The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.
EDPSY 421 Learning Processes in Relation to Educational Practice (3): An introduction to the empirical study of variables and conditions that influence school learning. Prerequisite: EDPSY 014 or PSY 213 (Note: These pre-requisites are waived for this program.)
In this course, you will learn several different theoretical perspectives on how human learning occurs.
This course is cohort-based, which means that there is an established start and end date, and that you will interact with other students throughout the course. The course consists of textbooks, online readings, and a course Web site that contains the lessons and communications tools.
EDPSY 421 is 13 weeks in length. The course is broken down into an orientation and 12 units.
The objective for this course is two-fold: for you to gain an understanding of various learning theories and to see how these can be applied to questions of human learning. For the first objective we need to learn each theory: understand how each perspective defines and explains learning, what the mechanisms are that lead to or support learning, and how the environment can affect this process. The second objective requires going beyond the factual foundation of each theory to understand how it applies to educational practice. By the end of this course, you should see how your theoretically organized knowledge can play a role in research, instructional practice, assessment, and decision making.
To best achieve these objectives, I have selected theories that I find to be the most promising in meeting this need. The criteria used for theory selection include empirical validation, wide-ranging utility, and educational relevance. Although we will not be able to cover all theories that meet these criteria, the set I have selected will give you a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge.
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Buying Software section of the Course Materials page.
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a
distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor
2 GHz or higher
Memory
1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space
20 GB free disk space
Browser
We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled.
Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.
Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Achieving the course objectives requires that we focus on both fact acquisition and application practice. By fact acquisition, I mean that each of you must accurately learn the ideas presented in each theory. By application practice, I mean that each of you must get used to the process of applying your theoretical knowledge to address real world questions and issues. To do this, we will complete assigned readings and respond to three different types of questions. These questions and the rationale behind them are as follows:
Multiple-choice questions:
Each assigned reading is concluded with a set of multiple-choice, factual level questions that everyone must answer individually before preceding to the next group activity. These questions are designed to focus attention on specific ideas from the text; ideas related to understanding the factual basis of each theory. The purpose of these questions is to insure that everyone carefully considers the ideas presented by each theorist. In my past teaching of this course, I have found that students have many ideas and opinions about the various theories that we cover. While I welcome opinions, I have observed a pattern that is quite troubling: The opinions are sometimes formed with little regard to what the theorist actually stated. That is, many of my past students have formed opinions of theories that are based on common misconceptions, myths, and misunderstandings. The multiple-choice questions are designed to make sure that we first attend to the facts and then form an opinion. You should note that I wrote these questions with the belief you would complete the quiz as an open book assessment. As a result, questions tap many details at a level I would expect you to understand but not necessarily memorize in one reading. If you would like to test yourself, I recommend completing the quiz using only your memory but check the textbook before submitting your answers.
Guiding questions:
Answered in groups through threaded discussions, these questions are designed to help you think about what each theory means and how the ideas might transfer from the textbook to applied settings. These questions will get you thinking about what the learning environments a theory best addresses, how specific learning mechanisms operate in the everyday world, and how one's own theoretical perspective influences instructional and assessment choices. These guiding questions are intended to help us move beyond the acquisition of facts from the textbook toward the practice of elaborating, explaining, and applying these ideas to the problems that educators face in applied settings. As we cannot possibly answer all questions that would fall under this heading, each of you should understand that these questions serve as both guides and examples to understand the role of theory in our thinking.
In answering these questions, each of you will work within assigned groups. After several days of discussing your answers, I will post my answers to these same questions. You will then have the opportunity to compare your answers to mine before submitting the group's final responses at the end of the unit. Given the importance of attempting answers on your own before reading my answers, each group is required to submit preliminary responses at the time my answers are posted. Preliminary responses will not be graded. Submission of these, at the designated time is required however, before I will grade final answers. though preliminary responses do not need to be accurate, a reasonable attempt is required for these answers to be accepted.
