King's College Graduate Courses - Fall 2009

Course Descriptions - M. Ed. in Reading

Educ 500 - Educational Research for Teachers . This course deals with understanding, developing, and utilizing data as applied to educational problems. The course will include an overview of quantitative and qualitative educational research. The major emphasis of the course will be teacher involvement in the action research process. This course is normally taken just before undertaking the Reading Research Project (Educ 575). Permission required. (3 credits)

Educ 510 - Developmental Nature of Reading . The nature of literacy learning is explored from the perspective of children constructing meaning and being actively involved in their learning. The reading-writing relationship and authentic assessment procedures are stressed. (3 credits)

   This course is being offered through the Reading Program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction Program

Educ 515 - Reading in the Content Area . This course emphasizes strategies that enhance a student's ability to understand content-area reading. Understanding the complexity of expository texts will be reviewed, along with techniques for improving vocabulary, comprehension, and study skills. (3 credits)

Educ 517 - Organizational, Administration and Supervision of Reading Programs . The effectiveness of managing reading programs will be explored. The human resources, structural, economic, political, and symbolic relationships impacting on instruction will be examined. The organizational framework of actual settings and leadership styles will be analyzed. (3 credits)

Educ 520 - The Writing Process K-12 . This course examines writing as a means of facilitating language development and learning. Practical means of impletmenting writing and the writing process into all aspects of the curriculum are examined, along with the reading-writing connection and writer's workshop. The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of the purpose for writing in K-12 classrooms. (3 credits)

Educ 575 - Reading Research Project . Each student will engage in a reading research project in an aread of special interest. Upon completion of the project, students will write a professional-quality academic paper. Prerequisite: Educ 500 Permission required (3 credits)

Educ 5861 - Look it Up!  Teaching Students to Use the Library and the Internet for Research.  A literate society expects its members to access, assess, and assimilate information for a variety of purposes, especially in a changing technological world.  To meet this need, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has developed research standards for students in Commonwealth schools.  This course enables teachers to participate in activities, to design classroom lessons, and to practice skills to assist students in meeting these standards.  The course will be taught by Thomas Jones, M.S., educational consultant and retired high school teacher.  (3 credits)

           This course is being offered through the Professional Development Center.  It can be used as an elective in the Reading program.

Course Descriptions - M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction

Educ 582 - Current Issues and Trends in Education . This course will focus on an examination of contemporary issues in education and their historical perspectives.  The development of school organizations and higher education; instructional programs and curricula; and the delivery systems and functions of education will be examined in light of contemporary issues. (3 credits)

Educ 584 - Interactive Learning . This course is designed to help students understand different key learning theories and their effective use in the design of accessible learning activities.  Students will focus on the identification, design and development of classroom materials and lessons that involve technology.  Ways to incorporate multimedia design and appropriate software into instructional methodology for the classroom will also be explored.  Students will apply learning theory principles to develop model lessons using emerging technologies. (3 credits)

Educ 590 - Educational Research and Statistics . This course deals with understanding, developing, and utilizing data as applied to educational problems. Methodology and techniques of empirical educational research will be explored. Specific techniques of gathering and analyzing educational data will be explored. This course will include an overview of quantitative and qualitative educational research. Special emphasis will be placed upon the action research process. (3 credits)  Prerequisite: completeion of all courses in an area of concentration, except the master's project.

Course Descriptions - Graduate Certificate in English as a Second Language (ESL)

Educ 605 - Instructional Materials, Technologies and Their Development . This course is designed around the methods, strategies, research and resources that enable participants to develop and implement an ESL program, to help English Language Learners acquire English language and academic cognitive understanding and skills. Participants design resource and teaching materials, implement them with their students, and provide reports to the class. Emphasis is placed on working with colleagues in schools, to help them understand that they, as well as ESL teachers, must adapt and modify content/lessons to enable ESL students to develop social and academic cognitive English. (3 credits)
   This course is being offered through the ESL graduate certificate program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction program, or as an elective in the Reading program.

