Western Education's MPEd | Field of Literacy Education
Designed to support and challenge educators who are engaged in equity-oriented literacy education in an era of rapid technological, demographic, and cultural and linguistic change. The MPEd in the field of Literacy Education provides sustained opportunities to critically explore, develop, appraise, and apply knowledge pertinent to a breadth of contemporary curricular and pedagogical issues.
AER Graduate Scholarship for Literacy Studies in Education!
Awarded annually to full-time graduate students in a Master's program in the Faculty of Education, registered in Curriculum Studies and Studies in Applied Linguistics, who have achieved academic and research merit with a preference given to students whose focus is literacy studies. Students should contact the Faculty of Education for details.
Value: 8 at $10,000
Solve real-world problems
Online degree – study anywhere
Continue working while studying
Network with practicing educators
Beyond the program details
Admissions
Required:
- A four-year degree (20 full courses or equivalent) from an accredited university.
- Minimum "B" standing (70%) or equivalent in the final two years of study.
Notes & exceptions:
- Bachelor of Education and Additional Qualification course grades aren’t used in calculating admission averages.
- Applicants with three-year degrees will be considered on a case-by-case basis if seats are available in programs. Successful experience as an educator in a professional setting may be considered in the selection process.
- Probationary status: If an applicant doesn’t meet all of the minimum admission requirements (e.g. average below 70% and/or has only a three-year degree plus B.Ed.) the applicant may be offered admission as a Probationary Student with Conditions.
- Conditions: Applicants will be required to maintain a 75% average in each of these courses to clear conditions.
- The successful completion of an MPEd degree doesn’t lead to certification with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).
Tuition
Tuition amounts are set each year by Senate and then published on the Office of the Registrar's Fees Schedules web page. Fees are assessed once each term (Fall, Winter, Summer).
Current students can access fee information by logging into the Student Centre (use your Western email log in and password). Students are notified each term once fee amounts have been posted in the Student Centre; it is each student's responsibility to log into the Student Centre and pay fees by the due date indicated. Failure to do so may result in a late payment fee or deregistration.
For questions about fees, including how to pay fees and the methods of payment that are accepted, students should go to the Student Financial Services pages of the Office of the Registrar's web site or contact Student Financial Services (Office of the Registrar) at 519-661-2100.
The Graduate Student Affordability Calculator was designed for you to get a better estimate of what it will cost to attend one of Western's graduate programs for one year. The calculator is not a promise of funding or a place to access scholarship support or financial aid; rather, it is intended to provide you with an accurate estimate of how much money you will need to pay for your tuition, fees, housing, food, and many other necessities for a 12-month (three-term) academic year.
Funding
The Faculty of Education recognizes the financial commitment required to pursue professional graduate studies.
As the majority of our programs are fully online, we offer students flexible learning that allows them to fund their education by remaining in their current employment. Some employers offer subsidization or time release opportunities for the professional learning of their employees. As a result, internal funding is not available for these programs.
There are also many external funding opportunities for competitive candidates in our professional programs. See our Fees and Funding Page for an additional list of over 30 external awards (see more information below). Also, visit online sites that contain numerous award opportunities.
Please note that students must apply for these awards individually. Read the qualifications carefully, and contact the award provider for more criteria and award information. Some application support is available from the Research Office for research-based awards only.Many private financial institutions offer financing options (with particular rates and payment plans) to full-time students. Please contact a representative of your preferred financial institution for more information.
Provincial governments offer a variety of loan programs to help students finance their studies. Ontario residents may be eligible to apply for OSAP.
The Government of Canada's CanLearn website provides a listing of contact information for the offices of all government student financial assistance programs. Please visit CanLearn to find your province or territory listing. The Government of Canada implemented the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) to encourage higher education and training. The LLP allows you to withdraw up to $10,000 a year from your registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance training or education for you or your spouse or common-law partner. For further information on this plan, visit the government's LLP Website
Technology
For online courses, students are required to have access to the following:
- High speed Internet access
- Access to a computer that enables connection to outside websites (flexible firewall restrictions)
- Multimedia playback capabilities (video/audio)
- WebCam
- Computer capable of running a recent version of Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox; and/or Cisco MOVI client for PC or Mac
- Audio headset and microphone for computer
Instructors of onsite courses use the Brightspace OWL platform. Access to a course in OWL is typically opened the first business day of each term. Please note that although your own access may be granted prior to the first business day, course content may not be posted until closer to the scheduled term start. Your Western University login and password is required to access the course (your Western email without the @uwo.ca and its accompanying password). Access Sakai OWL
Program information
Description
Key topics include: equity and literacy in local and global contexts; historic and contemporary conceptualizations of literacy; early foundations of reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and representing; multimodality and digital media multidiscursivity and literacies across semiotic domains; Englishes and plurilingualism and literacies; literacy assessment and evaluation across formal and informal learning contexts. These topics are considered across the lifespan, from early childhood to elder-status.
