Online Syllabus

EPSY 5463: Psychology of Learning

Summer 2016

How To Use This Syllabus: Read the whole syllabus carefully. All of the information needed for
this course is included in the syllabus or in the pages linked to the syllabus. This includes all of
the readings for the course. For information on Desire2Learn go to http://oc.okstate.edu.

Instructor Information
Instructor: James R. May, Ph.D.

Electronic Office Hours: By appointment or via email. I will try to answer all
e-mail at least once a day except on weekends and when I am out of town. E-mail
james.r.may@okstate.edu.

Telephone Number Instructors Home: (918) 254-2230. Calls accepted between 8 a.m. and 10
p.m. seven days a week, voice mail if out/busy.

Telephone Number Departmental Office: (405) 744-6040. Calls accepted 8-12 a.m. and 1-5
p.m. weekdays, voice mail available 7 x 24.

Course Description

University Catalog Description: Application to education of the principles and theories of the
Psychology of Learning.

Textbook: Schunk, D. H. (2008). Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective (7th ed.).

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Structure of the Course: The purpose of this course is to review, explore, and extend your
understanding of basic research and general theories of human learning. This course is a
graduate level course of study with commensurate expectations. The course is organized so that
you have a shared responsibility for learning the content of the course. Readings are assigned on
a scheduled basis so that you may maximize your participation in online discussions. It is
important that you post your assignments online in a timely manner. To help your colleagues it
will be beneficial if you post your discussion questions early in the week, and by Thursday at the
latest, so that they will have responses to comment on. Late responses are not useful as few will
go back and read them. Please note that assignments may be posted in advance if you know you
are going to have time difficulties. When you fall behind, it's a double loss: you lose the benefit

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 of your classmate's feedback on your work, and they lose the valuable insights you bring to the
course. The course is designed for the motivated and curious adult learner who is willing to be an
active participant in the learning process. Options for decision-making and self-directed learning
are intentional. The course is structured so that you have the freedom to learn as deeply and as
broadly as you choose.

Style/Mode of Teaching: This course is designed as an online asynchronous computer mediated

learning experience. A threaded database, listserv, and e-mail are provided to foster
asynchronous discussion. You can login at anytime and participate in the activities. When you
read the material please take notes on any area that you do not understand or upon which you
would like further discussion. You will come up with discussion questions for each chapter and
respond to the discussion questions and responses that your classmates make that interest you. I
will respond to your postings to point out alternative interpretations, other ways in which to view
the material, to give you a pat on the back, or just to indicate that I have read your material. If
you have additional questions you can post them to the Muddy Points section in the Discussion
board of Desire2Learn.

Weekly Assignments

1. Reading Reflection

a. Reading Reflection

Each week you are expected to write and post a personal reflection upon the material you
have read. Reflection is not simply a description or a review of what you have read. You
are encouraged to retrace your steps to generate new understandings and to modify
conclusions about previous events. This is a meta-cognitive or higher-order thinking
activity. Write one or more paragraphs which describe your reflections on the current
readings and post them to the Discussion Forum. Write one or more paragraphs with no
fewer than 200 words.

b. Response to Peers Reading Reflection

If you find someone elses reflections interesting and you want to comment on them,
respond to peers reading reflection. Your feedback should specify what it was about the
posting that was helpful to you (What was it that offered you a new way of looking at the
current topic? What was it that provided you with new ideas and insights?). At least ONE
response is required with no fewer than 75 words.

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 2. Checking Reading Comprehension

A reading comprehension question designed to check your understanding of the reading

materials will be presented each week. You can choose one question for each chapter and
post your written response. Please choose questions that have not been answered by peers if
possible. Each response should be at least 100 words.

