MSSE - Master of Science Education

MSSE 501  Inquiry Sci Eng Prac: 2 Credits (2 Lec)

(F, Sp, Su) This course empowers science teachers to shift inquiry responsibility to students, becoming guides and co-investigators. It offers strategies for fostering student-led questioning across diverse learning environments using NGSS standards as the lens for learning.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Identify and define the concepts of inquiry, science & engineering practices and crosscutting concepts as defined by the Next Generation Science Standards.
  2. Identify and define the difference between science inquiry and the scientific method.
  3. Develop lesson plans and ideas specific to science inquiry.
  4. Develop a personal inquiry project that includes inquiry teaching strategies learned in the course.
  5. Complete and submit a personal notebook reflection of weekly discussion posts specific to course content.

MSSE 502  Emerging Technology and the Science Classroom: 2 Credits (1 Lec, 1 Other)

(Su) This course prepares science educators to integrate emerging technologies into K–12 instruction using research-based frameworks and NGSS alignment. Emphasis includes blended learning, gamification, hybrid models, probeware, and authentic datasets, culminating in redesigned activities that foster inquiry, engagement, and accessibility.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Critically evaluate technology integration using research-based frameworks to justify instructional choices.
  2. Design inclusive science learning experiences that apply principles of UDL to support diverse learners.
  3. Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) into science instruction to enhance inquiry, visualization, and student engagement, while critically considering issues of ethics, equity, and access.
  4. Incorporate gamification and hybrid learning models to enhance student engagement and active learning in science.
  5. Integrate authentic scientific data sets and probeware/sensors into inquiry-based instruction to support data literacy and scientific reasoning.
  6. Address issues of equity and access in technology integration, including digital citizenship, ethical use, and culturally responsive practice.
  7. Redesign a classroom activity that incorporates multiple emerging technologies in alignment with NGSS standards and best practices.

MSSE 503  Integrating Literature into the Biology/Life Science Classroom: 3 Credits (1 Lec, 2 Other)

(Sp) This course provides K-12 science educators with strategies to integrate literature into the science classroom. Students will share cross-level instruction and constructive ideas. The goal of this course is to engage and support the integration of reading and science instruction.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Incorporate instructional reading strategies into the science classroom.
  2. Research and discuss how Indigenous People utilized flora and fauna.
  3. Engage and support the integration of nonfiction and fiction literature with science instruction at the K-12 level.
  4. Articulate how climate change is impacting the earth’s ecosystems, society, and economy.
  5. Develop a professional relationship with a local or regional scientist that can be used for science instruction.

MSSE 504  Formative Assess in Sci Ed: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Other)

(F, Sp) Formative assessment is ongoing in science education. Learners will engage in discussions and study regarding the construction, selection and use of formative assessment methods. Teachers’ own instructional settings in classrooms, museums, outdoor schools, etc. are used to conduct formative assessment.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Compare and contrast formative assessment specific to science education.
  2. Create, implement and report on numerous formative assessment strategies specific to science education.
  3. Provide effective formative feedback to students.
  4. Use formative assessment results to make meaningful instructional changes.
  5. Demonstrate understanding of formative assessment through content knowledge, reasoning skills, and dispositions.

MSSE 505  Foundations of AR in Sci Ed: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Other)

(Sp) This course presents an overview of action research for practicing teachers and informal science educators. Students will explore the conceptual underpinnings of action research in science education as they relate specifically to curriculum, teaching and learning of science. Students will gain experience in data collection and analysis and will prepare an action research proposal based on their individual teaching situation. Offered Spring.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. analyze the relation of specific action research to the effectiveness of classroom instruction and local practice
  2. develop an understanding of the science teacher as an active producer of research-based knowledge
  3. demonstrate how action research techniques can inform science and learning
  4. develop an action research topic, conduct a review of the literature on that topic and write a draft conceptual framework
  5. complete required Institutional Review Board (IRB) Training, and
  6. design a personal action research project plan.

