King's College Graduate Courses - Spring 2010

Course Descriptions - Master’s in Reading

Educ 500 - Educational Research for Teachers . This course deals with understanding, developing, and utilizing data as applied to educational problems.  The course will include an overview of quantitative and qualitative educational research.  The major emphasis of the course will be teacher involvement in the action research process.  This course is normally taken just before undertaking the Reading Research Project (Educ 575).  Permission required.  (3 credits)

Educ 515 - Reading in the Content Area . This course emphasizes strategies that enhance a student’s ability to understand content-area reading. Understanding the complexity of expository texts will be reviewed, along with techniques for improving vocabulary, comprehension, and study skills. (3 credits)

Educ 516 – Reading Disabilities: Diagnosis and Prescription.  This course will review strategies for improving reading, writing, and study skills.  Intervention based on assessment results to provide effective instruction will also be discussed.  This course is the first half of the Reading practicum experience, which concludes with Educ 550.  Educ 550 will be offered in Summer 2008.  (3 credits)

Educ 520 - The Writing Process K-12 . This course examines writing as a means of facilitating language development and learning. Practical means of implementing writing and the writing process into all aspects of the curriculum are examined, along with the reading-writing connection and writer’s workshop. The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of the purpose for writing in K-12 classrooms. (3 credits)

Educ 521 – Alternative Assessment.  This course considers alternative assessments for measuring performance, including portfolios, performance assessments, checklists, anecdotal records, and the development of rubrics to measure the effectiveness of the curriculum.  The alternative assessments will enhance the evaluation of a school’s curriculum.  (3 credits)

Course Descriptions - M. Ed. in Curriculum and Education

Educ 521 – Alternative Assessment.  This course considers alternative assessments for measuring performance, including portfolios, performance assessments, checklists, anecdotal records, and the development of rubrics to measure the effectiveness of the curriculum.  The alternative assessments will enhance the evaluation of a school’s curriculum.  (3 credits)

Educ 580 – Curriculum Theory and Design.  This course is designed to explore the developmental nature of curriculum in the elementary, middle and secondary school settings.  Distinct theories will be explored as they relate to public, charter, private, and magnet schools.  The interrelated nature of curriculum is stressed.  In addition, the concepts of goals and objectives as they relate to the curriculum will be investigated.  Current curricular trends will be studied, analyzed and evaluated using the principles of curriculum development discussed in the course.  (3 credits)

Educ 586 – Inclusionary Classroom Practices.  This course will address the development, implementation, and monitoring of individualized management, instructional, curricular, and environmental strategies and adaptations for all students within a heterogeneous classroom, based upon the curriculum of the school.  Pedagogical recommendations and research-based effective instruction methodology is emphasized on a needs-based model incorporating the cognitive, language, attentional, affective, physical and sensory needs of children.  (3 credits)

Educ 590 – Educational Research and Statistics.  This course deals with understanding, developing, and utilizing data as applied to educational problems.  Methodology and techniques of empirical educational research will be explored.  Specific techniques of gathering and analyzing educational data will be explored.  This course will include an overview of quantitative and qualitative educational research.  Special emphasis will be placed upon the action research process.  (3 credits)

Educ 620 – ESL Master’s Project.  A topic relevant to the teaching of English as a Second Language in the classroom will be researched and/or conducted with the approval of the instructor.  The topic of the research should be well documented in professional journals and studies. Upon completion of the project, the student will write a professional quality academic paper.   Prerequisite: Educ 590. Permission required.  (3 credits)

Educ 630 – Elementary Mathematics and Science Instruction.  This course involves the study of the development of the elementary school child, the relationship between theory and practice, balancing traditional expectations with current concerns, and the selection and implementation of successful learning experiences in mathematics and science instruction.  The curriculum within this area will concentrate on national and state standards as they apply to what is actually taught in the schools.  (3 credits)

Educ 640 – Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction.  This course will focus on curriculum development and implementation using the National and Pennsylvania Standards.  Students will learn to plan, execute and evaluate standards-driven mathematics experiences in the classroom.  Students will work together to explore the way children develop mathematical ideas.  Current developments in mathematics education will be addressed.  (3 credits)

Educ 644 – Advanced Studies in Mathematics.  This course is designed to further the skills of the student in the field of mathematics curriculum.  Students will explore contemporary models and in particular the newest advancements within mathematics through books, news magazines, newspapers, and the internet.  Emphasis will be placed on a mathematics literate population who are able to solve problems, and can function as critical thinkers.  Ethical issues involving mathematics and technology will be discussed.  (3 credits)

Course Descriptions - Graduate Certificate in English as a Second Language (ESL)

Educ 600 – Basics of English Grammar, First and Second Language Acquisition and Instructional Strategies for Second Language Acquisition.  This course focuses on the grammar and structure of the English language including the components: lexical, syntactical, phonological, morphological and semantic.  Theoretical perspectives of first and second language acquisition are examined.  Students develop activities to demonstrate selected instructional strategies and theoretical acquisition perspectives.  (3 credits)

