Programs    >  Programs in the Division of Continuing Studies  
Contacts     Description     Program Objectives     Program Requirements
 

  Quick Links

   Division of Continuing Studies  

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Contacts

Liza Herzog \ lherzog@uarts.edu \ 215.717.6432
Program Director

Description

Educators find themselves in an era of increased need to serve as content specialist and at the same time to deepen knowledge and skills around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The MEd in Educational Program Design provides the opportunity for educators to explore, design and develop quality education programming– the ‘what, how, and why’ of a student’s educational experience.  We demystify curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  We build tools, share practices, and work together to create new and/or revise existing program structures to meet the diverse needs of your students. The MEd is designed to empower educators to become curricular leaders in their schools and districts, to best advocate for their students, classrooms, and schools.

The MEd in Educational Program Design consists of 30 credits (ten courses) in a flexible format offered at various locations, in-person, hybrid and online.  The ten total courses are comprised of five core courses (15 credits), an additional four course (12 credits) in an area of emphasis, and one elective (3 credits).

Core courses include:

• EDPD 601 Assessment Design and Evaluation
• EDPD 602 Curriculum Design
• EDPD 604 Design of 21st Century Learning Environments
• EDPD 605 Research Methods
• EDPD 701 Capstone Project

The mix of core courses, coupled with four courses in an area of emphasis (the arts, literacy, inclusion, or education technology) and one elective allow educators to cultivate and apply strategies across multiple grade levels and disciplines.  We understand that your time is at a premium, including weekends, evening courses, and week-long summer intensives.  All coursework is project-based, practical, and hands-on, and is ready to bring back to your classroom. The curriculum in this program is based on best-practices and current thinking in education.

Program Objectives

Students in the MEd in Educational Program Design will:

• Identify and distinguish between formative, summative, diagnostic, and benchmark assessments
• Develop a deep understanding of current local, state, and national assessment systems
• Evaluate assessment systems used in one’s own school/District
• Explore assessment design, including reliability and validity; norm- and criterion-referenced testing; item complexity; performance assessment; test blueprinting
• Draft measurable instructional objectives that align with assessment systems
• Critique current educational policy affecting curriculum development
• Evaluate philosophies and theories of education vis-a-vis contemporary education policy
• Learn to design and evaluate curriculum
• Become familiar with the Understanding by Design framework to develop lesson and unit plans
• Pilot curriculum mapping tools to conduct a gap analysis
• Create an assessment instrument to monitor implementation of curriculum within one’s own school
• Develop lesson plans with built-in modifications for both special needs and gifted populations
• Gain an understanding of 21-c skill domains and rationale
• Evaluate the integration of 21-c skill development in one’s own school/District
• Integrate technology-based tools into curriculum development, assessment planning, and instructional design for student engagement and achievement
• Develop a deeper understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Demonstrate the ability to design data collection instruments and conduct data collection
• Analyze, interpret and report on the results of original research
• Synthesize MEd coursework and apply understandings within area of emphasis
• Demonstrate mastery of Educational Program Design through the creation of a research paper, research project, or curriculum unit

Program Requirements (30 credits)