M.A. TESL Course Descriptions

TESL/IME Courses
General Education Courses
Digital Media and Learning Courses

IME 602. Research in Bilingualism and Bilingual Education (3 units)
Discussion of completed and ongoing research in bilingual education; educational implications of their findings, and other needed areas of research.

IME 603. Applied Linguistics (3 units)
Discussion of the concepts, principles, theories and research in selected major areas of linguistic studies. Focus is on language structure and language use (including the structure of English) and first- and second-language development.

IME 611. Language and Culture (3 units)
Examination of the relationship between language and culture from a cross-cultural perspective. Focus on aspects of culture reflected in language and language use.

IME 612. Race Ethnicity and Cultural Identity (3 units)
Critical examination of concepts of ethnicity beginning with the origin and development of notions of assimilation through melting pot notions to concepts of a pluralistic society.The roles that ethnicity and cultural identity play in education in particular, and society in general, will be explored. Basic definitions of Culture, Ethnicity and Identity will be developed.

IME 615. Education for Inclusion (3 units)
Exploration of Paulo Freire's philosophy of education and the educational history and needs of oppressed populations in the U.S. and other nations.

IME 624. African American Educational History in the United States (3 units)
Course provides factual, functional information regarding the educational history of African ancestry Americans in the contiguous United States. Prior African educational history will be discussed to provide a framework for the consideration of the educational status of Black Americans today. African education in the diaspora, specifically the American Diaspora. Contemporary scholars perspectives on African American educational history and the conditions extant will be explored.

IME 627. Pan-African Language and Culture (3 units)
Educational equity demands that there be a systematic effort to provide an understanding of the linguistic, cultural and communication history of African descent Americans. This course seeks to provide some first steps toward that understanding.

IME 630. Teaching English as a Second Language (3 units)
Examination of theory and methods of instruction for English language development and theory and methods of specifically designed academic instruction delivered in English. Language and content area assessment are also covered.

IME 631. Research in First and Second Language Acquisition (3 units)
Examination of the current theories, research, and other developments in the areas of first and second language acquisition. Emphasis on what is known about these processes and the conditions that affect them; major research issues and methods for examining them; and implications of such research for educational practice.

IME 632. Structure of American English (3 units)
An increased awareness of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of contemporary American English through observation of the structure of language. Traditional and structural and generative transformational grammar, phonology, usage, and dialect are major topics.

IME 633. Preparation and Evaluation of ESL Instructional Materials (3 units)
Discussion of the various commercial materials available to the ESL teacher: books, tapes, machines, kits, etc. Focus on evaluation of these and teacher-prepared materials.

IME 638. TESL Field Project (3 units)
Development of a comprehensive project in teaching or research.

Back to Top

IME 639. Cross-Cultural Literacy (3 units)
Examination of culture; its nature and manifestations, and the changing demographics and cultural diversity that make up California. Attention is given to aspects of culture that teachers should learn about their students, ways to learn about their students' cultures, and ways teachers can use cultural knowledge, cultural contact, and cultural diversity in California, and the U.S.

IME 640. Immigration and Forced Displacement (3 units)
Study of immigration, migration, refugee status and their international dimensions. This course will seek to embark upon a more functional, applied understanding of who we are and who they are, as well as how we may enhance the educational experiences of newcomers from all parts of the world.

IME 647. Technology and Diverse Learners (3 units)
This course focuses on the use of computer technology for diverse learners in the United States. Students will explore issues surrounding the use of computers to enhance learning for all students. Through critical reading, the use of software, and hands-on activities, students will study the relationship between technology and equity, the way technology is changing culture, gender equity, inclusion, and educational computing as a social practice. The class is both theoretical and practical. Students are required to have access to the Internet outside of class time. Knowledge of basic computer software is recommended but not required.

IME 650. Asian Americans: History, Culture and Contemporary Issues (3 units)
Study of the historical background and the early immigrant experience in the U.S.; their culture-traditional and contemporary; the socio-economic, political, educational and legal development of major Asian immigrant groups, including their contributions to American society; changes and adaptations made; and contemporary issues. Covers Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Asian Indian and the Vietnamese refugees.

IME 668. Discourse, Pragmatics and Language Teaching (3 units)
Examination of several approaches to discourse analysis and pragmatics with application to the teaching of language arts, foreign languages and ESL. Emphasis mainly on oral communication with some work in approaches to teaching writing.

IME 674. Literature in Education (3 units)
Learning to analyze the subtle messages in text facilitates uncovering the complexity of reality. In this course the analysis of narrative written for all ages and various cultural perspectives provides insight to the ever present questions of identity and the search for justice.

IME 678. Contemporary Authors and Illustrators (3 units)
This course will provide an opportunity for content and critical analysis of the body of work of a selected group of prominent, contemporary authors and illustrators in the field of children's and young adult literature. Students will become acquainted with major works as well as corollary readings and criticism on each writer and/or artist.

