PDF Psychology 3705 Seminar in Human Learning Dempsey SYLLABUS ...

INSTRUCTOR: OFFICE PHONE: OFFICE HOURS: EMAIL:

Psychology 3705 Seminar in Human Learning Dempsey SYLLABUS

page 1

Carrie Dempsey

OFFICE: 226A Classroom Building

667-3785 (to leave messages)

1:30-3:00 p.m. MW

fairalah@ufl.edu (subject to change)

GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course will expose students to research in the area of behavior analysis, with particular focus on the research process including: reviewing literature, designing methodology, graphing and interpreting results, and presenting findings. A basic learning course is required for enrollment in this seminar, as I will assume that you are familiar with the fundamentals of behavior analysis. Following this class, students should be able to identify research and methodology relevant to an experimental question, conduct controlled sessions with participants, and present research findings in APA format.

READINGS: I will hand out readings prior to each class. Readings will be listed on the schedule each week (by Sunday night), so please download a copy of the revised schedule each week.

Suggested reference books Applied Behavior Analysis, Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007 Learning and Behavior, James Mazur, 2002

COURSE FORMAT:

Quizzes: The course is designed to allow repeated assessment of performance (daily quizzes). Therefore, a onequestion quiz will be given at the beginning of each class on the reading material assigned for that day. Each quiz will be worth 5 points and will be graded as 5 (correct), 3 (partially correct), 1 (incorrect), or 0 (absent).

Research project: Students will be expected to complete a research project to answer an experimental question that I will pose. Readings will be directly related to the research to be conducted, and will include topics such as reinforcement, extinction, preference and reinforcer assessment, measurement, graphing, the partial reinforcement effect, and behavioral momentum. During class, students will offer input on designing the research project based on the assigned readings. Students will work in groups of 4-5 to complete various aspects of the research project, including collecting data, summarizing and graphing data, and presenting data at the end-of-the-year poster session.

Study objectives: Study objectives will be provided for each reading in an attempt to focus attention on the relevant aspects of the reading; however, quiz material may be taken from any part of the reading.

Course website: All information, including lecture slides (.ppt), course objectives, directions for the research project, and grades, will be posted on a course website, which is located at: plaza.ufl.edu/fairalah (subject to change). Viewing of lecture slides will require Powerpoint. Students will be assigned numbers, for which their grades will be associated, to maintain confidentiality.

COURSE POLICIES

REGRADE POLICY: After quizzes have been returned and discussed in class a student may submit the quiz for regrading (within 7 days) if it is believed that the scoring was in some way inaccurate. The regrade request should contain an explanation of the reason for the request and references to page numbers or lecture material to justify the request. It should be written and stapled to the relevant test and turned in to the course instructor.

ATTENDANCE and MAKE UPS: Attendance is expected (students usually do better when they attend the class on a regular basis). You are responsible for any lecture material presented and for any announcements regarding the schedule. Absence from a quiz will result in a zero for the missed exam, unless the student, (a) misses the quiz due to a university-related athletic event of which he or she is a participant, or (b) provides

Psychology 3705 Seminar in Human Learning Dempsey SYLLABUS page 2

evidence of an medical emergency that interfered with attendance. There will be a 15 pt (3 quiz) cushion built into the course grading for missed quizzes. In other words, missing up to 3 quizzes will not affect a student's grade.

CHEATING POLICY: If there is strong evidence of any form of academic dishonesty (using notes during a quiz, replicating another student's paper or parts of the paper, or having other students do your assignments, etc..) you will receive an "F" for the course, and will not be allowed to attend further classes. The Academic Dean will be informed that you were cheating in this class.

BONUS for participation in Research: You can earn extra credit by participating in IRB approved research by faculty and students at CSUS. You will need to get a bonus point card that will be filled in by the researcher(s) that you work with. You will receive 1 bonus point for each half hour of participation, up to a maximum of 8 bonus points. I encourage you to partake of this opportunity, as gaining research experience, as a participant, will greatly strengthen your skills as a researcher. See me for more details. The extra credit card (documenting your participation) must be handed in on or before the last day of class.

