ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories Wednesdays, 5-­‐8 p.m., 411 Aderhold Professor: Chris Linder, PhD 413 Aderhold Hall Office: 706.542.0791 Cell: 970.980.6258* linder@uga.edu Twitter: @proflinder gchat: chris.e.linder Office Hours: Wednesday afternoon & by appointment or via gchat anytime I am showing “available” online *Please feel free to call or text prior to 10 p.m. Purpose of the Course & Course Objectives The purpose of this course is to explore college student development theory at the doctoral level. We will go beyond exploration and application of theory to analyze and critique the ways college student development theories have been constructed by tracing the evolution of college student development theory over time. Further, we will explore your role as an emerging scholar with potential contributions to the body of knowledge related to student development theory. We will explore the following: major theories of college student psychosocial, intellectual, moral, and ego development; measurements of developmental constructs; effects of college attendance on each domain; and differences attributable to gender, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, age, and ethnicity. Course Objectives: As a result of this course, students will: • Articulate a comprehensive framework for describing and discussing college student development theory as a body of knowledge. • Describe, analyze, and critique the development of college student development theory as a body of knowledge. • Consider the dynamics of power and privilege and their relationship to student development theory, research, and the practice of student affairs. • Identify appropriate uses of student development theory in research and practice. • Propose a research study to address a gap in the literature related to college student development theory. • Further develop critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, writing, presentation, and technological literacy skills. Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 1 Required Texts & Reading Jones, S. R., & Abes, E. S. (2013). Identity development of college students: Advancing frameworks for multiple dimensions of identity. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-­‐Bass. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (2010). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. Wijeyesinghe, C. L., & Jackson, III, B. W. (2001). New perspectives on racial identity development: A theoretical and practical anthology. New York, NY: New York University Press. Wijeyesinghe, C. L., & Jackson, III, B. W. (2012). New perspectives on racial identity development: Integrating emerging frameworks (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: New York University Press. Wilson, M.E. (2011). ASHE reader on college student development theory: ASHE reader series, 2nd Ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. Choose ONE of the following for the book presentation assignment: Baxter Magolda, M. B. (1992). Knowing and reasoning in college: Gender-­‐related patterns in students’ intellectual development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-­‐Bass. Baxter Magolda, M. (2004). Making their own way: Narratives for transforming higher education to promote self-­‐development. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. Belenky, M. F., Clinchy, B. M., Goldberger, N. R., & Tarule, J. M. (1986). Women’s ways of knowing: The development of self, voice and mind. New York, NY: Basic Books. Gilligan, C. (1993). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Josselson, R. (1996). Revising herself: The story of women’s identity from college to midlife. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: The President and Fellows of Harvard College. King, P. M., & Kitchner, K. S. (1994). Developing reflective judgment. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-­‐
Bass. Kohlberg, L., Levine, C., & Hewer, A. (1983). Moral stages: A current formulation and a response to critics. New York, NY: Karger. Perry, W. (1999). Forms of ethical and intellectual development in the college years: A scheme. San Francisco: CA: Jossey-­‐Bass. Additional required readings available on eLearning Commons-­‐New. Twitter is a tool that can be used for sharing information and engaging in dialogue with people who have similar (or different!) interests as you. I regularly post articles that may be of interest to you about issues related to student affairs, higher education, and social justice. For articles especially relevant to the topics we discuss in this course, I will use the hashtag #echd9420. Throughout the course of the semester, you may come across readings or other materials (blogs, films, YouTube clips, etc) that may be relevant for this course. Please feel free to share these on Twitter using our class hashtag. Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 2 Policies & Resources The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. Any changes will be discussed in class and posted to the announcements section of eLC-­‐New. Academic Integrity: The University of Georgia’s Honor code states: "I will be academically honest in all of my academic work and will not tolerate academic dishonesty of others." All students are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of honesty and integrity in every phase of their academic careers. The penalties for academic dishonesty are severe and ignorance is not an acceptable defense. Academic honesty means performing all academic work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, receiving unauthorized or illegitimate assistance from any other person, or using any source of information that is not common knowledge without citing the source appropriately. For this course, the acceptable citation format is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition). Suspicions of dishonesty will be reported to the Office of the Vice President for Instruction for resolution according to the UGA academic honesty policy, A Culture of Honesty. Students are responsible for reading and abiding by the honesty policy, which is found at http://honesty.uga.edu/. In addition to the University policy, students in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services found in violation of the University’s academic honesty policies or codes of professional ethics are subject to review and possible permanent expulsion from the programs offered in the Department. If I have concerns about academic dishonesty in your work, I will discuss it with you before moving forward with University procedures. Non-­‐Discrimination Statement: The University’s Non-­‐Discrimination policy reads as follows: “The University of Georgia (“the University”) is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, work and study. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents’ policy, and University policy, the University prohibits any member of the faculty, staff, administration, student body, volunteers or visitors to campus, whether they be guests, patrons, independent contractors, or clients, from harassing and/or discriminating against any other member of the University community because of that person’s race, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disabled status, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. Incidents of harassment and discrimination will be met with appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.” (http://eoo.uga.edu/pdfs/NDAH.pdf). If you would like to talk with an ombudsperson about a potential violation of this policy, please visit http://www.uga.edu/ombudsperson/meet.html. Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 3 In addition to university policies, I strive to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment through my pedagogies. I welcome feedback or suggestions on how to improve the learning environment and will do my best to incorporate the suggestions. I also think it is important to recognize that our classes are held on what was once Native land. I hope we use our time together for meaningful inquiry and discussion that honors the integrity, humility, and respect that the land and its original people deserve. Accommodations: If you have a documented disability or any other needs and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact the instructors as soon as possible. Necessary academic accommodations will be made for you based on the recommendations received from the Disability Resource Center. You must be registered with the Disability Resource Center to receive academic accommodations. If you have questions about University policies or practices related to accommodations, please contact the Disability Resource Center at 706.542.8719, http://drc.uga.edu/procedures/TableOfContents.php, or visit them at 114 Clark Howell Hall. I strive to accommodate a wide variety of learning styles through my pedagogy and welcome feedback regarding this. Additionally, if there is something that I could do to accommodate your learning style that is outside the range of official university accommodations, please let me know. Cell Phones and Computers: It is my expectation that students come to class fully prepared and engage in classroom discussions activities. Computers may contribute to active learning, AND may serve as a distraction. I encourage you to consider your own learning style with regard to this. If a computer will distract you more than it will help you, I challenge you to turn it off and participate in class using paper and pen. If computers become a distraction for any student or for the class, I will ask students to stop using them in class. Similarly, there are legitimate reasons to have a cell phone in the classroom (work, family emergencies, etc.), AND they may also serve as a distraction. Please balance these needs appropriately. For me, the bottom line is respect for your peers and me. I spend a significant amount of time preparing for class and striving to ensure you have a high-­‐quality academic experience, as do you and your peers. Please respect this effort by preparing for and engaging in course materials, including classroom discussions and activities. You get out what you put in! Expectations for Doctoral Level Participation: This course is designed to incorporate cognitive, affective, and experiential learning for participants necessitating participation of all voices within this learning community. As such, each person is both learner and teacher. While no one is expert in this subject matter, each person’s experiences are valid and valuable simple because they have been lived. I foresee a learning community where members create a space to risk, to challenge, to be challenged, to discover, to inquire, to disrupt stereotypes and misinformation, and a space to fully examine our assumptions, philosophies, and feelings. Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 4 Our learning in this course is interconnected and we rely on each other to get the most out of our time together. Students are expected to complete readings prior to class meetings and arrive at class prepared to engage in doctoral level reflection and discussion. Generally, this means preparing notes from the readings including potential discussion questions and connecting course materials to experiences and current events that happen outside of class. Students should be prepared to read and engage in reflection, synthesis, and analysis of course material. Course assignments should integrate both personal experience and academic materials. It is my expectation that students enrolled in this class are prepared to engage in personal reflection and be challenged to consider new and additional perspectives. Talking does not always equate participation – please be mindful about the amount of “airtime” you take and be respectful of varying learning and participation styles. Preparation and participation are basic expectations for all graduate level work; therefore, you will not receive points or a grade for participation. Failure to prepare and engage at an appropriate level for a graduate level course will result in a grade reduction. Additionally, as doctoral students you are largely responsible for your own learning. If you have an idea for an alternative assignment that better meets your needs for the class, please discuss it with me. I would be happy to explore assignments that meet the learning objectives in a different manner than what is described in the assignments section of the syllabus. Attendance: Throughout the semester, there may be legitimate reasons you need to miss class. Please discuss these in advance. If you need to miss more than one class period for any reason, please submit an in-­‐depth written reflection related to your thoughts on the course materials for that class. This paper is due within one week of the missed class. Failure to do so will result in a grade reduction of one letter grade for every class you miss in excess of one class period. Late Work: The materials in this course build on each other making it is very difficult to accept late work. Additionally, I set aside specific times after assignments are due to provide feedback to you, resulting in you receiving feedback on all written work quickly (usually within one week, if not sooner). Late work will be accepted for half-­‐credit up to one week late; work later than one week will NOT be accepted. The only exception to this will be for unforeseen circumstances including family emergencies and significant illness (conferences and busy times at work are NOT unforeseen). My experience has been that the dynamics of power and privilege significantly influence the process of requesting extensions. We will discuss this more in class. Writing and APA Manual: It is my expectation that you use the APA Manual, 6th Edition for all written work in this course. Please note that online guides related to APA are often incomplete, resulting in many mistakes and incomplete citations in student work. I highly recommend you purchase your own APA manual, tab it, and consult it regularly. The Writing Center at the University of Georgia supports students at various points in the writing process. ALL of us can improve our writing and our writing habits. I highly encourage Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 5 you to visit the Writing Center to learn more about their services for graduate students. For more information please visit http://writingcenter.english.uga.edu/. Assignments and Evaluation Assignment Expectations Reflection Cajita Book Presentation Reflections (3) Draft sections of paper (3) Research Proposal Memo on Feedback Creative Representation Final TOTAL Max. Points 3 4 20 15 9 20 4 10 15 100 Points 93-­‐100 90-­‐92 87-­‐89 83-­‐86 80-­‐82 77-­‐79 73-­‐76 70-­‐72 60-­‐69 Below 60 Grade A A-­‐ B+ B B-­‐ C+ C C D F Assignment Descriptions Assignment submissions: All assignments will be submitted in the Assignment Dropbox of eLearning Commons-­‐New unless otherwise noted. All assignments are due at 5 p.m. on the date they are due. Please use Microsoft Word or a similar word processing program (not PDF) and APA 6th Ed for all written work unless otherwise noted. I will return your assignments to you within two weeks (usually one week) through the Dropbox on eLC-­‐New. I will provide feedback using track changes and comments in Microsoft Word. Please review the feedback provided as I expect that you will integrate the feedback throughout the semester, improving your writing, synthesis, and analysis as we proceed. Reading Notes: **While this is not a required assignment, my experience has been that this note-­‐taking structure has been helpful for students in previous classes. The purpose of this structure is to provide you an opportunity to reflect on what you read for this class and to prepare for class discussions. Reflecting on the readings will help you retain the information and consider applications of the material to your experiences. Remember, there isn’t necessarily a “right” answer to what you should be taking away from the readings. Our class discussions will be richer if everyone has read the materials and comes to class with varying interpretations of what they read. Your interpretation may help someone else think differently about what they read and hearing from your colleagues may help you