A,
S73I4+
O ?
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
I
?
SENATE
?
From
?
SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE
STUDIES
FACULTY OF EDUCATION - PROPOSAL FOR
Subject
?
A MINOR IN LEARNING DISABILITIES
?
Date ?
NOVEMBER 15, 1973
MOTION: ?
"That Senate approve, as set forth in S.73--144, the
?
proposed Minor in Learning Disabilities."
.
0
From
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
To
?
SENATE
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
?
S-73-1
44
MEMORANDUM
Subject
FACULTY OF EDUCATION - PROPOSAL FOR
?
Date ?
NOVEMBER 14, 1973.
A MINOR IN LEARNING DISABILITIES
On the recommendation of the Faculty of Education,
the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies has
approved, - as set forth in SCUS 73-39 - the Minor
in Learning Disabilities, and recommends approval
to Senate.
j
I. Mugridge
HME : j b
0
I
To_____
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
From ?
H. M. EVANS
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
?
SECRETARY OF SCUS
Subject
?
FACULTY OF EDuCATION - PROPOSAL FOR
?
Date ?
OCTOBER 31, 1973
A MINOR IN LEARNING DISABILITIES
The Faculty of Education has submitted for consideration
the attached proposal for a Minor in Learning Disabilities.
HME : j b
0
-1-
PROPOSAL FOR A MINOR
TITLE: ?
Minor in Learning Disabilities
ORIGINATOR:
?
Leone M. Prock
FACULTY: ?
Education
ACTION
.
DATE
October 3, 1973
October 4, 1073
October
22,
1073
1.
Undergraduate Programs Committee
2.
Executive Committee
3.
Faculty Meeting
4.
Senate Committee on
Undergraduate Studies
5.
Senate
0 ?
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
- ?
PROPOSAL FOR A SPECIFIC MINOR
L
?
TITLE:
?
Minor in Learning Disabilities
2.
ORIGINATOR: ?
Leone M. Prock
3.
FACULTY: ?
Education
L
i. ?
PURPOSE: ?
To provide-an integrated program designed to enhance
a regular classroom teacher's understanding of learning
disabilities, and to provide that teacher with competence
to assist in the identification and non-clinical treatment
of learning disabilities.
5.
PRE-REQUISITES OR CO-REQUISITES
Educ.
1
01-8
?
Introduction to Classroom Teaching
Educ.
402-7
?
Studies in Educational Theory and
Practice
Educ.
405-15 ?
Teaching Semester
6.
REQUIRED COURSES:
Psyc. 351-3
?
Child Psychology
(Pre-requisite, Psyc.
101-3,
may
•
?
be waived by instructor)
Educ.
1
22-4
?
Learning Disabilities
• ?
Educ.
424-4 ?
Learning Disabilities: Laboratory
NOTE: Candidates for the Minor in Learning Disabilities are required
to complete 11+
?
18 semester hours of course work, numbered
300
and above. Required courses totalling 11 hours are stipulated.
The remaining
3 -
7
semester hours-will be selected in consultation
with each candidate. The Minor must be approved in advance by The
0 ?
Director of Undergraduate Programs.
S
C
7. ?
RECOMMENDED COURSES:
Educ.
421-4
Classroom Learning and
Evaluation
Educ.
473-4
Designs for Learning:
Reading
Other courses relevant to the study of learning
disabilities will be selected in individual
consultations with students.
8.
NEW COURSE(S) RECOMMENDED TO STRENGTHEN THE MINOR:
Educ. 424-4
?
Learning Disabilities: Laboratory
(Refer:
?
New course outline)
9.
FIELD WORK:
School placement for Educ. 405-15 to include
experience with learning disabled children in
the regular classroom and in special treatment
environments.
-0
.: ?
-4-
10. TIMETABLE OR SEQUENCE OF COURSE OFFERINGS
(IN TERMS OF TRIMESTER OPERATION)
(a)
Students will
?
be advised to take Psyc. 351-3 (Child
Psychology) and other recommended courses prior to
entry to the Professional
?
Development Program.
(b)
The sequence of studies proposed for the Minor in
Learning Disabilities prescribes one intake of "Minor
students" per year,
?
(September).
(c)
Candidates for the Minor, in the proportion of fifteen
students to each available Faculty member, will
?
be
selected during Educ. 401
?
