Courses
BER 345 Educational Statistics
Prerequisite: MATH 100 or higher-numbered mathematics course. Statistical
methods in education; graphs, charts, frequency distributions, central
tendencies, dispersion, correlation, sampling errors, estimation, and
hypothesis testing.
BER 450 Assessment of Classroom Learning
Prerequisites: Junior standing, BEP 305, and MATH 100 or higher-numbered
mathematics course. Survey of teacher-made and standardized instruments
for understanding pupils and evaluating achievement and teaching. Field
practicum in the schools is required.
BER 500 Introduction to Educational Research
An overview of the research process, primarily for master's students.
Offered fall and spring semesters and in summer school.
BER 540 Statistical Methods in Education
Descriptive and basic inferential statistics, including graphs, frequency
distributions, central tendency, dispersion, correlation, and hypothesis
testing. Computer applications are included. Offered fall and spring
semesters and in summer school.
BER 545 Analysis of Variance in Education
Prerequisite: BER 540 or equivalent.Topics include sampling, review
of elementary statistics, one-way and two-way analysis of variance,
multiple comparison procedures, and nonparametric procedures. Offered
fall and spring semesters.
BER 546 Regression Methods in Education
Prerequisite: BER 540 or equivalent. Topics include simple regression
and multiple regression. Offered fall and spring semesters.
BER 550 Evaluation of Classroom Learning
A comprehensive approach to the development and application of objectives,
teacher-made tests, published tests, and other measures used in the
evaluation of teaching and learning in the classroom. Offered fall and
spring semesters.
BER 558 Introduction to Psychometrics
Prerequisite: BER 540 or equivalent. An introduction to classical and
current theories and practices in psychometrics. Theory is presented
together with exposure to many of the popular assessment procedures.
Offered fall semester.
BER 600 Quantitative Research Methods in Education
An overview of research methods and procedures in education, primarily
for doctoral students. Course includes the writing of a dissertation
prospectus. Offered spring semester.
BER 603 Survey Research in Education
Prerequisite: BER 540. Comprehensive introduction to using survey instruments
for research purposes. Survey development, construction, validation
scaling, sampling, and research methods as they apply to matching the
survey to research questions are covered. Offered fall semester.
BER 630 Case Study Research Methods
The course will examine the production of case studies of individual
practices, discrete institutions and organizatins, and state level policies.
It will explore the research methods that can inform the production
of case study representations of human experience. It will also explore
different styles of case study writing.
BER 631 Inquiry as Interpretation: Qualitative I
Examines the history and philosophy of naturalistic studies of human
experience. Concentrates on post-positivistic, phenomenological, structuralist,
and post-structuralist theory and modes of analysis. Course assignments
provide practice with rudimentary qualitative research skills.
BER 632 Reflexiveness and Resistance in Research Representation: Qualitative
II
Prerequisite: BER 631. Examines the irony and ideology of naturalistic
studies of human experience. Examines the epistemic limits of any method
of research representation, and the political and ethical implications
of those limits for researchers. Course assignments provide practice
with intermediate qualitative research skills.
BER 633 Ethics and Aesthetics of Meaning Making: Qualitative III
Prerequisites: BER 631 and BER 632. Examines the ethics, aesthetics,
and opportunities for advocacy in naturalistic studies of human experience.
Explores feminist, afrocentric, critical theoretic, artistic, and journalistic
conceptions of data collection and a variety of styles and formulas
for research writing.
BER 638 Technology and Qualitative Research in the Social Sciences
The course will examine the use of electronic equipment and software
in qualitative research in the social sciences. It will explore the
way technology can assist and distort social science analysis. It will
introduce students to a wide variety of contemporary qualitative research
support technology.
BER 640 Multivariate Dependence Methods
Prerequisites: BER 540, BER 545, and BER 546. Covers the following statistical
procedures: discriminant analysis, Hotelling's T2, multivariate analysis
of variance, multivariate regression, and other dependence methods.
Offered fall semesters of even-numbered years.
BER 641 Multivariate for Interdependence Methods
Prerequisites: BER 540, BER 545, and BER 546. Covers the following statistical
procedures: principal component analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis,
multidimensional scaling, canonical correlation, and hierarchical linear
modeling (HLM). Offered fall semesters of odd-numbered years.
BER 646 Structional Equation Modeling
Prerequisites: BER 540, BER 545, and BER 546. Includes an introduction
to the basic concepts of structional equational modeling, including
approaches to regression, path analysis, confirmatory factor analysis,
and model building with dependent and independent variables. Offered
spring semester.
BER 650 Advanced Topics in Instrument Development
Prerequisite: BER 558 or permission of the instructor. Emphasis on theory
and methods of scaling used for instrument construction in the behavioral
sciences. Topics include Thurstone, Likert, and Gutman scales, semantic
differential, Q-sort, paired comparisons, and IRT. Computer applications
are presented.
BER 658 Psychometric Theory and Practice
Prerequisite: BER 558. Major topics include reliability, validity, classical
true score theory, generalizability theory, item response theory, item/test
bias, and equating. Includes computer applications. Offered spring semesters
of even-numbered years.
BER 660 Evaluation I: Evaluation Theory and Practice
Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Concepts and techniques for evaluating
education programs, projects, materials, curriculum, and personnel.
Offered fall, spring, and summer.
BER 661 Evaluation II: Advanced Theories and Application
Prerequisites: BER 660. Advanced study of evaluation theories, their
utilization, and political implications for the practice of program
evaluation in education programs. Offered fall semester.
BER 672 Teaching Educational Research in College
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Seminar for graduate teaching
assistants. Offered each semester.
BER 673 Seminar in Educational Research
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. A course designed to help
majors and minors in educational psychology or educational research
integrate concepts in statistics, measurement, and research. Offered
every other year.
BER 687 Fieldwork in Educational Research
Prerequisite: Approval of adviser. Faculty-supervised participation
in research and other educational projects. Offered fall and spring
semesters and in summer school.
BER 689 Practicum in Educational Research
Prerequisite: Approval of adviser. Practicum is a student-initiated
research project done with faculty supervision. Offered fall and spring
semesters and in summer school.
BER 690 Readings in Educational Research
BER 698 Nondissertation Research
BER 699 Dissertation Research