This course is being offered through the ESL graduate certificate program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction program

Educ 605 – Instructional Materials, Technologies and Their Development.  This course is designed around the methods, strategies, research and resources that enable students to develop and implement an ESL program, to help English Language Learners acquire English language and academic cognitive understanding and skills.  Students design resource and teaching materials, implement them with their students, and provide reports to the class.  Emphasis is placed on working with colleagues in schools, to help them understand that they, as well as ESL teachers, must adapt and modify content/lessons to enable ESL students to develop social and academic cognitive English. (3 credits)

This course is being offered through the ESL graduate certificate program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction program, or as an elective in the Reading program.

Educ 610 – Assessment and Evaluation of Student, Program, Instruction, Family Involvement and Support Services.  This course emphasizes multiple assessment models to determine English language performance and proficiency.  Models include: paper and pencil tests, authentic assessment, and conferencing evaluation methods.  Emphasis is placed on linking instruction with assessment results using individual and small group activities.  Students design an ESL Unit to be implemented with ESL students in their classrooms.  Additional ways of assisting families to participate in their children’s learning are examined.  Finally, the ESL placement and annual state tests mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) are examined.  (3 credits)

This course is being offered through the ESL graduate certificate program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction program.

Educ 615 – Cultural and Linguistic Diversities, Approaches and Collaborative Methods for Developing Cultural Awareness.  In this course, cultural and linguistic diversities are examined through the mosaic of groups immigrating to the United States.  The analyses focus on: time period of immigration, reasons for immigrating, and differences among immigrating groups in education, occupation, religion, native language, ESL mode or type used with these groups, and other variables.  Methods of working with culturally and linguistically diverse families and ways to collaborate with them and their needs are examined.  (3 credits)

This course is being offered through the ESL graduate certificate program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction program.

Course Descriptions - Master’s in Health Care Administration

HCA 500 – Introduction to Health Services Systems.  This course is designed as a comprehensive introduction to the organization of the U.S. health care “system.”  It examines the major institutions, professions, and political forces that influence the provision of health care services in the United States.  Students explore the development of each major component of the medical care system from an historical perspective by examining the changes in their organization and role over time.  They also consider the major problems presently confronting each aspect of health care and discuss alternative means of resolving these issues for the future.  (3 credits)

HCA 505 – Epidemiology for Health Care Managers.  This course is an in-depth study of the distribution and determinants of health, disease, and disability in human populations.  Specific topics include: descriptive and analytical epidemiology, community assessment, and study design.  Case studies that involve all of the tools of epidemiology are utilized.  The student becomes aware of the uses of epidemiology in population-based medicine and managerial decision making.  Offered on-line, via the internet.  (3 credits)

HCA 511 – Quantitative Business Methods for Health Care.  This course focuses on the development and use of statistical analysis in health care.  Students are introduced to the essential definitions, concepts, and tools of statistical analysis and Excel statistical functions.  Students will use their knowledge of statistics and Excel to identify and run appropriate statistical tests based on the goal(s) of the analysis and data availability.  Statistical tests covered include chi-square, t-test, analysis of variance, regression, and Logit.  The goal of the course is to improve policy and administrative decision-making in health care settings using statistical techniques.  (3 credits)

HCA 572 – Health Law.  This course will explore the legal aspects of the health care environment. Particular emphasis will be placed on the court system's effect on the health care executive.  Topics to be discussed include the following: medical negligence, employment/agency relationships, prolongation of life, patients' rights, and corporate liability.  (3 credits)

HCA 575 – Health Promotion.  This course explores the various methods of delivering messages related to good health habits.  The development, implementation, and evaluation of health messages will be discussed.  Health education and promotional strategies will be outlined, in addition to the evaluation of various case studies of successful health communication programs.  Offered on-line, via the internet.  (3 credits)

HCA 576 – Operations Management.  This course provides an in-depth understanding of the essential concepts, tools, and strategies in operations research and their application to health care.  It focuses on the use of quantitative methods to address complex operational issues and realistic problems, with the ultimate goal of ensuring improved system effectiveness and efficiency.  Main topics covered include break-even analysis, demand forecasting, linear programming, and project and inventory management, and quality control.  (3 cr.)

HCA 596 – Leadership for Quality Management in Health Care.  This course integrates all of the major components covered in the core courses.  Students will take the various competencies they have acquired and learn how to apply them to real-life cases involving applications of leadership and quality total management in health care delivery systems.  Topics include:  leadership theories, culture building, relationship management, contingency and transformational theories, communication skills, change management, conflict management, mentorship, and team building.  This is the capstone course; it is usually taken as the final course in the program.  (3 credits)