Human Development, Learning, and Teaching Core Seminar

EDU S802 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

The Human Development, Learning, and Teaching (HDLT) core seminar will offer students the opportunity for in-depth exploration of fundamental topics and tensions that relate to the seminar and context of developmental change and learning and teaching. Students in this seminar will identify cross-cutting themes related to learning and development, with the goal of providing theoretical grounding and deepening of knowledge in individual students' areas of interest, as well an introduction to the broader landscape of learning and development as is essential for scholars who will need to situate their own interests within a larger field. The course will allow for small group discussion of classic and more recent research, while simultaneously developing professional and practical skills for presenting, discussing, and conducting scientific research. Drawing on the expertise of HDLT-affiliated faculty, students will grapple with core issues related to learning, development, and teaching, including: questions of mental representation and the cognitive processes that support learning, the acquisition of language and literacy, causal reasoning and epistemic trust, the development of intuitive theories, understanding of mathematics and science, the development of social-emotional processes, memory, and executive function, and factors such as play, natural pedagogy, and early home environments that shape learning and development.

Permission of instructor required.  Required for, and limited to, first-year doctoral students in Human Development, Learning, and Teaching concentration.