An introductory course in psychology or educational psychology is strongly recommended. Suggested courses at Athabasca University include PSYC 289, PSYC 290, or EDPY 200. As well, a course in cognitive psychology (e.g., PSYC 355) would be a useful pre- or co-requisite course. As well, the criteria for the second assignment assume that students have studied research methods (PSYC 304) and introductory statistical analysis (MATH 215 or MATH 216) such that they are able to review an empirical research article.
Precluded:
EDPY310. PSYC 310 cannot be taken for credit by students who have obtained credit in EDPY 310.
In general, psychology students would register for PSYC 310 whereas students in a Bachelor of Education program (or similar) would typically register for EDPY 310. If you don’t fall into one of these categories, please consider that PSYC courses at Athabasca University are social science courses and EDPY courses are applied studies courses. Since the assignments differ across the courses students will not be able to change between course codes at a later time.
Overview
This course will focus on one of the primary concerns of educational psychologists: the study of learning and instruction. It will examine both how people learn traditional school subject matter and various instructional approaches designed to promote such learning. As the course is firmly grounded in empirical research, it will present research studies, their methods, and their results. As such, the course will have a much more specific focus than introductory courses in educational psychology and should appeal to both psychology and education students.
Outline
PSYC 310 comprises the following 14 units:
Unit 1: Introduction to Learning and Instruction
Unit 2: Learning to Read Fluently
Unit 3: Learning to Read for Comprehension
Unit 4: Learning to Write
Unit 5: Learning Mathematics
Unit 6: Learning Science
Unit 7: Teaching by Giving Productive Feedback
Unit 8: Teaching by Providing Concreteness, Activity, and Familiarity
Unit 9: Teaching by Explaining Examples
Unit 10: Teaching by Guiding Cognitive Processes during Learning
Unit 11: Teaching by Fostering Learning Strategies
Unit 12: Teaching by Fostering Problem-Solving Strategies
Unit 13: Teaching by Creating Cognitive Apprenticeship in the Classroom
Unit 14: Teaching by Priming Students’ Motivation to Learn
Objectives
At the end of the course, students should be able to do the following:
Explain what educational psychology is, and discuss its potential role in improving education.
Describe and contrast the behaviourist and cognitive approaches to research on learning and instruction.
Describe the concept of learning from each of the behaviourist and cognitive approaches with respect to three metaphors of learning.
Describe the types of knowledge and the types of understanding a learner can achieve, and provide relevant examples of each. Explain which approaches to learning would typically result in knowledge and which approaches would result in understanding, and outline the underlying implications.
Explain the concept of transfer with respect to a positive/negative continuum and general/specific continuum. Discuss transfer with respect to behaviourist and cognitive approaches.
Describe how the cognitive processes of selecting (new) information, organizing this information, and integrating new information with existing knowledge produces understanding, and describe how these processes interact with the three memory stores.
Describe the prior knowledge and cognitive processes involved in learning how to read (fluently and for comprehension) and write, and in learning mathematics and science, and discuss their instructional implications.
Describe, differentiate, and produce typical measures (tasks or items) used to assess different types of learning and understanding (e.g., literal/retention, inference, and transfer questions).
Describe the following general instructional approaches, and indicate their efficacy in promoting learning: providing feedback, providing concrete examples and activities, providing worked out examples and cases, guiding cognitive processes, strategy instruction, and cognitive apprenticeship.
Discuss how self-efficacy, (self) attributions, and goal-orientation may affect students’ motivation to learn and their approach to learning.
Locate empirical research articles about learning and instruction from reputable journals, and summarize and evaluate such articles.
Evaluation
To receive credit for PSYC 310, you must complete both assignments, achieve a minimum grade of D (50 percent) on the final examination, and achieve an overall grade of D (50 percent) for the entire course. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Quizzes (5@4% each)
20%
Assignment 1
10%
Assignment 2
30%
Final Exam
40%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Mayer, R. E. (2008). Learning and instruction (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. (eText)
All other learning resources will be available online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the PSYC 310 challenge registration, you must complete and achieve a grade of at least D (50 per cent) on an assignment and at least D (50 per cent) on an exam. The assignment involves locating an empirical research article about learning or instruction and then summarizing and critiquing it. The exam consists entirely of short essay questions.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.