PSYC363

Description

Section information text: This is an advanced seminar that combines an in-depth examination of research in cognitive development and the learning sciences, with classroom-based research in a public school setting. The course will revolve around a research project conducted in partnership with the Woodland Academy, a public school located near Clark University. We will develop and pilot teaching interventions for preschoolers and kindergartners focusing on developing their knowledge of objects and materials (e.g., the same kind of object can be made of different kinds of materials); weight (e.g., the weight of an object depends on its size and the material it is made of); amount of stuff (if you change the shape of a ball of Playdough or divide it into several pieces, do you still have the same amount of clay); and number. Students in this course will produce critical literature reviews, conduct clinical interviews with the children at Woodland Academy, and participate in the design, implementation, and assessment of the teaching interventions. The research project will be based on existing learning progressions for key concepts in math and science, and will contribute to refining those learning progressions. Classroom talk will be an important aspect of our observations, interviews, and interventions. Students in this course will also read on and discuss different topics in cognitive development and in classroom discourse e.g., the development of numerical skills physical knowledge, and reasoning skills, epistemological and ontological development, and the relation between language and thought. Students need some schedule flexibility in order to participate in the part of the research conducted at Woodland Academy.