PSYC 389 / EDPY 389 (Learning Disabilities: Issues and Interventions) is a three-credit, senior-level psychology course that is designed to increase your awareness of learning disabilities from a number of viewpoints and theoretical perspectives. While the course emphasizes understanding the issues surrounding the field of learning disabilities, it also examines assessment and remediation of learning and behaviour problems. Topics range from legislation pertaining to learning disabilities to providing services to individuals with learning disabilities. It is recommended that students take an introductory 200-level psychology course or a junior social science course prior to enrolling into PSYC 389 / EDPY 389. This course has a challenge for credit option if interested.
Students should note that PSYC 389 is a cross-listed course, meaning that this course is available under two different disciplines with EDPY 389. PSYC 389 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for EDPY 389. PSYC 389 can be taken for graduate level credit as PSYC 589 in the MAIS program. Credit cannot be received for both PSYC 389 and PSYC 589.
Learning Disabilities: Issues and Interventions is made up of fifteen units, a planning activity worth fifteen percent, quizzes that weigh a total of forty percent, and a course project that weighs forty-five percent. There is no final examination for this course. The fifteen units within this course cover several interesting topics surrounding learning disabilities such as ADHD, oral and written communication, reading, assessment, medical perspective, and much more. To receive credit for PSYC 389 / EDPY 389, students must complete the planning exercise, all five quizzes, and the course project. All course assignments must be completed in order to receive credit for the course. Students must achieve a grade of at least a “D” or fifty percent on the course project, and an overall course grade of at least fifty percent.
Jennifer Bouley is an AU Alumni from the Bachelor of Human Resources and Labour Relations program, and she is currently working on the University Certificate in Career Development from AU. She enrolled at AU in September of 2018 and hopes to be done in March of 2020. She states “I am currently working part-time for an education company. I live in Toronto but am originally from Nova Scotia. In my spare time, I like to work out, read, and spend time with friends and with my cat.”
If you would like to get to know Jennifer Bouley more in-depth, read my Minds We Meet article on her.
When asked to explain the course to students, she states “This course is really in depth about the learning methods when working with students who have exceptionalities. It covers everything from how to teach them different methods in reading and writing, etc. to the laws and definitions. There are no exams in the course, just quizzes and a really large assignment at the end.”
As for the structure of the course, Jennifer explains that “There are five quizzes, each consisting of five questions in essay form. You go ahead and write what you feel is necessary to fill the answer. The final assignment is a case study, this, as well, has no word count; what they are looking for is quality answers and how it relates to the case study.”
Jennifer would recommend this course to other students who are looking to work with students with exceptionalities, stating “It was a rather difficult course as the content was fairly new to me as I had not studied anything like this in over ten years. However, it covers everything you need to know.”
As for tips and tricks, Jennifer explains that that using flash cards was her main method of memorizing information. She would use them to go over the definitions and different concepts that were brought up throughout the course. She states “For PSYC 389 / EDPY 389, I recommend doing the quizzes as you work your way through the course. This way the information is fresh in your mind when you attempt the quizzes.”
As for communications with her tutor, she states “Communications with my tutor for this course has been excellent. They marked all my courses quizzes and everything on time.”
Whether PSYC 389 / EDPY 389 is a degree or program requirement of yours, or the topics discussed above are of interest to you, this course will have you learning interesting material surrounding the topic of learning disabilities.
