EDF4214.0002Fall 2007
EDF4214 Classroom Learning Principles
Fall 2007
Tuesdays 1:30-4:20pm in HPA 116
Steven J. Condly, Ph.D.
Contacting the Professor
Office Location:Tuesdays (Orlando) ED 223G;
Wednesdays (Daytona Beach) Suite 300; (Lake Mary) Building R
Office Hours:Tuesdays 11:00AM-1:00PM;
Wednesdays immediately before and after class
Office Phone:Orlando: (407) 823-1502;
Daytona Beach: (386) 506-4069; Lake Mary: (407) 328-2471
Email Address:
Website:
Course Description
Principles of learning as applied to classroom teaching situations, with emphasis on student development, behavior, self-concept and motivation. (From the 2007-2008 UCF Undergraduate Catalog.) This is a three credit-hour course designed for juniors who are planning on receiving teaching credentials to become classroom teachers.
Required Texts
The following texts, in order of their use in the course, are required for this class:
Bruning, R. H., Schraw, G. J., Norby, M. M., & Ronning, R. R. (2004). Cognitive psychology and instruction (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Schunk, D. H., Pintrich, P. R., & Meece, J. L. (2008). Motivation in education: Theory, research, and
applications (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
McMillan, J. H. (2000). Essential assessment concepts for teachers and administrators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
The student will use the texts as reference manuals for all aspects of this course. They provide the necessary background for the lectures and class presentations, guidance on what to write about for the research paper; their information is useful for understanding and explaining what transpires in the field experience classrooms. It is vitally important that each student comes to class with the material already read. While there is no overt penalty for not doing so, it is very difficult to have a sustained, informed conversation, let alone do well on an exam, without having read the material.
Course Objectives
Through lectures, overhead, video, and computer presentations, class discussions, student presentations, written assignments, exams, field experiences, and group interactions the student will, upon completion of the course, be able to:
- Understand the role psychology in general, and educational psychology in particular, plays in the modern classroom.
- Identify the major components and processes of the modern information-processing model of human memory.
- Describe the ways in which the components and processes of the modern information-processing model of human memory can be affected by educational interventions.
- Understand cognitive learning theory and identify examples of its utilization from his or her service-learning field experience.
- Identify the main factors which comprise motivated behavior and explain how cognition and motivation affect each other.
- Distinguish more- from less-facilitating learning environments based on an understanding of educational psychological theory.
- Describe the variety of teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches to instruction and the factors that make them more or less useful for instruction.
- Compare and contrast various methods of assessment and cite examples of their use from his or her field experience.
- Read, interpret, and explain standardized test data.
- Explain testing and assessment terminology.
Autobiography
The College of Education requires the development and completion of a portfolio. One element in that portfolio is a one to two page autobiography. It concentrates on explaining the student’s interest in entering the field of education (essentially, it answers the question of why you’ve decided to become a teacher). Failure to turn one in, or failure to submit one of acceptable quality, will result in a failing mark for the course. It must be submitted via LiveText. Non-education majors are exempt from this assignment; students who have already submitted their Autobiography for another class need to provide evidence of their having done so. More details will be presented in class.
ESOL Module
Students will complete the ESOL assignments for EDF 4214 (Standards 18 and 25) found online at: < Click on “ESOL” in the left column, then click on “EDF4214.” You may need to resize the text to clean it up and make it legible. Follow the instructions for the activities for both standards. Failure to complete the ESOL assignments will result in a grade of F for the course. This is not submitted via LiveText; all students (except PE majors and non-education majors) turn in a paper copy of their work.
Critical Thinking
During your tutoring (described in the next section below), you might want to bring your students up from merely memorizing information to a deeper-level of understanding; in other words, you’ll want them to think critically. In a three paragraph format provide the following: Paragraph 1—describe both the student(s) and the topic they’re studying, including the kinds of questions they’re working on; Paragraph 2—describe the kinds of higher level questions you’d like them to be working on and give reasons why they should be doing so; Paragraph 3—describe what you’d do to involve the students in thinking more critically about the topic they’re studying and why you think this is educationally beneficial. Students are to submit this paper and a reflection (example of reflection is found in LiveText) via LiveText. Failure to turn in an acceptable report and reflection will result in a grade of F for the course. Non-education majors are exempt. This assignment meets the Critical Thinking portfolio requirement.