(September-October) from
among those who apply.
(d)
During Educ. 402(November-December) a special
•
"orientation" seminar will
?
be conducted for candidates
selected for the Minor.
(e)
Selected Placements for Education 405 (January-April) will
provide opportunity for each candidate to experience
work with children who have learning disabilities.
(f)
Candidates for the Minor will undertake Educ. 422-4
and Educ. 424-4, during Educ. 404 (May-August): and,
complete other required, recommended, or elected studies.
11.
PRESENT FACULTY RESOURCES IN FACULTY OF EDUCATION;
Leone M. Prock
?
(Educ. 422-4; Educ. 424-4)
12.
OTHER FACULTY RESOURCES, FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, SPACE, ETC.
REQUIRED:
None
0
[1
?
-5-
13.
NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT COULD BE ACCOMMODATED:
one faculty member
Fifteen students
?
<one
faculty associate
14.
TRANSCRIPT NOTATION:
Minor ?
: ?
Learning Disabilities
15.
PROPOSED DATE OF IMPLEMENTATION:
is
September, 1974
0
S ?
-6-
REFERENCES STATED IN THE PROPOSAL FOR A MINOR IN LEARNING DISABILITIES
Adelman, H.
Teacher education and the educationally handicapped:
Some basic
?
issues and partial
?
answers.
Project No.
?
S-006-0000-768-002, California State Dept.
of Education, Division of Special
?
Education. ?
1970.
Alper, ?
F. C.
?
and
White, 0. ?
R. ?
Precision teaching: A tool
?
for the
school
?
psychologist and teacher.
?
J. ?
of School ?
Psychol.,
1971, ?
9, ?
446-454.
Ausubel, ?
D.P.
"The use of advance organizers in the learning and
retention of meaningful
?
verbal material." ?
Bureau
of Educational ?
Research, Univ.
?
of Illinois, Urbana.
March, 1960.
Bryant, N.D.
"Subject variables: ?
definition, ?
incidence,
characteristics, and correlates."
?
Final ?
Report, Vol.1,
Leadership Training
?
Institute in Learning Disabilities.
5
U. ?
of Arizona, ?
1972, ?
5-80. ?
(USOE Project No.
?
127145)
Dailly,
?
E.
Report of address to the Canadian Education Association,
Vancouver, ?
B. ?
C. ?
The Vancouver Sun,
?
Sept. ?
27, ?
1973, ?
p. ?
14.
Kass, ?
C.
?
E.
"Learning Disabilities."
?
Rev, ?
of Educ. ?
Res.,
Vol.
?
XXXIX, ?
No. ?
1. ?
Feb. ?
1969, ?
71-82.
Personel
?
training practices in learning disabilities.
U. ?
of Arizona.
?
Aug., ?
1972. ?
(Mimeo)
A
system of objectives based on Bloom's taxonomy
(cognitive domain) applied to personnel
?
preparation
in
?
learning disabilities. ?
Final ?
Report, ?
Vol. ?
II.
Leadership Training
?
Institute in Learning Disabilities.
U. ?
of Arizona, ?
1972,423-430. ?
(USOE Project No.
?
127145)
Kirk, ?
S.A.
Input Lecture. ?
Final ?
Report, Vol.
?
II.
?
Leadership
Training ?
Institute in Learning Disabilities.
U. ?
of Arizona,
?
1972, 73-85.
?
(USOE Project No.
?
127145)
McCarthy, J.J. and McCarthy, J. F. Learning Disabilities.
Allyn and Bacon, 1969.
Ridgway, E.
?
Group Report. In Kass, C.E. (Ed) Final Report:
.
?
Advanced Institute for Leadership Personnel in Learning
Disabilities. U. of Arizona, 1970, 78.
-7-
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED MINOR IN LEARNING DISABILITIES
JUSTIFICATION: THE NEED FOR ACTION
A.
?
Definition and Incidence of Learninci Disabilities
Children with learning disabilities are identified as a
distinct population whose intellectual capability is intact (i.e.,
normal or above average); who suffer significant deficits in essential
learning processes (perception, integration, expression), exhibited
by disorder in one or more specific areas of learning and/or performance;
and whose disability may be overcome when appropriate educational
treatment is assigned. (McCarthy & McCarthy, 1969)
A conservative estimate of the number of school children who experience
specific learning disabilities is between 5 - 15% of the total school
population, (Bryant, 1972).
