Current Issues in Education – EDUC 380

Course Description

This course provides an examination of current issues in the field of education with classroom implications and case study.

Please note, this course is not part of a program leading to eligibility of a Virginia state teaching license (or license in any other state). Individuals seeking to obtain a state teaching license should contact soelicensure@liberty.edu for recommended course options.

Rationale

Research in specific areas of academic interests are necessary for professional growth and development. This course is for candidates who are not pursuing licensure or ACSI certification.

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 (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. Each thread must be at least 300 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates' threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words. (CLO: E)

Final Project Assignments (4)

The research-based Final Project Assignments contain several related parts which are described below. The candidate will be permitted to research a relevant topic in the field of education to create the Final Project: Presentation Assignment. Writing lesson plans, unit plans, or a research paper does not qualify as for the Final Project: Presentation Assignment. 

1. Final Project: Proposal Assignment: The candidate will submit the Final Project: Proposal Assignment that outlines the premise of his/her project idea. The Final Project: Proposal Assignment consists of 5 elements: Purpose, Rationale, Research, Application, and Outcomes. Each of these elements is described and explained in the Assignments Instructions folder. The Final Project: Proposal Assignment must be approved by the course instructor prior to beginning work on the project. (CLO: C, D, E)
2. Final Project: Grading Rubric Development Assignment: The candidate will create a Final Project: Grading Rubric Development Assignment which could be used to evaluate the Final Project: Presentation Assignment. The candidate must include five or more categories in the rubric to evaluate his/her specific Final Project: Presentation Assignment. Each category should be clear and specifically related to the topic approved for the Final Project: Presentation Assignment. The total points for a perfect score should be 100 points. The rubric should have no spelling or grammatical errors. (CLO: C, D, E)
3. Final Project: Self-Evaluation Assignment: The candidate will use the Final Project: Self-Evaluation Assignment Template provided in Assignment Instructions in order to self-evaluate his/her completed project. (CLO: C, D, E)
4. Final Project: Presentation Assignment: The Final Project: Presentation Assignment is a research-based assignment that the candidate will individually complete. In addition to the course textbook, the candidate should locate scholarly, peer-reviewed academic journal articles to find current information concerning his/her chosen topic. At least three of the sources chosen should be published within the last 5 years. In-text citations should be used in current APA format when sources are used in the Final Project: Presentation Assignment.  The candidate will not submit the Final Project: Presentation Assignment in the form of a research paper; instead, the candidate will present the Final Project: Presentation Assignment using the form of communication most suited to the topic. The candidate can use a YouTube video, iMovie, Photo Story, PowerPoint, Prezi, etc. to present the Final Project: Presentation Assignment. (CLO: A, B,C, D, E)

Portfolio Assignment

The candidate will create and submit the Portfolio Assignment. This Portfolio Assignment will include four different required sections, including the Cover, Resume, Teaching Statement and Teaching Tools. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)