EDIN - Education and Innovation

Course Descriptions

EDIN 5001 Foundations of Global Citizenship (3)

This course enables educators to develop knowledge, skills and competencies for working in the global and digital age learning environments. Students develop research and professional writing and scholarship skills using both traditional media (books, journals) and new media (online databases, video and online resources, wiki-book authoring). They understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities and model legal and ethical behaviors in their professional practice. They develop skills in communicating, collaborating and building learning communities with peers, experts, and students.

EDIN 5110 Digital Storytelling (3)

In this course, students develop digital stories and practice digital literacies. They discuss the impact of digital storytelling and new digital literacies on learning and instruction. Students create digital stories using multimedia platforms in order to engage an audience or to promote learning. Students engage in trans-media storytelling by publishing their stories across various online platforms and solicit feedback from a wider audience. They reflect upon the continued development of their stories based on audience feedback and engagement.

EDIN 5120 Instructional Development (3)

Students apply the ADDIE model as well as newer Instructional Design models such as SAM, ROPE and ARCS Keller to an instructional problem. They identify an instructional problem by conducting a need analysis and then creating an instructional intervention to meet the instructional need. As a part of this applied instructional development experience students learn how to construct learning objectives and outcomes in order to address behavioral and learning needs. They apply the use of planning tools, job aids and visual representations to inform their instructional interventions. 

EDIN 5130 Foundations of Workplace Learning (3)

Students learn the fundamentals of how people learn in the workplace and the dynamics involved. In the course, students explore distinctive adult learning theories such as the hierarchy of needs and transformational learning. Students will examine the essential aspects of workplace learning and the various influences that affect the success of work-based learning. Students apply models of design based on adult learning needs in informal learning, corporate training and non-school based learning environments. The application of technologies and techniques that support learning in the workplace is an essential aspect of this course.

EDIN 5140 Evaluation of Training Programs (3)

Students apply the Kirkpatrick Models of Evaluation as well as other program review such as Quality Matters. Existing instructional programs will be reviewed and evaluated for assignment with ADDIE, Adult Learning Theory and other instructional program needs. Other types of program evaluation will be reviewed and assessed and a philosophy of evaluation as well as a conceptual framework for training program evaluation will be developed. 

EDIN 5180 Creativity and Innovation (3)

This course explores creativity and innovation from a multidisciplinary perspective. In particular, it considers how these complex and dynamic phenomena have been defined, evaluated and cultivated in a variety of applied settings. The course covers a range of topics including: distributed creativity, co-creation and user innovation, the creative process, the role of objects in creativity, imagination, societal forms of creativity and innovation.

EDIN 5190 Leadership and Innovation (3)

This course introduces managers, trainers and educators to the principles of interdisciplinary team collaboration and leadership, change leadership and cultivating a "culture of creativity" in organizations. The students experiment and evaluate methods for promoting team-building for innovation in their own organizations.

EDIN 5200 Independent Study (1-3)

Students with special interest or needs that are not met by an existing course may request that a member of the faculty supervise an independent study. Together the student and faculty member decide the content of the independent study and the criteria for evaluation. An independent study may not duplicate an existing course that covers the subject.

EDIN 5410 In-Service Topics (3)

In-service courses provide degree-seeking students with practical applications of current research and methodology. These courses require the advisor's approval (prior to enrollment) to be included in a student's graduate program. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

EDIN 5420 Writing and Information Literacy (3)

This course develops skills in research and information literacy with the emphasis on written and oral expression. Students will learn to engage with material critically, to read and analyze efficiently, and to cite and report the work of others responsibly and accurately. Students will undertake multiple assignments, exploring new ways to find, evaluate, and engage with information from various sources and in different formats, as well as learn to infuse their writing with an oral exchange. The goal of this course is to assist graduate students in developing the skills necessary to meet a range of anticipated writing and creative tasks that they will encounter during their studies. The objectives are to learn, practice, and gain confidence in the language skills required in reading, researching, writing, and presenting. Students will be introduced to a variety of writing genres, style manuals, and document formatting. Additionally, students will be mentored and provided guided practice.  

