Learning, Knowledge, and Human Development (Coursera)

This course is based on the book New Learning: Elements of a Science of Education.

This course is one of a series of eight MOOCs created by Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis for the Learning Design and Leadership program at the University of Illinois. If you find this MOOC helpful, please join us in others!

- e-Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning for the Digital Age

- New Learning: Principles and Patterns of Pedagogy

- Assessment for Learning

- Learning, Knowledge, and Human Development

- Ubiquitous Learning and Instructional Technologies

- Negotiating Learner Differences: Towards Productive Diversity in Learning

- Literacy Teaching and Learning: Aims, Approaches and Pedagogies

- Multimodal Literacies: Communication and Learning in the Era of Digital Media

Syllabus

Week 1

COURSE ORIENTATION + Foundations of Educational Psychology

This course sets out to provide an introduction to educational psychology. It includes a variety of voices and perspectives from the College of Education at the University of Illinois. Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope offer a historical and conceptual overview of the field, classified broadly under the terms "behaviorism," "brain developmentalism," and "social cognitivism." This is followed by four quite different practical examples of educational psychology at work. Dorothy Espelage discusses her work on the social and emotional conditions of learning in her research into bullying at school. Denice Hood gives an example of the application of psychology to educational counseling. George Reese speaks about "productive struggle" in learning. And finally, Joe Robinson-Cimpian discusses the application of quantitative psychology to analyze test results for the purposes of school and curricular placement.

Week 2

Brain Developmentalism and Social Cognitivism

In this module, we explore the main theories and theorists in approaches to educational psychology that we call "brain developmentalism" and "social cognitivism."

Week 3

Social and Emotional Conditions of Learning and Student Development

This module and the following one present four leading educational psychologists from the University of Illinois demonstrating the range of applications of educational psychology. In this module, Dorothy Espelage explores the socio-emotional conditions of learning, with a particular focus on her research into bullying. Then, Denice Hood discusses student development.

Week 4

Productive Struggle in Learning and Quantitative Psychology

Two more, quite varied applications of educational psychology: George Reese discusses productive struggle, and Joe Robinson-Cimpian the application of quantitative educational psychology at a systems level.