Introduction to Cognitive Science
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Syllabus
| Instructor: Dr. Charles Wallis | Phone: |
| Office: MHB 908 | 
Email: cwallis@csulb.edu |
| Wallis' Office Hours: M,W 11am-12pm |
Course web site: http://www.csulb.edu/~cwallis/482/482.html
Labs web site: http://www.csulb.edu/~cwallis/482/labs.html
Books
There are not
textbooks for this course. Reading materials will consist of
articles made available through the syllabus and the lecture slides.
Course Description:
This course introduces students to the basics of Cognitive Science including elements of Philosophy, Computer Science, Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience, and Linguistics. Serving as an independent introduction to the field of Cognitive Science, the course will focus upon on the historical development, foundational philosophical presuppositions, methodologies, and results from a selection of core topics in Cognitive Science. In addition to covering the theoretical contributions of the various disciplines of Cognitive Science, the course provides students with an introduction to the underlying theoretical framework of Cognitive Science, including its central problems, explanatory structure, and experimental methodologies. Students participate in several labs designed to promote active learning and give students a deeper understanding of the foundational presuppositions and methodology of Cognitive Science.
I focus primarily upon ways in which Cognitive Scientists explain human and animal abilities through the hypothesis of various types of cognitive architectures acting to perform cognitive tasks. A cognitive architecture combines representational structures, computational processes, and control structures to specify the information-processing capacities of a natural or artificial system. A task specification includes: (1) A characterization of the task in terms of inputs and outputs which represent the information available/utilized (inputs) and the information inferred from that initial input (outputs). (2) A characterization of computational strategy employed by the system, particularly the environmental and heuristic constraints exploited by the system in the generation of tractable, and reliable task solutions.
I base evaluations upon two take-home tests written in response to questions handed out two weeks earlier (test #1: 10%, test #2: 15%) and a final (15%), Four labs [one lab from each lab set] (30%), and a 10-17 page final paper (30%) on a topic of the student's choosing (in consultation with me).
Upon completion of the course, should have made satisfactory progress towards the following four goals: (1) Students learn to read and evaluate scholarly journal articles from the some of the core disciplines of Cognitive Science; Computer Science, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Psychology. (2) Students gain significant insight into many of the research areas, theories, and methodologies found in Cognitive Science and its constituent academic disciplines. (3) Students gain an sense of the potential impact of research in Cognitive Science upon their lives, conceptions of self, and societies. (4) Students improve their writing abilities, particularly with respect to their ability to write concise, highly organized, and self-contained expositions of theories and empirical findings. (5) Students gain familiarity with research techniques and available databases applicable to the cognitive sciences.
Readings and Schedule (Approximate):
Wk 1: Introductory Lectures: Historical Developments Converging on Cognitive
Science
Readings:
Style and Writing Tips,
Simon,
and Cummins (optional)
Haugeland
(optional)
Doings: Study
Habits Inventory Completed
Wk 2: Introductory Lectures:
Computation, Representation, and Explanatory Structure
Readings: Simon,
and Cummins (optional)
Haugeland
(optional)
Doings: Labor Day Hot Dog
Hangover No Class 9/7/2009
First
Governor Schwarzenegger "I don't give a @^%! about you" day
off 9/8
Wk 3: The Visual Pathway & The Link Between Seeing and
Moving
Readings:
Schwartz et al,
Kosslyn
Image Article (optional)
Doings: Test #1 handed out
9/14/2009, 1 lab from set #1 completed (2 for grads) 9/16/2009
Wk 4: Images: Sensation, Representation, & Inference
Readings: Schwartz et al,
Kosslyn
Image Article (optional)
Wk 5: Neural Networks, Neural Systems, & Cognition Through
Statistically Driven Association
Readings: Rumelhart,
Smolensky (optional)
Doings: Test #1 due
9/28/2009
Wk 6: Neural Networks, Neural Systems, & Cognition Through
Statistically Driven Association
Readings: Rumelhart,
Smolensky (optional)
Doings: Paper topic proposals due 10/5/2008
Second
Governor Schwarzenegger "I don't give a @^%! about you" day
off 10/9
Wk 7: Review of test #1, catch-up
Doings:
Test
Revision Extra Credit due 10/12/2009
Columbus Day Monday October 12th Campus Open
Wk 8: Concepts, Frames, & Memory
Readings: Medin,
and Markman,
