Developmental Insights: Connecting Human Development Throughlines Across Research and Practice

HDE PCE Subject & Catalog Number

Description

What isn’t a part of human development and education? The enormous breadth and diversity of topics, knowledge, and skills are what makes our Human Development and Education Program exciting and challenging. Welcome to HDE!

In our Program Core Experience, we will examine the human development throughlines - consistent and shared themes - connecting across science and practice. Can we identify universal human needs and capacities while recognizing the diverse expressions of humanity? How do both the quantity and the quality of developmental experiences matter? Can simple solutions be helpful in addressing complex human development challenges? Are there useful ways to grow ideas in education besides replicating evidence-based programs? Do we develop interventions for communities, or with communities? Most importantly, as we pursue research and practice to advance equitable opportunities for human development and education, how might we transform the ways in which we understand ourselves, the communities we serve, and the possibilities for ideas and actions? Each of these throughlines will be developed with case illustrations to showcase how the science of human development in a particular domain (e.g., language development, motivation, identity, relationships) has shaped research and real world practice in both positive and sometimes counterproductive ways. More important than the specific cases, students are invited and encouraged to connect these throughlines with your own personal and professional experiences, insights from other courses, and the ways you envision applying them to your future work. Students will: a) learn how to be critical consumers and creators of the science of human development; b) review evidence from research and existing practice to understand what we know and what gaps remain in a chosen impact area; and c) integrate knowledge, experience, and need in a particular developmental context to develop a “theory of change” for research or practice.

The Program Core Experience is required for and limited to first-year students in the Human Development and Education Ed.M. program and Ph.D. students seeking HDE Ed.M. degree. The experience is focused on building community within the HDE Program, learning through dialogue and feedback, and reflecting to connect knowledge with experience. During the school-wide designated “program blocks” (when no other HGSE courses are scheduled), students will participate in weekly lectures/workshops, guest faculty conversations, and small-group meetings. The teaching team emphasizes participation, engagement, and self-reflection and uses a pass/fail grading approach.