EDF 4264 - Learning Theory and Instruction

College of Education

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Spring 2026 (660)

Requisites

Admission to Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) (Certificate with Financial Aid Eligibility) (EPI-CT) or
Admission to Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) with Reading Endorsement (Certificate with Financial Aid Eligibility) (EPIR-CT)

Course Description

This course is designed to cover principles of learning and student development and their applications to learning/teaching situations. Self-concept, motivation, views of intelligence, and assessment are examined with opportunities to analyze teaching/learning episodes and to develop a repertoire of teaching approaches.
Emphasis is placed on the interaction between the role of the teacher and the needs and learning styles of students at various developmental ages and stages. Teacher candidates create coherent, meaningful learning experiences using the major philosophical foundations of education to develop learners’ competence in subject matter knowledge. Teacher candidates evaluate the suitability of the content against learner characteristics.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The teacher candidate will incorporate the fundamentals of curriculum development into lesson design by:
    1. defining curriculum methods and strategies.
    2. creating instructional plans that include appropriate accommodations for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Exceptional Student Education (ESE).
    3. selecting instructional goals that represent high expectations for students based on state standards.
    4. utilizing instructional goals that reflect important learning and conceptual understanding, and the state standards.
    5. identifying instructional media and technology to support student needs, curriculum, instruction and assessment.
    6. constructing assessments based on identified objectives.
    7. identifying teacher actions needed to begin, maintain and end a lesson.
    8. incorporating the appropriate instructional strategies into lesson design.
    9. self-assessing lesson plans on the basis of criteria set forth in the College of Education lesson plan rubric.
  2. The teacher candidate will evaluate the issues related to student development by:
    1. naming the major contributors to learner development.
    2. describing the characteristics of learner development.
    3. analyzing the effect of student development on learning, given specific teaching/learning situations.
    4. distinguishing between cognitive and affective domains using Bloom's Taxonomy.
  3. The teacher candidate will explain the principles and contributions of major learning theories by:
    1. contrasting empiricism and rationalism.
    2. describing principles of constructivism.
    3. listing contributors to behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, psychodynamics and developmental psychology.
    4. describing principles of each of the major learning theories.
    5. distinguishing between classical conditioning and operant conditioning.
    6. analyzing the use and effectiveness of a learning theory given a specific classroom situation.
  4. The teacher candidate will evaluate the issues related to self-concept, motivation, views of intelligence, and assessment by:
    1. stating examples of self-concept, self-esteem and self-efficacy.
    2. describing the differences between extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.
    3. discussing the relationship of different learning theories to motivation.
    4. identifying the origin and limitations of intelligence tests.
    5. examining issues related to multiple intelligences and the impact on teaching/learning situations.
    6. analyzing issues related to assessment of learning.
  5. The teacher candidate will apply knowledge of student development and learning to observed teaching/learning situations by:
    1. reflecting on an observed teaching/learning situation and describing how student development and learning theory impacted the situation.
    2. describing techniques and strategies that promote or enhance critical, creative, and evaluative thinking capabilities of students.
    3. reflecting on an observed teaching/learning situation and describing how knowledge of student development and learning theory could be used to increase the effectiveness of the situation.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will, with a minimum of 75% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

C&I 12/2/2011, BOT 2/21/2012, Effective 20113(0455). Submitted as 4215, SCNS approved as 4264. C&I Approval: 11/30/2012, BOT Approval: 01/15/2013, Effective Term: Fall 2013 (475). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2022 (600).
C&I Approval: 06/30/2025, BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2026 (660)