As an Alternative to the "Bonus for participation in research" (do one or the other, not both!) you may write an APA style paper that reviews some line of research that you gather from professional journals. This paper should be at 5 pages long (double-spaced) not counting references, appendices and title page. Thus you are being asked to create a review paper, although not as comprehensive as a published one. I suggest that you pick an area of interest, find key articles in the area, and assimilate/discuss the findings from the various articles. You must have a minimum of 5 references from professional journals (not newspaper or layman journals). This paper will be worth a maximum of 8 pts, based on APA style (e.g. cover pages, refs, margins, etc.) and quality/depth of the review. This paper must be handed on or before the last day of class.

Poster Session: You are required to participate in the department's poster session held at the end of the semester (12/7/07). To participate means that, as a group, you will create a poster on your aspect of research project that we conduct in this course. A poster session is a method in which professionals in the field present very current data and information. Once your have completed the poster, you will "present" it at the poster session, meaning that you will stand by it and answer the questions of faculty, students and visitors that may be interested in what you have done.

DROP/SWITCH TO C/NC DATES: The last day to drop this class or to switch to a Credit/No Credit grading system is 10/2/2007. If you find yourself struggling in this course, or unhappy with the grade you suspect you will get, it may be in your best interest to drop this class or to request a C/NC option. Please arrange to see me during my office hours if this is the case.

FINAL NOTE: The schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

Psychology 3705 Seminar in Human Learning Dempsey SYLLABUS page 3

Course Schedule

Date Topic

Date Topic

9-10 1. Reinforcement

11-5 Research article discussion

Cooper et al.: Ch. 11/13 selected text

11-7 Research article discussion

9-12 2. Identifying Reinforcers

11-9 Team research update

Cooper et al. pp. 274-279

Research team meeting

Research Prep. Activity (Preference

9-14 Assess)

CDC Orientation (meet in classroom)

9-17 3. Extinction

11-12 No class

Cooper et al.: Ch 21 selected text

11-14 Research article discussion

Pearce and Epling pp.

11-16 Research team meeting

Research Project overview: Implications

Poster Method due

of work

9-19 4. Measurement

9-21 5. Reliability

9-24 6. Graphs & Designs

11-19 Team presentation of findings

9-26 Research Prep (Graphing)

9-28 7. Behavioral Momentum

11-21 TBA

11-23 No class (Thanksgiving)

10-1 8. PRE

11-26 Poster prep

10/2 Last day to Drop

11-28 Poster prep

10-3 Assignment of study portions/discussion 11-30 Poster prep

Research Prep (conducting sessions)

Poster Results due

10-5 Research Prep (taking data)

First research team meeting

10-8 Research article discussion

12-3 Poster final prep

10-10 No class

12-5 Final Poster due (discussion)

10-12 Research article discussion

12-7 Poster Session

10-15 Research article discussion

12-10 Course evaluation

10-17 Research article discussion

10-19 Research Prep (taking data)

10-22 Research article discussion/prep

10-24 Research article discussion/prep

10-26 Research team meeting/prep

10-29 Research article discussion

Team research update (10 pts)

10-31 Research article discussion

11-2 Research team meeting

Poster Introduction/References due ++++ All scheduled events are subject to change due to changes in research process. Download a new schedule each week!!

Psychology 3705 Seminar in Human Learning Dempsey SYLLABUS

page 4 Grading A grade sheet will be posted online and will be updated weekly. You should consult it weekly to determine your status in the course.

Quizzes/Activities: 20 @ 5 pts = 100

Poster: Intro References Method Results Discussion APA format

20 10 20 20 20 10 =

100 _____

Final Grade A B+ B C+ C D

Points % 180 (90%) 170 (85%) 160 (80%) 150 (75%) 140 (70%) 130 (65%)

Total:

200

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