EDF 515 Spring 2013 On-Line Course Theories of Learning and Motivation Instructor: Dr. Alan W. Garrett Office: ED 147 Telephone: 575-562-2890 E-mail: alan.garrett@enmu.edu Office Hours: Monday: 8:00-10:00 Tuesday: 8:00-10:00 Wednesday: 1:00-3:00 The Eastern New Mexico University College of Education and Technology (ENMU CET) views itself and its constituents as a community of learners, involved in an on-going journey of investigation. This course reinforces the vision that the CET has a strong commitment of the preparation of life-long learners who are continuously involved in professional growth, learning, and development. Continuous learning is seen as a long-term collaborative journey, or TREC (Theory, Research, Effective Practices, and Commitment). This learning journey is unique, while it leads to a sense of empowerment based upon the context of the high plains of the southwest, much of the journey is marked by means of the various measures or benchmarks along the way. In this course, the significance of the learning journey or TREC is measured by examinations and position papers that address research-based theories of human learning and their applications to improve teacher and student effectiveness in classrooms. Educators must be committed to understanding human learning and applying that understanding to their work. COURSE DESCRIPTION A comparison of behavioristic, cognitive, gestalt, and constructivist theories; motivational techniques; their applications to classroom learning. Graduate standing. PREREQUISITE COURSE PURPOSE This course provides an overview of theories of learning and motivation and ways those theories can be applied in the classroom to enhance academic learning. We first will consider behaviorist theories and their implications. Next, we will investigate social cognitive theory. Cognitive and developmental perspectives will conclude our consideration of learning theories. Finally, we will address theories describing human motivation. Coincidental to studying the various theories will be explorations of ways to improve instruction based on the results of research on learning and motivation.
2 COURSE OBJECTIVES 1. Students will develop a knowledge base of various theories of learning and motivation, understand the assumptions about learning and learners inherent in each, and recognize situations in which each can be applied. 2. Students will be able to apply various learning theories to improve teaching in academic settings. 3. Students will utilize various learning theories to explain observed phenomena. 4. Students will be able to apply theories of motivation to enhance learning in academic settings. REQUIRED READINGS Ormrod, J. E. (2012). Human learning (6 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Ormrod, J. E., & McGuire, D. J. (2008). Case studies: Applying educational psychology (2 nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS Students will learn independently with facilitation provided by the instructor. Students are responsible for reading, understanding, and learning the information presented in the required textbook. Some case studies may require selective reading of parts of the textbook not yet assigned or the consultation of sources other than the textbook. Case Studies/Discussion Questions COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS Each student will participate in the weekly discussion of a case study and/or discussion question posted by the instructor. Points will be awarded to each student based on the quality of his or her contribution(s). There is no required or recommended length for responses, but responses should be complete, focused, and indicate a careful reading of course materials. All standard writing conventions should be followed, i.e., these responses are not informal e-mails or text messages to friends. Some case studies may require you to study ahead; make judicious use of the textbook s index when appropriate. Responses will be due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday of the assigned week. All assignments must be completed as MS Word documents and submitted as attachments through the Case Study Assignments section of Blackboard. Assignments submitted in other formats or submitted in other ways will not be graded. Late submissions will NOT be accepted. Each weekly case study/discussion question will be worth 10 points for a total of 120 points. Quizzes There will be 12 short weekly quizzes, one each week except for exam weeks. Each quiz will consist of 10 multiple-choice items that will provide you feedback on your current level of understanding of that week s assignment. Quizzes will be due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday of the assigned week. Late quizzes will NOT be accepted. Each quiz will be worth 10 points for a total of 120 points.
3 Examinations Three exams will be given during this course. Each exam will consist of 70 multiple-choice items and three extended response items. Exam 1 and Exam 2 must be completed no later than 9:00 p.m. on Friday of the week they are available. Exam 3 must be completed no later than 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday of the week that it is available. Late exams will NOT be accepted. Each exam will be worth 100 points for a total of 300 points Discussion Board Discussion board participation is NOT required for this class, but I strongly encourage it. A section is set up for each week so that you may pose questions to and interact with other members of the class. GRADING Examinations (3 @ 100) 300 Quizzes (12 @ 10) 120 Case Studies/Discussion Questions (12@10) 120 540 Final grades will be determined according to the following scale: A 540 484 B 483 430 C 429 376 D 375 322 F 321 and below POLICIES Academic Integrity: Plagiarism and cheating of any kind on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result at least in an "F" for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. See the Student Handbook for further information. I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, do not cheat by giving answers to others or taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, so please do not ask me to change (or expect me to change) your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to everyone. Plagiarism is a serious offense. When in doubt, please cite your sources. Acknowledgement and proper credit for the use of another s work consist of (a) the correct use of quotation marks or the block quote form AND a proper reference citation in the case of a direct quote or (b) the proper use of a reference citation in the case of a paraphrased idea. The Department of Educational Studies requires that all such citations adhere to the guidelines specified in the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for information concerning plagiarism; action can include, but is not limited to failure of the assignment; failure of or a reduced grade for the course; suspension or dismissal from your program of study and/or Graduate School. (Please visit the 2010-2012 Graduate Catalog online
