Specifications for Master of Special Education courses

Submitted by r.hassen on Sun, 10/02/2022 - 11:32

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

Introduction to Methods of Educational Researchh

SPED 640

This course provides graduate students with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to conduct quality research in education and related social science fields. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to understand types of educational research, different research designs, and data analysis and collection techniques. In addition, students will be encouraged to design studies that address important current educational issues, gather and analyze data to shed light on these issues, and derive conclusions based on their analyses.

Course Objectives:

Identify purposes and types of educational research (quantitative and qualitative)
Identify research designs (experimental, quasi experimental, and nonexperimental)
Identify steps to carry out a research study
Select and develop research questions
Conduct literature reviews
Develop and validate assessment instruments (e.g., surveys and pre- and post-tests)
Determine different ways to analyze data
Review ethical issues in educational research
Use APA writing style

Course Description

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

Introduction to Transition

SPED 601

This course will provide graduate students with an in-depth understanding of concepts related to positive transition planning for youths with disabilities. Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand the foundational concepts, historical context, and legal foundations of transition, as well as the transition planning process. Students will learn about the transition domains—employment, continued learning, and community integration—and the institutions and agencies that support students in working to achieve their postsecondary goals in each area. Students will learn about the role of the transition specialist and the rights and responsibilities of the youth and his or her family in transition planning. In addition, students will learn the issues, challenges, and strategies involved in helping youths with disabilities transition to work and participate to the fullest degree in society.

Course Objectives:

Understand transition concepts (transition, post-secondary education, and career development)
Learn transition legal foundations and current legislation
Recognize transition planning process (assessment, planning, and implementation)
Identify strategies for transition from school to work, training, or post-secondary education

Identify techniques to teach skills for successful employment

Understand challenges associated with transition
Identify strategies to support parents
Identify approaches to build partnerships with community service providers

Course Description

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

Planning and Assessment in Transition

SPED 602

This course provides graduate students with the knowledge and skills needed to assess and plan transition programs for youth with disabilities. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to identify a range of formal and informal instruments and tactics to plan and implement an assessment based on the needs of individual youth. In addition, participants will accurately interpret assessment results to develop appropriate individualized postsecondary goals that reflect students’ skills, interests, personal attributes, and accomplishments. Finally, participants will not only develop strategies to report results to students, family, and other team members but also work collaboratively to plan for students’ skill development and identify supports and services.

Course Objectives:

Define transition assessment as it relates to students with disabilities
Learn current legal requirements for secondary transition assessment of students
Examine different types of secondary transition assessment instruments (formal and informal, one-time and ongoing)
Learn steps to plan an individualized transition assessment for students with disabilities
Collaborate with and synthesize assessment information from a variety of school personnel, such as teachers, guidance counselors, and college and career specialists
Conduct and manage assessments across domains of self-determination, academics, employment, independent living, and community participation
Interpret results of assessments and make recommendations for individualized education plan goals
Report results in easily understood, culturally competent language to facilitate student and family understanding

Course Description

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

Applied Educational Statistics

PSY 633

This course teaches graduate students introductory concepts in statistics as they apply to the educational research sciences. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the fundamental knowledge and skills to understand and conduct statistical research in social and behavioral sciences. Students will learn about and be exposed to different types of tests, including hypothesis tests and descriptive and inferential statistics, and develop the ability to select the appropriate statistical procedures.

Course Objectives:

Define the role of descriptive and inferential statistics within quantitative research methodology
Learn the most important concepts in statistics (frequency distributions and graphing, measures of central tendency, measures of variation, comparison of sample means, correlations, sampling and probability, power and sample size, simple regression, chi-square tests)
Learn about probability distribution (e.g., normal distribution and binomial distribution)
Describe quantitative results using descriptive statistics
Use inferential statistics to test hypotheses
Design research hypotheses for testing
Plan and carry out basic statistical analyses of research data
Conduct statistical tests (z-tests, t-tests, chi-Square)

Course Description

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

SPED 601, SPED 602

Researches in transition

SPED 620

This course aims to develop students’ interests in studies and scientific research in the area of postsecondary transition for students with disabilities. Emphasis will be placed on the studies (i.e., scientific articles published in scientific journals and theses) that deal with various issues related to contemporary trends in transition services. The course focuses on the methods of scientific research in these studies and trains students to analyze and criticize academic work using their research and statistical skills. It also gives students the opportunity to suggest solutions for appropriate methodology if they notice any problems. The course also emphasizes the importance of the latest documentation methods, such as APA style, in scientific research.

