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Cognitive SyllabusFall 2003
Instructor: Mhaire "Mary" Fraser email: mfraser@alumni.usc.edu
Texts Required:
Galotti, K.M. ( 2000) Cognitive Psychology In and Out of the Laboratory (3rd Ed.) Wadswoth Publishers: ISBN 0534600840
Texts Recommended:
American Psychological Association (1999). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Ed.) Washington D.C. American Psychological Association.
1. Introductory Remarks
You may hear things that you have never heard before in this class. I want you to express your ideas about anything that we are discussing in class. Please be respectful of each other’s opinions. Remember, you can learn from each other. There is usually a reason why people think the way that they do. See if you can find out what that reasoning is. Also, it is okay to disagree with a theory. You will, however, be required to know the formal academic theory for the examinations.
Lectures will be primarily Socratic in nature, with visual aids and paper referents where and when appropriate. You will not hear my opinion in class. You will hear
formal theories and the latest studies that I am aware of. It is okay to disagree with what I am saying, however, please do not kill the messenger.
I am always willing to make myself available to you, you have only to ask.
2. Course Objectives:
The student should be able to:
a. Understand the major theories and events in the history of psychology as they relate to the development of human cognition
b. Understand major theories of cognition from an interdisciplinary stance
c. Understand how ethnicity, gender, culture, and class may have an impact on the development of the human cognition
d. Understand how and why cognition is quantified in psychological research
e. understand the classic theories explaining how we think and learn
3. Policies
a. Make-ups:
There are no make-up examinations, and I do not accept late papers. The only exceptions to this policy would be a death in the family or a valid medical excuse. You must provide me with proper documentation (on letterhead with phone numbers), which will be kept on file in the event of questioning by the Department Chair. There are no exceptions to this. Please do not ask.
b. Plagiarism and Cheating:
Very simple: Don’t do it
"Plagiarism is the unacknowledged borrowing of information, wording, organization, or ideas" - from Department of English, Trenton State College
The danger in plagiarizing is not that you might get caught, but that you experience a sense of accomplishment that has not been earned. Be clear. If you violate this policy, all appropriate actions will be taken s set forth by the Notre Dame de Namur University policy guidelines. Should you have any questions regarding exactly what plagiarism is, or what the policy is at NDNU, please consult with myself or another academic representative of NDNU before you do it.
Many people have mistakenly thought that as long as they reference a sentence or a phrase that they have copied word for word it somehow is not cheating. It is. Don't make this mistake. The *only* time this is acceptable is if you are quoting someone specifically.
Be clear: I hate cheaters. You *will* get called to task.
4. Grading
a. Examinations:
These will be posted online and you must bring a filled out scantron to class period for which they are due ( This means before 6:30. Past that time, your scantron will be considered late and I will not take it unless something dire has occurred (and sometimes not even then).
One final exam consisting of 25 MC questions will be held. It is non-comprehensive and is worth 50 points. It will be posted online and due the evening of the final. The final is due December 9th, 2003
There will also 3 online tests. What this means is that I will post questions on the website with a clear due date at the top. 25 questions per exam. I will also send out a bulletin announcement that the current test is online. You will have one week to turn in a scantron consisting of your answers. The answers will be posted on the due date. If you have not turned in your scantron by this time, you will forfeit these points. 70-80% of these questions can be found in your text. The rest are lecture based. What this means is that it is in your best interest to show up and participate because you never know what will happen in class.
Total points possible from the examinations are 200.
Note: Students with learning disabilities who are requesting accommodations for an examination must see me before the exam for which they are requesting them.
b. Papers:
(4) 3 –5 page papers worth 25 points each will be due over the course of the term. Please see the Outline forfor specific dates. I will be grading both on content and organization of the papers. Please proofread and spell check your papers before you turn them in. Papers are always to be typed in a 12 point font, and doubled spaced. Preferably this font will be other than Times New Roman. Total points possible to be earned from the papers are 100.
please note: I do not take papers via email.
c. Points:
Note that there is no curve. The grades will be distributed according to the scale below. All points consisting of a point tally which fall below 63 % of all possible points will earn a grade of D. This equates to a score of 194 points or below. If you turn in all assignments and complete all examinations, you will not receive lower than a D.
100 - 90% of all possible points will earn a grade of A 300 - 270 pts.
89 - 78 % of all possible points will earn a grade of B 269 - 226 pts.
77- 63 % of all possible points will earn a grade of C 225 - 194 pts.
please note that the final examiniation is December 9th at 6 pm
YOU MUST BRING A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE (SASE) TO CLASS ON THE DAY OF THE FINAL. I WILL NOT ACCEPT YOUR FINAL OR ANY EXTRA CREDIT WITHOUT ONE.
I ask you to do this for three reasons.
1) You should always keep a file of your papers from each class in the event that thee are questions or discrepancies from any portion your academic career. This includes your teacher (me), Admissions and Records, or any school to which you are trying to transfer to (or from).
2) I am now in the throes of searching for a full-time position and do not know where I will be in the future. Do not rely on me to be available if there are problems.
3) I do not want your stuff.
An envelope in this case is defined as one that is large enough to hold all work due back to you. In most cases this is a manila envelope - usually 9 x 12 or 10 x 14
d. Attendance and Absences:
If a student misses more than 20% of the classes, I reserve the right to drop the student at any point during the term without notice. This policy is in the students’ best interest. However, be clear about the fact that it is not my responsibility to drop you in the event that you do not attend. It is still the student's responsibility. I do not grade on attendance; however, it is in your best interest to be in class for several reasons. They are:
1. The examinations are based in part upon the lectures.
2. Questions that you have may get answered during the course of the class
e. Extra Credit
The best way to get extra credit is to stump me. If I do not know the answer to your question, and you want to write a one to two page summary of the answer, after you have discovered it, then you may earn up to five points of extra credit for the class per stump. Be sure to include references and/or back up theories to your answer for full credit.
The other way to get extra credit is to write up a news article that directly relates to one or more of the concepts being discussed in class. The article must be included with the summary and must be a current one. Make sure that you explain how the written piece relates to the coursework. It is not possible to substitute extra credit for the assignments.
Extra credit is designed to augment grades, not as a surrogate for class work. Should you fail to complete at least 80% of the assignments, we will need to have a discussion as to whether or not you can successfully pass the course, or if it is in your best interest to drop it.
All extra credit can be turned in on any day up to the last day of class before the final.
f. Web Page and email
All information will be posted in a timely manner on the web. This page will have outlines of lectures and sections, the assignments, (which will also be sent to you via email) and any other information or announcements that you may need. Since the web is accessible 24 hours a day I will expect you to be responsible for checking it on a regular basis.
The best and quickest way to get a hold of me is through email. I generally try to get back to people within 24 hours and sometimes even make it sooner. The email address is mfraser@alumni.usc.edu. You will also receive assignments and important announcement via email. Please make sure you are getting them on a regular basis. If you are not then the easiest thing to do is to send me email that you need to be added to the email list. If you tell me verbally in class I will not remember.
Enjoy the class
Discuss
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