History and Future of Special Education – EDSP 722

Course Description

This course introduces students to special education and disability advocacy from a Christian perspective, tracing historical trends in the treatment of people with disabilities to current trends and critical issues in special education and disability advocacy today.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

This course is designed to provide the candidate with an opportunity to explore current trends in special education within the broader context of history, society, and current education. Research and evidence-based practices within the field of special education will be highlighted in order to equip the candidate with the skills and knowledge necessary to advocate, educate, and research in this field.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be at least 400 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and contain a minimum of 1 citation in current APA format to support assertions. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and contain a minimum of 1 citation in current APA format to support assertions. (CLO: A, B, D)

Journal Critiques (3)

The candidate will research and select 1 article written 5 years ago or less that covers specific special education content. The candidate will briefly summarize the article and offer a critique of the article. This assignment must be 2–3 pages. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Historical Review Project

Outline
The candidate will select a special education topic and investigate the importance, significance, and impact of this chosen topic pertaining to its history. In addition to the research topic, the candidate will submit a detailed outline.

Research Paper
The candidate will select a special education topic and write a 1,500–1,750–word paper to address the chosen research topic. The candidate must use at least 5 scholarly sources. (CLO: A, D, E, F)

Research to Practice Presentation

The candidate will identify a topic of interest (e.g., a specific practice or policy) and develop a presentation for stakeholders linking research to practice through the use of evidence-based practices. The presentation must be 20–25 minutes in length and address the policy foundations and knowledge base supporting this practice. The candidate must include 5–6 scholarly references and include a script in the notes section of the PPT. (CLO: A, C, D, E, F)

Technology Review Analysis

For this assignment, the candidate will compare 2 reviews of a major academic book from the time it was published (older than 5 years) to understand how new ideas may be supported or criticized within the scholarly community. The candidate will find 2 current journal articles that cite the reviewed source to see how current authors are building on the ideas of others specific to the topic of Technology in Special Education. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F)

Personal Debate Paper

The candidate will conduct an exercise called a Personal Debate. This is a paper designed to show the candidate how to consider both sides of an issue equally and how to articulate scholarly, thoughtful, and balanced arguments for each side. The goal of the Personal Debate is to understand each side of an issue while prayerfully and intelligently forming a conclusive conviction about that issue.

The Personal Debate will focus on the topic of Special Education and Technology. Used correctly, technology can support individuals with disabilities in overcoming a variety of challenges and limitations. Innovative developers are creating and using technology to provide opportunities that might have not existed before. (CLO: A, C, E, F)