Educ 610 - Assessment and Evaluation of Student, Program, Instruction, Family Involvement and Support Services . This course emphasizes multiple assessment models to determine English language performance and proficiency. Emphasis is placed on linking instruction with assessment results using individual and small group activities. As a culminating project, students develop and present a performance unit either for ESL students in a particular grade or for an ESL program across multiple grades. Finally, the WIDA assessment mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is examined. (3 credits)

   This course is being offered through the ESL graduate certificate program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction program.

Educ 615 - Cultural and Linguistic Diversities, Approaches and Collaborative Methods for Developing Cultural Awareness . In this course, cultural and linguistic diversities are examined through the mosaic of groups immigrating to the United States . The analyses focus on: time period of immigration, reasons for immigrating, and differences among immigrating groups in education, occupation, religion, native language, ESL mode or type used with these groups, and other variables. Melting-pot perspectives of assimilation and acculturation are covered, as well as the "salad bowl" view. Methods of working with culturally and linguistically diverse families and ways to collaborate with them and their needs are examined. (3 credits)
   This course is being offered through the ESL graduate certificate program, but it may also be taken as a concentration course in the Curriculum and Instruction program.

Course Descriptions - Master's in Health Care Administration

HCA 500 - Introduction to Health Services Systems.  This course is designed as a comprehensive introduction to the organization of the U.S. health care “system.”  It examines the major institutions, professions, and political forces that influence the provision of health care services in the United States.  Students explore the development of each major component of the medical care system from an historical perspective by examining the changes in their organization and role over time.  They also consider the major problems presently confronting each aspect of health care and discuss alternative means of resolving these issues for the future.  (3 credits)

HCA 502 - Human Resources Management.  This course surveys the activities and decision-making functions of the human resources manager, including personnel planning, recruitment, interviewing, training and development, compensation practices, benefits administration, maintaining personnel records, employee communication, labor relations and succession planning, with an emphasis on the legal dimensions of these various activities.  Attention is also drawn to the professional and legal responsibilities of the individual manager or team leader in matters such as employee rights, privacy, sexual harassment, discrimination in the workplace, employee evaluations, workers’ compensation and recruitment of personnel.  This comprehensive review occurs from the unique perspective of the health services organization.  (3 credits)

HCA 504 - Human Care Economics.  This course is an in-depth study of the major topics in health care economics.  The course examines the production, cost, and financing of health care services, delivery mechanisms and their effects, health labor markets and professional training, and use of economic evaluation tools (cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses) in making decisions about allocation of scarce resources.  Students comprehend the essential economic concepts, critically review relevant research evidence, and consider the policy implications for the various interest groups in both private and public sector.  (3 credits)

HCA 507 - Health Care Financial Management . This course introduces both the theory and concepts behind financial decision making in the health services industry. The primary goal of this course is to provide an operational knowledge of financial management theory and concepts. Students will be given the opportunity to apply these ideas to real-world healthcare business settings and to use spreadsheet analyses to help make better financial decisions. It is strongly recommended that students take HCA 541 before taking this course. (3 credits)

HCA 521 - Community Health Administration . This course examines community health initiatives designed to protect and advance the general health of the public. Topics to be covered include: history of public health, epidemiology, community assessment, public health management, health education, child health programs, communicable and chronic diseases, environmental health, and the future of the public health. Particular attention is paid to partnering with managed care organizations in order to acquire needed resources. (3 credits)

HCA 541 - Managerial Accounting for Health Care Administration . This course is intended to provide an overview of the subject of accounting. Students will learn financial and managerial accounting concepts with an empasis on contemporary management control theory as applied in the health services industry. The course begins with the characteristics of the management control function. It then examines the nature and purpose of financial statements and introduces fund accounting. The course concludes with coverage of full cost accounting, the measurement and use of differential costs, and pricing decisions. (3 credits)

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