Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology

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Program Overview

The Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology program focuses on educating students to become practitioners who are able to apply educational and psychological theories to practice and conduct evidence-based research to inform practice. The ultimate goal of an Ed.D. program is to bridge the gap between research and practice, which is the overall focus of this program. At the end of the program, graduates will be agents of change. Specifically, graduates will be able to understand how people and organizations learn, and they will be able to use appropriate technology to improve individual learning outcomes and/or support organizational productivity and sustainability.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

Professional Practice

• Apply psychological theory and technology to facilitate a variety of effective teaching and learning assessment and evaluation strategies.  Contribute structure in program evaluation to assist in incorporating technology in all learning environments.
• Act as a proactive agent of change to provide guidance at all levels of an organization to integrate the psychology of teaching and learning with technology.
• Effectively implement and instruct innovative application of multimedia technologies in learning environments.

Diversity

• Demonstrate reasoned, ethical, decision-making skills, recognizing the social, ethical, and legal issues surrounding technology.  Respond to individual and group differences across racial, ethnic, gender, age, social class, sexual orientation and religious boundaries in the psychological theories of learning and educational backgrounds.

Professional Behavior

• Evaluate individual values, strengths and weaknesses in order to further develop leadership styles and improve leadership effectiveness within multiple learning systems and their use of technology to improve performance.

Scholarship

• Design and conduct efficacious and original research to ethically and positively impact and advance the body of knowledge in Educational Psychology (learning and teaching) and Technology. 
• Formulate theory-based and research-driven strategies for incorporating current technology with what is known about the psychology of learning, teaching and instructional design.

Admission Requirements

Application to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology program is open to any person who has earned a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements, including meeting at least one of the following requirements.  Prospective students must enter with:

• A Master’s degree in Psychology, Education, Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Design/Technology or a related field, OR;
• At least 6 credit hours of Master’s level courses related to Psychology, Education, Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Design/Technology or a related field with a passing grade of B or higher, OR;
• At least three years of professional work experience in an educational field or setting. Prospective students may include but are not limited to teachers, school administrators, curriculum developers, school counselors, principals, corporate training directors, and professionals in related fields.

Applicants who otherwise meet the admissions requirements of the program, but who have not previously completed at least 6 credit hours of Master’s level courses related to Psychology, Education, Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Design/Technology or a related field with a passing grade of B or higher or who do not have a minimum of three years of professional work experience in an educational field or setting will be required to fulfill these admission requirements prior to enrolling in this program through the completion of Preparatory Coursework. Applicants should review the Preparatory Coursework policy for additional details.

Applicants who are required to complete Preparatory Coursework must satisfy the 6 credit hours requirement prior to enrolling in this program by successfully completing two (2) of the following courses:

• MP 505 Diversity and Psychology  
• MP 510 Psychology of the Life Span  
• MP 530 The Social Psychology of Cultures  

Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to successfully complete graduate work. Factors and materials to be considered for admission will include:

• Application Fee: $50
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Graduate GPA 3.0 or higher on a 4 point scale
• Official College/University Transcripts
• Personal Statement/Essay
  • Please describe your professional goals and how this professional practice doctorate program would help in meeting those goals.  Additionally, please make sure you address these points:
    • What is your motivation for pursuing an Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology?
    • As a result of completing this program, what specific skills and/or competencies do you want to have mastered?

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission, in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Articulation Agreements

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology has established agreements between The M.A. Psychology and the Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology program to allow qualified students early entrance into the doctoral program. This agreement allows qualified students to begin their doctoral studies while completing their master’s degree. Click on this link  for details.

Earning a Certificate in Instructional Design

A student in the EdD in Educational Psychology and Technology program may earn a Certificate in Instructional Design    following the successful completion of required coursework and specific program requirements. At the beginning of the semester in which a student expects to be eligible for the certificate, they are required to submit Petition for Degree Conferral to the Office of the Registrar. The petition is a request to conduct an audit to determine eligibility for the certificate. Eligibility guidelines are contained in the catalog under which the student was admitted.

