CGE COURSE PROPOSAL COMPONENTS:
1.0 Department PhD Program in Educational Neuroscience (PEN)
Interdisciplinary: Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2)
Education
Interpreting
Linguistics
Psychology
Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences
Reports to: Associate Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School
2.0 Course Number
Specify the course number. Briefly justify the course level (700-level, 800-level, etc.).
PEN 701
This course is offered at the 700 level because it is a first year course in the PEN program.
3.0 Course Title
Educational Neuroscience Proseminar
4.0 Course Credits
4.1 How many credits will this course carry?
This course will carry 1 credit per semester (PEN students must sign up for this course twice, for a total of
2 credits)
4.2 If the course includes non-classroom instruction or lab sessions, or if the credit hours vary in
some way from the standard, provide an explanation.
This course is built around the annual VL2 Lecture Series. Students are required to attend all lectures
scheduled as part of this lecture series (3-4 per semester) to engage in dialogue and critical thinking with
one another, experts in the field, and VL2 researchers. The format will be Socratic questioning to
encourage students to think critically and will focus explicitly on the process of critical thinking.
4.3 If variable credit is proposed (e.g., 1-3 hours), explain how this will be utilized and determined.
N/A
5.0 Formal (Catalog) Description
Provide a formal course description of the course, adhering to length and style characteristics of
college catalog listings, including pre-requisites, fees, and any information regarding cross-listings if
applicable. The description is to be written in the third person and must appear exactly the same on
the proposal form, Course Record form and syllabus.
This course (PEN 701) serves as an introduction to foundational issues in this discipline of Educational
Neuroscience. Students are required to take this course twice (fall and spring). It is organized around three
to four public lectures each semester, delivered by invited speakers on themes drawn from prevailing
questions and challenges in education today. Each lecture is preceded by a preparation seminar, during
which students will discuss readings relevant to the lecture topic. After each lecture, students will join the
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invited speaker for a special discussion session, during which they will have the valuable opportunity to
interact directly with researchers pursuing innovative projects in the field of Educational Neuroscience.
Students can expect to gain general knowledge of topics such as language learning, reading, child
development, educational assessment, educational intervention, and school, policy, and family processes
associated with young children, especially young deaf visual learners. Students will also learn how
contemporary brain and behavioral research may be applied in principled ways to address prevailing
problems in education. All seminars and lectures will be conducted bilingually, in ASL and English.
6.0 Prerequisites
6.1 List the prerequisites and/or co-requisites for this course.
None
6.2 Provide a brief rationale for prerequisites and/or co-requisites,
N/A
6.3 If prerequisites and/or co-requisites involve other departments of instruction, provide evidence of
acknowledgement and cooperation from these departments (e.g. letters of support).
N/A
7.0 Rationale for proposed course
7.1 Why is this course being proposed? Provide a rationale.
At the most general level, the Seminar propels forward both Gallaudet University and university goals (at
large) to provide its students with the most cutting-edge knowledge, healthy and lively analysis and
debate, and advances in society. The present proposed Educational Neuroscience Proseminar seeks to
contribute to the advancement of such core university goals.
7.2 Describe any actual or apparent overlap with current course offerings.
This will not overlap other current course offerings.
8.0 Grading System
State whether letter-grade or pass/fail system will be utilized; if the latter, provide a brief rationale.
This will be graded on a letter-grade system. The students grades are calculated according to their
participate in and performance on the three parts of the course structure described in Section 11.
9.0 Course Characteristics
9.1 If the course is to be cross-listed (within a single department, or across more than one
department), provide a rationale and full documentation of steps taken to assure such listings.
N/A
9.2 If the course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, provide a rationale for doing so
and explain any differences in requirements for undergraduate and graduate students.
This course is intended primarily for graduate students. There are no specific requirements for nongraduate student enrollees.
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9.3 Explain how this course fits with the other department offerings. Is this course a required course
(in which case it must be accompanied by a proposal for Change to Existing Program) or an elective
course?
This is a core course requirement for students in Ph.D. program in Educational Neuroscience, but is open
to other students or faculty with permission of instructor. PEN students will take Proseminar twice, once
in the Fall semester of their first year, and then again in the Spring of that same academic year.
9.4 Describe the intended student-audience for this course. If substantial numbers of students from
outside the department are expected to enroll in this course, provide evidence of support and
cooperation from these departments in terms of enrollment and compatible scheduling.
This course is intended for first year students of PhD Program in Educational Neuroscience (PENS).
