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Program Overview

The Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology program focuses on educating students to be practitioners who apply educational and psychological theories to practice, and conduct research to inform practice. This professional practice doctoral program emphasizes preparing students to develop and conduct evidenced-based practice. There are differences between an Ph.D. and Ed.D. program. Ph.D programs prepare students to do research (which includes developing and testing theories) to advance knowledge, while Ed.D. programs focus on doing research to improve professional practice. In sum, an Ed.D. program’s ultimate aim is to bridge the gap between research and practice, which is what the Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology, is all about. At the end of the program, graduates will be agents of change: not only understanding how people and/or organizations learn but using appropriate technology to improve individual learning outcomes and/or support organizational productivity and sustainability.

Program Learning Outcomes

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

Theory:  formulate theory-based and research-driven strategies for incorporating current technology with what is known about the psychology of learning, teaching and instructional design.

Applied Research: 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. 

Professionalism:  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.

Exceptionalities and Individual Differences:  demonstrate reasoned, ethical, decision-making skills, recognizing the social, ethical, and legal issues surrounding technology, and to 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. 

Assessment/Program Evaluation: apply psychological theory and technology to facilitate a variety of effective teaching and learning assessment and evaluation strategies, and to contribute structure in program evaluation to assist in incorporating technology in all learning environments

Consultation and Education:  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.

Technology and Education: effectively implement and instruct innovative application of multimedia technologies in learning environments and to effectively implement multimedia technologies in all learning environments

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:

• Master’s degree in Psychology, Education, Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Design/Technology or a related field OR
• At least 9 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 working in an educational field or setting. Prospective students may include but not limited to teachers, school administrators, curriculum developers, school counselors, principals, corporate training directors, and professionals in related fields.

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?

TOEFL or IELTS, International Credentials, and International Students

TOEFL or IELTS: If English is not your primary language, you must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores with your application (TOEFL School Code: 7161). International students who received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited United States institution are exempt from this requirement. The minimum scores are: TOEFL - 550 paper based, 79 internet based; IELTS - 6.5.

ELS Educational Services, Inc.: The Chicago School is a cooperative member of ELS Educational Services, Inc. which provides intensive English language programs. Students who have successfully completed ELS course 112 may be considered for admission in lieu of the TOEFL or IELTS.

International credentials: Applicants with international credentials must obtain and submit an official “course-by-course” evaluation through an evaluation agency such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc(www.ece.org). In addition to the agency evaluation, all official graduate and undergraduate transcripts must be submitted.

International students: International students must submit a completed application by the general consideration deadline. In addition, once accepted, international students must submit the International Student Information form, a copy of their passport, and financial documentation showing sufficient funding for at least one year of study and all living expenses. This documentation must be submitted at least two months prior to the start of the semester in order to allow sufficient time for the school to issue an I-20 for the student to obtain an F-1 visa, if needed. An I-20 visa will not be issued without this documentation.

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.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures :  Transfer of Credit, Waiver of Courses, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Grading Scale, Grade Change Requests, Degree Completion, Degree Conferral, Minimum and Maximum Timeframe requirements, and Credit Hours per semester for Financial Aid.  Information on the Academic Success Program is located under Student Life .

Academic Development Plans

An Academic Development Plan (ADP) is initiated and created by the program in which the student is enrolled. When a student demonstrates deficiencies in competencies that interfere with academic performance, training competence, and/or professional behavior, the ADP is initiated. The completion of an ADP does not constitute disciplinary action, but failure to complete the plan may lead to disciplinary action.

Student Learning Assessment

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is committed to offering the highest quality undergraduate completion program and graduate programs in applied professional disciplines. To meet TCSPP’s standard for academic quality, program learning outcomes are aligned with course learning outcomes and guide assessment.   Data collected from the results of student assessment and the aggregation of these data will inform how students are progressing towards achieving program outcomes. 

All academic programs report annual assessments of student learning and other indicators of program effectiveness as part of the Academic Program Review process.

Ethics and Professional Behavior 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. The first course in each program is Ethics and Professional Development, indicating the importance of ethical behavior and principles in the Educational Psychology and Technology field.

Residencies

Students enrolled in the Ed.D. Educational Psychology and Technology Online program must attend two Residency sessions at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (campus locations may vary). The three and half day residencies focus on special topics in Educational Psychology and Technology, accessing and incorporating emerging learning technologies, research methodology, and are the venue in which students take comprehensive exams (Residency 2). Both Residencies provide in-depth learning and opportunities for face-to-face mentoring for action research and evaluation work, and program learning. Residencies also build relationships between students in the cohorts and are an opportunity for students to meet faculty.  Students in all concentrations are required to attend two Residencies. Failure to complete the Residency requirements will result in failure in the program.

Competency Exam

Because this program focuses on educating students to be practitioners who apply educational and psychological theories to practice, and conduct research to inform practice, the competency exam will assess these abilities. The competency exam process starts with conducting 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 be taking three courses to guide them through this process. They are: Proseminar in Technology and Education (EP705), Action Research and Evaluation I (EP715), and Action Research and Evaluation II (EP716).

Acknowledgement:
Some of the text above was based on a review of 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

Completion of the dissertation is an essential aspect of Educational Psychology and Technology students’ academic experience and professional education. It provides the school the opportunity to evaluate the student’s ability to apply Educational Psychology and Technology theory and conduct research, and to think critically and creatively about relevant research issues in the profession. All requirements for the Ed.D. program including the dissertation must be completed within five years from the date of first enrollment. Students may petition the Department Chair before the end of the fifth-year period for an extension to complete the dissertation. The Department Chair’s decision regarding the request for an extension is final. If an extension is granted, the extended date is firm.  No additional extensions will be granted. The Educational Psychology and Technology Department expectations for dissertations are as follows:

1. The dissertation must be contribute to the knowledge in the field of Educational Psychology and Technology
2. Peer-reviewed scholarly journals must be used with an emphasis on Educational Psychology and Technology and related disciplines such as Education, Psychology, Educational Technology, and Instructional Design and Technology. Additional journals may be incorporated at the discretion of your Dissertation Chair.
3. The Dissertation Committee must be composed of a Dissertation Chair and two Readers. Students must submit the appropriate requests to the Department Manager and provide notice immediately if any changes are needed.
4. The dissertation topic and committee members must be approved by the Department Chair, and Dissertation Chair.
5. The Dissertation Committee must approve the dissertation proposal before the student complete his/her IRB application.