Scheme of Study for M.S leading to Ph.D in Special Education

Department of Special Education

University of Karachi

 

Agenda Item No. 2: Scheme of Study for M.S Leading to Ph. D in Special Education

 

1. Faculty Courses
   

 

811.                                03 Credit Hours

821.                                03 Credit Hours

831.                                03 Credit Hours

1. Courses Offered by Department
   

   812. Policy and Trends in Special Education            03 Credit Hours
   

   822. Advanced Research Skills in Sp03 Credit Hours    
   

   832.
   Contemporary Issues in Special Education        03 Credit Hours
   

C. 842 Dissertation                        12 Credit Hours

 

                                    _____________

 

                                    30 Credit Hours

                                    _____________

 

Paper 1: POLICY AND TRENDS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Credit Hours: 03

COURSE OUTLINE

Unit 1: INTRODUCTION

1. The Crisis In Special Education
   
2. Understanding Educational Change
   
3. Economic Issues in Special Education
   
4. Reform Issues in Special Education
   
5. Restructuring Issues
   
6. Politics and the Future of Special Education
   

UNIT 2: ADMINISTERING SPECIAL EDUCATION

1. Exclusion, Mainstreaming and Inclusion
   
2. Public Education in the Knowledge Age
   
3. The Knowledge Worker
   
4. Expectation of Schools in the Knowledge Age
   
5. Responsibilities of Schools in Special Education
   
6. Responsibilities and Competencies
   

UNIT 3: ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

     1. The Elements of Organization

Culture

Policy

Procedures

Goals

Objectives

Organizational Structure

2. Organizational Designs

Large School

Medium Sized

Rural Area's School

UNIT 4: SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Communicating with the External Community

General Communication Strategy

Citizen Advisory Committee

NGOs of the School Area

Volunteers and Paraprofessionals

Communicating with Parents

Understanding Parents

Improving Parent-Teacher Conferences

Dealing with Advocacy Groups

Communicating through the Media

Defining the News

Working with Reporters

Communicating with the Internal Community

Written Communications

Internal Advisory Committee

Procedures for Conducting Meetings

Unit 5: SOCIAL POLICY

1. Social policy and administration

2. Welfare

• The welfare state
  
• Arguments for welfare
  
• Arguments against welfare
  
• Who is welfare for?
  
• Models of welfare
  
• Globalization and welfare
  

3. International aspects of social policy

• The social policy of the Developed Countries
  
• Social policy in developing countries
  

4. The provision of welfare

• Public sector
  
• Private sector
  
• Voluntary sector
  
• Mutual aid
  
• Informal sector
  
• Public services
  

5. The structure of social services

• Social service management
  
• Planning
  
• Public finance
  
• Evaluating policy
  

6. Poverty

• Measuring poverty
  
• The causes of poverty
  
• Social exclusion
  
• Poverty & Disability
  

7. Other segments of society

• Unemployment
  
• Old age
  
• The needs of special children
  
  

8. The social services

• Health
  
• Housing & Homelessness
  
• Social security benefits
  
• Social insurance
  
• Means testing
  
• Non-contributory benefits
  
• Universal benefits
  
• Discretionary benefits
  
• Employment services
  
• Personal social services
  
• Community care
  
• Social work
  
• Services to criminal justice
  
• Educational disadvantage
  
  

Recommended Books:

Podemski, R. S. et al., (1995). Comprehensive Administration of Special Education (2^nd Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Merrill, an Imprint of Prentice Hall.

Rayner, S. and Ribbins, P. (1999). Headteachers and Leadership in Special Education. London: Cassell.