However, it will also be open to the following populations, with instructor permission: (1) students and
faculty at VL2’s 15 partnership universities spanning the United States and Canada, (2) students and
faculty in the consortium of universities that Gallaudet and VL2 participates in spanning the greater
Washington DC area, (3) members and associates of VL2’s important partnership School, The Clerc
Center (including parents and clinicians), and (4) teachers and school administrators spanning the more
than 90 VL2 School Partners across the nation. This fourth audience is especially important for VL2’s
commitment to engaging in translational research, as well as for its research-to-practice, and practice-toresearch, “two-way” initiatives.
9.5 What is the anticipated starting date for this course? How frequently and in which semester(s)
will the course be offered in the future? How many sections of this course will typically be offered
simultaneously?
The anticipated starting date for this course is in Fall 2013. It will be offered every Fall and Spring
semester. Only one section of this course is anticipated at each offering.
10.0 Instructor
Describe necessary instructor competencies and qualifications to teach the course.
The course requires an instructor who holds an earned doctorate degree, and who possesses experience
and expertise in university instruction and research. The required lectures included in this course will be
provided by invitees of the annual VL2 Lecture Series, and will be drawn from a wide list of researchers
whose interests intersect with those of VL2 and PEN.
11.0 Course Format and Procedures
Describe how the course will be conducted, in terms of class meetings and teaching procedures.
The course structure for PEN 701 has 3 parts. Students are expected to participate in all three parts for full
course credit. In Part (1), students and faculty attend an intensive Educational Neuroscience Seminar
meeting. This meeting prepares students for Part (2) of this Seminar, which is the Ed Neuroscience
Presentation Series, whereupon students will attend a colloquium given by the author of the previous
week’s assigned readings. Following this colloquium presentation, students will then attend the third
required part of this Seminar, the Post-Ed Neuroscience Meeting, held with the actual presenter. Here,
students will have the opportunity to converse directly with, and question, the actual researcher whose
paper the student has read during Parts 1 and 2 of the Seminar. There will be approximately 3 to 4 guest
presenters in this course. The student must take this course twice (fall and spring semesters.)
12.0 Evaluation of Course and Course Instructor
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Describe how course instruction and the course itself will be evaluated, including any long-term
strategies for evaluating the course as part of the department offerings.
The course will be evaluated based on student responses to course evaluation and program evaluation (via
yearly progress report), and the instructor’s evaluation of the course as it satisfied program
SLOs.
13.0 Resources
Describe the immediate and future impact the offering of this course is likely to have on the
department's personnel, physical, and financial resources.
None anticipated.
14.0 Alignment of proposed course goals with those of academic program
14.1 Program mission statement
The program’s mission is to lay bare the advances, and to advance, the exciting new multidisciplinary
field called Educational Neuroscience—a discipline that is bound by two driving overarching goals: (i) to
marry leading scientific discoveries about how children learn knowledge that is at the heart of early
schooling (e.g., language, reading, number, science, social-emotional) with core challenges in
contemporary education, and to do so in principled ways through “two-way” communication and mutual
growth between science and society; (ii) to conduct state-of-the-art behavioral and neuroimaging research
that renders new knowledge that is useable, and meaningfully translatable, for the benefit of society
(spanning parents, teachers, clinicians, medical practitioners, and beyond). Educational Neuroscience at
Gallaudet University provides a unique strength in, and contribution to, pioneering advances in the
education of young deaf children.
The new PhD Program in Educational Neuroscience also seeks to propel forward Gallaudet University’s
goals to provide its students with the most cutting-edge knowledge, powerful critical analysis and
reasoning skills, and utterly advanced knowledge of, and expertise in, research and its principled
application (here, neuroimaging and behavioral research), which are vital to education and society.
14.2 Program Student Learning Outcomes
List the Student Learning Outcomes for your academic program.
1. The students will acquire a foundational knowledge of the educational, neurological, behavioral and
cognitive determinants, and sociocultural practices that impact all human learning, especially learning in
the young deaf visual learner.
2. The students will be exposed to a range of specialized topics and principles and scientific methods and
understand the ethical principles of research conducted with participants.
3. The students will develop knowledge of the meaningful and principled, mutually beneficial, two-way
means and methods to translate scientific discoveries to education and education to science.
4. The students will develop research skills and critical thinking by demonstrating the ability to conduct
independent research leading to dissertation and publication.
5. The students will develop professional communication and technology skills.
6. The students will demonstrate increasing independence throughout the training period, and show a
readiness for entry-level faculty research positions.
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14.3 Course Student Learning Outcomes
List the Student Learning Outcomes for your proposed course. Then in table format, using the
template provided below, list the learning outcomes and show how the course and program SLOs
align by placing checks in the appropriate cells.
