Syllabus Checklist Snapshot
EDUC_2301_ 2A1_Spring 2026 Introduction to Special Populations INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Carolyn Heflin Email: cheflin1@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-257-0059 Office Location: TC Building, Room 218 Office Hours: MWF 8:00-9:30 & 1:00-2:00 Tue. 8:00-9:00 & 12:00-12:30 Thurs.8:00-9:00 & 12:00-2:00 CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/COREQUISITE: EDUC 1301, Introduction to Teaching Profession COURSE DESCRIPTION An enriched, integrated pre-service course and content experience that provides an overview of schooling and classrooms from the perspectives of language, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnic and academic diversity, and equity with an emphasis on factors that facilitate learning. The course provides students with opportunities to participate in early field observations of P12 special populations and should be aligned as applicable with State Board for Educator Certification Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities standards. Must include a minimum of 16 contact hours of field experience in P-12 classrooms with special populations. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to 1. Describe the characteristics of exceptional learners (e.g. Learning Disabilities, Gifted and Talented), including legal implications. 2. Describe and analyze characteristics of diverse learners (e.g. language, gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity) and how diversity impacts learning. 3. Describe the impact of socio-economic status on learning and creating equitable classrooms. 4. Demonstrate an understanding of the benefits and challenges of racial, ethnic, and other types of cultural diversity in the classroom. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • Open Education Resource (OER) materials, professional articles and videos provided on Blackboard • Computer • Internet connection • MS PowerPoint (students are provided with free Office 365 access)
• MS Word or compatible word processor (students are provided with free Office 365 access) • MS Outlook Email (students are provided with free Office 365 access) REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • Open Education Resource (OER) materials, professional articles and videos provided on Blackboard • Computer • Internet connection (Broadband highly recommended) • MS PowerPoint (students are provided with free Office 365 access) • MS Word or compatible word processor (students are provided with free Office 365 access) • MS Outlook Email (students are provided with free Office 365 access) ATTENDANCE POLICY Attendance will not be taken for this course. Your instructor will be monitoring your Blackboard login and participation in the course and notify you if you are falling behind on assignment deadlines. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time in this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE CALENDAR Module Course Content and Activities Assignments Due Date Due 1: Historical Reflection of Special Education Course Introductions Educate-able Video A Personal History of Special Education pdf Discussion Discussion/Video Discussion/Article January 25 2: Introduction to Special Education Today FAPE LRE Knowledge Check Student Check In February 1 February 2 3. IDEA Disability Category: Specific Learning Disability Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check February 8 4. IDEA Disability Category: Speech or Language Impairment Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check February 15 5. IDEA Disability Category: Other Health Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check February 22
Impairment (Including ADHD) 6. IDEA Disability Category: Autism Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check March 1 7. IDEA Disability Category: Intellectual Disability Videos and Articles Discussion March 8 8. IDEA Disability Category: Emotional Disturbance Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check March 22 9. IDEA Disability Category: Developmental Delay Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check March 29 10. IDEA Disability Category: Multiple Disabilities Videos and Articles Knowledge Check April 5 11. IDEA Disability Category: Hearing Impairment Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check April 12 12 IDEA Disability Categories: Visual Impairment & Deaf-Blindness Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check April 19 13. IDEA Disability Categories: Orthopedic Impairment Videos and Articles Discussion Knowledge Check April 26 14. IDEA Disability Category: Traumatic Brain Injury Videos and Articles Module 14 Assessment Module 14 Discussion May 3 Final Exam Final Exam Reflection May 10 COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: Discussions 40% Exams 50% Final Exam 10% *Observation hours for AAT program built into video discussion assignments. ______________________________________________________ Total 100% GRADE SCALE 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 69-60 D 59-0 F LIT does not use +/- grading scales
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students found to be committing academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) may receive disciplinary action. Students need to familiarize themselves with the institution’s Academic Dishonesty Policy available in the Student Catalog & Handbook at http://catalog.lit.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=80#academic-dishonesty. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and
you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION • Grades o Assignment(s) will be due Sunday at midnight. All submitted assignments will be graded by no later than Friday at 2:00. o The instructor has set up your Blackboard course to automatically designate a zero on students’ assignments submitted after the due date, however that does not mean that you cannot submit assignments late. Once the instructor grades the late assignment, that grade will replace the zero. May 6 will be the last day of the semester to submit late assignments. o Review any comments that the instructor makes on your graded assignment. If points are deducted, the instructor will give recommendations on how to improve next time. If the grade on the submitted assignment is too low, the instructor may also invite the student to revise his/her assignment to receive a higher grade. • Communication o Please feel free to address me as Ms. Carolyn, Ms. Heflin or Instructor Heflin. I often sign off on my messages informally as Carolyn. o Instructor answers Blackboard messages or emails within 24 hours. The exception is weekends or holidays, so please contact instructor before Friday 2:00 if you want a timely response before the weekend. o Be sure to read any course announcements carefully. That information is usually an important reminder to everyone in the course. o Please contact me if you need any help whatsoever. You will not be “bothering” me! It is my job to support you!