41 courses with the subject EDLF, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
EDLF 2050What the Innovators Do: Strategies to Transform the Lives of Youth3
Effective Date 08/01/2015 Inequalities persist at every level of education. Throughout this course we will study innovations designed to address these disparities. We will investigate the process by innovations are designed and will critically assess the efficacy of a wide range of innovations. The course will feature numerous guest speakers involved in innovation design and implementation, including leaders in the private, educational, and government sectors.
Effective Date 05/12/2021 Effective altruism (EA), a school of thought in applied ethics, explores how we can do the most good using evidence-based methodologies. In doing so, we will cover issues such as charitable giving, global poverty, career choices, privilege, power, and your own beliefs. Groups will select a topic, such as sexual harm prevention, economic inequality, or climate change, to explore how we can pursue positive change.
EDLF 2080Fundamentals of Health and Social Sciences Statistics3
Effective Date 09/20/2017 This introductory statistics course covers descriptive and inferential statistics for application in the health and social sciences. It provides a systematic development of the concepts, principles, and tools of statistics with an emphasis on representation, analysis, and drawing conclusions from authentic data grounded in the health and social sciences.
EDLF 2090Talking to the Other Side: Dialogue Across Political Divides3
Effective Date 02/01/2024 Is it worthwhile to talk with people who disagree with us on political issues, and if so, how and why? How do forms of inequality such as due to race, ethnicity and socio-economic status impact public dialogue? This class equips students with the skills to engage in conversations with people who disagree politically as well as introduces students to debates about the role of such dialogue in schools and other public spaces.
EDLF 3000Research Design for Social Innovation with Youth3
Effective Date 01/01/2026 Introduces key concepts and methods in social science research. Students learn to find, interpret, and critically evaluate research; explore strategies and tools for future projects (e.g., YSI Capstone); and develop a conceptual model for youth-focused inquiry. Topics include types of research, ethical considerations, and challenges in designing and conducting quantitative, qualitative, and community-based studies.
Effective Date 01/01/2026 This seminar delves into the history of K-12 education in the United States from 1945 to the present. We will conduct a multifaceted analysis of American education and schooling, exploring its development within the broader political and social contexts of postwar politics, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary educational policies.
EDLF 3150Introduction to Child Growth and Development3
Effective Date 01/01/2026 Children experience extraordinary growth and change in their first years. This course provides an overview of how development unfolds from birth to eight years, with an emphasis on the importance on developmental contexts, such as family, school, culture, and policy. We will examine how children’s individual attributes and diverse experiences interact to influence development and consider how our knowledge can inform work with children.
Effective Date 01/01/2019 Most college students have spent 16,000+ hours in educational settings. That’s a lot of time devoted to learning new information. This course addresses questions such as: Why does learning take so long? What really happens inside the brain? What keeps people motivated to learn? Are some environments better than others for learning? What societal conditions impact learning? Are people similar or different in the way they learn?
Effective Date 08/01/2026 Adolescence is a time of unique changes and opportunities. Youth seek answers to questions like, “Who am I?” and “How do I fit into the world?” while experiencing rapid physical, cognitive, and social-emotional growth. This course provides an overview of adolescent development and factors that shape it, including family, peers, communities, and culture. We examine challenges facing youth and opportunities to support them across multiple settings.
Effective Date 01/01/2026 In this course, we explore the question, “How do we grow and change throughout our lives?” Using a topical approach, students will learn how biological, psychological, and social processes evolve from birth through late adulthood. We will examine how individual and environmental factors influence development and critically examine our beliefs about what it means to “grow up.”
EDLF 3200Examining the Effectiveness of Social Innovation3
Effective Date 01/01/2021 In this course, we will explore whether innovations intended to improve outcomes for children and youth “work.” How can we judge whether a particular approach is more effective, efficient, sustainable or just than present solutions? This class is a chance to better understand how to use evidence in the process of developing effective social innovations. Requisites Must have completed EDHS 2840 and EDLF 3000
Effective Date 01/01/2019 What is the purpose of your education? Why have you devoted so much of your life to it? This class explores opposing ideas about the aims of education. Should schooling prioritize skill-building, creativity, or reflection? Does education only reproduce social norms, or does it have the power to change society? We examine such questions in regard to our own education, philosophical texts, and efforts to promote schooling worldwide.
