Course:  Education 106: Practicum in Child Development

Departments:  Graduate School of Education

Program:  Eastside Community Cybrary

Instructor(s):  Professor Sharon Duffy or departmental lecturers

Participants (based on 2004-05 data):

• Approximately 50 undergraduates pre academic year

Course description:

• Connects theory to practice with a focus on improving conceptual and practical knowledge of course content
• Provides undergraduates with an opportunity to explore the possibility of teaching as a career, especially in under-resourced schools
• Provides undergraduates with experience working with children of different ages and cultural backgrounds

Fieldwork:

• Undergraduates mentoring and interacting with children at the site
• Observation of children’s experiences in the program and preparation of field notes

Evaluation Strategies:

• Pre- and post-tests of undergraduate knowledge of course content
• Examination of undergraduate field notes to measure understanding of theory and practice related to course content

• Survey of undergraduate interest in pursuing graduate or professional school studies

Research focus:

• Analysis of undergraduate field notes to document changes in conceptual understanding and perceptions of teaching as a career

Sample Course Syllabus