April 2004
SS2401. The Psychology of Education
Course Syllabus Template for Adjunct Instructors
Department of Social Science and Policy Studies
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Course Description: This course is concerned with the psychology
of learning and teaching in educational settings from pre-school through
college. Basic psychological theories of learning, development, motivation, and
cognition will be presented, along with their practical implications for the
classroom. Topics covered include cognitive development, behavioral and
cognitive theories of learning and information processing, the design of
effective lessons and learning environments, alternate theoretical approaches
to instruction, the impact of student diversity on teaching and learning, accommodation
of individual learners, enhancing student motivation to learn, and the
assessment and testing of student learning.
Recommended
background: SS1401 (Introduction to
Cognitive Psychology)
Course Objectives:
1. To provide students with a basic understanding of the
theories, methods, and applications of educational psychology.
2. To help students understand the practical relevance of
educational research for the classroom.
3. To allow students to gain experience in investigating and
evaluating claims about teaching and learning.
4. To provide teacher preparation students with the
psychological foundation necessary to develop competence in the professional
standards for teachers.
Required Texts:
Slavin, R. E.
(2003). Educational Psychology:
Theory and Practice, 7th ed.
Tatum, B. D.
(1997). Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Woolfolk, A. E. (1998).
Exams: There will be 3 exams covering both lectures
and assigned reading.
Term Project: Students will complete a single term project.
The goals of the project are to give students practice in evaluating theories
and claims about teaching and learning, to allow students to explore in depth a
question or topic related to educational psychology that interests them, and to
increase student familiarity with educational literature and how to find it and
interpret it.
Course schedule:
Topics
Week 1 Intro.
to Educational Slavin, CH1
(1/2 week) Psychology Gage
Research
Methods in
Ed. Psych.
Week 2 Theories
of Development Slavin, CH2
Flavell
Child
and Adolescent Dev. Slavin, CH3
Canfield
Week 3 Behavioral
Learning: Classical Slavin,
CH5
and Operant Conditioning Cameron and Pierce
Memory,
Cognition, and Slavin, CH6
Metacognition
Week 4 Student
Diversity: Impact of Slavin, CH4
Culture, Ethnicity, and Tatum
Gender Bailey
Week 5 Effective
lessons Slavin, CH7
Student-Centered
Instruction Slavin,
CH8
Airasian and Walsh
Blumenfeld et
al.
Week 6 Individualizing
Instruction Slavin,
CH9, CH12
Exceptional
Learners Woronov
Educational
Technology
Week 7 Enhancing
Student Motivation Slavin,
CH10
Effective Learning
Environ- Slavin,
CH11
Ments Clifford
Week 8 Assessment
of Student Slavin, CH13
(1/2 week) Learning Krumboltz and Yeh
Standardized
Testing Slavin, CH14
Shepard
and Bliem
Supplementary
readings from Woolfolk (1998):
Airasian, P. W.,
and Walsh, M. E. (1997). Constructivist cautions. Phi Delta Kappan.
Bailey, S. M. (1996). Shortchanging boys
and girls. Educational Leadership.
Blumenfeld, P. C., et al. (1996). Learning
with peers: From small group cooperation to collaborative communities. Educational Researcher.
Cameron, J., and Pierce, W. D. (1996). The debate about
rewards and intrinsic motivation: Protests and accusations do not alter
results. Review of Educational Research.
Canfield, J.
(1990). Improving student’s self-concepts. Educational Leadership.
Clifford, M. (1990). Students need challenge,
not easy success. Educational Leadership.
Flavell, J. H. (1996). Piaget’s legacy. Psychological Science.
Gage, N. L.
(1991). The obviousness of social and educational research
results. Educational Researcher.
Krumboltz, J.
D., and Yeh, C. J. (1996). Competitive grading
sabotages good teaching. Phi Delta Kappan.
Shepard, L. A.,
and Bliem, C. L. (1995). Parents’
thinking about standardized tests and performance assessments. Educational Researcher.
Woronov, T.
(1994). Six myths (and five promising truths) about
the uses of educational technology. The Harvard
Education Letter.
Accommodations for
students with disabilities:
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of
a disability, or if you have medical information to share with me, please make
an appointment with me as soon as possible. If you have not already done so,
students with disabilities who, believe that they may need accommodations in
this class, are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Office
(DSO), as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented
in a timely fashion. The DSO is located in Daniels Hall, 508-831-5235.
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to be aware of and to adhere to WPI’s
Academic Honesty Policy. If you have
questions about what constitutes academic dishonesty, refer to the Student Guide to
Academic Integrity at WPI. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you have
questions about what constitutes plagiarism, follow this link. Here’s
what I will do if I suspect
academic dishonesty.
Opportunities in
Psychology at WPI:
The Department
of Social Science offers a variety of courses in psychology, including social
psychology, cognitive
psychology, research methods in psychology, educational
psychology, cross-cultural
psychology, improving
cognitive skills, and the psychology
of environmental problems. Courses with a strong psychological component
that are offered in other WPI departments include human-computer interaction,
artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and organizational science. A wide variety of psychology courses that
count toward WPI degree designations are available at other schools in the Worcester Consortium. Students may obtain a Minor in
Psychology by completing 6 courses. A Major in Psychology is also possible
through WPI’s Interdisciplinary
Majors program. Please see me if you have any questions about these
programs or other questions related to careers and opportunities in psychology.