Last updated: May 2009
Return to: | Courses |  Home |

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, COUNSELING & GUIDANCE
PSYC 7010: LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
Course Syllabus

William G. (Bill) Huitt, Ph.D.
Office Hours: By Appointment
Office: Psychology Building (next to Continuing Education Center on Patterson)
Phone: 333-5613 (O); 561-0998 (C)
E-mail: whuitt at valdosta dot edu

There is no required text. Web-based materials available at: http://teach.valdosta.edu/whuitt

This course is designed to aid the inservice educator (teacher, administrator, counselor, coach, curriculum supervisor, etc.) in predicting, understanding, and controlling the fundamental principles of learning and assessment as they apply in educational settings.

• Dispositions Principle:  Productive dispositions positively affect learners, professional growth, and the learning environment.

• Equity Principle:  All learners deserve high expectations and support. 

• Process Principle:  Learning is a life-long process of development and growth. 

• Ownership Principle:  Professionals are committed to, and assume responsibility for, the future of their disciplines. 

• Support Principle:  Successful engagement in the process of learning requires collaboration among multiple partners.

• Impact Principle:  Effective practice yields evidence of learning.

• Technology Principle:  Technology facilitates teaching, learning, community building, and resource acquisition. 

• Standards Principle:  Evidence-based standards systematically guide professional preparation and development. 

College of Education Conceptual Framework Principles:

The following College of Education Graduate Conceptual Framework Principles will be addressed at an introductory level in this course:

Proposition 1	Graduates are committed to their roles as helping professionals.
Proposition 2	Graduates are capable of excellence in their professional practice.
Proposition 3	Graduates think systematically about their practice, use research, and contribute to the knowledge base.
Proposition 4	Graduates are members of learning communities.

General Course Objectives:

 Students will be able to:

1. name and discuss the major categories of variables that have been studied in educational psychology in an attempt to answer the question "Why do some students learn required content and skills?" and arrange these in the form of a model of the teaching/ learning process.

2. name and discuss the major components and techniques of instruction for children and youth that have been addressed in the study of the teaching/learning process as well as how these general techniques can be modified to address individual differences.

3. define learning and compare and contrast the factors that behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and social cognition theorists believe influence the learning process, giving specific examples of how these principles could be used in teaching children and youth.

Specific course materials are available.

Course Outline:

I. Introduction
        A. How can Educational Psychology help
        B. Characteristics of effective classrooms and schools
        C. Model of teaching-learning process

II. The Science of Educational Psychology
        A. Purpose of science as applied to Educational Psychology
        B. Scientific methods applied to Educational Psychology
            1. Descriptive
            2. Correlational
            3. Experimental

III. Overview of Learning and Assessment
      A. Overview of Learning
              1. Definitions of learning and development
              2. The antecedents of a psychology of learning
      B.    Overview of Assessment
             1. Achievement assessment and instruction 
             2. Nature of student assessment 

IV. The Changing Context of Education
      A. Industrial to information age
      B. National to global economy
      C. Role of the family

V. Preparing children and youth for success in the 21st century
       A. The SCANS report
       B. Becoming a Brilliant Star

VI. Self and Personal Style
       A. Self-concept and self-esteem
       B. Self-report

VII. Brain and Biology
       A. Brain structure and functioning
       B. Physical development
       C. Health and nutrition

VIII. Behavioral Theories
     A. Early Behaviorists 
     B. Skinner's operant conditioning 
     C. Implications for instruction
     D. Implications for assessment

IX. Cognitive Processing Theories 
    A. Information processing
          1. Implications for instruction
          2. Implications for assessment 
    B. Metacognition and problem solving
          1. Implications for instruction
          2. Implications for assessment 

X. Affect and Emotional Theories
     A. Implications for instruction
     B. Implications for assessment 

XI. Cognitive-development Theories
     A. Piaget's cognitive development 
          1. Implications for instruction
          2. Implications for assessment 
     B. Vygotsky's sociohistorical theory 
          1. Implications for instruction
          2. Implications for assessment 

XII. Bandura's Social-Cognitive Theory 
      A. Implications for instruction
      B. Implications for assessment 

XIII. Other Topics
       A. Motivation
       B. Spiritual development
       C. Moral Character Development

XIV. Classroom Practice
       A. Model of the teaching/learning process
       B. Effective school reform
       C. Classroom instruction
       D. Classroom management

XV. Issues in Measurement and Evaluation
       A. Overview
       B. Assigning Grades 
       C. Interpreting Standardized Achievement Test Scores 
            1. Criterion-referenced
            2. Norm-referenced
       D. Educational accountability

Learning Disabilities:

Valdosta State University, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, will make arrangements for students who require special assistance due to a disability. If you require some assistance, do not hesitate to make me aware of it. In addition, if you are not already registered with the Special Services Program, you must contact the Special Services Office in room 1115 Nevins Hall,  or call 245-2498 (voice) and 219-1348 (tty).

Course Grading:

Activity	Percentage of Grade
	Option I	Option II	Option III
Three (3) Essay Exams *	85%
Two (2) Essay Exams * (must include final)		45%
One (1) Essay Exam *			20%
12 Lesson summaries for Integrative Reading Project OR
5-lesson Unit focused on holistic process objectives OR
Ten-page paper on selected topic *		40%
Twenty-five-page paper on assigned topic *			70%
Five audiovideo recommendations	5%	5%
Course participation (bulletin board and class discussions)	10%	10%	10%

* Some excellent suggestions related to Effective Learning; excellent suggestions on Writing in the Sciences
* Using APA Style (citing electronic documents); (samples of 10- and 25-page papers are provided); APA Style Sheet; APA Style Checklist; APA Style Overview; APA Citation Styles; generally the paper will be a literature review (another source); Common Errors

Note: Students and faculty at VSU are bound by the Code of Ethics developed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Extra credit:

Up to 10 points extra credit (to be added to an essay test grade) may be earned by critiquing research articles from psychological journals, readings on the web, cassette tapes, films or videos dealing with psychological issues, or computer software that could be used in an educational setting. A critique is to be written which should include:

1. Bibliographic data or identification of cassette, film or computer software
2. Summary of article, tape, film or software (1 to 1 1/2 to pages)
3. Your personal reaction or opinion about the value of what you are critiquing (1/2 page)

Each report will be worth a maximum of one point added to either your midterm or final essay exam grade.