development will be reviewed, along with research on other social identity variables, such as social class, gender and regional identifications. New areas within this field such as the complexity of multiracial identity status and intersectional invisibility will also be discussed. Though the class will be rooted in psychology and psychological models of identity formation, no prior exposure to psychology is assumed and other disciplines-including cultural studies, feminist studies, and literature-will be incorporated into the course materials. Students will work with community partners to better understand the nuances of racial and ethnic identity development in different contexts. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)For this class to count towards the Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS) Core Classes, the Ph.D. student must produce a written final product that showcases their: theoretical understanding of the major psychological, social, and developmental issue(s) in educational research and practice. Students must also demonstrate knowledge of methodological skills needed to address or critique relevant research question(s). Acceptable Formats: empirical paper, grant proposal, research review, a series of reports. Students will include these written products in their first- and second-year review portfolios (binders/pdfs). It is the student’s responsibility to share their intention for the course to count towards the DAPS core classes and to get feedback ensuring that the final paper aligns with the requirements.
link
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EDUC 340: Psychology and American Indian/Alaska Native Mental Health LaFromboiseThis seminar will explore the impact and relative salience of racial/ethnic identity on select issues including: discrimination, social justice, mental health and academic performance. Theoretical perspectives on identity development will be reviewed, along with research on other social identity variables, such as social class, gender and regional identifications. New areas within this field such as the complexity of multiracial identity status and intersectional invisibility will also be discussed. Though the class will be rooted in psychology and psychological models of identity formation, no prior exposure to psychology is assumed and other disciplines-including cultural studies, feminist studies, and literature-will be incorporated into the course materials. Students will work with community partners to better understand the nuances of racial and ethnic identity development in different contexts. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)
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EDUC 360: Child Development in Contexts of Risk and AdversityObradovicThis course provides an overview of theoretical and methodological issues pertaining to the study of child development in contexts of risk and adversity. We will begin by discussing different approaches to conceptualizing and measuring exposure to risk and adversity as well as conceptualizing and measuring children's adaptation. We will review different theoretical frameworks and empirical models that researchers employ to identify factors and processes that are associated with resilient or maladaptive developmental outcomes and trajectories over time. Finally, we will discuss how exemplar biological, family, school, cultural, and economic processes contribute to our understanding of children's adaptation and resilience. Throughout the course, we will discuss limitations of current research, directions for future research, and the translation of research findings for practitioners and policy makers. We will also consider equity issues relevant to studying adversity and adaptive functioning in diverse groups of children. Students will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the course to develop a research proposal that is aligned with their own interests and work.early childhood; middle childhood, adolescencewhole child/broad definitions of adaptationfamily, school, neighborhood, societyMeasure Presentations (20%). During Weeks 2-4, students will be responsible for summarizing and presenting (10 min presentation + 5 min Q&A) one relevant measure designed to assess: (1) risk or adversity experience, (2) adaptive functioning, or (3) protective resources or processes. You will summarize and present how this measure is administered (e.g., the type of assessment, administration setting, materials needed, etc.), scored (e.g., the structure/content of the collected data), and used (e.g., an exemplar finding).

In class, we discuss different approaches to data gathering, data reduction, and data analysis.
Resilience Framework; Developmental Psychopathology; Ecological Systems Theory; Dynamic Systems; Stress Diathesis Model; Allostatic Load; Biological Sensitivity to Context; Differential Susceptibility Theory; Family System TheoryResearch proposal (50%). The purpose of the research proposal is to apply the knowledge you gained in this course to a specific issue that interests you. Your proposal can focus on: (1) a specific childhood experience that undermines children’s development (e.g., neglect, maternal depression, immigration, armed conflict, discrimination); (2) a factor (e.g., gender, temperament, race, culture) that should be further considered in the conceptualization, measurement, and study of child adaptation in contexts of risk and adversity; (3) the role of a specific processes (e.g., attachment, family routines, sense of belonging, religion) that promote resilience; (4) a specific outcome (e.g., dyslexia, ADHD, socio-emotional learning, academic achievement); or (5) a new intervention designed to promote adaptation in a specific disadvantaged group. Please discuss other ideas with the instructor.The research proposal should: (1) identify a novel research question(s) that could extend understanding of the selected topic and (2) propose an appropriate study design and measures that could adequately answer the research question(s).
