PSYC 3225
Psychology of Learning
(3 credit hours)
On-line
John G. Cope, PhD
Summer II, 2014
Office: 110 Rawl Building (328-6497)
e-mail [email protected]
Office Hours: Summer II, 2014,) 08:30 – 09:30 am M-T, and by appointment.
Text: Lutz, J. (2005). Learning and memory (2nd. Ed). Waveland Press, Long Grove, Illinois.
Home Page:http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/copej/cope.html
Syllabus: 3225 Learning Syllabus Online.docx
Supplemental Reading: TBA
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Course Objectives:
Content: Students will learn the subject matter of psychology as it relates to theories of learning. Specifically, the course will concentrate on the understanding of human and animal learning, with an emphasis on applications in community and organizational settings. The focus will be on the theoretical underpinnings and practical implications of the “major” models, such as Classical, Operant, and Social Learning theories, as well as some of the more basic areas of research concerning habituation, sensitization, and the law of effect. Coverage will also include information-processing models of memory.
Methods: The course will focus on research-based (empirical) methods and information typically found in refereed publications, books, and on the web. Students will gain theoretical and practical information about the subject matter through an understanding of the research methods used in studying the various topics. Many of the examples used in the book and Power Point notes have been derived from actual case studies and antidotal information taken from real-world settings.
Broader Impact: Theories of Learning deal with real-life topics (such as studying) and can have broad implications for student’s lives while in school and later in the world of work, by focusing on how information is retained, stored and retrieved.
Course Requirements: The course will be structured around power point presentations composed of text material, and information from your instructor. You will also be required to read the assigned chapters in the accompanying text and any material referenced by links on the power point slides.
As it is an online class, checking Blackboard and email frequently are required. The course is essentially self-paced, that is you may read the material in whatever order you wish; however, reading material out of sequence may prove confusing. It is strongly suggested that you pace your reading according to the order topics are presented in the syllabus.
Your final grade will be determined on the basis of performance on three tests, covering 12 topic areas (see below). Each test will account for a third of the final grade for the class. Specifically, each test will consist of 50 multiple-choice items which will represent information provided in the text and from the power points. The tests will be administered through Blackboard.Final grades will be computed by averaging the three test scores and adding a curve (if any) to the final average.
Tests will be released on Blackboard and available from 9:00AM to 11:59PM on the announced testing day (all tests with the exception of the already designated Final, which occurs on the posted final-exam day, will be confirmed one week prior to posting. Dates below are approximate). If you cannot be available for the regularly assigned time please contact your instructor prior to the test date. Missing a test without prior notification will result in a zero being entered as a grade (unless you provide written authorization from an official ECU source).
Discussion boards can be created to facilitate discussion among certain chapters and topics.
The following Grade Distribution will be used in this class to assign final grades.
Grade / Quality Points / 10-Point ScaleA / 4.0 / 94-100
A- / 3.7 / 90-93
B+ / 3.3 / 87-89
B / 3 / 83-86
B- / 2.7 / 80-82
C+ / 2.3 / 77-79
C / 2 / 73-76
C- / 1.7 / 70-72
D+ / 1.3 / 67-69
D / 1 / 63-66
D- / .7 / 60-62
F / 0 / Below 60
Syllabus:
Topic List Chapter
Learning is… 1
Tactics of Behavioral Research Notes
Simple Forms of Learning 02
Classical Conditioning 03
Test # 1 (Wed., July 09th, 2014)
Operant Conditioning 04
Punishment 05
Reinforcement 06
Generalization and Discrimination 07
Test # 2 (Tuesday July 22nd, 2014)
Social Learning Theory Notes
Verbal Learning 10
Models of Memory 11
Processing and Remembering 13
Test # 3 (Friday, August 01st, 2014)
Blackboard:
Class materials, announcements, and grades for PSYC 3225/001 are posted online using Blackboard. It is your responsibility to check Blackboard and your email regularly for important class information. To enter our course, go to the Blackboard site. (https://blackboard.ecu.edu/). Click Login and enter your ECU userid and password. If you have any trouble logging in, contact the ECU IT Help Desk at 252-328-9866. After you login, find and select this course. Use the toolbar on the left to navigate to the syllabus, power points, grades, discussion boards, and other useful information and/or tools. If there is any difficulty using Blackboard, contact the helpdesk as soon as possible as it is vital to your success that you have access.
Please note that your instructor is not a resource for technical issues with Blackboard or for your computer.