EDLF 3240Education Across Cultures and Communities3
Effective Date 01/01/2026 This course examines how education is shaped by cultural traditions, histories, and community life in local communities and across the United States. Students explore how educational practices develop in different settings. The course emphasizes analysis, application, and hands-on projects to build research and collaboration skills while deepening understanding of American education and society.
EDLF 3250Intro to Citizenship & Activism: Critical Exam of Jefferson’s University3
Effective Date 02/23/2015 This course examines ideas about citizenship, engagement, student activism, and social justice within the context of the University. It will examine, through lecture, discussion, readings, and an applied action research project, the various definitions of political engagement, activism, and social change as they are relate to current issues at the University.
Effective Date 03/27/2014 This course addresses the history, organization, finance, governance, leadership and symbolism of athletics as a key part of the political economy of the contemporary university. With student athletes as a primary unit of analysis we will review the history of intercollegiate athletic competition, the symbolic role of athletics in society and the future of athletics on post-secondary campuses.
EDLF 3450Growing Up in the U.S.: Identity and Youth Development in Media3
Effective Date 08/01/2026 Growing up in the U.S. means coming of age in a world shaped by media, inequality, and social narratives about who young people are and can become. This course explores how youth develop identities related to race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, immigration and citizenship, and culture through films, novels and other media. Students will examine how media, relationships, schools, and social structures influence development and education.
Effective Date 12/03/2015 This course is designed to examine how race/ethnicity, diversity, & identity matter in the lives of youth with a focus on educational settings. We will use theory and research to question stereotypes about youth achievement and will explore how individual, interpersonal, and structural factors help to explain associations between group membership & educational outcomes. Students should have previously taken an intro level social science course.
Effective Date 01/01/2026 This course examines the development of hip-hop in the United States as an educational and social phenomenon. It focuses on the relationship between hip-hop and education, including its presence in informal learning environments and formal classroom settings, and situates hip-hop within its broader cultural context from the 1970s to the present.
Effective Date 01/01/2026 In this course, students will use course texts and classroom discussions to explore the how schools have been integral to teaching what the role and responsibilities of citizens in a US-style democracy, as well as how schools also reveal the boundaries of this form of citizenship. The course will start from the formation of the common schools in the US and span the twentieth century, and will feature readings that employ a transnational lens.
Effective Date 01/01/2026 Provides a historical overview of major social problems in the U.S. and the contexts, policies, and programs developed in response. Topics include social welfare, education, housing, health care, employment, child welfare, immigration, and criminal justice, with attention to how institutions respond to complex human needs and social change, especially for marginalized and socially disadvantaged groups.
Effective Date 02/16/2022 Will civil discourse save democracy or deepen oppression? Why does speech matter so much to political struggles? What does it mean for political dialogue to be successful? This course integrates theory with practice as students engage in political dialogue, then draw on their experiences, primary source research, the popular press and political theory to analyze the relationship between political dialogue and democracy.
Effective Date 09/19/2016 Questions of immigration have been at the fore of the national political conversation in the United States over the last decade. This course provides a developmental perspective on immigrant youth and families, with particular attention to educational contexts from early childhood through early adulthood.
EDLF 3620The Art and Science of 21st Century Parenting3
Effective Date 10/24/2024 Parenting has a huge impact on the development of children and youth. New knowledge in this field is full of surprising discoveries. Students will gain a deep understanding of diverse parenting contexts through the lens of psychological and developmental theories, while examining relevant research and policy. The course also emphasizes practical skills, preparing students to support parents to optimize the development of their children.
EDLF 3700Quantitative Tools for Research & Decision-Making3
Effective Date 08/01/2026 This course develops quantitative reasoning for education and youth through a single question: what can we responsibly claim from evidence? Students learn to organize and visualize data, check core assumptions behind comparisons, and write decision-facing summaries that are transparent about what the data can and cannot support. We also consider dashboards, edtech, and AI analytics and how they can be misread.
EDLF 3701Generation AI: Innovation, Skepticism & the Future of Education3
Effective Date 01/01/2026 We explore the rapidly evolving intersection of AI and education and ask one of the most pressing questions of our time: Will AI make us better learners and stronger citizens, or will it erode our ability to engage in deep learning? Hear directly from guest innovators, educators, and researchers in these areas. Explore how AI works, its promises and risks, and develop your own ideas for how it should shape the future of education.
