EDPY 470 / PSYC 470 (Consultation and Collaboration for Students with Special Needs) is a three-credit, senior level course that is designed to increase awareness of the framework and rationale for collaboration, the facilitating factors involved, and of 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. Before taking EDPY 470, students must take EDPY 351 (Inclusive Education for Students With Diverse Needs), PSYC 389 / EDPY 389 (Learning Disabilities: Issues and Interventions), or an equivalent. There’s also a challenge for credit option if students are interested.
Consultation and Collaboration for Students with Special Needs is made up of four parts (contexts for working together, processes for working together, content of working together, and working together now and in the future) in twelve units, four quizzes worth twenty percent, a course project worth forty percent, and a final examination weighing forty percent. The twelve units within this course cover topics such as problem-solving strategies, communication processes, roles of school personnel, management, assessment, and so much more. To receive credit for EDPY 470 / PSYC 470, students must achieve a grade of at least fifty percent or better on the final exam and on the course project, as well as an overall course grade of at least fifty percent, which is equivalent to a “D.”
Erin, a 26-year-old currently living in Stratford, Ontario, enrolled at AU in 2016 and will be completing her degree in December of 2019. She is in the Bachelor of Arts in Human Services program and she works full-time in the mental health field providing counselling to high school aged students and support to youth in the justice system. She spends most of her spare time hiking, watching TV, or with dogs, and has taken EDPY 470 / PSYC 470.
Erin explains EDPY 470 / PSYC 470 as a fantastic course, stating “It focuses on consultation and collaboration within the school system. I currently provide consultations and work collaboratively with one of our local school boards and I found this course aligns perfectly with the values of the agency I work with. It really takes you through the steps of what is important when working collaboratively in what can be difficult situations. It is a good combination of theory and practical tips and tricks. The professor I had for this course was great!”
As for the structure of the course, she states “This course had four online quizzes and a larger final assignment. They were laid out in a way that were easy to understand. The quizzes were short answer. You are provided three hours to complete each quiz. It did take me close to the three hours each time, but I provided a lot of detail in each of my answers. The textbook was definitely necessary, but worth the read.”
She explains that she would absolutely recommend this course to other students, stating “It was a good combination of easy and difficult. It challenged my thoughts and allowed for personal growth and reflection.”
As for any tips or tricks, Erin states “Read the textbook and take notes either by hand or in a word document so you can make easy reference when writing the online quizzes.”
When asked how communication with tutors have been for this course, she states “The tutor marked my quizzes and assignments very fast and gave excellent feedback. The detailed feedback on the quizzes was helpful when completing the assignment.”
Whether EDPY 470 / PSYC 470 is a degree or program requirement of yours, or if the topics discussed above are of interest to you, this course will have you learning a lot of interesting content surrounding the topic of consultation and collaboration for students with special needs.