Mini-Syllabus – EDUC 6304 – Advanced Educational Psychology
Welcome.
Welcome to our course in Learning and
Cognition. At UT -
|
Course Title |
Learning and Cognition (or Advanced Educational Psychology) |
|
Instructor |
Dr. Fern Clemmer |
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Time |
Web-Based |
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Contact |
432/349-1078 |
BE SURE TO REVIEW THIS SYLLABUS THOROUGHLY BEFORE STARTING THE COURSE WORK FOR THIS CLASS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, CONTACT THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY!!
SUGGESTION: Read the syllabus through once for familiarity and then read it through again for comprehension. When you have finished reviewing this syllabus, take the test for Module I, Lesson 1 – the Syllabus Test.
Refer to the syllabus often to stay familiar with its contents and the course requirements.
Course Description
This course has been designed to provide educators with the most up-to-date information concerning the teaching-learning process. This course will provide an opportunity for students to incrementally develop an educational theory and practice based on solid research and theoretical concepts.
Students will be provided with a working knowledge of learning theory from various viewpoints, developmental influences, practical application and teaching methods. Students will also become familiar with approaches dealing with the management and motivation of students and measurement of individual differences.
There is a good chance that we have not considered all of the procedural issues that are involved in a course of this nature. Watch the Announcements section of the course for changes (That's the first page you see when you log into the actual course). We will also contact you by email from time to time with course information and updates. We will guarantee that the course schedule will not be changed nor will the course requirements, unless such changes are advantageous to the students in this course.
Dr. Chips is the "virtual professor" for this course. He is on the job 24/7/365, just look for "Dr. Chips" on one of the buttons in the left-hand navigation bar. Of course, he has no life! His role is to help you make it through the course with a minimum of craziness. Although Dr. Chips lives and breathes educational psychology, he may not always be available. On occasion, he leaves the office to take a shower, change his clothes, or eat a meal.
Dr. Chips has already figured out some questions you need answers to. Visit the Ask Dr. Chips button which is available from the left-hand navigation bar.
Course Structure
Once you complete your review of this syllabus (Module I, Lesson 1), you will discover that the course is divided into ten modules/lessons. These are organized as follows:
Module II - Focus on Learning Theory
Lesson 1 - Introduction to and History of Educational Psychology
Lesson 2 - Learning Theory Today
Lesson 3 - The Behavioral View
Lesson 4 - The Cognitive View
Module III - Focus on Human Growth and
Development
Lesson 1 - Fundamentals of Growth and Development
Lesson 2 - Cognitive Growth and the Early Experience
Lesson 3 - Personal Growth
Module IV - Focus on Practical
Applications
Lesson 1 - Methods and Models of Teaching
Lesson 2 - Individual Differences: Measurement and Research
Lesson 3 - Managing Students in Groups
As you will note in the Course Calendar, we will be covering these lessons at the rate of approximately one each week.
Check the Course calendar for dates
To help you in your thinking and planning regarding this course, it might be useful to know the basic time frame that was considered as the course was developed. The concept is pretty traditional - for every hour of "in-class" time it is expected that the student will do at least two hours of "out-of-class" time. If this class were meeting in a face-to-face classroom situation, we would have about 3 hours together every week. The expectation would be that you would devote an additional 6 hours of additional time to the course. If you don't have this kind of time to devote to this course this semester, you may wish to reconsider whether you should be enrolled.
Textbooks
We would like you to obtain three from the following sets of books:
Set One: Select one from the following –
Note: You need to obtain one of the above immediately since the first paper is due in four weeks (see calendar)
Set Two: Select one from the following –
Set Three: Select one from the following –
You should have no difficulty finding these books in such places as your local bookstores or online from sources like efollet, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, half.com, etc. Just enter the ISBN numbers in the “search” box and see what you can find. Shop around – you might find better prices from one place than another. However, plan ahead as shipping times seem to vary.
You will be asked to write a reflection paper for each of the three books you select. You will find additional information about these assignments and the scoring criteria for your papers further on in this syllabus.
Software
You will want to use MS Word as
your word processor, so the formatting will stay the same when I view your
pages. Since you are a student at a
UTPB Bookstore at UTPB
4901 E. University
Or you can fax your agreement
and a copy of your driver's license to them at 432/552-3721. Then, when you
call for your text, you can ask for the Office software, too.
