Master of Science in Education Degree

Fifteen (15) graduate courses are required for the master's degree.

Course of Study for Master's Degree

MS_ED 402		Social Contexts of Education How social contexts such as families, schools, and the workplace shape individuals; how individuals' intellectual and interpersonal capacities, preferences, and goals are shaped by their social contexts. Societal structures that organize, supply, and channel individual learning experiences and how they provide the formal and informal settings in which social interaction takes place. How participation in these socializing settings molds the development of individuals' capacities and forms their goals.
MS_ED 403		Childhood and Early Adolescent Development Overview of developmental concepts from birth into adolescence. The interplay of biological invariants, individual differences, and cultural experiences; relationships among cognitive, social, and cultural aspects of development and learning; major developmental theories and contexts of the construction of these theories; implications for teaching and learning.
MS_ED 404		Adolescent Development in Social Contexts Adolescent development in its differing social contexts, with particular attention to schools, families and peer groups. By mixing social science with philosophy, the class explores the types of environments that best enhance growth and development during this stage of life.
MS_ED 406		Research and Analysis in Teaching and Learning I:  Discussion and Question Development The course aims to help students meet three goals that will advance the progress of the Master's Project and, at the same time, develop skills of questioning and discussion that are useful in many teaching-learning contexts. The three goals include: the formation of a question which the Master's Project will address; a description of the rationale for the question; and the start of a literature review on the topic. In order to meet the goals, students will develop questions about the meaning of texts, refine these through small-group discussion, and develop skills of effective discussion participation and leading, including preparation for discussion. Taken together, these skills permit not only the cultivation of meaningful questions but progress toward their resolution, as they develop habits of careful reading and reflection. Texts for the course will include classic works related to discussion and questioning and the domain of the Master's Project. Each student will lead a discussion on a text germane to the question chosen for the Master's Project.
MS_ED 407		Research and Analysis in Teaching and Learning II:  Literature Review and Research Methodology This class is intended to be a forum in which to investigate the paradigms and approaches to educational research that participants can utilize in their Master's Projects. Participants discuss and refine their research questions and examine methods of data collection within the framework of research plans they design for their projects. Teacher research and action research are particularly emphasized for practitioner researchers. Participants investigate criteria used to evaluate research relevant to education and experience peer review of their own research displayed during the course. This is the second of a three-course sequence relating to student's Master's Project research. The third class is MS_ED 408, Research and Analysis in Teaching and Learning III: Analyis Interpretation and Dissemination.
MS_ED 408		Research and Analysis in Teaching and Learning III:  Analysis Interpretation and Dissemination This course helps students refine the reflective skills required of educators in complex social institutions such as schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations and develop effective problem-identification and -solving approaches. Intensive analysis and discussion of questions encountered in elementary and secondary schools, administrative, higher education, and corporate settings. Students present their Master's Project in this course.
MS_ED 431		Using Video to Study Teaching and Learning Video has become an important tool for teacher education. Both in pre-service and in in-service programs, teachers are often asked to view video from their own or from others' classrooms. In this course, we will examine several of the different ways that video is used in teacher education. For each of these ways, we will explore differences in the videos themselves as well as in the frameworks that are used to analyze the videos. In addition, we will move towards creating new frameworks geared to helping teachers examines their own practices. A portion of each class session will be devoted to investigating a research-based framework for the analysis of classroom video. In the second half of each class, participants will have an opportunity to show and discuss their own video work and the techniques they are using to analyze their practices.
MS_ED 440		The Gifted: Differentiating Instruction Students will learn how to assess characteristics of students within their classroom so as to create an optimal match between student and instruction; to develop differentiated curriculum units and design classroom learning environments conducive to differentiation; and to establish management systems for a differentiated classroom.
MS_ED 441		The Gifted: Differentiating Instruction from an Advanced Perspective Students examine the research base behind instructional strategies and their efficacy with different types of learners.  They study assessment and accommodation/modification techniques from cross-grade level, school, and district perspectives.
MS_ED 442		The Gifted: Theoretical Foundations of Creativity and Giftedness Topics in this foundations course include theories of creativity and giftedness; models of talent development; cognitive and social-emotional characteristics of gifted individuals; diverse populations of gifted learners; historical and current research in the field of gifted education.
MS_ED 443		The Gifted: Leadership and Advocacy This course explores educational leadership and advocacy for talent development at the local, state, and national arena.
MS_ED 444		The Gifted: Practicum and Seminar in Special Populations Students complete a 40-hour practicum with gifted and talented learners at Northwestern's Center for talent Development.  The practicum seminar provides the opportunity for students to discuss their field experiences with their peers and reflect on these experiences in the light of research and educational theory.
1 Learning Science course selected from the following 2:
LRN_SCI 427		Design of Learning Environments Issues in designing and studying innovative learning environments. New models of classroom interaction, particularly using technology to enable new cognitive and social roles for students. Topics include simulation environments, intelligent tutoring and coaching systems, computer-mediated communication, teaching for conceptual change and project-based learning approaches. Theoretical motivations in cognitive and social interaction learning theories, empirical studies evaluating their effectiveness and prospects for propagation of such innovations.
LRN_SCI 451		Teaching with Technology Current research topics in the learning sciences. Topics vary. May be repeated for credit with change in topic.
1 Elective		(Choose from approved elective list provided by your advisor)