consider a new perspective or understand the material more deeply. Each week, I encourage you to distill your notes about the readings into one-­‐page of notes. Think about the readings as a whole for that class period – what are the major takeaways or Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 6 high points for you? Remaining questions? Critiques? Do not write a narrative on the reading – try using bullets under each of these headings: • High points or new insights or learning for you • Critique of the work (optional – only use if something was missing or concerning to you) • At least two discussion questions for consideration by the class • Any remaining questions or concerns raised by the reading Expectations Reflection: The purpose of this reflection is to help me get to know you and to consider what pedagogies will be most effective in this course. You may answer these questions in a written reflection (less than 800 words) or a recorded YouTube clip (less than 5 minutes). If you chose the YouTube clip, make it “unlisted,” which means that it can only be viewed if the person has the weblink. Post either the weblink or an attachment of the written reflection in eLC-­‐New in the Assignment Dropbox. Answer the following questions in your reflection: • What do you hope to get out of this course? • What is your previous experience with student development theories? • What are your biggest apprehensions about this course/semester? • What do you need from me as a faculty member for you to be successful in this course? How do you define “successful in this course”? • What commitments are you making to yourself and your classmates as you begin this semester? Personal Identity Cajita: Connecting our identities and academic work is of vital importance in higher education. The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on your identities and pay tribute to family members (however you define them), honor loved ones, make political statements, and express significant ideas related to your culture and background (however you define it) (Rendόn, 2009). In this class, we will focus on various socially constructed identities in relationship to student development theory and research: race/ethnicity, gender identity, biological sex, sexual orientation, ability, religion, nationality, socioeconomic status, and additional social identities. You will bring a cajita (a sacred box) with artifacts representing various aspects of your identities. The actual box can either be something of significance for you or just a vessel for the other artifacts – it is up to you. In your cajita, please include five artifacts, at least one that represents a dominant social identity (an identity in which you experience systemic privilege), one that represents a subordinated social identity (an identity in which you experience systemic oppression), and three other identities that are particularly salient to you. You will not leave the cajita with me, but we will be sharing them in class, so please bring the cajita with five artifacts to class on Wednesday, January 15. In addition, you will turn in a one-­‐
page description of your cajita via eLC-­‐New. Please list the five artifacts you included, which identities they represent, and a brief description of why you chose each artifact to represent your identities. This can be in the format of a bulleted list with a few sentences describing each Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 7 piece. This assignment should not be longer than one page. You will receive three points for bringing the cajita with required components to class and one point for the written summary. Book Presentations: The purpose of this assignment is to provide an opportunity to engage with a student development theory of interest in a deep and meaningful way by reading and interpreting the original version of a theory. For this assignment, you may work individually or in pairs. You will select a foundational theory in student development, read the original work by that author (options for this assignment are listed in the course schedule and in the required textbook sections of the syllabus), and prepare a presentation for your colleagues related to the theory. The presentation should be no more than 40 minutes in length and include the following: • Summary of the theoretical foundations, methodology, and methods used to generate the theory (i.e. what do we need to know about how this theory/model was created?). Include any interesting points of note here as well • An experiential, interactive, creative activity designed to help your classmates better understand, apply, and/or remember the stages/positions/vectors of the theory (Remember, everyone will have read a condensed version of this theory for the week of your presentation) • A critique and directions for future research related to this theory • Examples of at least two studies using this theory as the basis for the study I highly encourage innovative and creative methods for this presentation – think outside the box. You may pre-­‐record parts of your presentation, use interviews, videos, or experiential activities to illustrate some of your points. Think Pecha Kucha, wordle, Twitter, Poll Everywhere, things I haven’t even thought of yet!!! J Push yourself to do something you haven’t done before – this is one of those times that creativity and risk is more important than perfection. Use this as an opportunity to practice something