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EDUC 5010: Education in Context: History, Philosophy, and Sociology

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Credits: 3

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Instructor Contact Information: You can also always send your instructor a private message through the Moodle Messaging system. Once logged into your course, click your instructor’s Moodle profile page to be provided the ways in which to communicate with your instructor. Your instructor's email will also be listed in their profile.

Course Description: Effective teaching requires an understanding of the context of contemporary education. To prepare students for advanced study in the Master of Education program, this course allows students to examine the historical social, political, and global forces that have shaped the education system in its various contexts. With special attention to how educational models have evolved over time to serve diverse learners in a variety of contexts, students will evaluate formative classical and modern philosophies to articulate their own personal philosophy of education.

Required Textbook and Materials: UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main required textbooks for this course are listed below, and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course's General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

• This course does not contain a main textbook; resources to all required reading will be provided in the course Learning Guide for each week.

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Software Requirements/Installation: No special requirements.

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Learning Objectives

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

By the end of this program,

1. Students will be able to create and analyze developmentally appropriate curricula.
2. Students will be able to create an effective learning environment by implementing practices based on the diversity of their learners and the resources available to them.
3. Students will be able to create lessons based on the performance of learners on previous assessments.
4. Students will be able to take specialization:

Course Learning Objectives (CLOs):

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Examine the Program Learning Outcomes for the Master of Education program.
2. Assess how the evolution of educational models over time has shaped understanding of developmentally appropriate curricula.
3. Evaluate how classical and modern philosophies have impacted contemporary education.
4. Examine the global, social, and political influences that how modern education systems serve diverse learners.
5. Prepare a personal Philosophy of Teaching Statement.

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Course Schedule and Topics: This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week.

Week 1: Unit 1 - History and Purpose of Schooling in the United States

Week 2: Unit 2 - Historical Global Foundations of Education

Week 3: Unit 3 - Philosophical Foundations of Education

Week 4: Unit 4 - Global Philosophical Foundations in Education

Week 5: Unit 5 - Sociological Foundations of Education

Week 6: Unit 6 - Social & Political Issues

Week 7: Unit 7 - Global Standings and Perspectives  

Week 8: Unit 8 - The Role of Educators in a Changing World

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Learning Guide: The following is an outline of how this course will be conducted, with suggested best practices for students.  The Learning Guides for all units open on the first day of class.  Please review all Learning Guides to access the readings, review assignments, etc. 

Unit 1: History and Purpose of Schooling in the United States

• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Complete and submit the Written Assignment
• Complete the Portfolio Assignment

Unit 2:  Historical Global Foundations of Education

• Peer assess Unit 1 Written Assignment
• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Complete and submit the Written Assignment
• Complete the Portfolio Assignment

Unit 3: Philosophical Foundations of Education

• Peer assess Unit 2 Written Assignment
• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Complete and submit the Written Assignment
• Begin and participate in the Group Activity (Due Unit 7)
• Complete the Portfolio Assignment

Unit 4: Global Philosophical Foundations in Education

• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Continue to participate in the Group Activity
• Complete the Portfolio Assignment

Unit 5: Sociological Foundations of Education

• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Continue to participate in the Group Activity
• Complete and submit the Written Assignment

Unit 6: Social & Political Issues

• Peer assess Unit 5 Written Assignment
• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Continue to participate in the Group Activity
• Complete the Portfolio Assignment

 Unit 7: Global Standings and Perspectives  

• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Complete and submit the Written Assignment
• Complete and submit the Group Presentation
• Complete the Portfolio Assignment

Unit 8: The Role of Educators in a Changing World

• Peer assess Unit 7 Written Assignment
• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
• Complete the Portfolio Assignment
• Complete and submit the anonymous Course Evaluation

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Course Requirements: Campus Tech Support Email for English programs: support@uopeople.edu

Regular and Substantive Interaction:

As your instructor, they will interact and engage with each of you on a regular basis throughout the term to support your learning. They will provide direct instruction related to the course’s learning objectives, respond to your questions, grade and/or provide feedback on your submitted coursework, post regular announcements, and engage in the course discussion areas regarding academic course content when appropriate.

Course Expectations and Learning Activities:

Discussions' Response Posts/Ratings

Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posed by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least three (3) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum and by rating their posts. Instructions for proper posting and rating (out of a 10 point scale) are provided inside the Discussion Forum for each week. Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end. Failure to participate in the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum and responding to peers as required may result in failure of the course.

Assignments Activities
The assignment activities are graded by your instructor. The grading rubric is listed under the assignment instructions. The grading rubric is a document that outlines the criteria that your instructor will use to grade your work. Failure to submit Assignment Activities may result in failure of the course.

Group Project
During this course, you will be required to complete work as part of a small group. Group work is an important component of your coursework, as it allows you to deepen relationships with classmates, and gain a more thorough understanding of the topics presented in this course. Further, group work mimics the educational environment in which projects are often conducted in small teams across different departments. You will be randomly assigned to your groups and are expected to work with your teammates throughout the term for all group activities.

The Research and Practice Portfolio 
Throughout the M.Ed. Program, you will be building a portfolio of instructional strategies and materials and acquiring knowledge and skills for advanced professional practice. Students begin building their portfolio right from start. It serves as a repository for research findings and sample units and lessons. Students use it to archive ideas and resources related to instructional methods, classroom management, and assessment. The portfolio supports your own self-reflection on changes that demonstrate growth in professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes that is part of the Capstone experience. The component parts of the Research and Practice Portfolio include:

• Reflective Portfolio Activities
• Research
• Teaching and Learning Resources
• Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Course Forum
The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.

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Course Policies:

Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated here:

Discussion Assignments	20%
Written Assignments	30%
Group Activities	25%
Reflective Portfolio Activities	25%
TOTAL	100%

Grading Scale
This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated here:

Letter Grade	Grade Scale	Grade Points
A+	98-100	4.00
A	93-97	4.00
A-	90-92	3.67
B+	88-89	3.33
B	83-87	3.00
B-	80-82	2.67
C+	78-79	2.33
C	73-77	2.00
C-	70-72	0.00
D+	68-69	0.00
D	63-67	0.00
D-	60-62	0.00
F	Under 60	0.00
CR	N/A	N/A
NC	N/A	N/A
NF	N/A	N/A
W	N/A	N/A

Grade Appeal
If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within 14 days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.

Participation Expectations

• Be involved and active in your courses.
• While we have several discussion forums that are not graded in the same week, your participation is required as it will be assessed in assignment activities in the following units.
• Be involved in the group project discussion starting from Unit 3 of the course until the submission in Unit 6.
• Be highly motivated and disciplined.
• Check the course homepage, calendar and assignment page, the course syllabus, your UoPeople email, and the Moodle course discussion forums several times a week.
• Post the required comments and responses to the discussion forum for your course.
• Keep up with your assignments and manage your time well. Different types of activities (e.g. infographics, presentation slides, reflection, essay) will help you enhance understanding and achieve the expected skills.
• Participate actively in class discussions.
• Be polite and respectful.
• Use proper grammar and correct spelling.
• Be honest and original. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any online course

Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:

• Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
• Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
• All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.

Academic Honesty and Integrity
When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.

Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several styles and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Purdue University’s Online Writing LAB (OWL) is a free website that provides excellent information and resources for understanding and using the APA format and style. The OWL website can be accessed here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html

Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.