3. Discussion

a. Creating Discussion Questions

You are expected to create at least ONE GREAT () discussion question for each
chapter each week. Remember that you are not limited to one question but you can create
as many questions as you like. Creating discussion questions will help you think critically
about the ideas and issues raised in the readings and spark thought-provoking discussion
among the class members. Make sure to provide background or context information
about how you became interested in the question you posted or why you think it is
important to discuss it. This background information will help peers better understand
your questions and provide more relevant responses to your questions.

b. Responses to Peers Discussion Postings

You are expected to reply to one discussion question or response posted by your
classmates for each chapter each week. Remember, the purpose of the assignment is to
create a conversation among the members of the class about the current readings, so that
each of you can clarify your own understanding of the readings, correct your
misunderstanding of the readings, discover other peoples perspectives on the issues and
ideas in the readings, and receive feedback from your peers. Each response should be at
least 100 words in length.

In Summary, each week you are expected to post:

1. at least ONE personal reflection on the assigned reading materials of the week
2. at least ONE response to a peer's reading reflection

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 3. at least ONE response to the questions provided by your instructor to check your reading
comprehension for each chapter
4. at least ONE great discussion question for each chapter
5. at least ONE response to peers' discussion questions/or responses for each chapter

Midterm Assignments

Case Analysis; Theory Evaluation; Article Summary

1. Case analysis

1) Describe a persons learning (e.g., learning beliefs, learning behavior/styles, etc.) and
analyze his or her approach to learning by applying the theories of learning (behaviorism,
cognitivism, constructivism) covered so far in this course. You can use yourself or
someone you know (e.g., friends, children, parents, or siblings). Write one or more
paragraphs with no fewer than 300 words.

2) Respond to peers case analysispost responses regarding how they appropriately

applied learning theories to a real example/or story on learning.

2. Theory Evaluation

1) Discuss similarities and differences among the theories of learning (behaviorism,

cognitivism, constructivism) we have covered so far. Add references if needed.

2) There is no single theory that can completely explain all aspects of learning behavior.
Different theories of learning complement each other. While you are working on the case
analysis of thread 1 discussion, you may experience some challenges to appropriately
describe and analyze a particular case of learning. Discuss some limitations you have
observed from different theories/perspectives of learning. Add references if needed.

3. Article Summary

1) Find a peer-reviewed research article that is relevant to a topic that has been discussed
and provide a summary of the key points and a critique of the article. Explain how the

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 article is related to the topic of discussion. Make sure to provide references (APA style) or
links to the articles you read if they are available online.

2) Responses to Peers Article Summary. You are expected to reply to at least TWO article
summaries posted by your peers through the semester. Describe what you find
interesting/insightful and problematic about the article.

Final Assignments

1. Instructional Design

1) Lets put theories into practice. Imagine that you are a teacher of a group of students at a
particular grade level. Design your teaching plan and classroom environment by using
learning theories

2) Respond to peers instructional design.

2. Creating a Concept Map

Create a concept map that presents the relationships among a set of connected concepts and
ideas covered and discussed in this course. This assignment was designed to help students
review what was discussed over the course of this semester and demonstrate their own
understanding by reorganizing what they learned. By constructing a concept map, you reflect
on what you know and what you don't know. What matters lies in the structure of the concept
map and interconnection of each concept rather than in details of information. It would be
helpful for you to keep in mind interrelationships of different theories or concepts as our
discussion goes along. Let me know if you have further questions.

In a Concept Map, the concepts, usually represented by single words enclosed in a rectangle
(box), are connected to other concept boxes by arrows. A word or brief phrase, written by the
arrow, defines the relationship between the connected concepts. Major concept boxes will
have lines to and from several other concept boxes generating a network. A paragraph of
brief description of the concept map you created needs to be added. Check online for
examples of concept maps.

Check for the Following:

a. Accuracy and Thoroughness - Are the concepts and relationships correct? Are
important concepts missing? Are any misconceptions apparent?
b. Organization - Was the concept map laid out in a way that higher order relationships
are apparent and easy to follow? Does it have a title?

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 c. Appearance - Was the assignment done with care showing attention to details such as
spelling? Is it neat and orderly or is it chaotic and messy?
d. Creativity - Are there unusual elements that aid communication or stimulate interest
without being distracting?
e. Description of the concept map

3. Article Summary

1) Find a peer-reviewed research article that is relevant to a topic that has been discussed
and provide a summary of the key points and a critique of the article. Explain how the
article is related to the topic of discussion. Make sure to provide references (APA style) or
links to the articles you read if they are available online.

