EDUC 534 - Best Practices in Teaching

Students in this course will analyze and synthesize best practices in teaching as defined and described a variety of researchers to include Grant Wiggens, Steve Challahan, David Rose, Lisa Delpit, Ruby Payne, Harvey Daniels, Steve Zemelman, and Arthur Hyde. Best practice literature will be examined from developmental, content specific, and diversity perspectives. Students will apply best practice principles to an analysis of a selected aspect of their own teaching, with the goal of advancing student academic achievement. In this course, students will examine evidence-based literature related to the concept of best practices in teaching. The course is a companion course to Learners and Learning Theory (EDM 536) in that the question, “How do teachers teach so learners learn best?” will be examined. Commonalities in best practice across disciplines will be explored as will specific aspects of best practice related to content fields. The course will seek to model and assess seven principals of Best Practice in each class meeting and via online interactions among students and the professor. Aspects of differentiated instruction, universal design for learning will be woven throughout the course. The class will be presented in a hybrid manner, meeting on campus for five sessions during the semester.

Credits: 4