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Thomas D. Parsons, PhD - Courses Clinical neuropsychology studies human behavior following damage to or dysfunction of the nervous system; such study seeks to establish both (a) the accurate assessment and remediation of damage or dysfunction and (b) a more complete understanding of the intact nervous system. Utilizing a proseminar format, this course is designed to introduce the advanced student to the research findings and clinical applications of this developing subfield within psychology. Both case studies and laboratory-based research will be reviewed. Topics will include general principles of the brain-behavior relationship, basic and higher cognitive functions of the cerebral cortex, neuropsychological testing and assessment, and processes of rehabilitation. This course considers the underpinning principles of neuropsychological assessment and the diverse variables involved in administration, scoring, interpretation, and reporting of neuropsychological assessment results. We review the strengths and weaknesses of different tests for each neurocognitive/motor domain. The importance of interpreting test results within the context of individual cases and describing potential functional implications is highlighted. This course provides a systematic approach to the description and assessment of and planning for children with emotional and behavioral problems. The emphasis is on the psychological disorders of children most commonly encountered in the delivery of school psychological services. Prepare students to analyze research data, and to understand these analyses at a conceptual level. Toward this end, we focus more on concepts and computer analyses, and less on hand calculations and mathematics. Discussion of issues in research design and philosophy of science will be strewn throughout the course. There are two primary pedagogical objectives: 1) Theory: Gain conceptual understanding of why psychologists use regression and underlying meaning of commonly used statistical techniques. Become an educated consumer of statistics in the literature; and 2) Praxes: Know how to perform regression analysis. Statistical analysis is now done almost exclusively on computers. Hence, students are asked to use a standard commercial statistics package (SPSS). This course is designed to assist students in continuing to develop the skills necessary to design, analyze, and evaluate professional research and program evaluation studies. The major focus of this course will be understanding and using analysis of variance techniques. An additional focus of this course will be continuing to explore and evaluate the research literature in the individual student's interest area. The combination of these course objectives will serve to advance students' progress toward completing the research requirements of their program. Students gain advanced skills in understanding and applying statistical techniques to the analysis of educational research data related to developmental psychology. Strategies for conducting effective evaluations are considered as students plan an evaluation using appropriate statistical analysis as related to educational psychological research. Students gain additional experience in the use of computers for statistical analysis. Students are provided with on-site experience leading to the acquisition of skills and knowledge of school counselors and psychologists involving special and regular education students. Such experience includes working with IDEA regulations and procedures, assessing and counseling exceptional students, consulting with teachers and parents, and supervising of counseling services. Professional educators apply the latest research findings of contemporary psychologists to the challenges of classroom motivation, discipline, individual differences, learning styles, and evaluation modes. This course is a survey of the historical and philosophical ideas that guide educational theory and practice. Emphasis is on ethical clarification and practical application of ideas in current, diverse educational settings. Basic to the course is the notion that valuable insights into American education can be obtained through a close examination of its historical development from the colonial era to the present. Emphases on various philosophical systems in education and on the related issue of worldviews are especially helpful in illuminating ever-present tensions in American education. American education cannot be adequately understood, nor can well-informed decisions be made by administrators, instructional staff, or others responsible for education, without the benefit of both historical and philosophical perspectives. School counselors and school psychologists should demonstrate familiarity with contemporary issues and pertinent research in the field of educational psychology. This course provides future professionals in those fields with comprehensive knowledge in the areas of learning theory and motivation including humanist, behaviorist, and cognitive approaches; human growth and development; and instructional and classroom management strategies. The course emphasizes practical application of these various areas for use in professional contexts. |