IME 680. Contemporary Issues in Literature for Children and Young Adults (3 units)
This course will examine contemporary issues in the field of children's literature, including creative and marketing perspectives, censorship and publishing trends. The course serves to further the goal of bringing children and books together through the collaborative efforts of authors, illustrators, storytellers, publishers, booksellers, students, teachers and librarians to promote innovative programs using multicultural children's literature as a creative tool to encourage literacy and critical thinking.

IME 697. Directed Study (1-3 units)
Independent, in-depth study of a specific educational topic.

IME 698. IME Special Topics (3 units)
In-depth study by a group of students, facilitated by an instructor or team of instructors with expertise in a selected area of multicultural education. Open to all graduate students.

Back to Top

General Education courses:
GEDU 603. Methodology of Educational Research (3 units)
An introduction to the process and methods of educational research articles and to developing a preliminary plan or proposal for research in the field.

GEDU 605. Practitioner Research
Practitioner Research provides background in the theory and practice of conducting inquiry-based research in one's own classroom, school or educational setting with the objective of developing a plan of action. This course is designed to train students to identify a problem at their site, to investigate this problem through a review of the literature, and to conduct a field project using appropriate research methodology.

Digital Media and Learning courses:
DML 601. Digital Media Literacy (3 units)
Introduction to the vocabulary, concepts, media tools and pedagogy for the effective and appropriate integration of technology into learning environments as a tool for developing literacy and 21st century knowledge processing. This course addresses the issues of institutional readiness, faculty needs and maximal student learning at a variety of levels.

DML 615. Information Systems in Educational Management
Corequisite: Ability to use any personal computer for word processing or other tasks. Examination of the uses of information in the management of educational institutions and issues administrators face in the management of information, including collection, storage, and dissemination. Focuses on integration and communications of information for decision-making. Includes an introduction to validity and reliability in tests and measurements; use of specific tools, such as school schedulers and student records; and human, technological, and legal issues in sharing information. Students will work in teams to develop "hands-on" projects.

DML 631. Instructional Design, Curricula, and Learning Theory
This course focuses on combining state-of-the-art technology with the traditional principles of curriculum design and learning theory. Working in teams, students construct a learning project environment conductive to the skills appropriate to the age of the intended learners through technology.

DML 633. Technology and Diverse Learners
This course focuses on the use of computer technology for diverse learners in the United States. Students will explore issues surrounding the use of computers to enhance learning for all students. Through critical reading, the use of software, and hands-on activities, students will study the relationship between technology and equity, the way technology is changing culture, gender equity, inclusion, and educational computing as a social practice. The class is both theoretical and practical.

DML 634. Projects for K-7 Classrooms
Technology-based (including digital multimedia) projects and lessons, suitable for grades K-7, are created and critiqued. Resource rich and resource poor learning environments are considered.

Back to Top

DML 640. Human-Technological Interface Design
This course explores the fundamental principles of how to design, develop, test and evaluate user interface design using digital media tools. Addresses issues of human cognition, learning styles, ADA accessibility needs, and task analysis. Practice in the planning and selection of technology-based instruction with emphasis on the relation of theory to the creation of intentional learning environments.

DML 641. Cybercuture: Building Online Learning Communities
This course is an introduction to the concepts and theories of social computing. It explores distance and distributed learning, varied techniques to promote mentoring, reflective discourse, collegial sharing, and dissemination of information. Research in current technologies inform development of online community of student choice.

DML 642. Media, Medium, Method
Prerequisite: DML - 601. Students work in teams to apply theories of learning and principles of communication and media design to the creation of curriculum units. This course examines the use of various media and their ability to communicate the intended message in the context of learning theories and learning styles. Students explore various technologies for producing digitized sound, graphics, and video.

DML 643. Constructivism and Technology
This hands-on course covers the history of constructivism as a learning theory, constructivist teaching strategies, curriculum designs, assessment, and the appropriate uses of technology to support student-centered learning.

DML 644. Website Design
Creation and management of web pages and websites, employing current tools and incorporating a full range of multimedia resources and content.

DML 645. Professional Development Design
Students prepare and deliver computer application professional development workshop units to an audience of adults from the community. Students are responsible for all aspects of workshop delivery, including planning, invitations or publicity, logistical matters, presentation, and evaluation.

DML 650. Digital Storytelling & Communications Media
This course explores the ways in which storytelling is a constant in an ever-changing world. Technology innovations challenge educators/trainers to recondsider old models of communication to convey meaning and information. Evaluates the role of storytelling in a digital era as well as the impact of techology on individuals and cultures.

DML 670. Issues, Trends & Research in DML
Prerequisite: DML - 601. This course surveys contemporary research, issues, and trends in digital media, related learning technologies, and research paradigms, designs, and methods used in such investigations; includes practice in reviewing and critiquing published research and evaluation in the field of educational computing.

DML 675. Planning, Leading and Evaluating with Technology
Rapidly evolving communication and computer technologies can affect "school reform" directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, positively or negatively, depending on a multitude of social, economic, political, and technical issues. This course enables students to use technology to plan and evaluate instructional programs in diverse educational settings.

Back to Top