The "learning disabled" group is distinct from categories of mental
retardation, sensory deficit (e.g., sight, hearing), physical handicap,
emotional disturbance, and environmental disadvantage. A learning
disabled child may have a second difficulty coupled with his learning
disability. For example, a child may be learning disabled and physically
handicapped; or, as is commonly the case, a child may be learning
disabled and emotionally disturbed, - the latter typically arising from
neglect of the first condition.
I
.
?
-8-
The converse, however, is not true. A mental retardate, for example,
is not designated as a case of learning disability. Children who are
diagnosed as candidates for categores of "special education" certainly
suffer learning problems, but are not classified as cases of learning
disabil ities.
With few exceptions, learning disabled children are located in
regular classrooms for the major portion, if not the total of their
in-school learning experiences. Hence, prime responsibility for
recognition and on-going treatment of specific learning disabilities
rests with the regular classroom teacher.
0 ?
B. ?
PROVISION for Training
Teacher education programs in the Province of British Columbia
• ?
do not currently provide systematic training in the recognition and
treatment of learning disabilities, for the regular classroom teacher.
The need for such training opportunity was very recently enunciated
•
?
by the Provincial Minister of Education, Dailly, 1973).
Incorporation of the Minor in Learning Disabilities in the
program of the SFU Faculty of Education will assist in bridging a
professional training gap that presently results in discriminatory
educational treatment of children with learning disabilities.
The format of teacher education at Simon Fraser University is
ideally suited to accommodate a program in learning disabilities
that is characterized by the recommended integration of theory and
practical experience, (Kass, 1972; Adelman, 1970; Ridgway, 1970).
S
?
-9-
Lamentably, the short history of program development in the
field of learning disabilities in North America, has resulted in
separation of training, service, and research functions.
Samuel A. Kirk, (acclaimed as the "father" of learning disabilities),
recently stated, (1972):
"I have for many years advocated that what we need
are integrated units that conduct service, training
and research... These ought to be in operation."
Integration of training, service and research is necessary for the
very simple reason that treatments of learning disabilities are not
formalized.
"For each child with a specific and unique problem,
we have no ready, prepared method... We have to invent
5 ?
the method." ?
(Kirk, 1972)
Provisions of the SFU Bachelor of Education program (inclusive
of the Professional Development Program) will allow a singie
operation (the Minor) to achieve a primary goal of the field of
learning disabilities. Namely, to educate teachers towards the
capability of creating pedagogical environments and specific
procedures for the amelioration of specific learning disabilities,
within the context of service and research.
MODEL FOR THE MINOR
An educational experience should exemplify application of
knowledge of human learning. The format of the proposed Minor
in Learning Disabilities is founded upon a definable model of learning.
Namely, an operational modification of the subsumptive theory of
learning developed by D.P. Ausubel, (1960).
"The assumption (is made) that cognitive structure is
hierarchically organized
in
terms of highly inclusive
concepts under which are subsumed less inclusive sub-
concepts and informational data... Appropriate and relevant
subsuming concepts (organizers) are deliberately introduced
prior to the learning of unfamiliar material... The
introduced subsumers become advanced organizers or anchoring
foci for the reception of new material ... The advance
organizers explicitly draw upon and mobilize whatever
relevant subsuming concepts are already established in the
learner's cognitive structure... Thus, not only is the new
material rendered more familiar and meaningful, but the
most relevant ideational antecedents are also selected and
utilized in integrated fashion... Also, advance organizers
at an appropriate level of inclusiveness provide optimal
anchorage. This promotes both initial incorporation and
later resistance to obliterative subsumption."
The proposed Minor in Learning Disabilities exhibits four
is ?
categories of experience that are designed to accommodate a
subsumptive learning process:
1.
Relevant ideational antecedents.
?
(Required and recommended
courses.)
2.
Advance organizers for new learning. (Educ. 402 Seminar.)
3.
Specific content exposure. (Educ. 405 experiences.)
4.
Synthesis and generalization. (Educ. 422-4; Educ. 424-4.)
Graphically, the model may be displayed as in figure 1.
The model prescribes a determined sequence of experiences.
The practical implication is that the intake of students for the
Minor must be consistent with the sequence; and hence, a yearly
(September) intake of students only, would be feasible.