Application and synthesis:
Answered in groups through threaded discussions, these higher-order questions are written to further stimulate thinking about the theories and their applications. These question sets are presented during Unit 6 and 12 (see schedule information below) and will require each of you to think across theories, integrate and synthesize ideas, and apply knowledge to real world issues. As with the guiding questions, you should view these questions as an opportunity to practice using the knowledge acquired from the textbook.
These questions will be answered without the benefit of my example answers and should be thought of as the midterm and final exams in the course. As with the guiding questions, these will be answered in groups with a single response submitted for the entire group.
The course is designed to run in two parts -- each consisting of 6 units. In the first part, we will cover Behavioral (Skinner), Sociocognitive (Bandura), and Sociocultural (Vygotsky) theories. The second part covers cognitive models of learning and includes information processing, motivation, and cognitive learning processes. Each part is divided into 5 units of content coverage and one unit of application and synthesis activity. Each content unit begins with the page titled "Points to Consider." During content units, you will individually complete the assigned reading and answer multiple-choice questions. In groups, you will answer a set of guiding questions that require understanding and discussion of text information. The course is designed so that you will not have access to the guiding questions until after you have completed the multiple-choice quiz at the end of the reading. All groups will have the opportunity to see my answers to guiding questions and compare their answers before submitting the final answers for their group. Correct responses for multiple-choice questions will be available immediately upon completing the quiz.
The sixth unit is dedicated to completing the set of application and synthesis questions. The questions will be available at the beginning of the unit and groups will have an entire week to answer these. As with the guiding questions, one response for each question will be submitted per group.
Group Activities:
I will assign you to your groups close to the end of Unit 1. Groups will remain together throughout the first set of 6 units. At the start of the second set of 6 units, new groups will be assigned and these will remain in place through the end of the course. Each group will submit answers to both Guiding questions and Application and Synthesis questions.
During Content Units, after individually answering multiple-choice questions, each of you will be able to access the set of guiding questions assigned for that reading. Groups will work on answering these through threaded discussions on discussion boards. Each group will have its own discussion board assigned and groups will use threaded discussions to answer each question. Only myself and group members will have access to each assigned discussion board.
During Application and Synthesis units, to-be-answered questions will be available at the beginning of the unit. Groups will engage in a threaded discussion for each of these questions throughout the week. As with the guiding questions, each group will submit a single response to each question.
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Lesson 0: Getting Started
Readings:
Assignments:
Complete the orientation activities in Unit 0.
Lesson 1: The Role of Theory in Education
Readings:
Read Chapter 1 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete "Quiz for Unit 1"
Answer Guided Question for Unit 1 individually:
Submit your preliminary response by email to your instructor
Review the Instructor's response
Submit your final answer by email to your instructor
Lesson 2: Behaviorism: Introduction
Readings:
Read Chapter 2, pp. 27 - 45 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete "Quiz for Unit 2"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 2
Question leaders will post their discussion strategy
Group discussion of Guiding Questions
Initial group answer submitted by Team Leader
Instructor responses
Final answer submitted by Team Leader
Lesson 3: Behaviorism: Skinner
Readings:
Read Chapter 2, pp. 45 - 76 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 3"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 3
Lesson 4: Sociocognitive Theories: Bandura
Readings:
Read Chapter 3 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 4"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 4
Lesson 5: Sociocultural Theories: Vygotsky
Readings:
Read Chapter 11 from Learning and Instruction: Theory into Practice (5th Edition), Gredler, M.E. (2005). This is available via electronic reserves.
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 5"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 5
Lesson 6: Application and Synthesis Activity
Readings:
Assignments:
In groups, complete application and synthesis questions for Unit 6
Lesson 7: Information Processing Models
Readings:
Read Chapter 4, pp. 130 - 153 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 7"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 7
Lesson 8: Information Processing Models (cont'd)
Readings:
Read Chapter 4, pp. 153-182 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 8"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 8
Lesson 9: Cognitive Learning Processes
Readings:
Read Chapter 5 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 9"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 9
Lesson 10: Motivation
Readings:
Read Chapter 11, pp. 452 - 483 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 10"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 10
Lesson 11: Motivation (cont'd)
Readings:
Read Chapter 11, pp. 483 - 511 in your textbook
Assignments:
Complete multiple choice questions "Quiz for Unit 11"
In groups, answer guided questions for Unit 11
Lesson 12: Application and Synthesis Activity
Readings:
Assignments:
In groups, complete application and synthesis questions for Unit 12
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. Grades for undergraduate and graduate students shall be reported by the following letters: A, A-, B, B+, B-, C+, C, D, or F.
The grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, and F indicate a graduation in quality from Excellent to Failure and are assigned the following grade-point equivalents:
Letter Grade
Grade-Point
Equivalent
Percentage
A
4.00
92-100
A-
3.67
90-91
B+
3.33
88-89
B
3.00
82-87
B-
2.67
80-81
C+
2.33
78-79
C
2.00
72-79
D
1.00
61-71
F
0
< 60
Late Policy
All assignments are due by 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Please contact your instructor directly if you need an exception. Situations will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Please refer to the University Registrar's information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
There are 4 types of assignments: Multiple choice quizzes, responses to guiding questions, responses to application and synthesis questions, and participation in threaded discussions. Grades are determined as shown below:
Type of Activity
Percentage of Final Grade
Multiple- choice quizzes
There are 10 quizzes during the course. Your quiz average will contribute 30% of your final grade.
Guiding Questions
There are 10 sets of guiding questions (Units 1-5 and 7-11). Individual Guiding Questions will be graded on a point system using the rubric shown below. To calculate the Guiding Question contribution to the final grade divide the points earned by the total possible points and convert to a percent to get the guiding question grade. The Guiding Question grade will contribute 30% to your final grade.
Application and Synthesis Questions
The application and synthesis questions are graded using the same rubric as the guiding questions. Calculate the application and synthesis grade by dividing the points earned by he total possible points and convert to a percent. The application and synthesis question grade will contribute 20% to your final grade.
Participation in Threaded Discussions
Based on the rubrics displayed below, you can earn up to 5 participation points for each discussion, and an additional 5 participation points each time you lead a discussion. Note that on weeks when you lead a discussion, you are also expected to participate. Your participation grade will be determined by dividing the participation points earned by the total participation points possible. Your participation grade will contribute 20% to your final grade.
Guiding Questions and Application Synthesis Questions
The same 4 pt. rubric will be used for weekly Guiding Questions and end of unit Application and Synthesis Questions. Questions will be scored independently so to get weekly point totals you should double the points available on the rubric below. Recall that earlier I indicated that preliminary answers submitted each Monday needed to be acceptable before final answers would be graded. To be considered acceptable, a preliminary answer must meet the level of a “1” on the rubric below.
Guiding Question Grades - 8 points possible (4 for each answer)
Most assignments contain two guiding questions worth four points each. The total point value for each team submission is eight points.
The team leader submits the response, but everyone on the team is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the response, and everyone who contributed gets the team grade. If your team leader ignores your recommendations and submits a response you disagree with, submit a dissenting opinion by e-mail explaining where you disagree. I will include consideration of the points you made in your message.
If your participation points are less than 5, your team grade will be your participation fraction times the team grade. For example, if your participation grade is 4 / 5 or 80%, and your team grade is 8 / 8, your guiding question grade will be 0.8 * 8 = 6.4 / 8
Accurate and Elaborated - 4 pts
Answer contains no misconceptions or inaccuracies. There are no factual errors or erroneous conclusions.
Ideas are expanded and elaborated. For example, the answer contains
Citations to text support answers and include page numbers i.e. Schunk p. 22 states....
The answer is not limited to rote explanations provided by the text, includes interpretation of content in the text, and integration of content with prior knowledge.
uses unique examples to illustrate conclusions
Accurate - 3 pts
Answer contains no misconceptions or inaccuracies.
Ideas are adequately explained but are not elaborated missing one of the elaboration criteria listed above.
Partial - 2 pts
Answer may contain one or more inaccuracies but these inaccuracies are not tied to central points, or the answer is accurate but incomplete. Some correct information is provided,but parts of the question are not fully answered,
Explanations are incomplete missing two of the elaboration criteria presented above.
