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Fall 2006 Course Descriptions
Click on titles in blue for draft Syllabus

Educ 229 Introduction to International Education
(Cohen-Mitchell) – Tuesday 4-6:30 pm – Goessmann 20 – Schedule No: 75019

This course is designed to introduce students to the role of culture in education. After exploring the theoretical basis of culture and its relationship to education, students will be exposed to a range of cultural perspectives from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. To integrate the various country presentations, students will engage in the study of the following global issues: environmental concerns, population distribution, human rights violations, socio-economic inequities, and conflicts and emergencies.

Educ 615Z Introduction to International Education
(Evans) – Monday 9-12 noon – 275 Hills South – Schedule No : 75050

This is a required introductory seminar for all new degree candidates - both masters and doctoral - in CIE. The course provides an introduction to the field of International Education and the various career options available. The seminar also will review the structure and procedures for degree programs, resources available for graduate study in the five-college area, and planning for personal and professional growth during the degree process. Students outside CIE may attend with permission of the instructor. Permission of the instructor required

Educ 649 Training for Nonformal Education
(Smith) – Wednesday 9-12 – 275 Hills South – Schedule No: 77646

This seminar/workshop will develop the skills needed to design and implement training programs for personnel in nonformal education, human services, and community development. Content areas will include: the writing of objectives; the selection of appropriate training strategies, techniques, and materials; sequencing and scheduling; implementation of the training program; and formative evaluation methods. Through the use of workshop methods, the course will provide some direct experience in designing and running training exercises and assessing their outcomes. Emphasis will be given to non-classroom settings which contain cross-cultural components. A balance between theory and practice in applying the theory will be sought.

Educ 692I Methods and Approaches in Adult Literacy
(Smith) – Tuesday 1-4 – 275 Hills South - #77690

This course covers the theoretical and practical aspects of adult literacy instruction: the “how to” of basic skills instruction for adults. Specifically, it will give an introduction to the main approaches to teaching reading, writing and math to adults. We will discuss: reading methods such as whole language, sight word, phonics and eclectic reading approaches, and the four components of reading; process writing; and the components of math instruction. We will also cover broad approaches such as skills-based vs. authentic/contextualized instruction; individualized, small and whole group instruction; project-based learning; and learner-generated materials. We will consider how different approaches affect curriculum and lesson plan development; the difference between standards-based and learner-centered instruction as instructional drivers; and the relationship between assessment, reading profiles, and instruction. The course will provide examples from both U.S. and developing country adult literacy programs.

Educ 695A Cultural Studies & International Development
(Mosselson) – Monday 4-6:30 – 275 Hills South – Schedule No: 79437

The course provides a general overview of the highly diversified field of “cultural studies” – what it is, the evolving relationships between its various approaches and concerns, the central issues that it confronts, and its importance to international development education. Primary stress will be placed on the relation between knowledge and power, ethnicity/class/gender and culture, and the attempts within cultural studies to embrace a variety of disciplines in a transdisciplinary critique of intellect and institution. The class will review basic readings in history, theory, and method, and then proceed to special topics in spatial and temporal organization of contemporary institutions, the politics of knowledge, and personality formation. The major governing paradigms in cultural studies will be reviewed and then put to use in the examination of topics currently in the public eye, in regards to international education.

Educ 720 Theories of International Development for Educators
(Evans & Mosselson) – Thursday 1-4 – 275 Hills South – Schedule No: 77652

This seminar is designed for educators who will be working in international development settings and who want to explore theories of economic and social development. Participants will examine capitalist, socialist, and humanist development theories through readings, discussions, lectures, small group presentations, and individual papers. Participants should be able to identify the assumptions, underlying values, and operational principles characteristic of specific theories and will be asked to explore their implications for themselves as international educators. The course is intended to provide a theoretical perspective for analyzing the role played by education in different development perspectives.

Educ 782 Teacher Education in Developing Countries
(Evans) – Wednesday 1-4 – 275 Hills South – Schedule No: 77659

This seminar will focus on the challenges of teacher education in low-resource contexts with many examples drawn from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The majority of the writing and research on teacher education is rooted in the context of the US or Europe. In recent years, much work has been done on problems and possible solutions to teacher development and management in the developing world. The class will focus on issues in teacher education such as: methods vs. content mastery; meaningful teaching practice in low-resource contexts; alternative models for teaching practice; the balance between in-service and pre-service approaches; teacher ability levels in the language of instruction; vernacular vs. national language instruction; teacher support; teacher supervision and upgrading; and so on. Participants will be expected to help seek out relevant research and writing from different areas of the world of interest to them. Topics will include national-level policy issues, models of implementation, and evaluations of various approaches. We expect that many participants will bring experience in developing contexts to the class which will serve as a resource for other learners.

Educ 791N Monitoring & Evaluation in International Contexts
(Rossman) – Monday 1-4 – 275 Hills South – Schedule No: 77660

This seminar will address the principles and practices of monitoring and evaluation in international and domestic contexts. International development and domestic funding agencies call for systematically conducted and thoughtful monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects. In addition, monitoring and evaluating work-in-progress represents good practice and provides opportunities for programmatic and organizational learning. We will review key principles of M&E from case examples, examining the processes of building relationships with key stakeholders; collaboratively understanding the theory of action embedded in programs and projects; developing valuable and interesting indicators and benchmarks; and implementing specific methods to generate useful information. The final product for the course will be the design of a monitoring and evaluation plan for an actual project. To be able to provide direct experience in M&E practice, I am hopeful that we will be able to link with on-going evaluations.

The course will also cover a range of methods for conducting monitoring and evaluation activities, although the course is not a course in research methods per se. It will be helpful, however, if students have some basic familiarity with the conceptual logic and core constructs of experimental or survey (quantitative) social science and of constructivist or interpretivist (qualitative) social science.

Educ 870.1 Special Problems - Technology in International Education
(Hartwell, Frisoli, & Holloway) – Thursday 9-12 – 275 Hills South – Schedule No: 77664

This course introduces concepts and analyzes programs in the expanding field of information & communication technologies (ICT) as a tool for learning in the developing world. We will examine differing types of technology projects (such as computer mediated learning, interactive radio, interactive distance education) implemented through education development programs in both formal and non-formal settings. We will highlight the social, cultural, and economic impacts associated with introducing this media into the developing world. We will address issues such as:

• How has ICT shaped the education system in the United States?
• How does ICT act as both a equalizer and liberator in the developing world?
• What are the cultural implications of ICT?
• Who are the stakeholders? Beneficiaries? Implementers? Recipients? Marginalized? in developing ICT education?

This is a new, exploratory course. It will work to build and develop hypotheses about how the [western] tools of ICT can not only foster but also hinder learning, and the possible role that it can play in the future of educational development.

Projected Course Offerings Table
Updated December 2, 2005