PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
EDUC 2000
SPRING, 2016
Instructor: Dr. Roger Klein
Office Hours: Monday: 3:00-4:00 and by appointment
Office: Posvar Hall 5945
Phone: 648-7043
Email: rklein@ pitt.edu Please specify EDUC 2000 in subject heading
Text: C.N. Rubman (Ed.) Annual Editions: Human Development, Edition 44. McGraw Hill.
Course Overview: The purpose of this course is to explore issues and research in human development and learning as they relate both to education and other important areas of life. The focus will be upon topics that are timely and in many cases controversial, and are selected in terms of their importance to teachers, parents, or others in society. Behavioral, biological, cognitive, and information processing approaches are introduced and critiqued.
Papers
There are two 9-10 page, double-spaced, critical thought/interview papers due on Feb. 22 and April 20. Each paper represents 1/3 of your grade.
Here are paper instructions:
Select any article from your Annual Editions text. The paper should consist of 3-3+ pages devoted to a summary of the article in your own words, 3-3+ pages to an interview with a person who in some way relates to the topic in the article, (do NOT present a Q & A format, but rather weave the interview into the text), and 2-3 pages to a discussion/interpretation of how this person/or society might change, based upon the outcome of your interview. Feel free to have the interviewee read the article and comment. Be sure to select an article that allows for the depth needed to complete the assignment.
Example:
Select a topic such as prenatal care.
a. Summarize the article on prenatal care in your own words.
b. Find someone who did not receive good prenatal care, or someone who smoked, drank, or in some other way took poor care of herself during pregnancy. Interview this person.
c. Discuss how, in retrospect, the previously pregnant mother might change her behavior. Feel free to have her read the article.
Paper Grading : All writing for papers is graded 50% for content and 50% for clarity, style and grammar (unless you are an International student whose native language is not English). See good and bad writing examples attached to a separate email to be sent during the first week---and other examples-- shown in class.
Weekly (mostly) writing/discussion assignments/class participation/attendance: This counts for 1/3 of your grade and is a combination of attendance/class participation and a 1/4 to 1/2 page typed paragraph or two written for EACH assigned reading (with the exception of reading # 2---D. Barry, on Feb. 1), in which you briefly summarize/critique/raise questions in advance of the class meeting. In your summary present the ‘gist’ of the paper—there is no need to comment on/understand statistics or methodology. During a portion of class small group discussions will revolve around your comments. So in summary-----if there are 4 readings for the week you need ¼ to ½ page PER reading. Your papers will be collected each week. If absent, email by class time or a “0” (zero) grade will be assigned. Otherwise you will receive a grade of between 1-5--overall (independent of # of articles) in which the grade ids determined as follows:
Weekly grades:
Comments are submitted in a timely fashion. / 1 pointComments are well organized, grammatically correct, indicating comprehension, synthesis of information, critical evaluation and analysis. Again, style/grammar does not apply to International students. / 4 points
Date Topic
Jan. 11 Course overview. Genes, environment, and human behavior. Videos: Designer Babies, *Resilience: Late Bloomers (Ann Masten)
Reading:
Scientists seek moratorium on edits to human genome… NY Times, 12-03-2015. Retrieved 12-04-2015 from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/science/crispr-cas9-human-genome-editing-moratorium.html?emc=eta1
Jan. 18 NO CLASS: Martin Luther King, Jr., National Holiday
Jan. 25 Biological-environmental & societal/educational issues I
Videos: Biology and Memory, Paralyzed man, *Anti-depressants and brain development. (Cerutti), *Brain development (Sowell).
Reading:
Peachman, R., B. (2015). New research raises more questions about anti-depressant use during pregnancy. NY Times, 12-14-2015. Retrieved 12-15-2015 from http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/14/new-research-raises-more-questions-about-antidepressant-use-during-pregnancy/
Feb. 1 Biological-environmental & societal/educational issues II
Reading 1:
Breuer, J., T. (2015). Windows of opportunity: Their seductive appeal. Evidence Speaks. The Brookings Institution, Oct. 22,2015. Retrieved 11-01-2015 from http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2015/10/22-childhood-education-neuroscience-window-opportunity-bruer#.VnNkF3mGmzU.mailto
Reading 2:
Barry D. (2004). Preschool panic. The Miami Herald. Retrieved 10-1-2015 from http://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article1960713.html
Reading 3:
Miller, C., C. (2015). Class differences in child rearing are on the rise. NY. Times, 12-17-2015, retrieved 12-25-2015 from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/upshot/rich-children-and-poor-ones-are-raised-very-differently.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&moduleDetail=inside-nyt-region-3&module=inside-nyt-region®ion=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region&_r=1
Videos: Evolutionary Psychology, **And Then Came Baby, Nightline
Feb. 8 Biological-environmental & societal/educational issues III
Reading 1:
Murray, C. (2014). Our futile efforts to boost our children’s IQ. Bloomberg Views, 11-14-2014. Retrieved 1-05-2015 from
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-11-14/our-futile-efforts-to-boost-childrens-iq
Reading 2:
Rattan, A.,N. et al. (2015). Leveraging mindsets to promote academic achievement: Policy recommendations Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10, 721–726.
Reading 3:
Horowitz, J. (2016). For Donald Trump, lessons from a brother’s suffering. The NY Times , 1-3-2016. Retrieved 1-03-2016 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/us/politics/for-donald-trump-lessons-from-a-brothers-suffering.html?emc=edit_th_20160103&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=14210034&_r=0
Videos: *Behavior genetics (Bouchard), *Emotional Learning (Hamman)
Feb. 15 Perspectives on Learning & Motivation I: History and Classical Conditioning
Videos: Watson, NBC, phobias
Feb. 22 Perspectives on Learning & Motivation II: Social-Cognitive Learning,
Paper 1 due Cognitive Behavioral Interventions.