Service-Learning Field Experience (Human Development & Learning)
The 15-hour service-learning experience in this course concentrates on the relevance of psychological principles involved in learning and instruction in a classroom setting. Under the supervision of the classroom teacher or other qualified supervisor, each student will work with individuals or small groups in such activities as tutoring or small group instruction and will reflect on how the psychological principles play a role in the learning activities. No student is required to participate in a service placement to which he or she has a religious, political, or moral objection.
This course has been designated a UCF-sanctioned service-learning course. As such, the student will spend the 15 hours over the course of the semester on a service-learning activity (in this case, tutoring). This activity will address a need in our community (school-site tutoring), support our course objectives (involving EDF 4214 students in understanding and utilizing psychological principles essential to motivated learning), involve a connection between the campus and the world around it (via alleviating the shortage of tutors available at school sites), challenge students to be civically engaged (by having EDF 4214 students tutor students who come from different cultures and who possess different life experiences), and involve structured student reflection. No student is required to participate in a service placement to which he or she has a religious, political, or moral objection.
It will be necessary for each student to maintain a diagnostic journal to document the field experience. Two events (experiences with a student or students) will be described, analyzed, and treated as follows: Select 2 of the 19 theme words (one from the “learning” section and one from the “motivation” section of the course) listed in the paragraph below on which to base your analyses and use that word as the heading. The task is to describe the nature and circumstances of the performance deficit, explain and defend the diagnosis (for example, why it is a self-efficacy problem), and suggest and explain a prescriptive solution. Please follow this 3-paragraph format: description, diagnosis, treatment, along with the theme word at the top. Approximately one page per event will be sufficient (remember, there are two events, one a learning problem and the other a motivation problem). This exercise will follow the medical model; thus, no fancy prose or “blow-by-blow” accounts of events. Students are to submit the assignment and the reflection (example reflection found in LiveText) via LiveText (non-education majors are exempt). The Service Learning evaluation sheet is to be turned in physically (no exceptions to this—its proof to the university that the course merits its service learning designation). This assignment meets the Human Development & Learning portfolio requirement. Failure to turn in an acceptable reflection, journal, and evaluation sheet will result in a grade of F for the course.
Theme words: Learning: sensory memory, perception, attention, working-memory, elaboration, organization, declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, metacognition; Motivation: self-efficacy, perception of support, emotion, mood, utility, interest, importance, goals, persistence, mental effort.
Quizzes, Group Work, and Exams
Most classes begin with a brief PowerPoint-presented multiple choice quiz based on the assigned reading. These quizzes are to be done on Scantron sheets (either brown or green forms). The quiz with the lowest grade will be dropped.
Most classes require students to work together in small groups (pairs or threes only) on an in-class assignment based on that day’s topic (assignment is given at the end of the lecture presentation and the practice questions). One answer sheet can be turned in with each person’s name on it. Please make sure that the submitted document is legible. The group work assignment with the lowest grade will be dropped.
The exams are identical in format to the practice questions found on the website. Although students have all three hours to take the test, most students will need only approximately 60 minutes. After students have completed the exam, we will go over each test item. Students may raise objections and/or challenges to answers. All comments will be heard. Objections which are valid will be accepted by the professor and the exam’s answer key will be changed to reflect the additional answer(s).
Please note that the exams and chapter quizzes will be taken using Scantron sheets (either brown or green forms). Students will need 12 such sheets; they are available in the bookstore and with the student body government (for free?). Students must bring the Scantron sheets with them to take the quizzes and exams; the professor will not hand grade these tests.
In-Class Research
As with most psychology courses, this one too involves students in research conducted in class concerning student learning, motivation, and achievement. Participation is voluntary but strongly encouraged for two reasons. One, on a practical level, bonus points are awarded to students who participate. Two, theoretically, students learn about their own cognition and motivation as students, and this information can help inform their own practice as teachers. In short, it is one thing to read research and to hear about the results of research, but it is another to participate and to see oneself in the data and results. More details will be presented in class.