Baddeley,
Squire
Doings: Test #2 handed out 10/19/2009
Wk 9: Concepts, Frames, & Memory
Readings: Medin,
and Markman,
Baddeley,
Squire
Doings: Sources for paper due 10/26/2009
Wk 10:
General Problem Solving, Rules, Learning, & Language
Readings: Anderson and Pinker
Doings:
Test #2 due 11/4/2009
Third
Governor Schwarzenegger "I don't give a @^%! about you" day
off 11/2
Wk 11: Deductive Reasoning & Logic, Inductive Reasoning & Statistics
Readings: Johnson-Laird and Byrne
Doings: 1 lab from set #2 completed (2 for grads)
11/13/2009
Thursday November
12th Veterans Day No Class Missed 
Wk 12: Emotions, Reason, and Consciousness
Readings: Block, Dennett,
Dennett
(Optional), and Blair (Optional)
Doings:
Wk 13: Emotions, Reason, and Consciousness
Readings: Block, Dennett,
Dennett
(Optional), and Blair (Optional)
Doings: Thanksgiving
Holiday Nov. 25th-29th No Class 
Wk 14: Physical & Social Environments: Social Cognition, Nature vs
Nurture, & Externalizing Cognition
Readings: Mackworth,
Adolphs,
Adolphs
(Optional)
Doings: 1 lab from set #3 completed
12/2/2008, Final handed-out, Student papers from your small group
Evaluation
Form
Wk 15: Dynamic Systems: An Alternative
Account of Cognition
Readings: Van Gelder,
and Eliasmith
Doings: 1 lab from set #4 completed 12/7/2009, Student Paper Fair
12/9
Wk 16: Finals Week
Doings: Final and paper due during finals period for this class: 12/14
12:30-2:30
University
Finals Schedule
Evaluations:
Evaluations will be based upon two take-home tests based upon questions handed out two weeks earlier (test #1: 10%, test #2: 15%) and a final (15%), Four labs [one lab from each lab set], (30%), and a 10-17 page final paper (30%) on a topic of the student's choosing (in consultation with me).
Make-up exams:
I try to be flexible with regard to deadlines for assignments. For
instance, I generally permit extensions of deadlines, make-up
exams, etc.. for serious illness, personal tragedies, and religious holidays not
recognized in the University calendar. In some cases, I may require a physicians' note
for illness. If you cannot meet a deadline, it is your
responsibility to send me an e-mail or a message on my voicemail (985-5344)
within 4 hours either prior to or after the deadline. Your message must include
contact information, such as a telephone number or e-mail address where I can reach you
to arrange appropriate accommodation.
Cheating and Plagiarism: The
CSULB Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism will be followed strictly. (See 2005-6 Catalog, pp. 75-6.) Students who have any questions or uncertainty whatsoever about this policy are responsible for meeting individually with the instructor to discuss the policy.
All tests and papers are submitted to Turnitin for evaluation. Students
discovered cheating or plagiarizing on any exam, quiz, or other course element will be FAILED for the COURSE and will be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs for possible probation, suspension, or expulsion.
Withdrawals: I follow the university policy on withdrawals. I have no disinclination towards signing withdrawal forms up until the last date allowed by the university policy.
Disabilities: I am happy to accommodate any students with disabilities. It is the student's responsibility to inform me of their disability and need for accommodation. The office of Disabled Student Services (5-5061) serves as an information source and evaluates students’ needs. DSS often proctors tests for students with disabilities.
Goals: I have four basic goals for this course: (1) Students learn to read and evaluate scholarly journal articles from the some of the core disciplines of Cognitive Science; Computer Science, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Psychology. (2) Students gain significant insight into many of the research areas, theories, and methodologies found in Cognitive Science and its constituent academic disciplines. (3) Students gain an sense of the potential impact of research in Cognitive Science upon their lives, conceptions of self, and societies. (4) Students improve their writing abilities, particularly with respect to their ability to write concise, highly organized, and self-contained expositions of theories and empirical findings.
Web Resources: This web site contains the syllabus, lecture slides from lectures already given, links, and test questions. Lecture slides and links are not required course material, nor are they an adequate substitute for class attendance. They are posted solely to further aid students in their studies. However, students often comment upon the usefulness of this material and I strongly encourage students to visit the site at least once.
Need some help with your writing? Try the Style and Writing Tips
page.
Got Test
Anxiety? Want to work on your learning skills? Check out these pages.
Dr. Tom Stevens Learning Improvement Site
Urbana-Champagne Test Anxiety Page
Western Ontario Test Anxiety Page