Course Orientation
This could be conceptualized as
a "pass/fail" course. Obviously, you will all receive individual
grades for your participation in this course, but the quality of our experience
will be based on how well we work together in this learning endeavor. Either WE
all pass or WE all fail! If we pass, you will be able to influence the level
(your grade) at which you care to do so; if we fail, it will be the outcome of
not being able to develop from a teacher-led class group into a learning
community.
Basic to becoming a learning
community, we need to establish a commitment and connection to the goals of our
endeavor, to each other, and to our individual needs for learning and
discovery. As this unfolds, we should be developing an observable level of
cooperation, especially since we are all in this together. The best measure of
our working together will be evidenced in the Discussions area. It is expected
that considerable course interaction will occur through this medium and I
encourage you to address both the course content and the course structure
through this medium.
Now, cooperation does not
require that we all "row the boat with the same stroke." Quite the
contrary! Cooperation necessitates that we develop a high degree of give and
take that allows each of us to participate according to our individual
interests and assets. Within this atmosphere of cooperation, we should be able
to discover both the acceptance and support for contributing to the learning of
others.
Contribution at a high level is
probably the best indicator of the essence of a learning community. At the
heart is shared knowledge; in its operation is ownership of this being a shared
responsibility. We each become both teacher and pupil engaged in the pursuit of
common goals. When this occurs, we all stand to benefit. And when it doesn't. .
. .
There are probably some basic
ground rules that need to be discussed regarding "Course Netiquette"
and "Course Management". Proper
etiquette necessitates that when writing or replying to emails, you include
a subject so that the reader has an idea of what the message is about.
When replying
or forwarding emails, please use the delete key to get rid of any extraneous or
superfluous content.
There is nothing more aggravating than receiving a message loaded with junk!
When you post to the Discussions, try to be as specific in your answers as you
can. Long, rambling discourses are likely to go unread which, consequently,
will lead to a lack of response. The best way to kill a discussion, is to be
off-task and irrelevant.
Discussion
Groups
The Discussions area is a
message board functioning as a "virtual classroom"-a forum for
discussion among students and the instructor. Clicking the Discussion button in
the left-hand menu will take you to the discussion area. To enter the
discussion, click the appropriate topic in the Discussions area.
You will each be randomly
assigned to a small discussion group as soon as the course enrollment is
verified. This will be the group with whom you will interact in the Discussions
area throughout the course.
Being in a small group will help
considerably in eliminating the number of postings you will have to read
through as well as respond to. Don't get in too big a hurry (like a week or
more in advance) and don't be too late (like a week or more behind) in your
postings and responses - like Goldilocks, keep it just right!
The idea is to simulate an
opportunity for class discussion as if we were all together in the same room.
However, it will feel somewhat like a time warp since this activity will not
have the same sense of immediacy or spontaneity. However, it will get you
talking among yourselves.
Course Design
As you approach each lesson in
this course, you may wish to follow the design that was built into each lesson!
The lessons were created so that you would initially take a pre-test. This is
two-fold in purpose: (a) to help you get a picture of what you may already
know; and (b) to help you obtain a focus for the lesson. When
you have finished the pre-test, take time to "listen to" (read
through) the mini-lecture. These were designed to give you an overview
of the lesson content.
Next, you will find that there are discussion activities included in the lesson and you
should post your response as well as respond to the ideas posted by others in
the class. Because there is a large number of students
in this class, you will be randomly divided into small groups for discussion
purposes. Finally, take the post-test. This is an opportunity to see how you
have improved.
Course pre- and post-tests and
discussion activities must be completed/submitted during the times/dates
shown on the Course Calendar.
Discussion activities must be
completed during the particular week that is assigned to the Module/Lesson. If
you feel compelled to work ahead of the course schedule, write your discussion
activity and save it until the "window" for that activity opens. We
are operating on the "as if" frame- if we were in class, we would not
have a specific discussion until the class meeting reserved for that purpose.
So, pretend you are in class and the activities are to be prepared for a
specific class period.
The consequence of missing these
"windows of opportunity" is that you will forfeit your opportunity to
complete this specific course element and receive zero points.
Reflection papers must be
completed no later than the time/date shown on the Course Calendar.
These should be sent as attachments formatted in Word. Further information
regarding the papers is included later in this syllabus. None will be accepted
after the deadline.
Grading
Grading in this course will be
based on T/Q Points (T = time; Q = quality). Part of your T/Q points will come
from taking pre- and post-tests and participating in the discussion activities.
The remainder will derive from the quality of the papers you develop. A full
explanation of each of these course elements follows in this syllabus.
