Writing to Learn: A Course Design and Educational Resources

The course design, in-class activities, assignments, and citations here offer ways educators can use the writing process to improve student learning, focusing on undgraduate and early graduate work. These materials can be remixed and repurposed, in whole or in part, as you wish under the terms of a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. If you repurpose these materials for a particular discipline or context, an email about your work would be greatly appreciated!

Material Type: Full Course

Author: Geoff Keston

Still Face Experiment

Using the "Still Face" Experiment, in which a mother denies her baby attention for a short period of time, director of UMass Boston's Infant-Parent Mental Health Program Ed Tronick describes how prolonged lack of attention can move an infant from good socialization, to periods of bad but repairable socialization. In "ugly" situations the child does not receive any chance to return to the good, and may become stuck.

Material Type: Case Study, Simulation

Substance Abuse and the Family

This course focuses on families with members who are substance abusers, and the ways in which these families function. The course explores the methods and resources available for helping such families.

Material Type: Full Course, Homework/Assignment, Syllabus

Authors: Ed.D, Gonzalo Bacigalupe

Psychosocial Aspects of Visual Impairment

This course investigates the psychosocial aspects of vision loss. Coping techniques and issues of self-esteem are explored, along with principles of self-determination. Other topics include the psychosocial aspects of personal life management such as orientation and mobility, use of volunteers, sexuality, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Psychosocial issues specific to people from diverse cultures are also addressed.

Material Type: Full Course, Lecture Notes, Syllabus

Geomorphology

This course presents a topical approach to landform analysis and process. Map interpretations are used to demonstrate relationships to constructive and destructive processes during landform development. Planning economic and social considerations are examined.

Material Type: Full Course

Author: John Looney

Action Research for Educational, Professional, and Personal Change, Fall 2007

This course covers techniques for and critical thinking about the evaluation of changes in educational practices and policies in schools, organizations, and informal contexts. Topics include quantitative and qualitative methods for design and analysis, participatory design of practices and policies, institutional learning, the wider reception or discounting of evaluations, and selected case studies, including those arising from semester-long student projects.

Material Type: Case Study, Full Course, Syllabus

Authors: Ph.D., Professor Peter Taylor

Nineteenth Century Europe

This course covers the political, social and cultural history of Europe from 1815 to 1900, including the history of each major European nation.

Material Type: Full Course, Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Syllabus

Authors: Ph.D., Professor Spencer Di Scala

Embracing Diversity and English Language Development (ELD) in Your Program for administrators

This course for Administrators provides knowledge and skills in supporting diverse families and enhancing English LanguageDevelopment (ELD) across expressive and receptive language domains for school-age children who are English Language Learners (ELL) or have other learning and language barriers. Administrators learn about  key standards and best practices and explore strategies to implement improved practice, creating a shift in policies and programmatic culture to embrace and support diverse learners, welcoming non-native English speaking families and enhancing the ELD progress of students who are learners of English.

Material Type: Full Course

Authors: Elise Scott, Susan Vinovrski

Using Internet Communications, Fall 2011

Using Internet Communication enhances students' theoretical understanding of electronic communication and their ability to communicate as professionals, scholars, and citizens using the Internet. Participants learn core communication theoretical models and principles, and apply them to electronic communication methods that enhance interpersonal, small group, and public interactions. These methods include electronic meetings, discussion forums, co-authoring tools, audio, and video.

Material Type: Full Course, Homework/Assignment, Syllabus

Authors: Ed.M, Professor Eileen McMahon

Universe of Music, Fall 2007

An introduction to the infinite universe of music from its origins to the present, this course investigates the role of instruments, culture, myth and science in the evolution of music. Illustrations through the medium of the World Wide Web present the concept of music as both communication of ideas and expression of feelings in diverse musical traditions of the world.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Full Course, Homework/Assignment, Reading, Syllabus, Unit of Study

Author: Professor David Patterson

Investigations Across the Curriculum: Reality and the Americas

This section examines how reality and fantasy are understood and constructed by, across, and in the Americas. Materials drawn from across the curriculum (e.g., from history, psychology, media, and communication studies) are used to question definitions of reality, fact, truth, fiction, fantasy, magical realism, myth, virtual space, reality-TV, and corporeality. Students gain the ability to defend their positions about how categories such as reality and fantasy differ and overlap.