MSSE 506  Crime Scene Investigators: Forensic Science for Teachers: 2 Credits (1 Lec, 1 Lab)

() Offered spring of even years. “Crime Scene Investigators: Forensic Science for Teachers” is an exciting, hands-on course which is applicable to elementary school, middle school and high school teachers. Students will develop science process skills, demonstrate knowledge of the nature of science, in addition to implementing inquiry-based labs in their specific teaching context. Students will share cross-level instructional practices and creative pedagogical ideas. The principle goal of this course is to promote the study of forensics; an applied, cross disciplinary science and its implementation in the K-12 teaching environment. This fourteen week course is intended for teachers enrolled in the MSSE program. Offered Spring.
Repeatable up to 2 credits.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Students will gain an understanding of forensic science discipline. Topics covered will include: Blood, DNA analysis, fingerprinting, forgery, computer forensics, physical and trace evidence, ballistics and the autopsy process.
  2. Students will investigate the application of forensic science to criminal laws by examining case studies.
  3. Students will conduct field studies, small and large scale experiments to develop science process skills.
  4. Students will engage in critical thinking through different discipline ‘lenses’ (biology, chemistry, physics) as they use a broad knowledge and skill base to analyze forensic cases.
  5. Students will plan and perform forensic labs in their teaching classrooms based on course content and pedagogy.

MSSE 507  Capstone Data Analysis: 2 Credits (1 Lec, 1 Lab)

() Offering TBD. This course is designed to provide graduate students in science education with a background in basic descriptive and inferential statistics. By the end of the course, students will be able to choose the most appropriate method to both describe their data and display that data in a clear and concise manner. Students will be able to perform hypothesis tests using a variety of parametric and non-parametric methods with an understanding of the assumptions and limitations of each method as applied to the analysis of Capstone data reported students' Capstone paper, the culminating project for MSSE students. Offered Summer.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Describe how statistics relates to the fields of math and science
  2. Describe, calculate and use the measures of central tendency and spread
  3. Describe the distributions of data using measures of central tendency and spread
  4. Use a sampling distribution and/or a randomization/permutation distribution to make inferences about a mean and means<
  5. Use a sampling distribution and/or a randomization/permutation distribution to make inferences about a proportion and proportions
  6. Correctly identify the appropriate test when presented with data

MSSE 508  Statistics Bootcamp for MSSE Capstone Projects: 1 Credits (1 Lab)

(Sp) This 5 week course is designed as a supplement in how to present a story using data that are commonly collected during Capstone Research projects for the MSSE program. Students in the course will use analyze their own Capstone data and write a rough draft of the Data Analysis chapter of the Capstone paper. Weekly assignments are focused around trying to tell the most honest, clear, and well-justified story told with data.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Define and properly use common vocabulary of terms related to describing data (e.g., mean, median, mode, variance),
  2. Identify a set of guidelines on which terms are most useful in which contexts,
  3. Create and explain a palette of plots and graphs that help describe and summarize data,
  4. Write the Data Analysis Chapter of the Capstone paper.
  5. Evaluate, reflect and discuss assigned readings with colleagues.

MSSE 509  Implementing Action Research in Science Education: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Other)

(F) This course is designed for the implementation of action research for practicing science teachers. Students finalize their personal research plan, obtain IRB approval, and create a draft virtual poster of the project.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Incorporate principles of action research into a science education project.
  2. Demonstrate ethical research principles by successfully completing the IRB approval process.
  3. Create a visually organized poster that communicates key findings and design elements of the science education project.
  4. Compare shared research information with colleagues to enhance science education knowledge and practices.
  5. Apply action research processes to the creation of professional staff development plans.

MSSE 511  STEM Methods for Teachers: 2 Credits (1 Lec, 1 Other)

(Spring (odd years)) This course is designed to give K-12 teachers a basic understanding of a broad range of topics of STEM education. It is specially designed to help teachers of science integrate inquiry-based science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) into the classroom while improving content and pedagogical knowledge in each of these areas.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. describe STEM
  2. demonstrate a practical understanding and application of STEM appropriate for teaching K-12
  3. demonstrate an understanding of the STEM instructional processes as they apply to K-12 students
  4. complete teaching units that meet and/or exceed the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Mathematics standards for STEM
  5. engage in on-going discussion with fellow classmates and the instructors specific to STEM principles

MSSE 512  NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: 2 Credits (2 Lec)

(F) The course is designed for science teachers to increase the effectiveness of teaching and applying the Next Generation Science Crosscutting Concepts. Crosscutting concepts are ubiquitous in all science content areas, and are foundational to best-practices in science teaching.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Describe and define the NGSS crosscutting concepts.
  2. Identify crosscutting concepts across various science and engineering disciplines.
  3. Create, modify and evaluate classroom activities specific to each of the crosscutting concepts.
  4. Interpret, critique and justify new learning about crosscutting concepts through online peer discussions.
  5. Synthesize course content through a final crosscutting concepts unit designed for the K-14 classroom.