Course Objectives:

Review studies related to transition and its planning
Review studies related to measurement of transition success
Review studies related to job training and employment strategies
Review the research process from choosing topics through writing theses

Course Description

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

Single Subject Design

SPED 621

This course provides graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary for conducting single subject research design. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to understand types of single subject research design, and data analysis and collection techniques. In addition, students will be encouraged to design studies that use single subject research design, define behaviors for measurement, describe threats to internal and external validity, construct databases sheets, and evaluate these data using visual inspection procedures, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics.

Course Objectives:

Describe and apply the logic, foundations, and rationale of single subject research
Formulate research questions for single subject studies from the literature and experience.
Define behaviors for measurement and describe methods for measuring those behaviors
Describe the requirements, advantages, uses, and limitations of single subject design
Demonstrating designs, including the reversal design, multiple baseline designs, multiple probe design, changing criterion design, and combination of these designs.
Describe threats to internal validity and describe methods for minimizing and controlling for the effects of extraneous variables.
Describe the characteristics of data and display data graphically.
Conduct formative and summative evaluations of data using visual inspection procedures, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics.
Describe the case for external validity of single subject studies.
Write the introduction, methods, and data analysis procedures for single subject studies.

References:

Kazdin, A. E. (2011) Single case experimental designs: Strategies for studying behavior change (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon

Kratochwill, T. R. (Ed.). (2013). Single subject research: Strategies for evaluating change. Academic Press.

Course Description

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

SPED 601, SPED 602

Career Development and Employment Models for Individuals with Disabilities

SPED 622

The purpose of this course is to provide graduate students with an overview of career development and employment models for youth with disabilities. This course teaches students how to design and implement effective methods to help persons with disabilities obtain and maintain employment. Course content includes marketing and job placement skills, job seeking, training, job adaptation, supported and transitional employment, employer assistance and training, and follow-along services. To satisfy requirements of the practicum, transition teachers will work in a supported or competitive employment setting. Tasks will include performing assessments, providing job coaching for individuals with disabilities, developing natural supports among coworkers and employers, or promoting integrated employment.

Course Objectives:

Examine theory and practice related to career development, work-based learning, and school and community vocational training models
Study factors in career assessment (student’s skills, interests, vocational planning, and community living)
Learn about student-focused transition planning (academic skills, daily living skills, personal and social skills, occupational and vocational skills)
Learn about program structure and interagency collaboration

Determine elements in job development (transition planning, vocational rehabilitation, and practical work experience)

Course Description

Prerequisite

Credits

Course Title

Course Code

SPED 601, SPED 602

Practicum in transition

SPED 630

This course provides graduate students with the skills needed to conceptualize, design, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive career development program in almost any setting in which they may work. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to survey an environment, coordinate with business owners, assess individual and organizational needs, apply theory to program design, develop or utilize career interventions, and evaluate program outcomes.

Course Objectives:

To demonstrate an understanding of the use of a systems approach to program development and evaluation related to life/career development.
To demonstrate an understanding of how to connect with business owners to facilitate training on their site.
To demonstrate an understanding of needs assessment and program evaluation strategies.
To develop broad-based knowledge of varied educational, occupational, and employment resources, including labor market and outlook information, and how these resources can be used in career program design.
To demonstrate an understanding of how job positions are created, supervised, and evaluated in developing career-related programs.

References

Sampson, J. P., Jr. (2008). Designing and implementing career programs: A handbook for effective practice. Broken Arrow, OK: National Career Development Association.

Epstein, S. A., & Lenz, J. G. (2008). Developing and managing career resources. Broken Arrow, OK: National Career Development Association.

Makela, J. P., & Rooney, G. (2012). Learning outcomes assessment step-by-step: Enhancing evidence base practice in career services. Broken Arrow, OK: National Career Development Association.

Course Description

Prerequisite	Credits	Course Title	Course Code
-	6	Thesis	SPED 630
				Course Description

College of Education - Al Kharj

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