● Proposal Workshop (10%): During Weeks 5-7, we will workshop students’ proposal ideas in class. Presenting students should prepare a 5-min overview of their proposal a one-page Google doc handout that includes: (1) background/ rationale paragraph, (2) specific research questions, (3) a figure of their proposed study design, and (4) a list of potential measures. Non-presenting students will provide individual feedback and we will discuss each proposal as a class.
● Final Presentation (10%): During Weeks 8-10, students will present a fully developed proposal using a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation. Students are expected to address the feedback they get in response to their presentation in the final version of their paper.
● Final Paper (30%): Students will write a 5-page (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, not including references and any figures) research proposal that (a) provides an overview of background literature and a rationale for the proposed study; (b) states specific research questions and hypotheses; (c) describes the proposed study design and lists relevant measures; and (d) includes potential implications of research findings.
linkevery other year starting with 24-25
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EDUC 365: Social, Emotional, and Personality DevelopmentDamonThe story of human development across the lifespan, with an emphasis on how people acquire the capacities for mutually beneficial social relations, positive motivation, and mature self-understanding. Topics include socialization, identity, purpose, moral commitment, anti-social behavior, SEL (social and emotional learning in schools), gender, culture, self-concept, and personality. This course is a DAPS core course open to other doctoral and master's students and to advanced undergraduates with some prior coursework in human development.entire lifespanwhole personall human life contexts, across culuresregular excercises, in class and out, demonstrating each contemporary research method used in the study of social and persoanlity developmentdynamic systems theory, personality theory, cultural psychology, social cognition, positive psychology, lifespan theorylink
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EDUC 370 - Parenting and Family Relationships in ChildhoodObradovicThis course will focus on the relevance of parenting and family relationships for children's development. We will examine studies of: (1) how parental and child behaviors contribute to sensitivity, responsiveness, scaffolding, autonomy, and control within the dyad; (2) parents role in socializing children's emotions and their ethnic/racial identity; and (3) parents involvement in early education. We will discuss cultural and economic factors affecting our conceptualization, measurement, and interpretations of parents' behaviors and their interactions with their children.early childhood; middle childhoodwhole child - cognitive, social, emotional, mental health + caregiver's health and mental healthfamily, parents, grandparents, siblingsA course assignment focuses on reviewing and presenting on measures designed to assess parents’ well-being practices, parenting behavior, or the quality of parent-child relationship.Attachment theory, family systems theory, * Ph.D. students can pursue an alternative writing project that is research focused (e.g., study proposal, an introduction section for a research paper) after discussing it with the instructor. DAPS Ph.D. students who want to count this course towards their DAPS Core Course requirement must complete a final paper that is research focused.every other year starting with 23-24
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EDUC 371 - Social Psychology and Social ChangeCohen
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EDUC 372: African American Child and Adolescent Mental Health: An Ecological LensSaleemAfrican American children and adolescents face a number of challenges (e.g., racism, discrimination, lack of access to resources, community violence) that can impact their mental health. Yet, they possess and utilize many strengths in the face of challenge and adversity. This seminar will explore the most salient historical, social, cultural, and ecological factors that influence the mental health and resilience of African American youth, with attention to contextual determinants that shape mental health. Applying an ecological systems approach, the course will focus on how families, schools, and communities are integral to youth's adjustment and well-being. By utilizing a culturally specific and context based lens in analyzing empirical, narrative, and visual content, students will better understand factors that can promote or inhibit the mental health and resilience of African American children and adolescents across development.adolescenceUnderstanding mental health, adversity and strengths, and the influence of ecological contexts on development and adjustmentfamily, school, neighborhood, societyAssignments include:
1. Readings
2. Weekly reflections
3. Integrated reading presentation
4. Final paper
Several theories are covered: culturally relevant developmental, ecological, African American children and family system, socio-culturalStudents will complete an emperical paper or research review paper that addresses a specific mental health topic with a focused developmental period for African American youth. linkWinter or Spring
