Course Syllabus

Contact Information

Dr. Mary Barczak

Assistant Professor

Department of Educational Psychology

Office Hours: TBA

Office Phone: 405-325-3574 

Email: mary.barczak@ou.edu

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Course Details

This course will examine how particular types of low-incidence disabilities; including intellectual disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, traumatic brain injury, deafness, blindness, multiple disabilities, and other health impairments that affect academic and job performance. You will learn and demonstrate current methods for teaching and training individuals with low-incidence disabilities.

For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Course Materials

Required Textbooks: 

Batshaw, M.L., Roisen, N.J. Pellegrino, L. (2019). Children with disabilities, (8^th ed.). Brookes Publishing.

Other Required Materials:

1. Device capable of high-quality video recording and means to fix device to optimal position
    (e.g., smartphone with tripod, laptop, camcorder with tripod, tablet with stand, etc.)

2. School supplies for conducting lessons (e.g., notecards, markers, highlighters)

Grades

Scale

A = 90-100%   

B = 80 – 89%   

C = 70 – 79%   

D = 60 – 69%  

F = <59%         

Course Components

Quizzes

There will be weekly quizzes taken through canvas that cover content from that week’s reading and lectures. Quizzes will be taken through Canvas. Quizzes will consist of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, true and false, and/or short answer questions.

Retake Policy: Students will have the opportunity to improve quiz grades by retaking their quizzes. Each quiz will be open for retake approximately one week after the original due date. Students will have as many opportunities as needed to retake quizzes between the time they are reopened and the final day of classes.

Scoring Disagreements: If you believe an answer is correct and it is marked as incorrect, provide the following via email:

• • Full question, including what was marked incorrect
  • What you believe the correct answer is
  • Justification, including text reference/page number/slide where you found correct answer
  • Submit within 48 hours of correct answers being available. 

Instructional Videos

Special educators often work closely with general educators and other adults to provide services to students with disabilities. Sometimes, this requires teaching evidence-based practices to other adults. Throughout the semester, you will create 6 instructional videos for teaching another person how to implement an evidence-based practices. Each video will include (1) a description of the evidence-based practice, (2) information on what skills this practice can be used to teach, (3) information on the stage of learning the practice is appropriate for, (4) a step-by-step description of how to implement the practice, and (5) a demonstration of the practice. More information is available on Canvas. 

Low-Incidence Disability Report

You will be completing one low-incidence disability report this semester. This report consists of a professionally prepared video presentation on a disability of your choice (see list of disabilities on Canvas). You will also create guided notes to accompany the video report. The presentation must include (1) an overview illness/disability (causes, characteristics, prevalence rate, ect.); (2) implications for teachers (3) a list of resources/professional organizations that would be appropriate for other practitioners or parents and a brief description of these; and (4) the references that you used to gather information.

Practitioner Paper

Over the course of this semester, you will prepare a practitioner paper for the TEACHING Exceptional Children guidelines.

You will write an 18-20 page research paper, using APA 7^th edition format, on a topic of your choice for students with more significant support needs. A rubric will be provided on canvas.

Final Research Paper = 100 points

Benchmark Points

• Agreed upon topic + 6 citations (10 points)
• Outline (20 points)
• Draft 1 (50 points)
• Draft 2 (50 points)
• Final Paper (100 points)
• Presentation (20 points)

Course Policies

Attendance

This course is part of your professional training. As such, professional behavior is expected throughout the semester. You are expected to participate in class every session, as appropriate. A significant amount of learning takes place in the classroom through interactions between classmates; to not miss out on this opportunity, it is within your best interests to attend every class. If you need to be absent from class you should reach out to me (Dr. Barczak) as soon as possible to discuss missed content or assignments. 

This class is offered entirely online via Zoom. When attending class via Zoom, you will need to keep your video on at all times. Please do not put a picture in your place or turn your video off for an extended period of time. A brief time (e.g., 1-2 minutes) turning off your video to move between rooms or to block visual distractions is fine. 

You will be asked to mute yourself when you are not directly speaking, but your active engagement is expected. You need to treat your time online in class just as you would if you were in person on campus.

While expectations are high regarding written work and your participation during class, I am quite willing to answer any and all questions you might have about an assignment and to work with you in developing your ideas. The primary goal is that you think about the issues presented in class and leave the course with knowledge and skills you can apply in your future roles as service providers. Never hesitate to ask a question.

Grading

Grades will be posted to Canvas each week. All written work will be graded and returned within two weeks after the due date.

Make-up Work & Late Assignments 

If you must be absent for any reason, you are responsible for making your own arrangements to obtain information from any missed class period. In the case of a documented emergency, a missed assignment can be made up. Students should contact the instructor as soon as possible to reschedule missed assignments.

Assignments should be handed in via Canvas by the day/time they are due in the format requested. The assignments assigned in this class are intended to evaluate your ability to apply what you learn in class to an actual academic situation. Meeting deadlines helps me to be able to respond to assignments in a timely manner. However, there are times when students are not able to meet deadlines and will need an extension for an assignment in order to do their best work. It is recommended that students ask for extensions BEFORE assignments are due.