If you are having problems with your computer, you can take it to the ACE computer support center in Rawl 108. They will help you set it up properly and resolve any problems you are having with it.
You have elected to take an online class. By registering for an online class, you have indicated that you are computer literate and that you have good access to a well-functioning computer with Internet access. Accordingly, lack of competence or access will not constitute acceptable excuses for failure to fulfill course requirements.
Table of Contents
Lutz, J. (2005). Learning and memory (2nd. Ed). Waveland Press, Long Grove, Illinois.
1. What Is Learning?
Behaviorist Views of Learning / How Do We Define Learning? / Kimble’s Operational Definition / An Alternative Definition / Learning vs. Memory / What Is a Stimulus? / What Is a Response? / S–R Psychology/ Learning from the Information Processing and Cognitive Neuroscience Viewpoints
2. Habituation and Sensitization: Two Simple Forms of Learning
What Is Habituation? / What Is Sensitization? / Habituation and Sensitization vs. Other Forms of Learning / Neural Basis of Habituation and Sensitization
3. Classical Conditioning
Pavlov’s Experiments / Extinction (or How Do I Get This Dog to Stop Slobbering? / What Can Be Conditioned? / Can Fears Be Extinguished?) / How Can We Tell that Conditioning Has Occurred? / Control Groups / What Influences Classical Conditioning? / Intensity of the US / Duration of the US / Intensity and Duration of the CS / CS–US Interval / Intertrial Interval / Practice / Schedules / Novelty of the CS and US / Similarity of the CS and US / Instructions / Section Review / What Is Being Learned? / Higher-Order Conditioning / Sensory Preconditioning / Configural Learning / What Causes Learning? / The Rescorla-Wagner Formula / Classical Conditioning and the Nervous System / How to Analyze Examples
4. Operant Conditioning
Thorndike’s Experiments / How Many Ways Can You Reinforce? Four Paradigms / Shaping / Positive Reinforcement / How Can You Tell It’s Been Done? Rates and Other Measures / How Can You Do It? / Reinforcement as an Independent Variable / The Modification and Management of Behavior
5. Punishment and Negative Reinforcement
Punishment / Measuring Punishment / Independent Variables Influencing Punishment / Should I Punish? Skinner’s Objections / What Makes Punishment Work? / Negative Reinforcement / Why Is Avoidance So Complex? / Theories of Avoidance / Two-Factor Theory / Contingency Theory / Species-Specific Defensive Reaction Theory / Learned Helplessness
6. Theories of Reinforcement
What Is Being Learned in Operant Conditioning? / Why Does Reinforcement Work? / Drive-Reduction Theories / Secondary Reinforcement / Responding as Reinforcement
7. Generalization and Discrimination
Generalization / Control Procedures in Generalization Studies / Independent Variables that Influence Generalization / What Causes Generalization? / Discrimination / How to Analyze Generalization and Discrimination Problems
8. A Comparison of Classical and Operant Conditioning
Similarities among the Forms of Learning / Differences between Classical and Operant Conditioning / Procedural Differences / Systemic Differences / Operant Conditioning of the Autonomic Nervous System / Interactions of Classical and Operant Conditioning / How to Recognize Classical or Operant Conditioning
9. The Context of Learning
The Traditional Model of Learning / The Misbehavior of Organisms / Taste Aversion Learning / The Preparedness Dimension / Animal Cognition / Do Humans Have Instincts?
10. Verbal Learning: The Study of Transfer and Memory
Ebbinghaus and the Serial Anticipation Method / Interference versus Decay / Paired-Associates Learning / Positive and Negative Transfer / Incidental Learning / Concept Learning
11. Information-Processing Models of Memory
The Stage Model of Memory / The Sensory Register / Pattern Recognition / Short-Term Memory (STM, or Working Memory) / Coding in STM / Capacity of STM / How Many Parts Does STM Have? / STM, Consciousness, and Attention / Long-Term Memory (LTM) / Duration of LTM / Organization and Long-Term Memory
12. Knowledge Representation in Permanent Memory
Episodic vs. Semantic Memory / Hierarchical Organization / Concept Structure / Concepts as Categories / Spreading Activation and Semantic Priming / Is Memory Reconstructive? Script and Schema Theories / Feature Comparison Models
13. Processing and Remembering
Levels of Processing / Implicit Memory / Encoding and Control Processes / Rote Rehearsal / Organization / Chunking / Imagery / Elaboration / Which Memory Model Is Correct?
University Information:
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