Fullan, Michael G. (1991) The New Meaning of Educational Change. New York:

Teachers College Press

Skrtic, Thomas M. (1995) Disability and Democrary: Reconstructing [Special]

Education for Postmodernity. New York: Teachers College Press.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

Paper II: ADVANVED RESEARCH SKILLS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Credit Hours: 03

COURSE OUTLINE:

SECTION – A

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

1. Prestudy Tasks, Overview Research Design, Qualitative Traditions
   
2. Participant Observation, Ethnography,
   
3. Focus Groups
   
4. Documents
   
5. Review Biography,
   
6. Phenomenology,
   
7. Grounded Theory,
   
8. Ethnography,
   
9. Case Study
   
10. Focus Groups
    
11. Action Research
    
12. Hermeneutics
    
13. Critical Theory
    
14. Policy Studies
    
15. Peer Review of Methodology Plans [AECT]
    
16. Evaluating Mixed Method Research
    
17. Data Analysis
    
18. Sharing Results / Writing the Narrative
    

 

SECTION – B

SINGLE SUBJECT RESEARCH IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

1. Parameters of Research
   
2. Special Education Science or Art?
   
3. Behavior and Social Validity
   
4. Direct Observational Recording and Reliability of Measurement
   
5. Graphic Displays and Visual Analysis of Graphic Data
   
6. Withdrawal and Reversal Designs
   
7. Multiple Baseline Designs
   
8. Variations of the Multiple Baseline Design
   
9. Multiple Probe and Changing Criterion Designs
   
10. Comparative Intervention Designs (Multitreatment, ATD, AATD)
    

 

SECTION – B

CRITICAL AND EVALUATIVE READING

• Nature of critical reading
  
• Variation in critical reading techniques
  
• Analysis and evaluation of written material
  
• Arguments
  

• Types
  
  • Inductive
    
  • Deductive
    
• Parts
  
  • Premises
    
  • Reasons
    
  • Conclusions
    
• Evaluation
  
  • Truth
    
  • Validity
    
  • Preparing a written evaluation
    
  • Synthesis of ideas in related written materials
    
    • Process
      
      • Comparison/contrast
        
      • Integration
        
      • Final conclusion
        
    • Formats
      
      • Mapping
        
      • Outlining
        
      • Summarizing
        
      • Charting
        
    • Preparing a written report
      

 

 

REFERENCES

Angrosino, M. V. (1998). On the bus with Vonnie Lee: Explorations in life history and metaphor. In J. H. Creswell, Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions (pp. 257-269). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Beck, C.T. (1993). Teetering on the edge: A substantive theory of postpartum depression. Nursing Research 42(3), 42-48.

Berg, B.L. (2004). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (5^th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Bogden, R.R. & Biklen, S.K. (2003). Qualitative research in education: An introduction to theories and methods (4^th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Drisko, J.W. (1997). Strengthening qualitative studies and reports: Standards to promote academic integrity. Journal of Social Work Education 33(1), 186-197.

Ely, M. (1991). Doing qualitative research: Circles within circles. London: The Falmer Press.

Fielding, N. & Lee, R. (1998). Computer analysis and qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Fisher, C. T. (1984). A phenomenological study of being criminally victimized: Contributions and constraints of qualitative research. Journal of Social Issues 40(1), 161-178.

Lincoln, Y. & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. London: SAGE Publications.

LeCompte, M.D., & Schensul, J.J. (1999). Analyzing and interpreting ethnographic data. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.

Miles, M.B. & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2^nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Miller, J. (1997). Researching violence against street prostitutes: Issues of epistemology, methodology, and ethics. In M.D. Schwartz (Ed.), Researching sexual violence against women: Methodological and personal perspectives (pp. 144-156). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Poland, B. D. (1995). Transcription quality as an aspect of rigor in qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 1(3), 290-310.

Seale, C.F. (2002). Computer assisted analysis of qualitative interview data, In J.F. Gubrium & J.A. Holstein, (Eds.), Handbook of interview research (pp. 651-670). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Taylor, S.J. & Bogdan, R. (1998). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource (3^rd ed.). N.Y.: John Wiley & Sons.

Urquiza, A. J., Wyatt, G. E., & Goodlin-Jones, B. L. (1997). Clinical interviewing with trauma victims: Managing interviewer risk. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12,

759–772.