Inaccurate - 1
Bulk of answer or ideas tied to central points are inaccurate or
Explanations are incomplete missing three of the elaboration criteria presented above.
Incomplete or No Answer - 0 pts
Preliminary response was not submitted by the due date or final response was not submitted.
Discussion Rubric/Participation Grade - 5 points possible
Engagement - 2 pts
In order to earn the 2 engagement points, you must do both of the following.
Participate in the discussion in the manner requested by your team leader. Sometimes students ignore the team leader and just go off and do their own thing. That would result in loss of an engagement point.
You actively engage your teammates in discussion. Active engagement means that you interact in a number of ways such as posting of original ideas, asking and answering questions, synthesizing ideas, elaborating on the postings of your teammates, and participating in the evaluation of the preliminary answer You participation should be multidimensional to meet this criteria of engagement.
Substantive contributions to the discussion - 3 pts
While statements of agreement or praise (good job) contribute to the social climate of the discussion and are encouraged, they do not count as substantive contributions. Substantive contributions are original ideas, thoughtful questions, and responses to questions that contribute to the team's understanding of the topic. You will earn:
3 points for posting at least 8 substantive contributions
2 points for 6-7 substantive contributions
1 point for 4 - 5 substantive contributions
0 points for 0 3 substantive contributions
The following classifications are used to determine a substantive posting.
original ideas, analysis, or explanation that use authoritative references to advance the discussion
thoughtful questions or questioning of teammates
responses to questions or synthesizing responses that contribute to the team's understanding of the topic
elaborations on a previous posting that provide and example or extend understanding and include a connection to theory
evaluation of the substance of the final response - For this category, I'm looking for statements that go beyond agreement. Writing "I agree ..." or "good job" would not be enough to count in this category
stating a position to advance a solution to a problem
The following additional classifications are for postings that are not in the substantive category but valued for their social contribution to the discussion and are counted as evidence of engagement:
responses that provide additional interesting background information about the topic but are not on point to answering the question at hand
responses that convey a personal example or opinion on the topic, but provide no authoritative reference to theory
statements of agreement or support that encourage or reiterate a position
responses that correct the grammar formatting or other mechanics of the final answer
procedural and housekeeping messages, formatting of final response
Team Leader Rubric/Participation Points 5 Points Possible
Team leaders must do all of the following to earn the 5 participation points for leading a discussion:
Post objectives and a strategy for answering the guiding question by Wednesday, the starting day of the discussion
Facilitate the discussion to help the team develop answers to the guiding questions
Submit an acceptable preliminary answer by the due date
According to Penn State policy
G-9: Academic Integrity
(for undergraduate students in undergraduate courses) and policy
GCAC-805 Academic Integrity
(for graduate students and undergraduate students in graduate courses), an academic integrity violation is “an intentional,
unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to
gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student
academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete
all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been
permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with
papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you
to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from
Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must
identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information,
use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share
instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity
should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw
from the affected course
unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see
G-9: Academic Integrity
or
GCAC-805 Academic Integrity
as appropriate). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students
will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students
who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic
outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other
outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail
elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from
their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal
integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help
create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the
fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is
requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedures
allow a student to accept or contest/appeal the allegation. If a student
chooses to contest/appeal the allegation, the case will then be managed by
the respective school, college or campus Academic Integrity Committee.
Review procedures may vary by college, campus, or school, but all follow the
aforementioned policies.
All academic integrity violations are referred to the
Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, which may assign an educational intervention and/or apply a Formal
Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion.
Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy is
included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a
course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course,
please contact us by going to the
Contacts & Help page.
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Students with disabilities participating in internship, practicum, student teaching, or other experiential learning opportunities as part of their degree requirements may also be eligible for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity. These accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, their University supervisor, and the site supervisor. Student Disability Resources can assist students with identifying potential barriers, facilitating accommodation requests, and coordinating with University supervisors to promote inclusive learning experiences.
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the
World Campus Student Center website.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any
such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.
[printer-friendly version]