EDLF 3895Front Lines of Social Change I: Women’s Center Internship3
Effective Date 04/02/2021 Front Lines of Social Change I explores gender equity and social justice theory. FLSC I provides the Women’s Center internship cohort a structured classroom environment to actively reflect upon their experience; engage in professional development; and learn about the field, including gender equity issues addressed by the internship. FLSC I (fall) and FLSC II (spring) are required components of the Women’s Center internship for all new interns.
EDLF 3896Front Lines of Social Change II: Women’s Center Internship3
Effective Date 04/02/2021 Front Lines of Social Change II explores gender equity and social justice theory. FLSC II provides the Women’s Center internship cohort a structured classroom environment to actively reflect upon their experience; engage in professional development; and learn about the field, including gender equity issues addressed by the internship. FLSC I (fall) and FLSC II (spring) are required components of the Women’s Center internship for all new interns.
EDLF 4000Dream it, Design it, Do it: Youth and Social Innovation Capstone3
Effective Date 08/01/2015 With a team, you will design and implement an innovation to address a community issue facing youth. You will become an expert in the issue, and develop the skills needed to 1) assess a social issue, 2) evaluate and integrate multiple perspectives on social issues, 3) collaborate with a diverse team of stakeholders to design and implement an innovation to address a social issue, and 4) assess and revise an innovation to improve its effectiveness.
YSI major Requisites Youth & Social Innovation Majors Only Credits: 3
EDLF 4020Helping Skills for Health Professionals3
Effective Date 02/08/2018 This course will focus on key interpersonal and psychological knowledge, skills and applications to guide successful practice with clients in health-related contexts. Effective communication and cultural competence serve as foundational skills, and strategies (motivational interviewing, managing stress, goal setting) will be reviewed and practiced. Topics will align with American College of Sports Medicine and other similar certifications.
Effective Date 08/01/2026 This class builds a foundation on which to understand U.S. education policy, then employs this foundation to explore the effects of prominent policies intended to improve outcomes, especially among low-performing students. We examine the goals, conceptual underpinnings, and the strength of evidence for each of these policies through class discussions where we dig into the details of educational problems and the policies intended to address them.
Effective Date 10/01/2020 Understanding “what works” in education is useless unless we know how to pass, implement, and sustain political support for effective education policy. To that end, this course explores the politics of U.S. K-12 education policy 1954-present. We examine policy formulation and implementation, key institutions, actors, and theories of policy-making, and the role of racial and economic inequality in influencing education policy.
EDLF 4083Keeping Our Enemies Closer: Political Dialogue in Polarized Democracies3
Effective Date 02/01/2024 Will civil discourse save democracy or deepen oppression? Why does speech matter so much to contemporary political struggles? What is it like to talk to people across the political spectrum and what would it mean for these conversations to go well? This course integrates theory with practice as students examine whether, how and when people learn through dialogue and deliberation and with what meaning for democracy.
Effective Date 01/01/2026 This course builds on the skills students develop through the Civic Cornerstone Fellowship and applies them to local civic issues. Students will develop their ability to understand myriad perspectives on political dilemmas and enhance their capacity to work across ideological differences to construct solutions to these challenges. The semester will culminate in student-led collaboration on a proposed policy, program, or creative project.
EDLF 4110Smart Data, Hard Choices: AI, Data, and Decision-Making in Education3
Effective Date 08/01/2026 Data and analytics are often used to answer questions in education because they are seen as objective. Yet, these approaches can involve classifying people, such as deeming some students in education as “below basic.” While these labels are given for altruistic purposes, there is evidence they can be stigmatizing. In this course, we will consider the ethics of data use in education, including when it does and doesn’t serve the public good.
Effective Date 03/26/2012 This course will examine the relationship between culture and education and the ways in which the study and understanding of education can be enhanced by attention to culture. Using cases drawn from studies of learning and schooling in cultures around the world as well as among minority cultures and societies in the United States , students will be challenged to begin to see education through cultural comparative frames of reference.
EDLF 4606Schools & Society: Culture, Politics, & Globalization of Western Education3
Effective Date 08/01/2021 Is it inevitable that classrooms and schools look similar across the world? Why have modern education systems been adopted by societies with a diversity of local histories, cultures, and resources? This course examines the effort to increase access to modern Western schooling, explores countervailing conceptions of education, and considers what is gained and lost in modern schooling.
Effective Date 10/30/2016 This course is a “bottom-up” history of education seminar on African Americans’ struggle for equal education during the civil rights movement. As “bottom up” history, the course explores and seeks out overlooked and untold stories of youth and teacher activism. The course will include learning how to do oral history and engagement with the local community.
