COURSE OVERVIEW

Education is a powerful force that spurs national growth and development. This course attempts to develop and encourage an understanding of educational problems shared through the interconnected and continuously globalizing “developed” and “developing” worlds. Students are introduced to a variety of environments in which education takes place, and are asked to analyze learning, education and development in non-U.S. and non-Western settings. The course also provides perspectives on “Third World” history and development as they relate to education and learning. Topics that you will study in this course include:

1) Non-Western educational perspectives, traditions and approaches;
2) Colonialism and its impact on education and learning; and
3) Dilemmas and issues in education and international development.

GOALS OF THE COURSE

• To develop awareness and understanding of other cultures, countries, and peoples from various cultural, social, geographic, political, and economic points of view.
• To develop understanding of the role of education in global, social, political and economic development.
• To develop the ability to think logically and critically, and to apply knowledge from multiple disciplines to many different contexts.
• To develop your ability to reflect on, understand, and respond to complex international and intercultural issues relating to education and development.
• To develop the ability to locate, identify, and use sources of information from multiple disciplines to understand and address issues related to education.
• To read a range of texts related to education and international development issues and to engage those texts and the issues that they raise – verbally and in writing.

GENERAL EDUCATION

This course is part of the General Education Program. As outlined in the General Education Purpose Statement, the purpose of the General Education requirement is to stretch students’ minds, broaden their experiences, sharpen their critical thinking and evaluation skills, make connections through shared experiences, and prepare them for:

1. Their college experiences and subsequent professional training
2. Their careers and productive lives
3. Community engagement and informed citizenship
4. A diverse and rapidly changing world
5. A lifetime of learning.

The General Education curriculum does this by engaging students in:

1. Fundamental questions, ideas, and methods of analysis in the humanities and fine arts, social sciences, mathematics, and natural and physical sciences
2. The application of these methods of analysis to real world problems and contexts
3. Creative, analytical, quantitative, and critical thinking through inquiry, problem solving and synthesis
4. Pluralistic perspective-taking and awareness of the relationship among culture, self, and others
5. Understanding and evaluating the consequences of one’s choices and the implications of one’s actions.

Finally and as also explained by the General Education Council, general education affords students opportunities to develop and practice the skills of critical thinking, reasoning, and communication, including:

• Working with ambiguity and multiple perspectives
• Communicating persuasively and effectively orally and in writing
• Working effectively and collaboratively with diverse groups
• Developing information and technological literacy.

REQUIRED READINGS

Textbooks available at the Textbook Annex
1. Reagan, T. (2004) Non-Western Educational Traditions: Indigenous Approaches to Educational Thought and Practice (3rd edition). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
2. Black, M. (2007) The No-Nonsense Guide to International Development. New Internationalist.

Other required readings
Aside from the textbooks, many of the required readings will be available on SPARK, and will be organized, along with supplementary materials, in week-by-week folders. Handouts for some sessions may be given the week in advance by your TA or the course instructor.

COURSE FORMAT & EXPECTATIONS

This class comprises lectures and discussion in one combined session – meeting once a week for two and half hours. Each session will begin in the lecture hall unless otherwise indicated. Students are expected to be in their seats promptly at 4:00 PM. Surprise quizzes may be held at the start of classes or in discussion sections.

You will be assigned a discussion section that will be facilitated by one of the TAs for the course. You are required to attend ALL lecture and discussion sections. The course schedule is designed to provide flexibility and creativity in teaching the curriculum. Therefore, the time that the lecture ends and the discussion sections begin will vary each week. There will be a ten-minute break between the lecture and discussion section. You are expected to be in your discussion section after the ten-minute break.

Attendance at every class and every discussion section is MANDATORY

You will be allowed ONE unexcused absence during the semester and after that, for every unexcused absence you will lose 5% from your % grade for Class Attendance. If you miss more than 4 classes you will be given a failing grade. If you are ill or otherwise legitimately unable to attend, please provide appropriate written documentation (see the Handbook of Undergraduates Rights and Responsibilities). For those who will be absent due to approved college work or religious observance, notify the Course Instructor in advance in writing. All absences will be considered unexcused unless approved otherwise by the Course Instructor.

All important course materials including the syllabus will be posted on SPARK (or, failing this, the UMASS library e-reserves). If you have not already done so, you MUST set up a UMASS email account by the end of the first week of classes to access course materials on SPARK. It is essential that you read ALL assigned readings. The lectures do not duplicate the readings but are intended to complement the readings. You should be prepared to summarize the argument of each author of each reading and pose relevant and interesting questions about the assigned material.

The course materials, discussions and assignments are designed to teach not only content but also important skills – including critical thinking, analysis and reflection, dialogue and cooperative learning. The class and section meetings provide ample scope for discussion. You are expected to be an active learner and participate by asking relevant questions, listening to your peers, and making thoughtful comments on the topic.

The course is about diverse parts of the world and diversity of ideas. This diversity is also reflected in the classroom. This includes not only cultural, gender and ethnic diversities, but also diversity of views and opinions on the issues we will explore. It is important to be respectful in listening to views different from your own, and in sharing your own views in a manner that is non-confrontational, to be aware of our own stereotypes and biases (and those of others), and to be open to considering different points of views.

Since this is a large class, your TA is your most direct resource for information and clarification. If there is anything adversely impacting your performance in this course, please inform your TA. TAs will conduct the discussion sections, grade assignments and maintain a record of the performance of their students in their sections. You are welcome to meet with the instructor to discuss course materials or assignments by appointment.

The instructor will make all accommodations necessary for students who have special needs. If you have a disability or other circumstance that requires accommodation in this course, please inform the instructor and your section TA within two weeks, in writing and including official notification from the Office of Disability Services regarding the accommodations that will help you succeed in the course.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Class Attendance & Active Participation in Discussion Sessions   (25 points)
Attendance will be taken at each session. Activities under this heading include coming to and staying in class, attendance and participation in the lecture and discussion sessions and adequate preparation for discussion sessions.

2. Mid-Term Paper (30 points)

3. Reading and Discussion Questions (15 points)
Each week you will be provided with some reading and discussion questions, to help you better understand the readings and participate in your discussion section. These questions will be in each week’s ‘folder’ on SPARK. In the course of the semester you must choose ONE week’s reading and discussion questions and respond to them in writing, turning them in on the week they are due (e.g. you cannot choose to answer an earlier week’s reading and discussion questions).

4. Final Paper and Presentation (30 points)
You will write a final paper to demonstrate your understanding of the issues and perspectives covered in the course. Your work may include a class presentation to your discussion section. Final papers are due in the final class.

5. Extra Credit (up to 4 points)
Extra credit may be earned in two ways:
-Signing up to present one week’s readings to your discussion group (2 points)
-Joining the extra credit program, to feature some course blogging and watching a documentary (2 points)

GRADING SYSTEM
We will use the current university grading framework. Grading Key:

Additional Information

All written assignments must be submitted by the due date, i.e. at the beginning of the class. Unless you have a verifiable and legitimate excuse (such as a signed medical note or appropriate documentation for a family emergency), delayed submissions will result in a reduction of your grade, or in severe circumstances – a grade of zero. Five percentage points will be deducted for each day beyond the submission deadline. Email submissions are not accepted without the permission of your TA.

As in all other courses, standards of academic honesty are taken very seriously. You should make sure that you have read and understood the information on appropriate citation procedures and the penalties for plagiarism, available at the following University website: http://www.umass.edu/umhome/policies/honesty.html Please note that internet-based sources MUST also be appropriately cited at all times.