CBL: Cognitive Science Goes To School

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Students will read, synthesize, and discuss how cognitive science can help us make decisions when faced with questions about teaching, learning, and instructional design. Cognitive science provides models and rigorous evidence about the mechanisms involved in thinking, learning, and problem solving. Although we do not yet have complete understanding of how basic cognitive research can be applied to education, we are far enough along that we should try to take advantage of what we know to improve teaching and learning. Students in this class will apply cognitive science research to inform their education-related service for elementary or middle school children. They also will carry out a small-n experiment to evaluate if a particular instructional design feature matters for children's learning, and one of the final exam questions will ask students to propose an original experiment for the next class to test. Community placements may include mathematics and/or early reading tutoring conducted two days a week (either M/W or T/TH) in the local South Bend community. Note that some of the local sites we work with may not be within walking distance of campus, so students may need to have a car or regular access to transportation for those sites if chosen.