SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY S

Fall Semester 1999

EDUC 298 -3

Prof. Meguido Zola

Special Topics: ?

Office: MPX 8630

Selected Questions & Issues in Education

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Tel: 291-3259

D01.00

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E-mail: zola@sfu.ca

PREREQUISITE:

None

Note: you will be required to install, with guidance, a simple piece of free software on your home

computer (if you have one) and, at no extra cost to you, you will be required to conference on-line

from home or campus.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

• This is an introductory course aimed at beginning students not necessarily already committed to,

or interested in, pursuing educational studies.

• The course introduces you to a small but representative sample of questions and issues of

importance to education and of interest to educators today.

• You will examine questions relating to: the concept or idea of education; learning and the

learner; teaching and the teacher; disciplines and discourses of education; and the broader

contexts of education in the global village and the postmodern world.

• You will be introduced to ways of exploring educational questions and issues, from

philosophical and critical analysis, to historical and cross-cultural studies, to empirical research.

• The course models a range of instructional strategies, including: lecture, panel-discussion and

workshop; discussion and debate; story; case study, and simulation game.

• The course offers a range of learning experiences, including: reading and responding orally and

in writing; discussion in tutorial and on-line; library research and field-work.

TOPICS

A detailed outline of topics and presenters will be available at the first class.

REQUIREMENTS

• Weekly discussions on-line and in tutorial - 50%

• Written responses to selected course readings - 30%

• Final exam - 20%

• Regular attendance is required

The completion of course requirements forms the basis for evaluation. The final evaluating

process will comprise both your own self-evaluation and evaluation by the course instructor and

tutorial leader/s.

REQUIRED READINGS

Jones, Ron. (1976).

The Acorn People.

New York, NY: Bantam ISBN 0-440-22702-X

Sinclaire, Carollyne. (1994).

Looking for Homeo: A phenomenological Study

of

Home in the

Classroom.

NY: SUNY ISBN 0-7914-2040-X

Palmer, Parker. (1998).

The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape

of

a Teacher's

Life.

San francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass ISBN 0-7879-1058-9

Other readings will be available from the Bookstore as a Custom Courseware text.