Innovations in Course Integration and Decision-Making in a Redesign of Preservice Special Education Coursework

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Published: Dec 11, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14434/ijdl.v16i2.38334
Keywords:
preservice teachers, special education, teacher preparation, course redesign

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Rachel H. Billman, Ph.D.
Towson University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6759-3443
Kandace M. Hoppin, EdD
Towson University
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8731-9457
Gregory Knollman, Ph.D.
Towson University
Briella Baer Chen, Ph.D.
Towson University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5482-8987
Jennifer L. Kouo, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University

Abstract

This design case describes our faculty redesign effort in the College of Education’s Special Education Department at Towson University. We redesigned two key junior-year courses, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Curriculum and Methods for Instruction in Special Education, to improve coherence, strengthen field connections, and model collaborative practice. We reviewed both syllabi, identified essential content, and aligned major assignments and shared case studies to create a unified learning experience. We used faculty pairings to model co-planning and co-teaching, while practice-based teacher education (PBTE) pedagogies and structured school visits provided authentic opportunities to apply course concepts. Ongoing feedback from teacher candidates informed our iterative refinements. This redesign effort, as documented in this design case, highlights the decisions, challenges, and lessons we learned in developing a more connected, practice-centered approach to special education teacher preparation.

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How to Cite
Billman, R. H., Hoppin, K. M., Knollman, G., Baer Chen, B., & Kouo, J. (2025). Innovations in Course Integration and Decision-Making in a Redesign of Preservice Special Education Coursework. International Journal of Designs for Learning, 16(2), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.14434/ijdl.v16i2.38334
Issue
Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025)
Section
Design Cases
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Copyright © 2025 by the International Journal of Designs for Learning, a publication of the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), published by Indiana University Libraries Journals. Permission to make digital or hard copies of portions of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee, provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page in print or the first screen in digital media. Except as otherwise noted, the content published by IJDL is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. A simpler version of this statement is available here.

Author Biographies

Rachel H. Billman, Ph.D., Towson University

Rachel H. Billman is an associate professor in Towson University’s Department of Special Education. She served as co-course lead for SPED 441 and helped plan and co-facilitate summer workshops with SPED 413 and SPED 441 instructors to support the intentional redesign and realignment of both courses. Her research focuses on special education teacher preparation, technology-based and mathematics interventions, and expanding access to computational thinking and computer science for students with disabilities.

Kandace M. Hoppin, EdD, Towson University

Kandace M. Hoppin is an associate professor in Towson University’s Department of Special Education. She served as course lead for SPED 413 and helped plan and co-facilitate summer workshops with SPED 413 and SPED 441 instructors to support the courses’ intentional redesign and realignment. Dr. Hoppin also led the integration of practice-based teacher education activities across both courses. Her research focuses on preparing teachers for collaborative and inclusive practices, evidence-based supports for students with social, emotional, and behavioral needs, computational literacy for students with disabilities, and instructional and assistive technologies.

Gregory Knollman, Ph.D., Towson University

Gregory Knollman is an associate professor within the Department of Special Education at Towson University and teaches instructional methods courses in special education, including previously serving as course lead for SPED 441. Dr. Knollman’s research interests include the study of interdisciplinary personnel preparation programs and the development of instructional strategies that support the post-secondary outcomes for youth with intellectual disabilities and autism.

Briella Baer Chen, Ph.D., Towson University

Briella Baer Chen is an assistant professor of Special Education at Towson University. After joining the faculty in Fall 2022, Dr. Chen began teaching SPED 413 and working with the design team to plan and provide meaningful, aligned instruction across the courses. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on using evidence-based practices, UDL, and instructional technology to support individuals with disabilities, with emphasis on transition-age autistic individuals.

Jennifer L. Kouo, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

Jennifer Kouo is an assistant research scientist at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Kouo’s areas of expertise include Universal Design for Learning, technology integration, assistive technologies, and serving students with a range of disabilities, particularly autism. Previously, Dr. Kouo was an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at Towson University, where she taught courses for both the undergraduate and graduate programs, including both SPED 413 and SPED 441.