Course Outline: Psychology 511

GENERAL INFORMATION: This is a graduate course and is offered entirely as a face-to-face class. The online syllabus should be regarded as an example only; the "real" syllabus is the one passed out in class.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Pre-requisite: Graduate standing

"Theories of learning including conditioning, social learning, reinforcement, problem-solving, motivation, and structure of the learning situation."
 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To develop awareness of how learning is defined and measured by psychologists.

2. To understand distinctions between the behavioral and cognitive views of learning.

3. To acquire familiarity with major theories and concepts in the behavioral approach.

4. To acquire familiarity with major theories and concepts in the cognitive approach.

5. To discover the variables that affect the memory processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval.

6. To discover the variables that affect forgetting.

7. To develop an understanding of how motivation affects learning.

8. To develop knowledge and skills in applying research and theory on learning to classroom settings.

9. To develop awareness of how individual differences in learners may affect their learning.

10. To discover learning/studying techniques that are personally relevant and useful.

COURSE FORMAT

This course will be a mixture of lecture and seminar/discussion. Because there will be a substantial amount of class time devoted to discussion, it is essential that all students come to class well-prepared. Students will be expected to contribute not only to their own learning but to that of other students as well.

REQUIRED TEXT

Ormrod, J.E. (1999). Human learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Additional readings may be assigned by the instructor.
 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Exams - 175 points

Two unit exams @ 50 points each = 100 points

Final exam @ 75 points = 75 points

The final exam will include a section over the third unit of the course plus a comprehensive section designed to assess integration of material from the whole course.

2. Chapter Presentation - 50 points

You will be assigned a chapter from the text to present to the class. More information about this assignment will be provided.

3. Presentation Analysis Paper - 25 points

You will be required to write a paper in which you discuss the concepts and principles of learning that you used in preparing and presenting your assigned text chapter to the class. The paper will be due one class period following your chapter presentation. More information about this assignment will be provided.
 

4. Attendance and Participation - 50 points

Includes quizzes, completion of in-class writing assignments (if any), participation in in-class group projects, participation in class discussions (asking good questions, making meaningful and thoughtful comments), coming consistently prepared for class, etc. Missed quizzes may not be made up, so please make every effort to be present.

• Regular, prompt attendance is expected, and attendance will be taken at each class period.

• There will be quizzes over the assigned reading, so it is important that you keep up.

• It is important that you arrive on time to class so that you do not disrupt the learning experience for other class members. During the first five minutes of class the classroom door will be left open for those who are unavoidably late; after that time the door will be closed, and you should not enter.

• If you have an important reason for needing to leave class early, please notify the instructor beforehand.

• It is especially important that you be present on exam days. An acceptable excuse (e.g., illness) must be provided in order for you to be allowed to make-up an exam.

• In accordance with university policies on student conduct (see 1998-99 Hilltopics), it is expected that you will treat other students and the instructor with courtesy and respect. Disruption of the learning environment will result in loss of participation points or other disciplinary action.

GRADING

The following cut-offs will be used:

A: 270-300 points*

B: 240-269 points*

C: 210-239 points*

*Cut-off's may be adjusted downward, depending on student performance, but will not be raised.
 

ACADEMIC HONESTY

The following guidelines and expectations are quoted from the 1999-2000 Hilltopics, page 5:

"The maintenance of academic integrity is of fundamental importance to the university. Thus it should be clearly understood that acts of plagiarism or any other forms of cheating will not be tolerated and that anyone committing such acts risks punishment of a serious nature.

"Plagiarism - To represent written work taken from another source as one's own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense. The academic work of a student must be his/her own. One must give any author credit for source material borrowed from him/her. To lift content directly from a source without giving credit is a flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage without reference to the source after having changed a few words is also plagiarism.

"Cheating - No student shall give or receive assistance not authorized by the instructor in taking an examination or in the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, problem assignment, or other project which is submitted for purposes of grade determination."

TOPICS

Course Introduction and Overview
Defining Learning
Overview of Behaviorism
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Social Learning Theory
Antecedents and Assumptions of Cognitivism
Basic Components of Memory
Long-term Memory I: Storage
Long-Term Memory II: The Nature of Knowledge
Long-Term Memory III: Retrieval, Forgetting, and Classroom Practice
Applications of Cognitivism I: Promoting Effective Memory Processes
Metacognition and Study Strategies
Transfer and Problem-Solving
Applications of Cognitivism II: Learning through Interactions with Others
Motivation and Affect
Cognitive Factors in Motivation

**PLEASE NOTE:

The above schedule, requirements, and policies are subject to change due to extenuating circumstances.

Comments or questions about this site should be directed to
Retta.Poe@wku.edu

Created May 25, 2000.  Last modified: May 25, 2000.
All contents (c) 2000 Retta Poe