School: North Georgia College and State University
Department: Psychology & Sociology
Instructor: Chuck Robertson, Ph.D.  
Course #:  PSYC 3310
Title: Learning and Cognition
Semester Hours: 3 credit hours
Office: 102B Dunlap Hall
Phone: 706.867.3220   
Office hours: check my Google Calendar, and By Appointment
Web Site: http://radar.ngcsu.edu/~clrobertson/index.htm
Email: clrobertson@ngcsu.edu
 
 
Prerequisites: PSYC 1101
 
Co-requisites:
 
Course Description: Empirical, theoretical, and applied topics in classical, operant, and observational learning are presented in conjunction with current cognitive research including perception, attention, memory, thinking, and language development.

Course Objectives: This is 3 courses rolled into 1: Learning, Memory and Attention, & Language and Thought. We will do the best that we can to cover the material.
 
Methods of Instruction: I will lecture on the material that we all need to learn and provide examples in class. When applicable we will all participate in experiments and demonstrations in class to help explain ideas/constructs/theories… Feel free to ask any questions that might come to you during lecture.

Evaluation Methods: : 3 exams @ 20% + Final 23% + Collaborative Media Development 17% = 100%. I will explain Collaborative Media Development next week and give you a rubric for grading purposes.

The three tests during the semester will consist of two parts. Part 1 will be a more traditional test. You will take it as an individual and it will make up 75% of your test grade. It will be entirely online. The next class period after an exam we will get together and take collaborative exams. I will put you into groups and you will all take the exam together. The groups score will make up 25% of your test grade.

The final will be comprehensive and thus representative of all three previous tests. (Take note of Distributed versus massed learning during our coverage of memory and you will understand
why I do this.) Anything in the book and anything covered in lecture are fair game for test
material.

 
General Guideline for grades: 90%=A; 80%=B; 70%=C; 65%=D; 0-65% Is an F 
 
 
General Expectations:
 
Attendance: I do not take attendance (other than roll verification). That being said, you
should never miss class or be late.  
 
Withdrawal: I will not automatically drop you from the roll for excessive absences. It is
your responsibility to complete all withdrawal forms..
 
Participation: There is no grade or assessment assigned to participation, but all in class
activities and discussion are designed to aid your learning and I strongly suggest you
participate. 
 
Individual/Collaborative Work: 
 
Cheating is not acceptable behavior. If you are in doubt as to what constitutes cheating on
homework assignments or tests then you need to come and clarify it with me before you
cheat. Anyone caught cheating will be sent to Academic Affairs and I will ask them to fail
you and remove you from my class for the remainder of the semester. Should you decide
to be a psychology major after this, you will need to take my classes.
 
All tests will be a product of your individual work/processing. They will never be open book
or open note... although sometimes they will be open collaboration.
 
Working on your own: You need to read the textbook and you need to take some decent
notes that will allow you to ascertain what in the textbook is important to me. 
 
Course Content (by week) we will make adjustments as needed. You will find a link on my website with a tentative weekly schedule on it. Make sure you are looking at the cognition sheet and not another class.
 
Important Dates: 
 
FINAL EXAMINATION!... you are responsible for attending the final examination during
the time scheduled by the VPAA’s office. You may find the time to all your exams by
visiting the Calendar section of the NGCSU website and viewing the final exam matrix.
http://www.ngcsu.edu/vpaa/Main%20Pages/Calendars.shtml
 
Knowledge base:

Text: COGNITION IN AND OUT OF THE LABORATORY by Galotti, 4th edition
(ISBN 0495099635) Thompson Wadsworth Publishers

Suggested readings for further knowledge:
RJ Sternberg, The Nature of Cognition (ISBN 0262194058 )
G Lakoff & M Johhnson, Metaphors We Live By (ISBN 0226468011)
DC Dennett, Elbow Room (ISBN 0262540428)

Other: I may make readings available on our vista site.

Class evaluations:  Class evaluations at NGCSU are now conducted on-line through Banner. 
Evaluation of the class is considered a component of the course and students will not be
permitted to access their course grade until the evaluation has been completed.   The
evaluations will be accessible beginning one week prior to Final Exam week.  Specific
instructions will be made available when the surveys are activated.  
 
 
Academic Integrity Policy:
 
Honor Code:  "On my honor, I will not lie, cheat, steal, plagiarize, evade the truth or
tolerate those who do." 
 
Suspected violations of the Academic Integrity policy should be referred by students to
the instructor.  If the instructor concludes that a violation of the Academic Integrity
policy has occurred, the instructor will either (1) penalize the student and file an incident
report with the Academic Integrity Council or (2) refer the matter directly to the
Academic Integrity Council.  If an incident report is filed by the instructor, the instructor
will review the completed report with the student and will request that the student sign
the report as an indication that the student is aware of the contents of the report.
 
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities: 
 
North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU) is committed to the full inclusion of
individuals with disabilities and to the principle of individual rights and responsibilities.  To
that end, the policies and procedures of NGCSU reasonably ensure that a person with a
disability is not, on the basis of that disability, denied full and equal access to and the
enjoyment of academic programs and co-curricular activities or otherwise is subjected to
discrimination in such programs and activities.
The policies for access by individuals with disabilities at NGCSU are designed to
ensure full compliance with all pertinent federal and state legislation, specifically to
include Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) of 1990.
To receive disability accommodations, the student should contact the Coordinator
of Disability Resources, Office of Academic Support Programs, Room 207 Barnes Hall. 
Approval of reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.