Time Schedule:
Miriam Bassok
PSYCH 469
Seattle Campus
Cognitive processes in human learning, problem solving, deductive and inductive reasoning. Prerequisite: 2.0 in PSYCH 209.
Class description
The course will cover cognitive research on human problem solving and reasoning. We will consider a variety of problem types (e.g., riddles, algebra word problems, medical diagnosis) to examine how people represent (= understand) problems and which methods they use to search for problem solutions. We will also examine how problem-solving changes with learning and compare the behavior of experts and novices. We will learn about the conditions that promote or hinder flexible transfer of learning across content domains, and discuss the relevance of cognitive research on problem solving to performance in real-life situations.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Weekly lecture and discussion sections
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
Weekly homework assignments, midterm and final "mini-research" papers
Weekly assignments, midterm and final papers, class participation