EDIN 5461 Curriculum: Creativity and Design (3)

This course enables participants to create authentic, real-world curriculum that engages learners in personally relevant and meaningful learning experiences with creative processes and outcomes. Topics include creatively teaching to the big idea, how to develop authentic performance tasks, how to evaluate performance tasks, how to match the interests and meet the needs of all learners, and how to integrate technology.

EDIN 5490 Seminars in Education and Innovation (1-3)

Seminars are designed to focus on current research in various topics in Education and Innovation and their real-world applications. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

EDIN 5620 Mindfulness (3)

This course provides an introduction to the concepts and practice of mindfulness. The course emphasizes the practice of the moment-by-moment awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations and surrounding environment. Students review research on the impact of mindfulness practice on physical and mental health, and the effects of mindfulness on teaming environments. Students design a mini mindfulness retreat.

EDIN 5622 Restorative Justice: Learning Communities (3)

This course examines the roots of restorative practices in indigenous cultures and in the reform of juvenile and adult justice system. Emphasis will be on (a) application of restorative justice techniques in the workplace and educational settings, and (b) on evaluation of the impact of restorative practices on the climate and norms (including bullying and aggression) in families, peer groups, formal, informal and virtual learning communities.

EDIN 5624 Transformative Learning (3)

Transformative learning is the expansion of consciousness through the process of first questioning and deconstructing one's worldview, identity and ways of thinking, and then revisioning, reframing and reintegrating them. In this course, participants read and reflect on the theories and recent research in transformative learning and examine how transformative learning applies to their own life experiences, to educational practice and to transformation of collective consciousness.

EDIN 5630 Creative Multimedia Design for Innovative Learning (3)

In this project-based course, students explore new instructional design orientations for teaching and learning in a media rich culture. Intensive use of multimedia presentation and instructional delivery tools is a hallmark of this course. Students will learn to design, plan and evaluate integrated instructional experiences with multimedia applications and approaches. They will also learn to use search and media aggregation technologies to find effective instructional delivery resources that enhance learning designs. 

EDIN 5650 Design Thinking (3)

Designing experiences that focus on how people and organizations grow and thrive is a systematic and thoughtful process. This course is concerned with helping students think about and engage in design thinking as a way to engage learners and build innovative learning tools, products and environments. It practically focuses on using design thinking to plan prototype and build learning experiences. 

Globally, learners and audiences for systematized educational offerings have changed markedly since the rise of the internet and World Wide Web. In every country, today's learners and audiences are defined by a deep hunger for information and an insatiable desire for knowledge. In developed economies, an openness to messaging from many different sources define daily existence. Educators in all settings must be agile and innovative in order to maintain engagement and build audience interest via meaningful curriculum as well as "classroom" offerings. In this course, we explore Design Thinking as a catalyst for reshaping learning experiences toward more innovation. We examine ways of developing novel learning designs to solve real-world living and learning problems to meet the needs of diverse learners. 

EDIN 5750 Special Institute (1-3)

Various special institutes to provide sponsored research or project-based learning, field-based or international travel-based experiences. May be repeated for credit if content differs.

EDIN 5800 Research Designs for Education and Innovation (3)

This course enables students to develop strategies and methods to investigate a focused research question or to conduct an interdisciplinary problem-solving project within their workplace or learning environment. 

EDIN 5840 Innovations in Learning Systems: Global Perspectives (3)

Comparing innovative learning models and educational systems from various countries increases intercultural understanding and provides insight into one's own philosophies, beliefs, values and methodologies. Each participant investigates and compares innovative systems across two or more nations or cultures and presents reports for class evaluation and discussion.

EDIN 6000 Graduate Certificate Project (3)

The graduate certificate project is the culminating experience in a graduate certificate program. Examples include a presentation or demonstration for an organization, a school district or a community group; a project or a research project; or an action research project report.

EDIN 6001 Integrated Studies: Education and Innovation (3)

In this capstone course, students develop and implement a comprehensive project in their specialization area. The project may be a field-based design, implementation and evaluation of a course, program or a professional development plan for other educators; or it may be a research project. Prerequisite: Completion of 27 hours of coursework in the MA program.

EDIN 6250 Thesis (3-6)

The student completes a thesis project under the supervision of two faculty members. The thesis option is recommended for those considering graduate study at the doctoral level. All theses must follow university guidelines and be deposited in the Webster University library. Prerequisite: EDIN 5800