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EDUC 454: Prevention Science and Community-Based Participatory ResearchFisherThis course is aimed at students who have interest in learning about prevention science and community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address individual, family, community, and other contextual factors that influence development. Course topics will examine theoretical, empirical and practical foundations of prevention science and CBPR related to the design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of interventions to prevent mental, behavioral and chemical health problems and promote healthy development. The course will cover the origins and multidisciplinary roots of both prevention science and CBPR, key concepts, current trends and directions, theoretical approaches, program development and assessment, science to service, evaluation methods, best practices, policy development, and implementation and dissemination approaches in community systems of care. Specific emphasis will be placed on the role of family systems and learning environments and on the need to incorporate a focus on structural inequalities based on race/ethnicity, geography, family structure, and other demographic variables into prevention-oriented research.all agesdevelopmental trajectories in all domains, with a particular emphasis on social emotional, cognitive, and identityall contextsRCTs, multiple baseline, quasi-experimental, adaptive intervention trialssocial learning, attachment, ecological systems, logical positivism vs. hermenutical epistemologyPaper and presentation describing a new preventive intervention and a proposed methodology for evaluating impact linkfall
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DAPS Core Course Cluster IV: Language/Literacy Courses EDUC 223: Language Issues in Educational ResearchSolano-FloresThis course provides the foundation for reasoning about language and linguistic groups and for thinking critically about available literature, methods, normative documents, and services concerning language in educational research and practice. Making sound decisions concerning language and linguistic groups contributes to valid research and to fair and effective practices in education. Students work on a project of their choice. Issues investigated include: Making sampling decisions concerning linguistically diverse populations, selecting translators for languageslink
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EDUC 258: Literacy Development and InstructionSilvermanLiteracy is important for success in school and beyond. While some children learn to read and write with relatively little difficulty, many children struggle in reading and writing development and this can lead to academic, behavioral, and social challenges. Research from the perspectives of neuroscience to classroom based research can help educators understand how children learn to read and write and how to support children with various strengths and needs to develop the literacy skills they need to succeed in school. In this class, we will explore literacy research from different theoretical and methodological perspectives and discuss how these different perspectives complement each other in helping educators understand how best to support literacy development.Primarily early childhood to adolescenceLanguage, Literacy, Cognitive, Social, etc.Family, classroom, peersSome on assessment of language/literacy skillsSimple View, Sociocultural Theory, Schema Theory, Dual Coding, Motivation Theory, Critical Literacy, etc. (See Theoretical Models and Processes of Literacy)Choice of: Literature review, research proposal, product proposal, professional development presentation, other outcome approved by instructorlinkFall 2024
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EDUC 443: Introduction to Single Case Design: Evaluating Response to InterventionLemonsThe purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth introduction to single case design, a rigorous, experimental research methodology that is particularly well suited to studying students who are non-responsive to academic and behavioral interventions. The course will provide an overview of the rationale for single case design, and will introduce critical features of designing and implementing single case design studies. This course is designed to focus on using single case design to evaluate response to academic and behavioral interventions for students who have demonstrated insufficient response to prior intervention, including students with and at-risk of disability. This course is an intensive reading and writing course. Prerequisite knowledge of evidence-based intervention, including theory and extant research, will be useful.AllAcademic and behavioral interventions, research methodologyFlexible. Most frequently classroom or family.single case research design and related assessmentbehaviorism, learning theory(1) Critique of a SCD peer reviewed research article, and (2) Complete research proposal for an SCD study.linkWinter 2023
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