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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
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EDUC. 422-4 ?
LEARNING DISABILITIES
Fall Semester , 1990
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Instructor:
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Dr. Bernice Wong
(Sept. 4 - Nov. 30, 1990)
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Telephone:
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291-4115
Monday, 16:30 - 20:20
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Messages:
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291-3395
Location: MPX 8620
60 hours of credit. Educ 220 or equivalent instructional Psychology course
recommended.
This course focuses on the conceptual, research and assessment
aspects of learning disabilities. It is the prerequisite course to
Education 424: Learning Disabilities practicum/lab. Educ 424
focuses on providing students with instruction and practice in
informal assessment of reading and mathematics problems and
remediation of them.
Major topics covered in Educ 422 include: A lifespan approach to
understanding learning disabilities (LD), conceptual and
definitional issues in LD, a language-oriented view to reading
disability, visual processing problems, reading research and LD,
metacognition and LD, social aspects of LD, assessment of reading
problems, math problems and writing problems of LD students.
Introduction to learning disabilities. D. Hallahan, J. Kauffman,
and J. Lloyd. ?
(Prentice-Hall, 1985).
Two exams: one midterm and one final exam (each worth 40%)
One essay: worth 20%
Students in education, psychology, counselling, nursing, and practicing teachers
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EDUCATION 422-4: 1990-2
ASSIGNMENTS
1. TASK ANALYSIS
A number of specific abilities are called into play in order to complete the
cover page of the SFU exam answer booklet.
List these abilities and discuss the feasibility of this task for learning-
disabled students.
MAY 22: 15%
2.
CURRENT EVENT
The Year 2000 document contains the following statement:
"The concept of continuous progress is central to the way in
which student learning will be viewed in the Primary
Program. Students will learn at their own rate, according to
their own styles. Because the grade level barriers have been
removed, students cannot 'fail' a grade, nor be forced to repeat
a grade."
Discuss the implications of this statement for the young learning
disabled student.
June 12: 15%
3.
DISCUSSION PAPER ON AN ISSUE RELATED TO LEARNING
DISABILITIES
The purpose of this assignment is to provide opportunity for
investigation of an issue of current concern re. LD.
Your choice of issue will be part of the assessment of this assignment.
The issue should be addressed in a succinct and cogent fashion, and the
presentation should contain your recommendation(s) vis-a-vis the topic.
Your paper should not exceed 5 double-spaced 8 1/2 x 11 pages.
BEFORE JULY 10: 20%
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4. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE FILE
Development of a reource file for the area of learning disabilities—to
include annotated references from the literature and research;
descriptions of activities, ideas, materials, etc.
This is your file, and I hope you will continue to maintain it after the
course is concluded. Use any format with which you are comfortable.
However, I do recommend a card-index system because of the flexibility
it offers in terms of access, replacement, extension, and its capability for
sorting according to topic, as your future needs may prescribe. Or, you
might choose to use a computer, in which case you would submit a hard
copy for evaluation.
Criteria for evaluation of the file are:
a)
Number of entries (MINIMUM: 20)
b)
Relevance of entries
c)
Inclusion of your evaluations of entries
d) Difficulty level of bibliographic references
e)
Amount of WORK
Note: I have used this assignment before and folks often have initial
difficulty with the idea of it. An unsolicited evaluation of this
assignment by a previous student, begins this way:
"Although I entered into this task with dubious misgivings about the
'learning
bene
f
its
'
which would be accrued from this assignment
(quality or quantity, says I) - may I say, in all sincerity that it has been
one of the most
bene
f
icial
learning experiences I have encountered."
AUGUST 3 (10 a.m. –11 a.m.): 15%
5. TAKE-HOME EXAMINATION
This document will be distributed in class on May 30. (Thus, you will
have lots of time to work on it!)
Format will be "short essays," (4 questions)
If you wish, you may join forces with a friend(s) and submit a joint
effort.
AUGUST 3 (10 a.m. –11 a.m.): 25%
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6. PARTICIPATION IN CLASS
This component does not imply monopolization/interruption of in-class
discussion! It does imply commitment to:
a)
attendance
b)
on-time submission of work
c)
special contributions (e.g., appropriately-timed offerings of
substantive information; cogent articles for LIFT file; acting
as a resource for others; formal sharing of ideas re
intervention).
Compliance with a + b gets you a "C".
If, as well, you participate in category "c", an "A" or "B" is possible.
This grade category is discretionary and may counterbalance.
GRADE CONTRIBUTION: 101010
