Cognitive Development HDE 101/PSC 141 Empty heads, cognitive science has taught us, learn nothing. The powerful cultural and personal flexibility of our species is owed at least in part to our starting off so well-informed; we are good learners because we know what to pay attention to and what questions are the right ones to ask. Paul Bloom Summer Session I 2015 176 Chemistry Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10:00-11:40 Instructor: Office Hours: Location: Angela Merritt armerritt@ucdavis.edu Tuesdays and Wednesdays 1-2 and by appointment 1337 Hart Hall Teaching Assistant: Amy Wagner alwagner@ucdavis.edu Office hours: Mondays 10-12 Location: 2420 Hart Hall Required Text: Siegler, R.S. & Alibali, M.W. (2005) Children s Thinking (Fourth Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Course Description: This course will be an introduction to cognitive development, providing an overview of cognitive change from infancy to late childhood. We will cover various theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches as well as current research that describes how children think and learn in areas such as perception, memory, language, conceptual understanding, problem solving, and reasoning. Educational implications and cross-cultural issues will be touched on as well. By understanding both current findings and theoretical approaches in cognitive development, you should be in a position to evaluate new developments in the field and design experiments that can further enhance our understanding of children s learning and thinking. The attached course schedule indicates when topics will be covered; however, please allow for some flexibility in the schedule. Specific Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will be able to: Identify key terms and concepts related to children s thinking and development Integrate and apply theoretical concepts about cognitive development Evaluate and synthesize empirical research findings Engage in scholarly discourse with peers about cognitive development topics Write a scientific paper on a topic related to course material Format and Procedures: The primary format of this course is lecture. It is expected that students attend lectures having read the assigned reading for the class. Additionally, there will be 1
opportunities for class participation and small group discussion. As learning is best achieved through active participation, it is expected that all students participate in in-class assignments and online group discussions. Course Requirements: Readings: Please be prepared for each class period by completing all assigned readings. In-class assignments: Periodically you will be given small assignments to be completed either independently or as a small group in class. The purpose of these assignments is to encourage discussion, participation, and community in class. There will be 5 in-class assignments worth 3 points each. Online s: Online discussions will take place using the chat room on Smartsite. Each week, a discussion topic will be posted in the chat room and will be shared as an announcement. Comments should include both addressing the topic/question in your opinion as well as a response to a classmate s post. There will be 5 online discussion posts worth two 2 points each. Research Proposal: The 8-page research proposal addresses an issue regarding cognitive development. Students will write a proposal for a study addressing a specific issue of cognitive development in a particular area. The specific issues include but are not limited to, memory, language, conceptual development, problem solving strategies or skills, mathematical or scientific reasoning. The research proposal will provide you with the opportunity to examine a specific question or issue about cognitive development in greater depth. There will be three sections of the proposal due at different times in order to break down the writing process. The outline will be worth 10 points, the first draft will be worth 15 points, and the final paper will be worth 20 points. Your final paper proposal will be graded on importance of the issue, appropriateness of the method, soundness of the design, clarity of expression, and logical coherence. Exams: There will be two (2) exams which will be worth 65 points each. The format of the exams will be a combination of multiple choice and short answers. Course Requirements Summary: In-class assignments: Online discussion Exam 1: Exam 2: Paper outline: Paper draft: Final paper: 15 points 10 points 65 points 65 points 10 points 15 points 20 points 200 Total points 2
