Course Syllabus

EDT 501 Learning Theories

         Summer I Term  2002

 

Catalogue Course Description EDT 501 Learning Theory and Education: Study of contemporary learning theories such as Behaviorism, Gestalt, and cognitive field psychological. Interpretations are made for teaching methodology, curriculum design, counseling, and psychological services.

Instructor:  Monalisa Mullins, Chaminade 228-B. Office hrs. 5-7pm MTWR

Office ph 937-229-3306; e-mail address: monalisa.mullins@notes.udayton.edu

 

Text: Psychology of Learning for Instruction, Marcy P. Driscoll, 2nd edition, required.

Other materials supplied by instructor.

 

Policy Regarding Academic Dishonesty: Your Student Handbook reads as follows: "Plagiarism consists of any of the following: quoting directly from any source of material ‑ including students' work and materials purchased from research consultants ‑ without appropriately citing the source and identifying the quoted material; knowingly citing an incorrect source, using ideas (i.e. material other than information that is common knowledge) from any source of material ‑ including other students' work and materials purchased from research consultants ‑ without citing the source and identifying the borrowed material." In other words, don’t even think about cheating in this course.  

 

Notice to Students with Special Needs: To request academic accommodations due to disability, please contact the Office for Students with Disabilities, 001 Albert Emanuel Hall, 229-3684. If you have a self-identification form from the Office for Students with Disabilities, please present it to the instructor in order to ensure proper accommodations.

 

Class Procedures and Method of Evaluation: This course will be conducted as a seminar class, therefore students are expected to read all assignments and participate in class discussions. Class participation will constitute 25% of the course grade. More than two absences will result in an automatic 10% course grade penalty. Each student will be responsible for one presentation covering the assigned text (see readings schedule below). Presentations should be limited to 30minutes, and include a one-page summary of the assigned text material (typed, single-spaced, standard font). The presentation grade is worth 25% of the final course grade. There is also a review paper requirement for 25%, which should be 4-5 pages in APA format (see APA Manual, 5th ed. for guidelines). This paper should  review a scholarly educational journal article which addresses topics related to the student presentation, and provides a summary of the connections between the author’s position and the text material covered in the student presentation. The critical analysis  should also reflect the personal interests of the student with respect to educational psychology theories studied during the course. A copy of the journal article reviewed must be submitted with the paper. The final exam will be given during the last week of class, and constitutes the remaining 25% of  the course grade.

 

Course Calendar:

          

MAY 7 TUE                Introduction

 

MAY 9 THU               Epistemological Frameworks

Chapter 1:  Introduction to Theories of Learning and Instruction

                       

MAY 14 TUE              Chapter 2: Radical Behaviorism

                                    Presentation 1: Experimental Analysis of Behavior, p.32-44                                                        Presentation 2: Contributions to Instruction, p.58-69

 

MAY 16 THU             Chapter 6: Cognitive and Knowledge Development

                        Presentation 3: Jean Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology, p.184-195

                                    Presentation 4: Beyond Piaget, p.205-216

 

MAY 21 TUE              Conclusion & Review CH 1, 2 & 6

 

MAY 23 THU             Chapter 7: Interactional Theories of Cognitive Development                                        Presentation 5: Bruner: Beyond the Information Given, p.218-228

                                    Presentation 6: Bruner: Course of Cognitive Growth, p.228-239

 

MAY 28 TUE              Chapter 7: Interactional Theories of Cognitive Development

                                    Presentation 7: Vygotsky: Social Formation of Mind, p.239-250     

                        Chapter 8: Biological Bases of Learning and Memory

                                    Presentation 8: Ultimate Causes, p.259-270

           

MAY 30 THU             Chapter 8: Biological Bases of Learning and Memory

                                    Presentation 9: Proximate Causes, p270-280

Presentation 10: Cognitive Development and the Brain, p.288-297

           

JUNE 4  TUE              Conclusion & Review CH 7 & 8

 

JUNE 6  THU              Journal Review Papers are due; brief in-class synopsis

                                   

JUNE 11 TUE             Return Journal Review Papers & presentation grades

 

JUNE 13                      Final Exam Review

 

JUNE 18                      ERIC library research *

           

JUNE 20 THU             Final Exam