Material Type: Full Course

Author: Meesh McCarthy

Geographic - Weather & Climate

Weather and climate is designed to function as two mini-courses that are highly integrated and interdependent. It is necessary to understand the elements of weather in order to understand climatic systems and outcomes. The course is not taught in a deterministic manner but from an ecological standpoint with a focus upon the interaction of site and situation, basic concepts to Geographers.

Material Type: Full Course

Author: John Looney

Artificial Intelligence, Fall 2008

An introduction to the main techniques of Artifical Intelligence: state-space search methods, semantic networks, theorem-proving and production rule systems. Important applications of these techniques are presented. Students are expected to write programs exemplifying some of techniques taught, using the LISP lanuage.

Material Type: Full Course, Homework/Assignment, Syllabus

Authors: Ph.D., Professor Wei Ding

International Relations, Spring 2007

This course is designed to acquaint beginning students with some of the fundamental principles of international relations such as realism and idealism. Realism, for example is based on the assumption that the state constitutes the most important actor in the international system. The course will also explore the nature of idealism, which emphasizes the role of international norms and ethics, such as the preservation of human rights, as a means of realizing international justice. The course will also analyze international political economy and various theories ranging from mercantilism to dependency theory.

Material Type: Full Course, Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Syllabus

Authors: Ph.D., Professor Robert Weiner

Introductory Oceanography E & G SCI

Oceanography will present the ocean in an historical and geographical context.We will examine physical and exploration ocean science in a holistic manner. Origins and evolution of the oceans will be examined scientifically, philosophically and historically. We will integrate spatial and temporal aspects of marine environments.

Material Type: Full Course

Author: John Looney

Biological Oceanography, Fall 2008

This graduate course will introduce students to the processes controlling phytoplankton, zooplankton, heterotrophic bacterial and benthic infaunal growth and abundance. We'll do a broad-scale survey of patterns of productivity and abundance in the coastal zones, upwelling centers, gyres, and the deep sea. We'll briefly survey ecosystem simulation models, especially those applicable to the Gulf of Maine. Readings will be from the primary literature and a few book chapters. The effects of anthropogenic effects on marine communities will be stressed throughout. Calculus will be used throughout the course, but there is no formal calculus requirement.

Material Type: Full Course

Author: Eugene Gallagher

Epidemiological Thinking For Non-Specialists, Fall 2007

Introduction to methods and problems in research and applications where quantitative data is analyzed to reconstruct possible pathways of development of behaviors and diseases. Special attention given to social inequalities, changes over the life course, heterogeneous pathways, and controversies with implications for policy and practice. Case studies and course projects are shaped to accommodate students with interests in fields related to health, gerontology, education, psychology, sociology, and public policy. Students are assumed to have a statistical background, but the course emphasizes the ability to frame the questions in order to collaborate well with statistical specialists; the goal is methodological "literacy" not technical expertise.

Material Type: Assessment, Case Study, Full Course, Syllabus

Authors: Ph.D., Professor Peter Taylor

Introduction to Applied Statistics, Summer 2011

This course provides graduate students in the sciences with an intensive introduction to applied statistics. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, non-parametric methods, estimation methods, hypothesis testing, correlation and linear regression, simulation, and robustness considerations. Calculations will be done using handheld calculators and the Minitab Statistical Computer Software.

Material Type: Full Course, Reading, Syllabus

Author: Eugene Gallagher

Introduction to Environmental Sciences

This course offers a broad overview of physical, chemical, biological, geological, principles of environmental sciences, and serves as a core course for EEOS majors. Examples will focus on linked watershed and coastal marine systems. The student will be introduced to natural processes and interactions in the atmosphere, in the ocean, and on land. There is a focus on biogeochemical cycling of elements as well as changes of these natural cycles with time, especially with recent anthropogenic effects. Topics include plate tectonics, global climate change, ozone depletion, water pollution, oceanography, ecosystem health, and natural resources.

Material Type: Full Course

Author: Robert Chen

General Biology II

An integrated course stressing the principles of biology. Life processes are examined primarily at the organismal and population levels. Intended for students majoring in biology or for non-majors who wish to take advanced biology courses.

Material Type: Full Course, Lecture, Syllabus

Authors: Ph.D., Professor Brian White