Ware, N. C., Turenberg, T., Dickey, B., & McHorney, C.A. (1999). An ethnographic study of the meaning of continuity of care in mental health services. Psychiatric Services 50(3), 395-400.

________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

Paper III: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Credit Hours: 03

Course Outline

• Competing Perspectives and Continuing Challenges
  
• Historical and Current Perspectives
  
• Educational Reform
  
• Assessment and Accountability Issues
  
• Eligibility; Placement; Meaningful Outcomes
  
• Service Delivery Issues
  
  • Inclusive Education
    
  • Least Restrictive Environment
    
  • Related Services
    
  • Advocacy
    
• Supportive Learning Environments
  
  • Partial Participation
    
  • Classroom Management
    
  • Shaping Adaptive Behaviors
    
  • Cultural Diversity
    
• At-Risk Populations and Programs/High-Need Schools
  
• Socioeconomic Disadvantage/Rural Education/Funding Issues
  
• Collaboration, Consultation and Co-Teaching
  
• Transition from High School to Work or College
  
• Postsecondary Issues
  
• Quality of Life; Self-Determination
  
• Ethical Issues
  
• Research-Based Instruction/Practice
  
• Teacher Education
  
• Paraprofessional Training
  
• Technology-Related Issues
  

Selected Readings:

There is no specific text required for this course. Selected topics and readings will be assigned throughout the semester. Additional topics of interest may be developed by the instructor and students.

Additional Optional Resources:

Gallagher, J. J. (2006). Driving change in special education. Baltimore: Brookes.

Mostert, M. P., Kavale, K. A., & Kauffman, J. M. (2007). Challenging the refusal of reasoning in special education. Denver, CO: Love Publishing Company.

EARLY INTERVENTION (Optional Paper)

Unit 1:        Perspective, Policies and Practices

1. History of concern for Early Intervention
   
   1. Changing Perspectives
      
   2. Changing Policies
      
2. Service Delivery Models
   
   1. For Infants & Toddlers
      
   2. For 3-5 Year Olds
      
   3. For 5-Year Old
      
3. Current Practices
   
   1. Family Centered Intervention
      
   2. Naturalistic / Functional Curriculum
      
   3. Integration
      
   4. General Case Instruction
      
   5. Naturalistic Teaching Approaches
      
   6. Transdisciplinary Team Approach
      
   7. Transition Planning
      

Unit     2:    Program Development

1. The Individualized Family Support Program (IFSP)
   
   1. Assessment Procedures
      
   2. The IFSP Process
      
2. Individualized Educational Plan Development
   
   1. Preschool Assessment Concerns
      
   2. Assessment Procedures
      
   3. The IEP Development
      

Unit     3:    Naturalistic Curriculum Model

1. Traditional Curriculum Models
   
2. A Naturalistic Model
   
   1. Content of Instruction
      
   2. Context of Instruction
      
   3. Instructional Methods
      
   4. Evaluation Methods
      
3. Implementing a Naturalistic Curriculum
   

Unit     4:    Instructional Principles

1. Providing Assistance
   
   1. Prompts
      
   2. Graduated Guidance
      
   3. Cues
      
   4. Errorless Procedures
      
   5. Fading
      
2. Providing Encouragement
   
   1. Positive Reinforcement
      
   2. Shaping and Selective Reinforcement
      
   3. Environmental Arrangements
      
   4. Guidelines for Providing Effective Encouragement
      
3. Promoting Generalization
   
   1. Formulating General Case Objectives
      
   2. General Case Instruction
      
   3. Generalization Procedures
      

Unit     5:    Specialized Instructional Techniques

1. Communication Skills
   
2. Social Skills
   
3. Physical Development Skills
   
4. Adaptive Development Skills
   
5. Intervention in National Environment
   
6. Group Instruction
   

Unit:    6:    Program Organization, Management and Transition

1. Programmatic Variables
   
2. Program Management
   
3. Transition in Early Childhood
   
4. Planning Transition
   
5. Barriers to Transition Planning
   

 

Textbook:

Noonan, M.J., & McCormick, L. (1993). Early Intervention in National in Natural Environment. California: Brooks.