Grading Procedures: Academic Integrity Letter Grade From To Points A+ 97 100 194 and above A 93 96.99999 186-193 A- 90 92.99999 180-185 B+ 87 89.99999 174-179 B 83 86.99999 166-173 B- 80 82.99999 160-165 C+ 77 79.99999 154-159 C 73 76.99999 146-153 C- 70 72.99999 140-145 D+ 67 69.99999 134-139 D 63 66.99999 126-133 D- 60 62.99999 120-125 F 0 59.99999 124 and below The University of California, Davis CODE OF ACADEMIC CONDUCT Honor and Academic Integrity: UC Davis Traditions Since 1911 All members of the academic community are responsible for the academic integrity of the Davis campus. Existing policies forbid cheating on examinations, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty is contrary to the purposes of the University and is not to be tolerated. A code of conduct for the campus community must exist in order to support high standards of behavior. Under the Code of Academic Conduct, adopted in 1976, students, faculty, and administration share responsibility for academic integrity at UC Davis. The Code requires students to act fairly and honestly, and is based on a student honor code established in 1911. Examples of academic misconduct include: Receiving or providing unauthorized assistance on examinations Using or having unauthorized materials out during an examination Plagiarism - using materials from sources without citations Altering an exam and submitting it for re-grading Fabricating data or references Using false excuses to obtain extensions of time Responsibility of Students The ultimate success of a code of academic conduct depends largely on the degree to which it is willingly supported by students themselves. The following recommendations are made for students: Be honest at all times. Act fairly toward others. For example, do not disrupt or seek an unfair advantage over others by cheating, or by talking or allowing eyes to wander during exams. 3
Take group as well as individual responsibility for honorable behavior. Collectively, as well as individually, make every effort to prevent and avoid academic misconduct, and report acts of misconduct that you witness. Do not submit the same work in more than one class. Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, all work submitted to fulfill course requirements must be work done by the student specifically for that course. This means that work submitted for one course cannot be used to satisfy requirements of another course unless the student obtains permission from the instructor. Unless permitted by the instructor, do not work with others on graded coursework, including in class and take-home tests, papers, or homework assignments. When an instructor specifically informs students that they may collaborate on work required for a course, the extent of the collaboration must not exceed the limits set by the instructor. Know what plagiarism is and take steps to avoid it. When using the words or ideas of another, even if paraphrased in your own words, you must cite your source. Students who are confused about whether a particular act constitutes plagiarism should consult the instructor who gave the assignment. Know the rules - ignorance is no defense. Those who violate campus rules regarding academic misconduct are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including suspension and dismissal. Accommodations for students with disabilities Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss his or her specific needs. Also contact the Student Disability Center at (530) 752-3184 as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Tentative Course Schedule Date Assigned reading Content Assignment due June 23 Chapter 1 Introduction Flavell (1992) June 24 Chapter 2 Piaget s Theory of Development June 25 Chapter 3 Information Processing June 30 Chapter 3 Information Processing July 1 Chapter 4 Sociocultural Theories July 2 Chapter 5 Perceptual Development July 7 Chapter 5 Perceptual Development Paper outline due at the start of class 4
July 8 Chapter 6 Language Development July 9 Exam 1 July 14 Chapter 7 Coyle & Bjorklund (1997) Memory Development July 15 Chapter 7 Memory Development Baker-Ward, Gordon, Ornstein, Larus, & Clubb (1993) July 16 Chapter 8 Conceptual Development Baillargeon, R. (1987) July 21 Chapter 9 Social Cognition Paper draft due at the start of class July 22 Chapter 10 Problem Solving DeLoache (1991) July 23 Chapter 11 Academic Skills Final paper due at the start of class July 28 Chapter 11 Academic Skills July 29 Chapter 12 Conclusions and Wrap-up July 30 Exam 2 Additional Required Readings: Baillargeon, R. (1987). Object permanence in 3 1/2- and 4 1/2-month-old infants. Developmental Psychology, 23, 655-664. Baker-Ward, Gordon, Ornstein, Larus, & Clubb (1993). Young children s long-term retention of a pediatric examination. Child Development, 64. 1519-1533. Coyle & Bjorklund (1997). Age differences in, and consequences of, multiple- and variablestrategy use on a multitrial sort-recall task. Developmental Psychology, 33. 372-380. DeLoache (1991). Symbolic functioning in very young children: Understanding of pictures and models. Child Development, 62, 736-752. Flavell (1992). Cognitive Development: Past, present and future. Developmental Psychology, 28, 998-1005. 5