2) Responses to Peers Article Summary. You are expected to reply to at least TWO article
summaries posted by your peers. Describe what you find interesting/insightful and
problematic about the article

Grading Structure

Course grades can be calculated as follows:

A = Complete all six requirements from the Midterm and Final Portions of the Course

B = Complete five out of six of the requirements from the Midterm and Final Portions of
the Course

C = Complete four out of six of the requirements from the Midterm and Final Portions of
the Class

[Completion means, if you are asked to revisit and redo any portion of the assignment, you will
do so to the instructors satisfaction.]

Although the option of taking an incomplete ("I") is available to you at the end of the semester
should you encounter an emergency or other unexpected events, it will mean that you will
receive one letter grade decrease in your course grade. The contribution of each requirement to
the grade is as follows.
General Course Information

Policy on Incomplete Grades: University policy will be followed. Incomplete grades can only
be given if 70% of the course products have been completed prior to the end of the grading
period.

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Policy on withdrawals: University policy will be followed.

Make up Policy (Examinations, Assignments, and Classes): As there are no synchronous

activities except those scheduled by peer groups, there is no formal make up policy.

Statement on Academic Integrity: Please cite sources if you use other's material. Your products
will be available on the Internet. Everyone who wants will be able to view them.

Link to OSU Writing Laboratory: http://www.writing.okstate.edu/

Link to Student Support Services: http://studentaffairs.okstate.edu/

Special Accommodations: If any member of this class feels that he/she has a disability and
needs special accommodations of any nature whatsoever, the instructor will work with you and
the Office of Disabled Student Services, 326 Student Union, to provide reasonable
accommodations to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform in this class. Please advise
the instructor of such disability and the desired accommodations at some point before, during, or
immediately after the first week of class.

Help Desk: Computer Information Services (CIS) provides a help desk at

helpdesk@okstate.edu. They may also be reached by telephone at 405-744-7836 from 7 a.m.-10
p.m. Monday to FridayCIS will provide help with equipment problems and software problems.
The CIS HelpDesk is available to answer Desire2Learn questions call 1-877-951-4836 (toll free).
If you have questions the Help Desk cannot answer, please call 405-744-2161 or email Ron
Payne rgpavc@okstate.edu.

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Tentative or Suggested Schedule
Assignment/
Date Topic & Assignment Reading
Activities
Weekly activities:
* Reading
Reflection;
Self-introduction
* Response to
Postings on conception of Assigned articles
Week 1: Peer;
learning (available on D2L)
6/5 6/11 * Ck
Reading assigned articles
Comprehension;
* Discussion
Question;
* Peer Response
Introduction to the Study of
Week 2:
Learning Neuroscience of Chapters 1-3 Weekly activities:
6/12
Learning Pages 1-115 As Above
6/18
Behaviorism
Chapter 4 &
Week 3:
Social Cognitive Theory Chapter 8 Weekly activities:
6/19
Constructivism Pages 116-158, As Above
6/25
295-339
Information Processing
Theory:
Chapter 5 &
Week 4: Encoding and Storage Weekly activities:
Chapter 6
6/26 7/2 Information Processing As Above
Pages 159-237
Theory:
Retrieval and Forgetting
* Case analysis;
Review:
Week 5: * Theory
Connection/integration/sy Chapters 1-6, 8
7/3 7/9 evaluation;
nthesis
* Article summary
Weekly activities:
* Reading
Reflection;
Chapter 7 & * Response to
Week 6: Cognitive Learning
Chapter 9 Peer;
7/10 Processes
Pages 238-294, * Ck
7/16 Motivation
340-395 Comprehension;
* Discussion
Question;
* Peer Response
Week 7: Self-Regulated Learning
Chapter 10-12 Weekly activities:
7/17 Contextual Influences
Pages 396-488 As Above
7/23 Next Steps
Week 8: Review: Chapters 7, 9-12 * Instructional
7/24 Connection/integration/synthesi design;
7/30 s * Concept map;

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 * Article summary

**Weekly activities: Reading reflection and discussion questions are due Wednesday Midnight
and other weekly activities are due Friday Midnight.