|
 |  |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Course Syllabus for Psychology 220: Learning Cuyamaca College Spring 2011Section 5781
Room: F508 Time: 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 Days: Monday, Wednesday
Text: Learning and Behavior, Paul Chance 6th edition.
Instructor: Steve Weinert Office: F510 Contact: steve.weinert@gcccd.edu or 619-660-4552 Office Hours: Check Web for Office hours (http://www.cuyamaca.edu/steve.weinert)
Course Description: 3 hours lecture. Examine and explore the basic principles and research of human and animal learning. Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychology
Course Schedule: Materials will be delivered through the Blackboard course management system at http://bb.gcccd,edu. You will required to log in and check your email once a week for course updates.
Grading: Your grade will be based on the total percentage out of approximately 400 points that are earned throughout the class. 90% and above you receive an A * 87% to 89% you may receive a B+ 80% to 89% you receive a B * 77% to 79% you may receive a C+ 70% to 79% you receive a C 60% to 69% you receive a D Below 60% you fail the class.
* For those students who are active participants in class, with high attendance have the ability to receive a + added to their grade.
All points in the class are weighted equally. You will earn points in class for activities, and through exam scores. The exams will consist of multiple choice and short answers questions. You cannot drop exams. Any missed points during the semester can be made up during the final exam by answering essays.
Attendance: For successful completion of the course you must attend class. Attendance and participation in activities is required to receive an A in the class. If you are going to miss class for some reason make sure you e-mail the instructor to make sure that any missed assignments can be completed.
Behavior Guidelines and Conduct: I like an interactive classroom, and encourage student interaction. Please be respectful to all of the people in the class around you. Everybody has opinions and that is great. If someone’s opinion does not mesh with yours then through education we can understand each other. Through conflict there is no resolution, just a victor. If there is some important reason to have your phone on, please put it on vibrate, or flash light, so as not to disrupt those around you. If you must answer it make sure that we can all here what you are saying…
Students with Special needs: Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should notify the instructor immediately (and no later than the second week of class). Here is a breakdown of the days of the class and the topics that are going to be covered. Due to the speed of this course, please make sure to read the Chapters PRIOR to coming to class that day.
Expected student learning outcomes:
1) Compare and provide examples orally or in writing of reflex, fixed action patterns and inherited behavioral traits 2) Identify habituation, sensitization, releaser and a sign stimulus from research articles 3) Describe and define research methods in behavioral psychology presented in class and compare and apply their use in research 4) Define and contrast in writing different classical conditioning paradigms presented in class and text 5) Identify and describe the variables that affect the rate and strength of classical conditioning 6) Identify examples of contingency and contiguity in classical conditioning and operant conditioning procedures 7) Compare and contrast stimulus substitution theory and conditioned compensatory conditioned response theory 8) Apply the principles of classical conditioning to aversion therapy 9) Describe, compare and give examples of operant procedures including positive and negative reinforcement and punishment presented in class 10) Analyze real life situations and identify operant procedures in effect 11) Produce methods of shaping behavior using chaining and successive approximation 12) Define and contrast procedures and results of vicarious learning as presented in class and text 13) Identify and predict graphical patterns of behavior based on simple and complex schedules of reinforcement 14) Compare characteristics of generalization and discrimination processes 15) Describe the procedures presented in class that are used to study the behavior of memory 16) Describe and recognize examples of the biological limits of learning as presented in class.
Important Dates from the Campus Schedule
|
Cuyamaca College
900 Rancho San Diego Parkway 
El Cajon, California 92019
619-660-4000