1—Knowledge of contemporary brain and behavioral research and its principled application to prevailing
problems in education, spanning the field of Educational Neuroscience and the contemporary disciplines
that comprise its interdisciplinary foundational base.
2—Knowledge and analysis of overarching issues in language learning, reading, child development,
educational assessment, educational intervention, and school, policy, and family processes associated
with young children, especially young deaf visual learners.
3—Knowledge of critical analysis, and critical analytical thinking, when reading and comprehending
research articles.
4— Increased familiarity of the scientific method of inquiry
5—Experience with active, student-centered learning
14.4 Learning Opportunities
Briefly describe the Learning Opportunities (eg. assignments, projects, activities, reports, field
experiences, etc.) designed to achieve the course Student Learning Outcomes. List them in table
format, using the template provided below, and briefly state how they will be assessed (eg. what
assessment methods will be used?).
Discussion Board dialogues
Virtual Discussions in the Cog-Ed Neuroscience Seminar and the Post-Cog-Ed Neuroscience
Session with top researchers
Responses to Guiding Questions
Response Paper to the VL2 Presentation Series
Post Summary after the Post-Cog-Ed Neuroscience Session
14.5 Assessment Methods
Attach assessment tools used in this course (include grading scales, rubrics, checklists, etc.) to the
syllabi accompanying this proposal. Do not attach them to the proposal itself.
Rubric to assess Discussion is included in the proposed syllabus.
Guiding Questions are attached to the syllabus as well.
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PEN 701 Educational Neuroscience Proseminar I
PEN 701 Educational Neuroscience Proseminar
Course student Learning
Student Learning
Assessment Method
Outcomes
Opportunities
1. Knowledge of contemporary
brain and behavioral research and
its principled application to
prevailing problems in education,
spanning the field of Educational
Neuroscience and the
contemporary disciplines that
comprise its interdisciplinary
foundational base.
2. Knowledge and analysis of
overarching issues in language
learning, reading, child
development, educational
assessment, educational
intervention, and school, policy,
and family processes associated
with young children, especially
young deaf visual learners.
3. Knowledge of critical analysis,
and critical analytical thinking,
when reading and comprehending
research articles.
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Responses to Guiding
Questions on BB for the Ed
Neuroscience Seminar (Part
1), Response Paper to the Ed
Neuroscience Presentation
Series (Part 2) —posted to the
Discussion Board on BB and
contributions to the responses
of others, and Post Summary
after the Post-Ed
Neuroscience Session with
the presenter (Part 3).
Responses to Guiding
Questions on BB for the Ed
Neuroscience Seminar (Part
1), Response Paper to the Ed
Neuroscience Presentation
Series (Part 2) —posted to the
Discussion Board on BB and
contributions to the responses
of others, and Post Summary
after the Post-Ed
Neuroscience Session with
the presenter (Part 3).
Responses to Guiding
Questions on BB for the Ed
Neuroscience Seminar (Part
1), Response Paper to the Ed
Neuroscience Presentation
Series (Part 2) —posted to the
Discussion Board on BB and
contributions to the responses
Proof of attendance at seminars and
posts on discussion board.
Discussion is assessed with a rubric
in syllabus.
Proof of attendance at seminars and
posts on discussion board.
Discussion is assessed with a rubric
in syllabus.
Proof of attendance at seminars and
posts on discussion board.
Discussion is assessed with a rubric
in syllabus.
Program Learning Outcomes
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PEN 701 Educational Neuroscience Proseminar I
4. Increased familiarity of the
scientific method of inquiry
5. Experience with active,
student-centered learning
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of others, and Post Summary
after the Post-Ed
Neuroscience Session with
the presenter (Part 3).
Responses to Guiding
Questions on BB for the Ed
Neuroscience Seminar (Part
1), Response Paper to the Ed
Neuroscience Presentation
Series (Part 2) —posted to the
Discussion Board on BB and
contributions to the responses
of others, and Post Summary
after the Post-Ed
Neuroscience Session with
the presenter (Part 3).
Responses to Guiding
Questions on BB for the Ed
Neuroscience Seminar (Part
1), Response Paper to the Ed
Neuroscience Presentation
Series (Part 2) —posted to the
Discussion Board on BB and
contributions to the responses
of others, and Post Summary
after the Post-Ed
Neuroscience Session with
the presenter (Part 3).
Proof of attendance at seminars and
posts on discussion board.
Discussion is assessed with a rubric
in syllabus.
Proof of attendance at seminars and
posts on discussion board.
Discussion is assessed with a rubric
in syllabus.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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