4 [http://www.enmu.edu/academics/resources/g-catalog/index.shtml]; find the page numbers where academic dishonesty is addressed. Participation: Late Work: Written Work: All learning is individual; no one can learn for someone else. Diligence and discipline are critical for success in a web course. I have provided some structures to help keep you on track and, of course, will provide assistance throughout the semester. However, learning is your responsibility. Keep up to date and do not get behind. Late work will NOT be accepted. Assignments are due no later than the due date as indicated on the syllabus. Late work will NOT be accepted. If you find yourself getting behind, seriously consider withdrawing from this course and retaking it later when your success can be greater. All assignments must be submitted as Word documents through Blackboard. All written assignments must be prepared using 12 point Times New Roman font, the accepted standard for academic work. Make sure that your name appears on each document you submit Disability Statement: If you have, or believe you have a disability, you may contact the Disability Services Office (DSO) to coordinate reasonable classroom accommodations, access to technology or other academic assistance. DSO serves students with a wide range of disabilities including but not limited to medical or health impairment, vision or hearing disability, physical disability, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, or mental health impairment. All information will be treated confidentially. Accommodations are not retroactive. They begin only after: Appropriate documentation has been received and accepted by the Coordinator of Disability Services Letters of Accommodation (LOA) have been prepared You have delivered your Letters of Accommodation to your instructors Appropriate academic accommodations may then be provided for you. You may contact DSO in room 186 Student Academic Services building, phone 575-562- 2280. FERPA and Privacy: As a student, your educational records are considered confidential. Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), your records are confidential and protected. Under most circumstances your records will not be released without your written and signed consent. However, some directory information may be released to third parties without your prior consent unless a written request to restrict this is on file. You can learn more about student rights to privacy at http://www.enmu.edu/about/ferpa/directory-notice.shtml. In this course, we will be working with third party applications online (i.e. wikis, blogs and other Web 2.0 applications). The different proprietors of these sites may or may not have privacy guarantees and the FERPA policy at ENMU does not apply to these sites. It will be your responsibility to read the privacy documentation at each site. There are many other options to protecting your information at these sites. If you have filed the paperwork and are classified as protected under the ENMU FERPA qualifications, it will be acceptable for you
5 to use an alias when using the Web 2.0 sites required for this course. If you still have concerns, please e-mail me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Copyright: This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are either linked to or are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder. A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THIS WEB COURSE The course provides a structure for you to learn, but only you can do the learning. In order to be successful in this course, I expect most of you to expend at least the two hours and thirty minutes you would spend in class each week in addition to an approximately equivalent amount of time you would spend in outside study as preparation for class. People learn at different rates, so your time investment could be greater or less. Budget your time well and set a realistic weekly schedule to enable you to be successful meet deadlines. For those of you who previously have taken other web courses, this one many be a bit different. Among those differences are: Assignments, quizzes, and exams will be attempted only once. There will be no resubmissions or retakes. Do good work the first time and move on. Quizzes and exams will be timed. These activities are intended to allow you and me to see how well you have learned the course material, not how well you can use the index of the text. If you are well prepared before beginning quizzes and exams, you will have more than ample time to complete them. Late work will not be accepted. Getting behind is disastrous. Please make sure before you begin this course that you are prepared for the discipline and effort it will require.
6 Week 1 (January 14-January 18) COURSE SCHEDULE Familiarize yourself with the course, its requirements, and the texts. Introduce yourself to the class in the appropriate area of the Blackboard discussion board by noon on Friday, January 18. Chapter 1 Perspectives on Learning Chapter 3 Behaviorism and Classical Conditioning Due by 5:00 p.m. on January 18: Assignment 1 and Quiz 1 Week 2 (January 19-January 25) Chapter 4: Instrumental Conditioning Due by 5:00 p.m. on January 25: Assignment 2 and Quiz 2 Week 3 (January 26-February 1) Chapter 5: Applications of Instrumental Conditioning Due by 5:00 p.m. on February 1: Assignment 3 and Quiz 3 Week 4 (February 2-February 8) Chapter 6: Social Cognitive Theory Due by 5:00 p.m. on February 8: Assignment 4 and Quiz 4 Week 5 (February 9-February 15) Due by 9:00 p.m. on February 15: Exam 1 Week 6 (February 16-February 22) Chapter 7: Introduction to Cognitivism Chapter 8: Basic Components of Memory Due by 5:00 p.m. on February 22: Assignment 5 and Quiz 5 Week 7 (February 23-March 1) Chapter 9: Long-Term Memory I: Storage and Encoding Due by 5:00 p.m. on March 1: Assignment 6 and Quiz 6
7 Week 8 (March 2-March 8) Chapter 10: Long-Term Memory II: The Nature of Knowledge Due by 5:00 p.m. on March 8: Assignment 7 and Quiz 7 Spring Break (March 9-March 15). No scheduled course activities. Week 9 (March 16-March 22) Chapter 11: Long-Term Memory III: Retrieval and Forgetting Due by 5:00 p.m. on March 22: Assignment 8 and Quiz 8 Week 10 (March 23-March 29) Chapter 12: Cognitive-Developmental Perspectives Chapter 13: Sociocultural Theory and Other Contextual Perspectives (pp. 313-327 and pp. 332-334) Due by 5:00 p.m. on March 29: Assignment 9 and Quiz 9 Week 11 (March 30-April 5) Due by 9:00 p.m. on April 5: Exam 2 Week 12 (April 6-April 12) Chapter 12: Metacognition, Self-Regulated Learning, and Study Strategies Chapter 13: Transfer, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking Due by 5:00 p.m. on April 12: Assignment 10 and Quiz 10 Week 13 (April 13-April 19) Chapter 16: Motivation and Affect Due by 5:00 p.m. on April 19: Assignment 11 and Quiz 11 Week 14 (April 20-April 26) Chapter 17: Cognitive Factors in Motivation Due by 5:00 p.m. on April 26: Assignment 12 and Quiz 12 Week 15 (April 27-May 1) NOTE: Exam 3 due on Wednesday, NOT Friday Due by 9:00 p.m. on May 1: Exam 3