standard 12 point times new roman font W r i t i n g

Case Study Instructions:

Your task is to draw upon well established human development/learning theories and
concepts from the course in order to design effective instructional methods and strategies for
ONE of the individual students described (John, Kayla, Jose, or Monica). Support your
choice of instructional methods and strategies by citing specific teaching methods and
discussing ways to improve upon these instructional strategies. The strength of your case
study analysis rests in the ability to clearly discuss relevant human development/learning
theories and to design effective instructional strategies to support students’ learning and
development that draw upon multiple development/learning theories and concepts.
References to the text book are critical to a successful case study analysis. Case study should
be double spaced, standard 12 point Times New Roman font, 1” margins, 6 pages in length.

Objective: The objectives of the case study assignment are two-fold: (1) to apply human
development/ learning theories and concepts to an individual student, and (2) to design
effective teaching strategies to support the student’s development and learning.

Overview: This case study has three components: (1) description of areas of development
and learning theories, (2) analysis of instructional methods and strategies, and (3) quality of
writing.

1. Description of areas of development and learning theories (45%): Clearly identify
and discuss key aspects of well-established human development theories and concepts
(e.g., mental, social, moral, intellectual, and cultural aspects of development) and
learning theories and concepts (e.g., cognitive, behavioral, social cognitive, emotional,
and motivational models of learning) and how they apply to the student. Discuss the
student’s individual learning needs, developmental levels, and other applicable
differences in his/her learning and development, based on well-established human
development and learning theories and concepts from EDF 6211.
a. Synthesis across areas of development: Does the author examine 2-3 aspects of
development and look across the different aspects to see how they influence one
another and to understand the whole student?
b. Synthesis across learning theories: Does the author examine 2-3 learning
theories and look across different learning theories to see how the student learns
best?

2. Analysis of instructional methods and strategies (45%): Drawing upon your
discussion of selected human development and learning theories and concepts, provide an
analysis of at least three sound instructional methods and strategies that a teacher could
use in order to effectively support the learning and development of the student. Provide a
rationale for your instructional methods and strategies by citing specific teaching
techniques and discuss ways in which teachers can continue to improve upon these
methods and strategies in the classroom in terms of professional development.
a. Use literature in Educational Psychology: Does the author use the literature on
Educational Psychology from EDF 6211 to interpret his or her findings and to
draw well-grounded conclusions? Does the author discuss the conclusions in
relation to the age and developmental level of the student?
EDF 6211
6

3. Quality of Writing (10%):
a. Presentation of information: Does the author present information in a careful,
thorough, and nonjudgmental fashion, and supply evidence for all assertions or
conclusions?
b. Writing style: Is the paper well-organized and well-written?
c. Proper use of conventions and citations: Is the paper written in accordance with
APA style guidelines?

Case Study Vignette #2: Kayla
Elementary School Student
Kayla is an only child and lives with her mother. She is a somewhat quiet and reserved 8-10
year old girl. She has a few friends in school but is often quiet and keeps to herself in class.
Kayla learns and remembers information best when she is engaged in individualized or
whole group instruction and hands-on learning activities. However, she often has difficulty
learning and participating in cooperative or small group learning activities with her peers and
prefers working alone. Kayla does not have any strong or close friendships with the other
students in her class, and it is often difficult for her to engage her peers in meaningful
conversations and to gain the perspectives of her peers. When in cooperative groups, Kayla
has difficulty collaborating, communicating, and resolving conflicts with her fellow peers.
The teacher would like to help Kayla gain perspectives from her peers in order to support her
cognitive and social development. In addition to increasing Kayla’s social skills and
perspective-taking ability, the teacher would like to further develop Kayla’s emotional
intelligence and help her to be a fully integrated member of the classroom community.

Kayla’s mother encourages her to do her best in school, but does not provide much support
for her to engage in social or academic activities outside of school. The teacher has tried to
learn more about her cultural background and life experiences to make information more
meaningful and relevant, but this has been a slow process. Further, Kayla usually does not
score highly on achievement tests and is struggling to find a sense of initiative and
competence in areas such as reading and math. She often gives up on challenging tasks and
believes that she cannot improve in areas where she has done poorly in the past. In addition,
Kayla believes that she does not have control over her own learning and success. She has
been tested for a possible learning disability or cognitive delays but tests have come back
negative. The teacher notices that Kayla is a good problem solver, often thinking of creative,
out-of-the box solutions, and would like to use this knowledge to help support her. The
teacher feels that it is important to support Kayla’s social and academic development, and is
worried that her sense of self-efficacy, motivation, and academic achievement may decline if
action is not taken.