Education

This is a special studies course with projects arranged between the student and faculty member. The specific topics of study vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. The number of units varies with the student's project, contact hours, and method of assessment, as defined on the student's special study project form.

The course covers the basic concepts of human biology, the genetic bases of human development and behavior, the morphophysiology of the neuroendocrine system, developmental neurobiology, the psychobiology of cognitive, perceptual, and motor processes, and educational neuropsychology.

This course introduces fundamental structures and principles of education with the aim of broadening students’ ideas and knowledge about education systems and policy. Students are shown a diversity of approaches by highlighting European and international developments which involve an emphasis on creative pedagogical thinking and they analyze how Ireland fits into this framework. There is also an examination of the socio-cultural aims and requirements of education focusing on pedagogy but also addressing key areas of policy and practice as they relate to social justice, for example, social inclusion, race and ethnicity, gender, and belief systems.

This course examines connections between the foundations of Didactics and innovative practices in the school setting through systematic curriculum planning and teaching, emphasizing the relationship between diverse forms of knowledge within educational activities. 

This is a 15 ECTS course focused on children with special needs in family, community, and educational contexts. The course delivery is through a blended mode of lectures, tutorials, and inquiry-based project work. Students explore holistic models of conceptualizing the diverse needs of children, as well as examining and reflecting upon practical support strategies for inclusive environments. Students explore and understand the Disability Act (2005) and the process of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

In this course, students explore children and young people's development from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course takes a holistic and ecological view of developmental trajectories in the context of social relationships. It provides an overview of children and young people's bio-psycho-social, cultural, and emotional development. Students examine the role that relationships with primary carers, significant others, family members, and friends play in that development. Students reflect on key concepts in child and youth development, such as attachment, transition, identity, risk, and resilience. 

This educational psychology course covers how humans learn and remember information. Topics are approached from the perspectives of Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism. Using different learning theories, the course discusses the most effective ways to learn and the best ways to build educational material. How people process information is covered, along with how people develop over time, how they behave in different learning situations, and the differences between beginners to experts. The course has both historical and current perspectives.

In this course, students are introduced to theoretical and political questions about students with learning difficulties and disabilities, including students with severe and profound learning difficulties. After looking at competing models of disability, the course examines questions about health, human dignity, respect, rights, equality, dependency, creativity, and inclusion; and students explore how people with disabilities value their lives and how to assess their testimony about living with a disability. The course includes philosophical and sociological theory, the politics of disability, and numerous examples of first person testimony.