Educational Psychology (Thesis) (M.A.): Learning Sciences (45 credits)
Offered by: Educational & Counselling Psych (Faculty of Education)
Degree: Master of Arts
Programs credit weight: 45
Program Description
The M.A. in Educational Psychology; Learning Sciences focuses on educational research, its application to practice, research design, and data analytic techniques. Exploration and application of contemporary psychological and educational theories and empirical studies in the science of learning and instruction; self-regulation, motivation, and emotion; educational technology; and applied methods and data science.
Thesis Courses (24 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDPE 604 | Thesis 1. | 3 |
Thesis 1. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Literature survey and thesis planning. | ||
| EDPE 607 | Thesis 2. | 3 |
Thesis 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Preparation of a thesis proposal. | ||
| EDPE 693 | Thesis 3. | 3 |
Thesis 3. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Thesis research under supervision of a research director. | ||
| EDPE 694 | Thesis 4. | 3 |
Thesis 4. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Thesis research under supervision of a research director. | ||
| EDPE 695 | Thesis 5. | 6 |
Thesis 5. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Thesis research under supervision of a research director. | ||
| EDPE 696 | Thesis 6. | 6 |
Thesis 6. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Thesis research under supervision of a research director. | ||
Required Courses (18 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDPE 605 | Research Methods. | 3 |
Research Methods. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Research methods and designs, planning and evaluating research, relations between research and statistical designs, interdisciplinary and nonquantitative approaches, meta-analysis, and the use of computers beyond computation. Ethics, scholarly writing. | ||
| EDPE 656 | Applied Theory/Methods in the Learning Sciences. | 3 |
Applied Theory/Methods in the Learning Sciences. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Foundational and current theories and methodologies applied to understanding human cognition and learning. An overview of experimental, observational, and physiological research designs, methods, and analyses. | ||
| EDPE 663 | Learning Environments. | 3 |
Learning Environments. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Research on digital environments and tools (e.g., online, mobile) that support learning and developing expertise. Evaluation and application of theory and research on technology-rich educational environments focusing on underlying cognitive and social processes. | ||
| EDPE 666 | Advanced Topics in Learning Sciences | 3 |
Advanced Topics in Learning Sciences Terms offered: Fall 2025 Advanced topics on theory and research on the interdisciplinary study of the learning sciences. Focuses on cognitive-psychological and social- psychological foundations of human learning, as well as on the design of learning environments. | ||
| EDPE 676 | Intermediate Statistics. | 3 |
Intermediate Statistics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Concepts and procedures of conducting basic descriptive and inferential statistics, including analysis of variance, correlation, and regression models. Provides experience with data-analysis tools. | ||
| EDPE 682 | Univariate/Multivariate Analysis. | 3 |
Univariate/Multivariate Analysis. Terms offered: Winter 2026 General linear model as a unified data analytic system for estimation and hypothesis testing that subsumes regression, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance for single dependent variables. Introduction to generalizations involving multiple dependent (criterion) variables. Applications oriented toward education, educational psychology and counselling psychology. Experience with data-analysis tools. | ||
Complementary Courses (3 credits)
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDPE 510 | Machine Learning in Society | 3 |
Machine Learning in Society Terms offered: Fall 2025 An overview of key topics and broader issues in machine learning. An exploration of machine learning algorithms to make predictions and provide explanations from the decision structures inferred from the data. An introduction to programming languages to exemplify fundamental machine learning algorithms and techniques. | ||
| EDPE 561 | Machine Learning: Theory & Applications | 3 |
Machine Learning: Theory Applications Terms offered: Winter 2026 An examination of the principles underlying the current practice of machine learning,emphasizing the conceptual underpinnings of the fundamental machine learning algorithms applied to education and other domains. The critical use of data to develop rigorous data models. The mapping of algorithms to learning tasks. The visualization, evaluation, and interpretation of performance measures and results. The identification of model strengths and limitations. | ||
| EDPE 636 | Motivation and Instruction. | 3 |
Motivation and Instruction. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Instructional effects on motivation and emotions and their implications for educational practice, with particular emphasis on socio-cultural and constructivist practices, classroom interaction, and teacher impact. | ||
| EDPE 640 | Emerging Technologies for Educational Change. | 3 |
Emerging Technologies for Educational Change. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Interdisciplinary learning theories; working with and evaluating emerging digital technologies and interfaces that impact teaching and learning. | ||
| EDPE 664 | Critical Thinking | 3 |
Critical Thinking Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Foundational and current research on the development of critical thinking in formal and informal educational settings, exploring cognitive, interpersonal, and socio-cultural dimensions. Introduction to methodologies for analyzing data related to cognitive processes. | ||
| EDPE 687 | Qualitative Methods in Educational Psychology. | 3 |
Qualitative Methods in Educational Psychology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The logics of design and selection of phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, case study and mixed design methods with emphasis on data analysis in light of issues of research purpose, epistemology, reliability and validity. | ||
or other 500-, or 600-level courses offered by the Department and with the approval of the supervisor and the Program Director.