MSSE 518  Master Teaching Strategies for Science Teachers: 3 Credits (1 Lec, 1 Lab, 1 Other)

() Offered spring, odd years. The Master Teaching Strategies for Science Teachers course is designed for science teachers as a professional development tool to increase the effectiveness and awareness of effective teaching strategies. Teachers in this course will study and implement a variety of teaching strategies with students in their classrooms and reflect on the effectiveness of each implemented strategy. Offered Spring.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Identify and define teaching models specific to science teaching.
  2. Analyze, synthesize and reflect on teaching strategies in weekly discussions with colleagues
  3. Participate as a learner in a gamification learning environment and report on the effectiveness of the strategy
  4. Report on the effectiveness of chosen teaching strategies implemented in the student’s classroom.
  5. Identify, implement and report on numerous teaching strategies specific to science teaching by using them in their classrooms.

MSSE 536  Construction Curriculum in Science Education: 2 Credits (1 Lec, 1 Other)

(Summer, odd years.) This course examines the philosophical, historical, and social influences that drive the construction of curriculum. Emphasis is placed on science curriculum past, present, and future. Upon course completion, science teachers will understand the workings of science curriculum development.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Demonstrate competency through written assignments of philosophical, historical, and social influences that influence the construction of curriculum.
  2. Critically analyze an existing curriculum and perform a gap analysis.
  3. Apply the principles of instructional design and pedagogy to create a curriculum map, a curriculum plan based on best practices in curriculum development, and a reflection of the created curriculum identifying strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum.

MSSE 537  The 3 D's of NGSS: 2 Credits (1 Lec, 1 Other)

(Summer, even years.) This course is applicable to K-14 science teachers. Students will examine the three dimensions of the NGSS with an emphasis on their interconnectedness. The goal of this course is for science instructors to successfully implement NGSS dimensions in their teaching.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Create lessons using strategies aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
  2. Learn and apply best assessment practices to achieve three dimensional assessment of Disciplinary Core Ideas, Cross Cutting Concepts and the Science and Engineering Practices.
  3. Create an interdisciplinary unit that uses phenomenon as an anchor and the NGSS storyline approach to teach science in its social context.
  4. Design their own open inquiry project (Genius Hour) and investigate how such a strategy can help learners develop the Science and Engineering Practices.

MSSE 575  Capstone Paper and Symposium in Science Education: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: MSSE 501, MSSE 504, MSSE 505, MSSE 509. (Sp, Su) MSSE 575 is completed over two semesters and includes a 2-credit spring forum and a 1-credit summer capstone symposium. MSSE students will identify and complete a science education capstone project. The project results are summarized in a written professional paper. Each student presents their project during the summer Symposium in Science Education
Repeatable up to 3 credits.

View Course Outcomes:

  1. Design, implement, and evaluate a research project that contributes to the advancement of science teaching and learning for educators and students.
  2. Demonstrate mastery of science content, pedagogical strategies, and academic writing by producing a professional, publication-quality paper.
  3. Construct a research paper which incorporates MSU best practices for formatting and accessibility.
  4. Create presentation materials for dissemination to various audiences.

MSSE 589  Graduate Consultation: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Master's standing and approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. (Su) This course may be used only by students who have completed all of their coursework (and thesis, if on a thesis plan) but who need additional faculty or staff time or help
Repeatable up to 3 credits.

MSSE 591  Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Upper division courses and others as determined for each offering. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

MSSE 592  Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Bachelor degree, consent of instructor, and admission to MSSE program. () Offered on demand. Directed research and study on an individual topic
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

MSSE 593  Study Abroad: 1-4 Credits ()