Videos: *Snake phobia, *PTSD, *Virtual Reality
Feb. 29 Social Learning & Aggression I: The video game debate
Reading 1:
Bushman, B., J. (2011). The effects of violent video games. Do they affect our behavior? International Human Press. Retrieved 12-27-2015 from http://ithp.org/articles/violentvideogames.html
Reading 2:
Ferguson, C. J. (2014). Are violent video games really to blame? International Human Press. Retrieved 12-27-2015 from: http://ithp.org/articles/areviolentvideogamesbad.html
Reading 3:
Wofford, T. (2015). APA says video games make you violent, but critics cry bias. Newsweek (Tech and Science), 08/20/2015. Retrieved 12-20-2015 from: http://www.newsweek.com/apa-video-games-violence-364394
Videos: ESPN, Jackass, Penn and Teller, Nightline
Mar. 7 Spring Break
Note: Prior to class on 3-17 take the IAT both for race and age. The URL is https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/takeatest.html. Click on “proceed” at the bottom of the page and various test options will appear. If you are a non-Western International student take the age test--- and if the Black-White race test is not appropriate for you, take an alternate IAT that is more applicable to your culture. You are NOT required to discuss results of the race test, if you do not wish to.
Mar. 14 Social Learning & Aggression II: Issues around Race.
Reading 1:
Kersting, K.(2005). Not biased? Monitor on Psychology, March, pg. 64 http://www.apa.org/monitor/mar05/biased.aspx
Reading 2:
Plant, E. & Peruche, B. (2005).The consequences of race for police officers' responses to criminal suspects.Psychological Science16(3),180-183.
Reading 3:
Eberhardt, J.L. et al. (2006). Looking deathworthy: Perceived stereotypicality of Black defendants predicts capital-sentencing outcomes. Psychological Science 17, 383-386.
Reading 4:
James, L., Klinger, D., & Villa, B. (2014). Racial and ethnic bias in decisions to shoot seen through a stronger lens: Experimental results from high-fidelity laboratory simulations. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 10, 323-340.
Videos: *IAT; 20/20 Race and Sex
Mar. 21 Schools in Crisis
Reading 1:
Powers et al. (2015). Changing environments by changing individuals: The emergent effects of psychological intervention. Psychological Science OnlineFirst, published on December 15, 2015 as doi:10.1177/0956797615614591
Readings 2-4:
Murray, C. (2007). The Wall Street Journal (Jan. 16-18).
2. Intelligence in the classroom.
3. What’s wrong with vocational school?
4. Aztecs versus Greeks.
Retrieved 8-15-2015 from http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2007/01/three-commentaries-from-wall-street.html
Reading 5:
Jacob, B., A. (2015). Harnessing the value of failure. Evidence Speaks, Brookings, 12-03-2015.
Retrieved12-20-2015. Retrieved 12-20-2015 from
http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2015/12/03-harnessing-value-failure-jacob
Required Video:
Tulenko, J. (2016). Should more kids skip college for workforce training? PBS Newshour. (January 26). Retrieved 1-27-2016 from:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/should-more-kids-skip-college-for-workforce-training/
Videos: PBS: Making Schools Work
Mar. 28 Operant Conditioning (Pros and Cons); Sexual Prejudice.
Reading 1:
Taylor, K. (2015a). At Success Academy charter schools, high scores and polarizing tactics. The NY Times, April 6, 2015. Retrieved 1-03-2016 from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/nyregion/at-success-academy-charter-schools-polarizing-methods-and-superior-results.html
Reading 2:
Taylor, K (2015b). Success Academy schools, in shortening their day, shed a distinction. The NY Times 12-16-2015. Retrieved 1-03-2016 from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/nyregion/success-academy-schools-in-shortening-their-day-shed-a-distinction.html
Reading 3:
Herek, G.M., & McLemore, K. A. (2013). Sexual prejudice. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 309-333.
Videos: *Sexual prejudice, CNN: Anderson Cooper (The “Sissy-Boy” Experiment). Why Johnny Can’t Shoot, Animals in Action.
April 4 Self Control; Culture and Emotion.
Reading 1:
Weir, K. (2012a). What you need to know about willpower: The psychological science of self control. American Psychological Association. Mind-Body Health Campaign. Retrieved 2-11-2012 from: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower.pdf
Reading 2:
Weir, K. (2012b). The power of self control. Monitor on Psychology, 43, 36. Retrieved 2-12-2012 from
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/01/self-control.aspx
Reading 3:
Chentsova-Dutton, Y., Ryder, A., & Tsai, J.L. (2014). Understanding depression across cultural contexts. In I. Gotlib & C. Hammen (Eds.), Handbook of depression (pp. 337-352). New York, NY: Guilford Press. Retreived 08-20-2014 from http://psych.stanford.edu/~tsailab/PDF/DepressionAcrossCulture.pdf
April 11 Research in Media Psychology: Learning from “apps” and from Broadcast News
Exercise: Watch any local Pittsburgh TV newscast (1/2 hour) a few days prior to class. Summarize/critique.
Reading:
Hirsch-Pasek, K. et al. (2015). Putting education in “educational” apps. Lessons from the science of learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16, 3–34
Retrieved 7-21-2015 from
http://psi.sagepub.com/content/16/1/3.full.pdf+html?ijkey=GxHiSvddIDi.E&keytype=ref&siteid=sppsi%2520
April 18 Future issues in Learning and Development
Paper II due
Special Needs Students: If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an
accommodation, you are encouraged to contact me and the
Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt Union, 412 648-7890/412
383-7355 (TTY), as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your
disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.
Please feel free to discuss any concerns that you might have about class.
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