The specific requirements for award of a Certificate in Instructional Design are as follows:

• Academic and Financial Aid Good Standing
• Successful Completion of the following courses:
  • Core:
    • EP 628   The Theory and Profession of Educational Technology (3 credit hours)
    • EP 732   Integrating Technology in Learning Systems (3 credit hours)
    • EP 715   Action Research and Evaluation I (3 credit hours)
  • Concentration:
    • EP 763   Development for Multimodal Learning (3 credit hours)
    • EP 764   Instructional Design (3 credit hours)
    • EP 765   Computational Thinking (3 credit hours)

Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of 60 credit hours of coursework
• Attendance at two residency meetings
• Successful completion of competency examination
• Successful completion of a dissertation study

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. Click the link above for detailed information.

Ethical Guidelines

The Chicago School is committed to preparing professionals for work in a multicultural and diverse society. In keeping with this commitment, the content of all courses is informed by knowledge of individual and cultural differences (e.g., age, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status), so that students develop the skills to serve individuals of diverse backgrounds and needs. Faculty and students convey attitudes respectful of these individual and cultural differences.

Residencies

Students enrolled in the Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology Online program are required to attend two Residency sessions at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (campus locations may vary). The Residency meetings focus on special topics in the field of Educational Psychology and Technology, current trends in emerging learning technologies, and research methodology. During Residency II, students will complete their competency examinations. Both Residencies provide in-depth learning and opportunities for face-to-face mentoring for action research, evaluation work, and program learning. By attending Residency meetings, students are able to build relationships with their peers and program faculty and staff. Failure to complete the Residency requirements will result in failure in the program.

Competency Examination

The competency examination will assess students’ abilities to apply educational psychology theories to practice and to conduct evidence-based research to inform practice. A major component of the competency examination is for students to demonstrate successfully their ability to conduct a professional practice project. Students will have the opportunity to apply theories and/or research findings to practice: identify a problem in a ‘real-life’ educational setting or organization (usually in their workplace), systematically collect and analyze data related to the problem, develop an innovative intervention to address a problem, monitor program activities, and/or assess program effectiveness. Students will take two courses to guide them through this process, which include Action Research and Evaluation I (EP715) and Action Research and Evaluation II (EP716).

Acknowledgment:
The information provided in this document is supported by the following literature.

Bamberger, M., Rugh, J., & Mabry, L. (2012). Realworld evaluation: Working under budget, time, data, and political constraints. DC: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Ferrance, E. (2000). Action research. Retrieved from http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf

Kumar, S. & Dawson, K. (2012). Theory to practice: Implementation and initial impact of an online doctoral program. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 15(1).

Shulman, L. (2005). Signature pedagogies in the professions. Daedalus, 134(3) 52‐64.

Dissertation

Successful completion of the dissertation is an essential aspect of Educational Psychology and Technology students’ academic experiences and professional education. The dissertation requirement provides the university the opportunity to evaluate the student’s ability to apply Educational Psychology and Technology theory and conduct research. Also, through the dissertation process, students are able to demonstrate their ability to think critically and creatively about relevant research issues in the profession.

Students must complete all program requirements, including the dissertation, within five years from their first date of enrollment. Prior to the end of their fifth year in the program, students may petition the Department Chair to request an extension to complete their dissertation. The Department Chair’s decision regarding the request for an extension is final. If the Department Chair grants an extension to the student, the extended date is firm and will not be changed. The Educational Psychology and Technology Department expectations for dissertations are as follows:

• The dissertation must contribute to knowledge in the field of Educational Psychology and Technology.
• Peer-reviewed scholarly journals must be used with an emphasis on Educational Psychology and Technology and related disciplines such as Education, Psychology, Educational Technology, Instructional Design and Technology, and other relevant fields of study.
• The Dissertation Committee must be composed of a Dissertation Chair and two Readers. Students must submit appropriate documentation to the Department Manager and provide immediate notice of any necessary committee changes.
• The dissertation topic and committee members must be approved by the Department Chair and the Dissertation Chair.
• Students must receive approval from their Dissertation Chair in order to be enrolled in the next subsequent dissertation course.
• The Dissertation Committee must approve the student’s dissertation proposal before he/she is able to submit an IRB application.