Unique Features:
- Direct access to experienced language and literacy education researchers who specialize in literacy education research and its application in a wide variety of domains (both formal and informal; from early years to graduate and elder contexts).
- Links to language and literacy education researchers, and their national and international networks.
- The ability to work through problems of practice with other practicing educators.
- The tools to create innovative literacy curriculum and pedagogies that can engage learners in meaningful literacy practices and help them acquire facility with a range of modes so as to expand their language and literacy repertoires and foster collective well-being.
Objectives
The objective of the MPEd in Literacy Education is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for advocacy and leadership relative to Literacy Education in professional practice which calls for:
- initiative and professional responsibility in literacy curricular endeavors;
- critical decision-making and problem solving in a variety of literacy curriculum situations;
- intellectual independence and curiosity required for continuing professional learning in literacy;
- ethical behaviour consistent with academic and professional integrity and the use of appropriate academic and professional guidelines and procedures for responsible conduct of inquiry, research and scholarship; and
- the ability to critically appreciate the broad implications of applying knowledge to Literacy Education practices.
Students will be able to demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate ideas, concepts, issues, and arguments about Literacy Education through multiple modes, media, and genres pertinent to their professional context(s).
Students will gain cognizance of the complexity and implications of Literacy Education in professional practice, including the potential contributions of a diversity of interpretations, methods, and disciplines.
Timing/delivery
The MPEd is designated as a full-time program. Full-time status requires that students complete four half-courses in one year. MPEd students will complete one course per semester (fall, winter, intersession, summer) for two years. Full-time students have access to all student services at Western. See SGPS for details.
This program of study is a course-based cohort model. This cohort structure will provide ongoing support within the course work, enabling students to develop a professional community of practice. To ensure the integrity of the cohort model, continuous enrollment is required and will necessitate that students complete all the required courses within the timeframe stipulated.
Courses
Year 1 Fall
ED 9535 Understanding Language and Literacy Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Learning in a Changing World
Introduction to the field of Literacy Studies. Topics include: the history and expansion of literacy in educational curricula, literacy in national and international educational settings and everyday activities, overview of diverse traditions in literacy research and scholarship, ways in which literacy research informs and is informed by national and transnational policies.
Year 1 Winter
ED 9492 Understanding Multiliteracies Pedagogy
Introduction to the relationship between textual conventions, the contexts of their use, and critical reflection on those relationships. Students will engage with multiple textual forms and contexts, including digital texts, to learn how they can be utilized to expand communication options. Issues of assessment in multiliteracies pedagogies also explored.
Year 1 Summer - Intersession
ED 9581 Understanding Writing, Reading & Representing Across the Curriculum
Content area literacy is examined from the viewpoints of English studies, psychology, linguistics, content area disciplines, and the multiliteracies movement. The nature of representations and their role in the construction and communication of knowledge is a central theme. Implications for curriculum planning, instructional methods and assessment are critically considered.
Year 1 Summer - Summer Session
ED 9493 Understanding Multiliteracies and Student Diversity
Critical consideration of various aspects of student diversity that can make a difference in language and literacy education (e.g., cultural and linguistic diversity, Indigenous learners, socio-economic status, gender, and learners who struggle with print literacy). Includes practical suggestions for how multiliteracies curriculum and pedagogy can capitalize on diversity.
Year 2 Fall
ED 9496 Understanding Research Methods for Educational Practice
An introduction to curriculum research as an innovative process with emphasis on designs involving students, educators, community members, and/or educational practitioners. Topics may include theoretical understanding and practical application of various research designs, relating to the topic of curriculum, including quantitative and qualitative methods to offer guidance in developing inquiry/questions of practice and reading/interpreting research.
Year 2 Winter
ED 9497 Understanding Curriculum Leadership for Educational Practice
Focus on leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of positive curricular change. Emphasis on ways of conceptualizing curriculum leadership and advocacy and professional learning and reflective practice to promote equitable and enabling environments for all. The course will give students opportunities to explore curriculum leadership in their MPED focus.
Year 2 Summer - Intersession & Year 2 Summer - Summer Session
ED 9498 Capstone Course
The Capstone Course provides students with an opportunity to expand breadth of experience and to gain working knowledge of applied theories in a real-world education setting. Students will develop a project to apply their learning to practice, investigate and reflect on their findings, write a project report, and gain practical experience under the guidance of a supervisor and/or instructor.