you might do in your job or at a conference presentation. Point allocation: Section Points Summary of the theoretical foundations, methodology, methods 5 Experiential activity focused on content of theory 7 • The tenets of the theory were clear • The facilitators balanced the needs of the group with keeping the activity on track • The facilitators demonstrated an understanding of the theory Critique and directions for future research 3 Study examples 2 Creativity and innovation in presentation format 3 Total 20 Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 8 Reflections: The purpose of this assignment is to help you reflect on your understanding of the course material at various points in the semester and to provide feedback to me about the structure and design of the course so that I may make adjustments accordingly. The specific reflection prompts will be provided at least one week prior to the reflection due date. Each reflection will be worth five points. Research Proposal: The purpose of this assignment is to integrate what you have learned in this and other classes about research to design a study to address a gap in the student development theories literature. Think about the first several sections of a journal article as a model for this paper. You will turn in each part of this paper in draft form to receive feedback prior to the final version of the paper. The paper will include the following sections, though they may vary in order and length, depending on what makes the most sense for your paper: • Statement of the Problem/Rationale for the Study (2-­‐3 paragraphs) • Brief literature setting a context or supporting your statement of the problem/rationale • Research Questions for the study (1 paragraph) • Paradigm & Theoretical Framework: Through what paradigm will you conduct this study (i.e. constructivist, positivist, critical, etc.)? Describe the paradigm and rationale for choosing this paradigm for this study. Additionally, describe what current theory supports the design of this research? Will you be using a current student development theory as a foundation? Or will you potentially engage critical race theory or queer theory to support the design of the study? • Methodology & Methods: Describe your proposed process for data collection including identifying and recruiting participants, study parameters, survey instruments, interview or focus group questions, photo-­‐elicitation prompts, etc. • Proposed data analysis methods: How will you analyze the data you collect to answer your research questions? • Conclusion: Summarize your proposal in 1-­‐2 paragraphs Section Max Points Statement of the Problem/Rationale 2 Literature Review 5 Paradigm/Theoretical Framework 3 Methodology & Methods 4 Data Analysis 2 Overall coherence, technical writing, APA 4 TOTAL 20 Memo on Feedback: The purpose of this assignment is to provide you an opportunity to justify your decisions related to integrating feedback or not. This assignment mimics the process authors use in journal review processes. You will turn in each section of the paper on the dates indicated in the course schedule. I will provide feedback within a week and it is my expectation you incorporate that feedback in your final paper. For your final paper submission, you will submit a memo with the paper indicating how you incorporated the changes recommended Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 9 and a rationale for not incorporating any feedback provided. We will review this in class in more detail and I will provide an example on eLC-­‐New. Creative Representation of Student Development Theories: We will cover a significant amount of relatively complex scholarship this semester and you are expected to synthesize the information you learn throughout the semester in a way that makes sense for you to use in future scholarship and practice. The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your understanding of student development theory as a body of knowledge and it’s role in your work as a scholar-­‐practitioner or practitioner-­‐scholar. Please design a creative representation of the various “families” of theories we cover this semester and how you understand the relationships between them. You are welcome to use the same categories listed in the syllabus, the ones in the McEwen article from the beginning of the semester, or create your own rationale for grouping the theories. We will share and discuss these representations in class on April 23. Point allocation: Section Points Depth of reflection on tour experience 3 Discussion of insights related to your role as a student affairs educator 3 Overall coherence, writing structure, flow, APA 1 TOTAL 7 Final Take Home Exam/Summary: The purpose of the final exercise is to allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the materials we covered in the course this semester. If you would like to practice taking an exam in a preliminary-­‐exam format, I will offer an exam on Wednesday, April 30, 5-­‐8 p.m. If you would prefer to have this as a take-­‐home exercise, I will provide the question to you on April 23 and your response to the question will be due on April 30 at 5 p.m. While the question will be the same for both options, the expectations for depth will vary depending on the format you choose for your exercise. We will discuss this more in class. Linder, ECHD 9420: Advanced Student Development Theories, Spring 2014, The University of Georgia page 10