There are 113 points available
for the combined T/Qs earned on discussion activities and pre-tests and
post-tests. There are also 112 T/Q points available for writing the four
papers. Total points possible for this course equals
225. We only require that you earn up to 100 points on each of these
activities. Actually, then, there are 25 bonus points available in this course
- thirteen for the discussions/tests and twelve for the papers. This gives you
an edge in case you miss a test or discussion or if you don't fare as well as
you would like on a paper or two.
When we compute your final
grade, we will add together the points earned (up to 100) on the two course
components to ascertain your final grade. The final course grade will be
assigned according to the following schedule:
93 - 100% = A
85 - 92% = B
77 - 84% = C
65 - 76% = D
Module/Lesson Activities -
Each of the ten module/lessons
contains pre- and post-tests and discussion activities.
The focus of each exam will be
on the material included in the lessons. All exams will be taken on-line in
accordance with the times/dates noted in the calendar. The "window"
for test taking begins at 9 AM on the first date for that test shown on the
calendar and ends at 9 AM on the second date shown from the same test. These
tests are mainly for your benefit to assess your knowledge level prior to
reading the material (pre-test) and after the reading (post-test). You will
receive one TQ point for taking each pre-test and post-test. Thus, you will
earn two TQ points for each lesson just by taking the tests.
Each lesson also includes the
directions for discussion activities. These will be completed in discussions
assigned to your group. In order to limit the amount of chaos that might occur
in discussion postings, we will initiate the thread for each lesson. Once the
threads are posted, you will have one week to complete all of the discussion
activities. Most activities require that you post at least one opinion per
chapter followed up by responses to the postings of others in the class.
You receive T/Q points for
posting to the discussions. One T/Q point can be earned for each post whether
it be an opinion or a response, however, we expect
these to be thoughtful and not just chatter! A T/Q point will be received if
the post has an element of substance or depth. A post with no depth or
substance will receive 0 T/Q points. No posting will also count as zero (0).
In addition to the Discussion
T/Q points, you can earn additional T/Qs by taking the pre- and post-tests.
Since there is a pre- and post-test for each lesson in each of the modules and
this is a total of 10 lessons, up to 20 T/Q points can
be earned when you take the test in a timely fashion. When these 20 points are
added to the 93 possible discussion T/Qs, a total of 113 points are available
for this part of your grade. We only count a maximum of 100 T/Q points from
this part of your grade. Therefore, if you should miss a pre- or post-test or
somehow are unable to participate in some of the discussions, 13 "catch
up" points are available within the discussions and tests.
The papers can earn up to 28 T/Q
points each. Four papers at 28 points each is a total of 112. We will only
count a maximum of 100 T/Q points from this part for your grade from the
papers. Therefore, if you should miss a few points on a paper or papers, there
are 12 "flex" points available. The instructions and assignments for
the papers follow:
Reflection Papers
At four times during the course,
you will be required to submit a short paper.
The due dates are listed on the
course calendar and coincide with the completion of each course module. Please
submit these papers as attachments to an email addressed to EDUC6304@utpb.edu. Format your papers in
Word for PC (MS Deal is available through the University Bookstore) and write,
where appropriate, according to APA style. You will note on the "Reaction
Paper Evaluation Rubric" that grammar and form count in the points
awarded.
Reflection papers should be both
thoughtful and scholarly, and approximately five to seven pages long. In terms
of thoughtfulness, focus on your thinking about your thinking. You are not just
merely reacting to or summarizing the book. In terms of scholarship, include
references to your textbook or other readings that support your point-of-view
and are relevant to class concepts or issues. In order to insure the receipt of
maximum possible points on these papers, we suggest that you submit the paper
to either a writing center or S.M.A.R.T. Thinking for evaluation and review.
Since doing so takes at least 24 hours in turn around time, you may wish to
anticipate the deadlines for your papers by several days. As noted earlier,
papers not received by the deadlines will not be evaluated.
Topics for the four papers you
are to write during this course are as follows:
Paper #1 - In as short a time as the past decade,
our culture and our schools have been witness to and part of some dramatic and
even radical changes. This has caused us as educators to stand back and review
what we believe about learning and the learning process. Our old standards for
teaching and discipline have radically changed. The book you selected to read
was part of a set of texts that focus on some of these changes or alternative
views of education. What did you discover in your reading? What ideas did you
encounter that caused you to think? What did you relearn? How can we put some
of these practices into practice? Is it good in theory? Can you make it work in
your classroom?