.10
.
I)
w
-J
V)
I-
V)
CD
w
L)
w
LAJ
LiJ
><
LJ
Lii
CD
CD
'-4
LL-
'-4
Lii
CD
LL
-j
Lii
CD
CD
C
0
4.) ?
Lfl
to
CD
o ?
•J-
Lii
C
0
4-)
(U ?
C'.)
0 CD
0
I.ii
0 ?
0)
4-
•'-
CD
a)
U)
U
(D
4-'
C
0
V)L)LLJ
0_
0><
U)
5-
?
C) ?
a)
N
L)
C
(U ?
CU
> ?
0)
0
S-
C)
0•)
•,-
C ?
?
4-'
0)
-=
(UC)
o
?
?
?
w
(I)
E
C)
I- U)
C
0
4-)
to
?
S-
4-)
to
a)
C C
•r
r ?
E
- ?
a)
D U)
-o
a)
0
C
WG)U')
E
0
E
OD.-
Q
S-a)
coL)
C)
0)0
-o
a)
0
C
0)0)
L/)
ES-a)
-In
ODS-
o o
D
OL)
0)0)0
U)
'-4-)
to
4) C ()
C
0 -D
(U .-
a)
> .4) C)
a)
(Ua)
'-
a)
4-)
a) -
c
- 11 -
.
0
4-'
?
-
to
CD
o ?
qzt
•0
I
I
C\JC'.)
C'J
-
1-
•
C)
C.)
Lii
0
Lii
C
0
4-'
I))
(U
•
l-
N
U
•0
-
C (U
4- (U
S- -
C
a)
U)
a)
CD
U) ?
U)
CD
?
>-
CD Li.. Cl ?
w
?
C'
?
C)
LU
CD
Z3
? CD
I-
?
I-
?
C) C..)
?
C)
U) ?
D
C) ?
Q
.12
ACCESS TO MINOR
1.
Formal credit for the Minor (i.e., transcript notation for
B.Ed. degree
?
"Minor in Learning Disabilities"), will be
restricted to those students who actually incorporate the
Minor in their degree studies. Entry on transcripts showing
completion of this minor requires completion of the PDP
program, and of inclusion of the minor in fulfilling degree
requirements at this institution.
2.
The experience of the Minor will not be restricted to
candidates for the B.Ed. degree.
Increasingly, numbers of entrants to the Professional
Development Program have already completed their first degrees.
Those students also may become candidates for the experience
of the Minor in Learning Disabilities. Upon completion of the
"Minor" It is proposed that for those students, a confirmatory
notice be provided, in order that their competence might be
professionally recognized.
3.
Students who do not elect the specific Minor in Learning
Disabilities, or who are not accepted as candidates for that
Minor, may elect to undertake a general minor in Education,
and as part of that program undertake studies in the field of
learning disabilities, (e.g., Educ. 422-4; Educ. 424-4).
fl
9.
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION OF MINOR IN LEARNING DISA.BI1..ITIES
The purpose of the Minor in Learning Disabilities is to provide an
intcrated program designed to enhance a regular classroom teacher's
understanding of learning disabilities; and to provide that teacher with
competence to assist in the identification and non—clinical treatment of
learning disabilities.
The Minor in Learning Disabilities is integrated with the Professional
D'velopmcnt Program of the Faculty of Education. Coherence of theory and
practice is accommodated by the Minor. Entry on transcripts showing
completion of this minor requires completion of the PDP program, and of
inclusion of the minor in fulfilling degree requirements at this
institution.
Candidates for the Minor in Learning Disabilities will be selected in
the Fall of eachyear during the Education 401 experience. Orientation to
the Minor will he provided during the Education 402 period. Education 405
1 ' KLS
iji ?
siL ?
ta
?
Li
?
.iWii
?
11 ?
£i
regular classroom and in special treatment environments.
It is required that each candidate complete
14 - 18
semester hours of
course work numbered 300 and above. Three courses totalling 11 hours, are
stipulated. Those courses are:
Psyc. 351-3
?
(Child Psychology);
Educ. 422-4 ?
(Learning Disabilities);
Educ. 424-4
?
(Learning Disabilities: Laboratory).
/
The remining 3 - 7 semester hours will be selected in consultation with
each candidate. The Minor must be approved in advance by the Director of
Undergraduate Programs.