The following policy is applied to late work in this class:

1. Students have 48 hours after a due date to turn in an assignment.
2. If a student does not turn in an assignment within 48 hours of the due date, and they have not contacted me to ask for an extension, I will contact the student via email stating that the assignment is missing and informing them that a zero (0) will be entered into canvas gradebook as a placeholder until the assignment is turned in.
3. If a student has still not responded within one week of the due date, they will receive an email requiring them to attend office hours to work with me to develop a schedule for turning in the missing assignment. Both the student and I will complete a form stating the schedule for the assignment and the consequences for not meeting the schedule, which will be filed in my office.
4. If a student is late turning in a second assignment, even if they turn it in within one week of the deadline, they will also be required to schedule a meeting with me to discuss the remaining course requirements and determine a plan of action for completing future assignments on time. Both the student and I will complete a form which will be filed in my office.

Incomplete Grades

Incompletes will be given at the instructor’s discretion only in serious circumstances, and not because a student could not finish the work required in this course. In general, the following guidelines will be followed: (a) a passing grade must be earned at the time the request is made; (b) the student must make the request before the last day of class; and (c) the instructor and student establish a contract governing the completion of the course.

Communicating with the Instructor about Assignments

Although I have designed rubrics to clarify expectations for all assignments, it is natural that students will have questions. Therefore, I have designated multiple opportunities for students to ask these kinds of questions.

1. I will review the rubric(s) for any upcoming assignment(s) during class. Students are strongly encouraged to ask questions at this time.
2. Students are invited to talk with me immediately before or after class. I will be present before class and after class for up to a half hour to communicate with students.
3. Students are invited to come to office hours. The time of office hours will be determined during the first class meeting so that we can identify the best time without conflicts for the instructor and as many students as possible. If a student would like to meet with me, but the student has a conflict with office hours that cannot be resolved, the student may send an email to request and alternate meeting time. When contacting me about alternate office hours, students should include times they are available to meet.
4. Finally, there are two discussion boards that students can use to ask questions about assignments. The first is theCOURSE HELP BOARD. The course help board is reserved for questions about the administrative functioning of the course that may be relevant to the whole class. You can also share resources or post helpful tips or strategies. I will check the board daily to respond to your questions, but your classmates may get you an answer even faster. The second is the ASSIGNMENT FEEDBACK BOARD. The assignment feedback board is a place for you to receive feedback on assignments from me or your classmates. I will also check this board daily. 

Questions about assignment due dates and class logistics will not be answered via email. I do this for two reasons. One, the discussion boards provide a permanent product for the entire class to refer to. Two, I often get the same emails from multiple students asking the same questions. Answering the same question multiple times via email is a waste of time both for me and the students writing the emails. 

If you have specific questions about your grades, need to ask for an extension, or have a question about feedback that I provided on an assignment, you can contact me individually through OU email or Canvas messenger. Depending on the question, I may ask you to schedule a time to meet with me in person/over Zoom to discuss your question. 

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University Academic Policies and Student Support

Course Catalog 

Search the OU Course Catalogue.

Student Handbook

Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.

Online Library

Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.

Academic Misconduct

In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Student Handbook. 

It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.

This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.

Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism. 

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.

Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities

The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center is committed to supporting students with disabilities to ensure that they are able to enjoy equal access to all components of their education.  This includes your academics, housing, and community events.  If you are experiencing a disability, a mental/medical health condition that has a significant impact on one or more life functions, you can receive accommodations to provide equal access.  Possible disabilities include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities, AD(H)D, mental health, and chronic health.  Additionally, we support students with temporary medical conditions (broken wrist, shoulder surgery, etc.) and pregnancy.  To discuss potential accommodations, please contact the ADRC at 730 College Avenue, (ph.) 405.325.3852, or adrc@ou.edu.

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability.  Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.

Title IX Resources  

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the University offers a variety of resources. To learn more or to report an incident, please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405/325-2215 (8 to 5, M-F) or smo@ou.edu. Incidents can also be reported confidentially to OU Advocates at 405/615-0013 (phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).  Also, please be advised that a professor/GA/TA is required to report instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination to the Sexual Misconduct Office. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies can be directed to University Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at 405/325-3546 or smo@ou.edu . For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/eoo.html.

Religious Observance

It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to reschedule examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays, without penalty. [See Faculty Handbook 3.15.2]

Copyright Policy

It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.

Registration and Withdrawal

If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.

Student Grievances

In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.

Mental Health Support Services

If you are experiencing any mental health issues that are impacting your academic performance, counseling is available at the University Counseling Center (UCC). The Center is located on the second floor of the Goddard Health Center, at 620 Elm Rm. 201, Norman, OK 73019. To schedule an appointment call (405) 325-2911. For more information please visit http://www.ou.edu/ucc.