Paper #2 - Your second book was one of the two by
David Elkind. Recently, I saw a report on the CBS Early Show about clothing for
children that emulated that of adults. Basically, these were mini-versions of
adult clothing styles that were designed for children so they could dress like
their mothers and fathers! It reminds me of a return to the “homunculus theory”
of development wherein children were perceived as miniature adults. From this
perspective, all children had to do developmentally was to grow – to get
bigger! Then we discovered child development! We figured out that children were
children and not little versions of big people! However, in our rush to hurry
children, we are rediscovering the making of mini-adults.
As we hurry children, what price
do we/they pay? Can this really be a good thing for our society? A
developmental view would indicate that our children are designed to have a
longer childhood followed by a short adolescence. It would appear that we have
created just the opposite! We have “teenagers” or teenager wannabes sitting in
the third and fourth grade. Short childhood; long
adolescence. In a recent conversation with a young woman (late 20s) I
learned that she was introduced early into being the mature “mother” in her
family. At age three, due to the dysfunctions of the adults in her family, she
was forced to take on responsibility for not only her younger brothers and
sisters but the adults as well. Today, she is a Type A personality. Our
conversation, though, was focused on her efforts to become less structured and
more playful in her approach to life. This is work for her because changing
this life pattern is extremely difficult.
Paper #3 - There are a
couple of different options for you at this point. Dreikurs et.
al. provide a theory for making a difference in the
classroom through developing and implementing more democratic techniques. If
you liked the book, Encouraging Children to Learn, you might find this a useful
extension of those ideas. Thom Hartman poses a unique view of ADD and the
issues that surround this all too common problem in the classroom. You might
find his ideas intriguing. Alfie Kohn has been extremely critical of schools
and various school practices over the years. However, in addition to his
criticism, he offers suggestions for change. Many of us know that there is a
need for change in our schools – what we are doing doesn’t always seem to be
working. Absenteeism is increasing, the dropout rate continues to go up; we are
offering more and more remedial/catchup programs; and our test scores do not
seem to improve. What’s going on?
Paper #4 - Throughout this course, you have been
focusing on theories of learning. For this final paper you will be asked to
submit a short paper defining what your theory of learning is all about. In
this case, short papers are defined as having no more than five to seven pages
excluding references. The goal is to be focused and concise in the explication
of your theory. Be sure to include three parts in your paper:
Part 1 - Define
"learning" and delineate the learning process from a theory and research
perspective. (You are free to include your own opinions as long as they can be
supported in the literature.)
Part 2 - Look at the learning
process from the veiwpoint of "developmentally appropriate
instruction." How do the ages/stages at the developmental level of the
students with whom you work impact your theory? (Again, include your own
opinions as long as you can support them with the literature.)
Part 3 - Focus on the methods
and strategies that are required in order to implement your theory. Obviously,
everything presented here should be compatible with the ideas presented in
Parts 1 and 2.
As you look at the flow of these
three ideas, think in terms of: What is it that inspires you? How does that fit
with the people with whom you work? And then - How does that translate into
action?
Technical Requirements
The UT TeleCampus has many
technical support resources available to students and faculty. The following
technical information helps you to participate in a TeleCampus online course.
System Requirements:
Since your entire course will be
accessed through your computer and Internet connection, it is imperative that
you have the proper computer configuration. The following website lists the
minimum and recommended computer configurations for participation in a
TeleCampus course. http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/index.cfm/4,0,83,69,html
Software:
E-mail:
If you need an e-mail account and are at the University of Texas Permian Basin
campus, go to http://www.utpb.edu/ird/
You may want to have Microsoft
Office 2000 or XP for this course (Dr. Chips uses it). You may purchase the
Microsoft Office XP through any
Browser Configuration:
UT TeleCampus courses make
extensive use of Java, JavaScript, cookies, and plug-ins. These features must
be installed/enabled in your browser for optimal
viewing of the features and functions of your online course. For Browser
Configuration, please go to http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/index.cfm/4,0,83,70,html
From your computer, you can
remotely access both the UT Permian Basin Library and the UT System Digital
Library allowing you to search their databases. For this course, you will find
enough materials through the UTPB library system. If you want to use the UT
System Digital Library, you will need to refer to the Library website here
about setting up an account and proxy access.
UTPB Library
Netscape is required for proxy access, click the
Library button above for more information. Remote access requires two steps:
(a) gaining authorization (username and password) and (b) configuring your
proxy server preferences in your Netscape browser.
