Syllabus

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

EDU 830: Understanding Educational Theory and Best Practices across Disciplines (Fall 2022)

Credits - 3

Description

This course examines educational theory, as well as current best practices in educational research. It is intended to prepare professionals and leaders across all disciplines to connect these theories and best practices in their own organizations and professional environments.

 

Materials

Required Textbooks

Irby, B., Brown, G. H., & Lara-Aiecio, R. (Eds.). (2012). The handbook of educational theories. Information Age Publishing. ISBN: 978-1617358654

Roberts, C & Hyatt, H. (2019). The dissertation journey: a practical and comprehensive guide to writing, planning, and defending your dissertation (3rd ed.). Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-1506373317 

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). ISBN: 978-1433832154. E-text: 978-1433832185

The Doctor of Education Handbook

Required Materials:

Doctor of Education Handbook: Guidelines and Best Practices

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Course Outcomes 

At the end of the course students should be able to: 

  1. Demonstrate a deeper understanding of the educational, leadership, philosophical, scientific, and a variety of theories that can inform best practices in educational research. 
  2. Identify and analyze the connections between and among a variety of theories.
  3. Explain how best practices from education theory can be used across disciplines.
  4. Analyze how selected theories (including educational, leadership, philosophical, scientific and others) can be connected to the students’ own organizations and professional environments.
  5. Analyze how selected theories including educational, leadership, philosophical, scientific and others can be connected to students’ working dissertation topic.

 

Assignments

Regular whole-class discussions

You will be required to respond to prompts related to course materials and engage with your peers in the course to support understanding and the co-construction of knowledge.

Practices in the Workplace #1

In Week 2, you will write a paper identifying one workplace or organizational practice you see as effective, and one you think is ineffective. You will then analyze those practices through the lens of Philosophical Education and Learning Theories and their associated best practices.

Practices in the Workplace #2

In Week 3, you will analyze the same organizational practices you identified in Week 2, this time through the lens of Organizational, Leadership, and Management Theories. You will also relate Organizational, Leadership, and Management Theories to Educational Theory.

Practices in the Workplace #3

In Week 4, you will address the organizational practices from Week 2 one more time, now via Scientific, Curriculum, and Assessment Theories. You will relate Scientific, Curriculum, and Assessment Theories to Educational Theory.

Theory Infographic 

In Week 5, you will create an infographic to visualize key aspects of 10 theories from different fields and disciplines.

Best Practices Across Disciplines Paper

In Week 6, you will write a brief paper examining why an understanding of best practices associated with theories is crucial to successful implementation of “putting theory into practice.” You will explain ways in which you can bridge the gap between theory and practice and how you can implement theory into your own field. 

Final Assignment: Applying Theory to your Working Dissertation Topic

In Week 7’s brief paper, you will begin to connect theory to your Working Dissertation Topic, which you identified in EDU 801. 

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

AssignmentPoints
Discussions (8 discussions X 4 points each)32
Week 2: Practices in the Workplace #1 8
Week 3: Practices in the Workplace #2 6
Week 4: Practices in the Workplace #3 6
Week 5: Theory Infographic10
Week 6: Best Practices Across Disciplines13
Week 7: Applying Theory to your Working Dissertation Topic25
Total:100

Grading

The criteria for all courses in the Ed. D. program are described in the modules and/or rubrics. Assignments will include guidelines with rubrics, descriptions of expectations, or examples, and include point values. Coursework will be assessed and graded using individual evaluation protocols that are provided for the three major assignments. Final “grades” will reflect the following schema:

  • High Pass (HP): Work that exceeds all or most of the criteria of the respective assignment. To receive a high pass the work must demonstrate exceptional command and display of all or most required elements;
  • Pass (P): Work that meets all requirements and expectations as specified in assignments, and is fully satisfactory in every respect;
  • Low Pass (LP): Work is deemed unsatisfactory.

Grade Scale: 95 = HP; 80-94 = P; 70-79 = LP

Note** The instructor will determine if an assignment may be revised and resubmitted for rescoring. Candidates may proceed to subsequent courses in the curriculum with one LP grade, and although there is no failing grade, a second LP course grade results in termination from the doctoral program.

All assignments are to be completed in a timely manner with appropriate accuracy, detail, thought and reflection fitting of doctoral-level degree candidates. All assignments (done in writing or with other media applications) are graded on the basis of faculty assessment of your ability to accurately apply concepts from readings, organization, and mechanics. Please note that you must save all submitted documents in Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint in order for them to transmit successfully. All work must be properly identified and include author(s)’ name(s). Submit all written work in APA style (Refer to the APA Publication Manual for guidance and Help with Citations on UNE Library Services web page under Research Help).

Schedule

Week 1: Aug 24 – Aug 28
Week 2: Aug 29 – Sep 4
Week 3: Sep 5 – Sep 11
Week 4: Sep 12 – Sep 18
Week 5: Sep 19 – Sep 25
Week 6: Sep 26 – Oct 2
Week 7: Oct 3 – Oct 9
Week 8: Oct 10 – Oct 16

With the exception of Week 1, which opens on a Wednesday, each week opens on Monday at 12:01 AM Eastern Time. Each week closes on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET.

Week

Topic

Activities & Assignments

Assignments Due
(by 11:59 pm ET on day indicated)

Week 1

Looking Back/Thinking Ahead

Each week: Readings & Media as listed in the course

2 Discussions

Initial Discussion Posts
Due: Friday

Discussion Response Posts
Due: Sunday

Week 2

Philosophical Education and Learning Theory: Practices in the Workplace #1

Practices in the Workplace #1 Assignment 

1 Discussion

Initial Discussion Posts
Due: Wednesday

Discussion Response Posts
Due: Sunday

Assignment Due: Sunday

Week 3

Organizational, Leadership, and Management Theory: Practices in the Workplace #2

Practices in the Workplace #2 Assignment 

1 Discussion 

Initial Discussion Posts
Due: Wednesday

Discussion Response Posts
Due: Sunday

Assignment Due: Sunday

Week 4

Scientific Theory, Curriculum Theory, and Assessment Theory – Problem and Practice in the Workplace #3

Practices in the Workplace #3 Assignment 

1 Discussion 

Initial Discussion Posts
Due: Wednesday

Discussion Response Posts
Due: Sunday

Assignment Due: Sunday

Week 5

Exploring Theories 

Theory Infographic assignment

1 Discussion

Initial Discussion Posts
Due: Wednesday

Discussion Response Posts
Due: Sunday

Assignment Due: Sunday

Week 6

Best Practice Across Disciplines

Best Practices Across Disciplines assignment

1 Discussion 

Initial Discussion Posts
Due: Wednesday

Discussion Response Posts
Due: Sunday

Assignment Due: Sunday

Week 7

Linking Theory to your Working Dissertation Topic

Applying Theory to your Working Dissertation Topic assignment

No Discussion 

Assignment Due: Sunday

Week 8

Revisit Best Practices Across Disciplines

1 Discussion 

Initial Discussion Posts
Due: Wednesday

Discussion Response Posts
Due: Sunday

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Education page

UNE Libraries:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Policies

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools the University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Attendance Policy

Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.