    
 

 

    
 

 

 

 

Read More

Video Making Traning By Camtasia

Read More

Another Infomative Website

www.specialsedu.com

Read More

Brain Power

By: Bob Lasseter

Do you have a 2, 3, 4 or 5 year old? Then please read this. If you introduce your child to a 2nd language now you will be giving your child a tremendous advantage in learning and life!  Being exposed to a 2nd language early in life builds a foundation for success that extends way beyond just being exposed to another language. It is amazing the way a young child can absorb various information. The more educational activities they are exposed to during these early years the more the brain retains. And the introduction to a 2nd language stimulates their young minds while helping them build BRAIN POWER.

Research shows that "Younger is Better" when it comes to learning a 2nd Language. It is easier to learn 2 words for a number, color or everyday word as part of the early education process than it is for an older child who has to relearn new words.  Did you teach your child how to speak English? No - they just absorb it by being exposed to English as an infant and toddler so why not Spanish in conjunction with English?

Other research shows that learning a 2nd language at an EarlyAGE results in higher standardized test scores, increased math & language skills and educational opportunities as well as becoming better problem solvers with eventual premier job opportunities. Everyone from the United States Postal Service to many of your local employers are requiring employees to be Spanish bilingual as a condition of employment - so let them get a "jumpstart" by introducing Spanish basics ASAP.

Why not boost your child's confidence and self esteem by getting him or her exposed to Spanish basics as soon as possible. There will never be a better time than now!

Author Bio

Bob Lasseter is a CPA and the Founder of SpanishFUN - The PreSchool Spanish Franchise

www.spanishfun.net

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com

Read More

E=mc2 is Wrong - Einstein's Special Relativity Fundamentally Flawed

E=mc2 is Wrong - Einstein's Special Relativity Fundamentally Flawed
By: Michael Strauss

Is Albert Einstein's Special Relativity incompatible with the very equations upon which science's greatest theory is built?  New observations made by many scientists and engineers appear to contradict the great German scientist's ideas.  Apparently there are implicit contradictions present within Relativity's foundational ideas, documents and equations.  One individual has even pointed that quotations from the 1905 document and Einstein's contemporaries as well as interpretations of the Relativity equations clearly and concisely describe a confused and obviously erroneous theory.  It is time therefore, for science to update its thinking on this theory with a comprehensive analysis of the history leading up to, during and after that revolutionary year of Special Relativity.

As this is the 100 year anniversary of the original release of Special Relativity, a review of the original assumptions, documents and ideas which led to the acceptance of this theory is timely and warranted.  Every year millions of students are taught this theory without a critical analysis of Relativity.  Relativity Theory consists of its two variants Special Relativity and General Relativity and is considered the cornerstone of modern physics.

Albert Einstein borrowed from the ideas of Fitzgerald, Lorentz and Voigt to create a new concept of the universe.  His first work in this regard later came to be known as Special Relativity and contained many controversial ideas which today are considered axiomatic.  Amongst these are Length Contraction, Time Dilation, the Twin Paradox and the equivalence of mass and energy summarized in the equation E=mc2.

This equation became the shining capstone of the new theory along with its first & second postulates, namely, that the laws of nature are the same from all perspectives and that the speed of light 'c' is constant in a vacuum regardless of perspective.  Further, the theory also predicted an increase in mass with velocity.  Numerous examples have been given of the 'proof' of the validity of Special Relativity.

