Professor of Education and co-director of the Delaware-Johns Hopkins Project for the Study of Intelligence and Society
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Linda S. Gottfredson
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Syllabi for Current Courses:
Intelligence in Everyday Life (EDUC 391, a Freshman Honors Colloquium)
Is intelligence just a narrow academic skill, as some critics claim, or does it provide practical advantages in everyday life? What is life like for people of low, average, or high intelligence? And just what is intelligence anyway, and why do people (even siblings) differ so much in intelligence level? This course examines old discoveries as well as new surprises in the scientific study of intelligence. We will also closely examine various IQ tests to help understand why the differences they measure have practical value in virtually all arenas of social life, but especially education and work. There is a wide dispersion in intelligence within all societies, and we will ponder the special challenges that such variation poses for democratic societies such as ours. Please visit the course syllabus.Educational Assessment for Classroom Teachers (EDUC451) Tests and assessments are a major part of a teacher's job. They are also major tools of educational reform today. We will examine the various aims and techniques of assessing student learning. You will learn how to create and evaluate different kinds of classroom assessments, as well as how to interpret standardized tests administered by the school district to all students or by school psychologists to individuals students. We will discuss the strengths and limitations of different kinds of tests, as well as the lively politics surrounding them. We will also discuss how to give feedback on student performance, including how to assign grades and conduct parent-teacher conferences. Please visit the course syllabus.
Educational Assessment for Classroom Teachers (EDUC 451-080, Honors Section)