Courses

LS 601 Foundations of Learning Sciences (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Core theories of learning sciences. Concepts in technology-enhanced learning including multimedia. Instructional systems and design methods aligned with cognitive learning theories. Learning in a community. Interaction and conversation through technology. Learning environments and design approaches aligned with situated learning. Overview of research approaches in learning sciences. Modelling cognition and learning. Design-based research.

LS 611 Design-Based Research in Learning Sciences (3+0+2) 4 ECTS 10
Design-based research as an emerging paradigm for the study of learning. Concepts and theories related to design-based research methodologies. Examining examples of design-based research in the field of learning sciences.

LS 612 Design of Interactive Learning Environments (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Components and principles of interactive learning environments. Needs, content, context, and environment analysis. Design of interaction in media environments, types and levels of interactivity, levels of learner control, cognitive strategies, instructional strategies for different levels of engagement. Interface and information design. Design of prototype environments based on major theories of learning sciences.

LS 615 Qualitative Research Methods (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10 Theories and practices of qualitative methods in educational research. Central concepts, principles, and methodologies of qualitative paradigms. Design and implementation of research projects. Qualitative data analysis, interpretation, and reporting.

LS 616 Design and Implementation of Learning Systems (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Review of industrial standards in learning and training systems such as authoring systems, learning management systems, and course management systems. Concepts and principles of learning systems. Examining current learning systems. Integration of different learning systems addressing diverse educational needs. Design of learning systems with different scales. Selection of learning systems and evaluation criteria.

LS 619 Applied Advanced Statistics (3+0+2) 4 ECTS 10
Advanced statistical methods including factor analysis, multivariate analyses, structural equation modelling, and hierarchical linear modelling. Data analysis, interpretation, and reporting.

LS 623 Assessment of Technology Integration in Pedagogical Structures (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Relating education, instruction, and technology. Discussion of relevant theories, products, and practices. Critical analysis of educational implementations of technology. Critical assessment and utilization of current educational technologies.

LS 624 Design of Educational Games (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Principles of game design and instructional design. Processes of rapid prototyping, play-testing, and design iteration. Evaluation of games for both entertainment and educational purposes. Focus on how people play and learn with games.

LS 625 Design of Science Learning Environments (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Epistemological foundations of science and science learning. Contemporary national and international science curricula. Critique of the research based science learning environments from epistemic, curricular, and technological perspectives.

LS 627 Advanced Assessment in Learning Sciences (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Assessment in classroom settings: validity, reliability, and usability. Qualitative and quantitative methods and approaches: value-added measures, information-reference testing, adaptive testing, and protocol analysis.

LS 628 Design of Learning Environments in Early Childhood Education (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Planning learning environments in line with educational needs. Educational specifications for learning environments. Quality in early childhood learning environments.

LS 631 Learning Analytics (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Concepts and processes of learning analytics. Social network analysis, web analysis, and pattern analysis. Data gathering and processing. Tools of analytics. Statistical evaluation of big data sets in systems such as Learning Management Systems and Content Management Systems. Identification of interacting patterns. Educational decision-making based on learning analytics.

LS 632 Teacher Professional Development Research in Learning Sciences (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Teacher professional development issues and practices. Needs assessment and goals, models and strategies for teacher development programs. Obstacles to implementation of teacher professional development programs. Evaluation of teacher development programs.

LS 635 Methods of Child Study (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Children’s perspectives and understanding from early childhood to adolescence. Post-positivist and interdisciplinary theories and methods. Ethics of studying children. Challenges in studying children's perspectives and experiences. Methodological commitment and methods, the role of theory, data, analysis, and writing.

LS 639 Networks in Education (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Social network theory and change in education. Social network analysis. Theory and methods in the study of networks between and within organizations. Case studies of networked organizations and reform initiatives.

LS 641 Educational Technology and Cognitive Science (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Social, cultural, and cognitive foundations of learning in technology-based environments. Brain, mind, and knowledge representation research in relation to learning and development. Learning design paradigms for learning with technologies at different levels of schooling. Issues of cognitive science in different learning environments, including individualized, adaptive, and collaborative settings.

LS 645 Self-Regulation in Learning (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Theoretical perspectives and research on self-regulation in learning through the interdisciplinary nature of learning sciences. Design of effective learning environments on the basis of self-regulation theories.

LS 649 Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
The history and theoretical foundations of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Design and development of learning environments for collaborative learning. Ethnomethodologically informed perspectives for the analysis of CSCL data. Current and future research trends within the CSCL community.

LS 650 Advanced Quantitative Research in Learning Sciences (3+0+2) 4 ECTS 10
Research methods in education. Advanced study of measurement and sampling issues, quantitative designs, and statistical analysis and evaluation. Statistical modeling using educational data.

LS 652 Equity and Diversity in Educational Practice (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Equity and diversity in educational practice that targets children. Examination of equity and diversity in relation to learning theories, pedagogy, and advocacy in early childhood education. Intersections of linguistic diversity, cultural ethnicities, gender, disability, social class, and poverty.

LS 653 Theoretical Foundations of Learning with Technology (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Conceptual, experiential, and critical perspectives on learning and teaching with technology. Historical and current approaches to educational technology: interactions between theory and practice in evolving learning environments

LS 656 Instructional Policies (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Current theories of effective instruction in different content areas. Nature and implementation of curricula. Teaching and learning based on instructional policies. Quality of classroom discourse. Policy implementation challenges in the classroom.

LS 657 Reading Acquisition and Processes (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Cognitive and linguistic processes in reading acquisition. Components of language in relation to first language reading. Current issues in reading research. Research-based theoretical models of word reading.

LS 658 Educational Policies (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Theoretical and methodological approaches to educational policy-making. Policy implementation processes. Policy changes and reforms. Research-based effective policy-making.

LS 661 Reading Difficulties and Dyslexia (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
The nature of reading difficulties and dyslexia in children. Cognitive and linguistic processes in word reading and text comprehension in relation to reading disability (dyslexia). Research-based theoretical models of reading disabilities. Current issues and new directions in dyslexia-related research. The brain and dyslexia: neural bases of reading and reading disabilities.

LS 662 Theoretical Foundations of Curriculum and Practice (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10 Fundamental dimensions of curriculum theory. Curriculum in cultural context, political reality, and scholarly discourse. Ideological orientations in curriculum studies.

LS 665 Informal Learning (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Theory, evidence, and design in the field of informal learning. Settings designed to support informal learning, including museums, botanical garden, audio-visual media and drop in make shops

LS 668 Science, Literacy, and Technology (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Theories of learning to read, science learning, and learning with technologies. Teaching reading in Turkish and other languages. Reading in the context of science. Technology-enhanced learning environments integrating science and literacy.

LS 669 Argumentation and Learning Sciences (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Cognitive and methodological foundations of learning argumentation. Research on teaching and learning argumentation. Social aspects of argumentation. Assessment of arguments. Design of learning environments for argumentation.

LS 670 Directed Readings in Learning Sciences (1+0+0) 1 ECTS 6
Guided readings in learning sciences under the supervision of a faculty member on topics of special interest to the individual student.

LS 700 Graduate Seminar in Learning Sciences (0+1+0) 0 ECTS 2
Analyses and interpretations of applications of learning sciences. Perspectives of academia and invited guests from industry.

LS 680-689 Special Topics in Learning Sciences (3+0+0) 3 ECTS 10
Study of selected topics in learning sciences.

LS 790 PhD Thesis ECTS 120