Most notably, experiments using particle accelerators have sped particles to incredible velocities which apparently provide confirmation of Einstein's theory.  However, doubts remain in the scientific community who have never totally given up the comfort of a Newtonian world view.  This is readily apparent in that they refer to the Newton's 'Law' of Gravitation whilst Special Relativity (SR) and General Relativity (GR) are given the polite attribution 'The Theory of' or simply SR 'theory' and GR 'theory.'  Einstein would continue working on the ideas of Special Relativity until producing the aforementioned even more controversial treatise.

In his later more comprehensive work called the Theory of General Relativity (1916), Einstein proposed a major re-thinking of cosmology.  He conceived of a space time continuum that is curved by mass; in other words, planets, stars, galaxies and other stellar objects cause a curvature of space time.  The movement of these objects are determined by the aforementioned curvature.

As a result of these ideas, our understanding of geometry, math, physics, science and the universe would never be the same.  However, some scientists are reporting that speed of light is not constant from different experimental observations.  One has even reported errors in the fundamental equations.  If so, this would require a major rethinking of the known cosmological models and assumptions of modern physics.

Author Bio

Michael Strauss is an engineer and author of Requiem for Relativity the Collapse of Special Relativity.  To contact the author visit: www.relativitycollapse.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Read More

Robot Toy: The New Generation Play Tool

Robot Toy: The New Generation Play Tool
By: Thomas Champeval

Gone are the days when children satisfied themselves with simple games of hopscotch or tag. Heck, there are practically no more "simple toys" in the toy market nowadays wherein it's slowly being dominated by more and more complicated contraptions. From toy PDA electronic models to enhanced walkie talkies, children nowadays have more discerning taste when it comes to their playing pleasure. So in an age wherein cellphones and digital cameras are just all too common, what's really the buzz about the wonders of a robot toy? What makes a robot toy tick? And probably, most important, what makes a robot toy click?  To put things simply, an electronic robot toy is an extremely sophisticated piece of technology especially for children who have always been used to playing with either plastic, wooden or plush toys.

Things are indeed a changin' nowadays, a robot toy is practically what each and every kid, well boys that is asks for in his wish list.

Starting with the very hip and ultra high-tech robot toy, Robo Sapien which promises to be a whole more than just a simple robot toy. A smart robot toy like this actually tries to break the mold ordinary plastic robot toys that only has blinking lights and beeping sound effects. Robot toys that are available in the market today are far more sophisticated than that especially since they've been able to make these robot toys more interactive. A very important factor when it comes to ensuring its saleability in this rapidly changing world of toy commerce.

Video games have been a common staple when it comes to electronic toy gadgets for children, however these cannot be considered as a robot toy. The once popular Tamagotchi may look and feel like a video game but it is actually in fact a robot toy as well. What's differentiates the Tamagotchi from being a video game you might ask? Well for one thing, video games are just electronic role playing mind games wherein you have a specific goal or task that must be taken care of while a robot toy like the Tamagotchi is actually highly dependent on the interaction between the Tamagotchi and the user. The Tamagotchi is actually a simulation of what is supposed to be of an animal, just like ordinary toy robots which are mock-ups of human beings while a video game is merely an audio visual device that is used to play games.

There are actually all sorts of robot toys available in the market today, from highly sophisticated, not to mention, costly, Robo Sapien to outdated Tamagotchis to high tech robot toy pets that have caused quite a stir even in Japan wherein people don't really have that much time to take care of a real dog. Robo pets have been creating a lot of buzz in the toy market because of its highly innovative design and almost life like actions, Robo pets usually comes in either a pet dog or a pet cat. It can play fetch, run, heel, even bark at you.

This robot pet has certainly come a long, long way from the old wind-up robot toys that used to be every kid's fancy. Come to think of it, not only children are getting into the whole robot toy craze, with many grown adults now getting more and more hooked to the highly sophisticated robot toys in the market. Considering that adults do have the spending power as compared with children who are still reliant on their parents' mercy, toy companies are also trying to come out with robot toys that can be appreciated by adults as well.

Author Bio
For a robot toy or a roomba robot vacuum, please visit RobotShop.ca.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Read More

Religion

this is my

Read More