Attendance and Grades
It is expected that upper-division students enrolled in a course designed to enable them to obtain licensure to teach in the state of Florida will make every reasonable effort to attend each class meeting. Naturally, since illnesses and emergencies do occur, perfect attendance is a goal, not a requirement. If possible, contact the professor before your absence. If not, please call, email, or visit in person during scheduled office hours to explain the absence. Though not guaranteed, arrangements can be worked out if time permits and the professor considers the circumstances sufficient to warrant such consideration.
There is no makeup procedure for missed assignments (with the exception of the aforementioned special arrangements). Without the professor’s permission a missed assignment, or one turned in late, does not receive a grade. Even with the professor’s permission, work turned in after the due date may receive a reduced grade.
All assignments, no matter how many points they are worth, can be converted to a percentage. Extra credit, beyond the bonus points given for participation in the in-class research, is not available, so please do not request it. The student’s percentage falls into a particular range which earns the following letter grade:
A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = 0-59%
Chapter Quizzes80 points
Group Work80 points
AutobiographyPass/Fail
ESOL ModulesPass/Fail
Critical ThinkingPass/Fail
HD&LPass/Fail
Exams (total)300 points
Course total:460 points
Note: The professor reserves the right to make emendations to this syllabus during the semester.
Course Schedule
August 21 / Introduction to the Course; Human Performance ImprovementAugust 28 /
Information Processing; Perception; Attention; Working Memory [BSNR Ch. 2]
Chapter 2 Quiz; Group WorkSeptember 4 /
Representation of Declarative Knowledge [BSNR Ch.’s 3-5]
Chapter 3 Quiz; Group WorkSeptember 11 /
Acquisition of Declarative Knowledge [BSNR Ch.’s 3-5]
Chapter 4 Quiz; Group WorkAutobiography Due
September 18 / Representation of Procedural Knowledge [BSNR Ch.’s 3-5]
Chapter 5 Quiz; Group Work
September 25 / Acquisition of Procedural Knowledge[BSNR Ch.’s 3-5]
Group Work
October 2 / Exam I: Learning
October 9 /
Introduction to Motivation; Self-Efficacy
SPM Ch.’s 2 (pp. 50-61, 67-70, 72-75) & 4 (pp. 123-151)
SE Quiz; Group WorkOctober 16 /
Independent Study
October 23 / Independent StudyOctober 30 /
Affect: Emotion, Mood, Attributions
SPM Ch.’s 3 (all) & 6 (pp. 223-228)Emotion Quiz; Group Work
November 6 /
Task Values: Importance, Interest, Utility
SPM Ch.’s 2 (pp. 61-66, 70-72, 75-76), 6 (pp. 211-221), & 7 (all)
Values Quiz; Group Work; ESOL Module DueNovember 13 / Exam II: Motivation
November 20 / Test Anxiety; Validity; Reliability [SPM (pp. 228-233), McMillan Ch.’s 1-3]
Chapters 1-3 Quiz; Group Work
Critical Thinking Assignment Due
November 27 /
Numerical Data; Standardized Tests [McMillan Ch.’s 4-6]
Chapters 4-6 Quiz;Human Development & Learning and Service Learning Evaluation Sheet Due
December 4 /
Exam III: Testing & Assessment
University of Central Florida
Service Learning Project for EDF 4214: Classroom Learning Principles
Name of UCF Student: ______
Semester: ______
School Instructor Name: ______
School Name and Location: ______
Please evaluate the UCF student below on the quality of his/her cooperation in this service learning experience. Thank you.
1. Did this student spend a maximum of 2 hours/week in your classroom? YES / NO (circle one)
2. Did this student tutor students in your class? YES / NO (circle one)
3. Do you feel that you and your students benefited from this experience? YES / NO (circle one)
Please explain: ______
______
4. On a scale of 1 – 10, with 10 being excellent and 1 being unsatisfactory, please rate this UCF
student’s work with your class. ______
5. Other comments: ______
______
______
______
Please indicate the number of hours the UCF student has volunteered in your classroom or school:
______total hoursover ______weeks
______
Teacher’s signatureSchoolDate
1