Psychology (PSYC) 470

Overview

This is a three-credit, senior level course designed to increase awareness of the framework and rationale for collaboration, the facilitating factors involved, and strategies for implementation. The main emphasis of the course is on understanding collaborative consultation as a process that enables people with diverse expertise to work together to generate solutions for educating students with special education needs in regular public school classrooms.

Topics to be covered include:

• Key elements in consultation and collaboration
• Theoretical basis of school consultation
• Structures for school consultation
• Consultant competencies
• Evaluation and support of consultation and collaboration
• Identification of consultation, collaboration, and team roles
• Benefits of collaborative school consultation
• Consultation process and context in the school system
• Obstacles to consultation and collaboration
• Problem solving strategies
• Communication skills for effective school relationships
• Techniques for meetings, intervention, and observation
• Strategies for implementation
• Parents and personnel as partners in school consultation
• Assessing and evaluating consultation

Outline

Part 1 - Contexts for Working Together

• Unit 1: Consultation, Collaboration, and Teamwork in Schools
• Unit 2: Foundations and Frameworks for Collaborative School Consultation
• Unit 3: Working Together with Families and Students

Part 2: Processes for Working Together

• Unit 4: Communication Processes
• Unit 5: Problem-Solving Strategies
• Unit 6: Management and Assessment

Part 3: Content of Working Together

• Unit 7: Working Together for Students from Diverse Populations
• Unit 8: Working Together for Students with Disabilities
• Unit 9: Working Together for Students with High Ability

Part 4: Working Together Now and in the Future

• Unit 10: Roles of School Personnel
• Unit 11: Related-Services Personnel, Resources, and Technology
• Unit 12: Putting It All Together

Evaluation

The final grade in PSYC 470 is based on performance on four quizzes, the completion of the course project, and the final exam. To receive credit for this course you must achieve a grade of 50 percent or better on the final exam and on the course project, as well as an overall course grade of at least “D” (50 percent).

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Other materials

The course materials include a reading file. All other course materials are online at the Course website.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the PSYC 470 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) or higher on both the research paper and the examination.

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form