To ensure you have the correct
version of Internet Explorer or Netscape, install the programs provided on the
Getting Started CD. Netscape is required for the online library access to the
Digital Library or UTPB library.
To configure your proxy service
for the UTPB library remote access, you must complete the application. Request for Proxy Access form.
Note: if you are accessing the Internet through UTPB Dial-up service, you do
not need to set the proxy. You already have access rights.
Proxy settings in Netscape:
(1) Direct Connection to the Internet. This is setting is for general
Internet access.
(2) Manual proxy configuration. This setting is required for the UTPB
Library to search UTPB online databases.
Evaluation Rubric
Listed below are links to the
evaluation rubric we will be using for awarding T/Q Points for the four papers
due in this course. Please note that the rubric is designed to allow you
maximum freedom for expressing your ideas and thoughts while still maintaining
an emphasis on format, structure and readability. Be sure to use APA style in
formatting the paper wherever possible. You may wish to take advantage of the
S.M.A.R.T. Thinking resource to have your paper reviewed prior to submission.
For a reference on the APA style
of writing, click the link below:
NOTE: At the prompt, choose "Save this file to disk" and click
"Ok". Once the file has been saved, you can click "Open"
and view the PowerPoint presentation.
APA Style Essentials
To view a copy of the Reaction
Paper Evaluation Rubric, click on the following link:
Reaction Paper Evaluation Rubric
To view a reference for online
documentation, click here:
Electronic
Reference Formats Recommended by APA
For additional assistance, take
advantage of the S.M.A.R.T. Thinking opportunity by having your paper previewed
before submission. The UT TeleCampus provides academic students with free
access to SMARTHINKING, an online tutorial service. SMARTHINKING offers
real-time and asynchronous tutoring in writing, math, statistics, accounting,
economics and psychology, and a full range of study resources including sample
problems, diagnostic tests, and study skills and writing manuals. All you need
is Internet access; no special software or hardware is required. To start
SMARTHINKING, use these directions: There is currently a link for SMARTHINKING
on the UTTC Portal, the screen you see immediately after logging into the
course. There should be a box in the upper left-hand corner entitled
"Resources" with a link to SMARTHINKING. If you've had a UTTC
SMARTHINKING account previously, enter your SMARTHINKING username and password
to add your previous work to this new account. If you have never had an
account, just press the Skip button at the login screen.
General Academic Policies
Academic Honesty - Students are bound by the UTPB
standards of academic honesty which are listed in the UTPB Student Handbook.
Failure to follow these guidelines will result in a failing grade in the course
and may result in suspension from the program or University.
Ethical Behavior - Students are expected to adhere to
high standards of ethical behavior. At a minimum, failure to adhere to these
standards may result in failure in this course.
Changes in the Syllabus - The instructor reserves the right to
make appropriate changes in the course syllabus and structure as needs dictate.
The Course Schedule and Course Requirements will not change - however, we may
make procedural modifications as necessitated by course management concerns.
All course changes will be posted in the "announcements" or by group
email. Be sure to check on a weekly basis.
Disabilities - If you have a disability and need a
special accommodation, consult with Student Services at the UT TeleCampus and
then inform the instructor of the accommodation required.
Grades of I - A grade of "I" (Incomplete)
will be considered in the event of an emergency that occurs at the end of the
semester. However, this option is only for students making satisfactory
progress in the course.
Office Hours - Virtual office hours are maintained by
Dr. Chips on a 24/7/365 basis. However, he may not be available for a response
at all times. Be sure to check "Ask Dr. Chips" if you have a general
course question or post your concern in the Discussions area. Someone in the class
may be able to supply you with the answer.
Dr. Clemmer will be available on
the UTPB campus by appointment. If you are looking for a quick response by
email, please be sure to use the following address – clemmer_f@utpb.edu -- since this is the
only email address that will be checked on a regular basis for course questions
and information.
You will not see your discussion
group until I put you into one. Once you are in a group, look for the
discussion thread - "Who Are You?" - and
post a short bio describing yourself. I will post a short bio about myself to
give you the flavor of what you may wish to include in yours. This way, we will
have a chance to get to know a little bit about each other and the members of
the class.
I'm glad you could join us for
this adventure in learning about learning! Your comments and suggestions will
be appreciated as we proceed through the course. Please feel free to share your
thoughts and advise us of any errors or omissions.