ClassInfo

CSC 587 Cognitive Science

Clark Elliott

Office: CDM 649
Winter 2013-2014
Class number: 20158
Section number: 801
W 5:45PM - 9:00PM
LEWIS 01108 Loop Campus

Summary

CSC587 -- Elliott Syllabus 2.0

CSC587 -- Elliott
Winter 2013/2014

Logistics:

Class meets: Wednesday 5:45 Loop Campus, Lewis 1108
Professor: Dr. Clark Elliott
email: elliott AATT cdm depaul edu. Use "587: " to preceed subject line.


Textbooks:

Suggested background text: Lawrence W. Barsalou. (1992) Cognitive Psychology, An overview for Cognitive Scientists , Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ISBN 0-89859-966-0.

No textbook, but there will be extensive readings from online papers, and COL sources.


Grading:

50% Midterm and Final Exams
50% Newsgroup participation and other assignments
I reserve the right to raise a student's grade in the case of exceptional work in a particular area.

Grading Scale:
95% A
90 A-
86,83,80 B+,B,B-
78,74,70 C+,C,C-
65,60 D+,D

Participation in the online discussion forums is required, and are the centeripiece of this course.


Topics:

In this graduate seminar course we will cover both a broad traditional introduction to the field of Cognitive Science, and an introduction into current research in the area through the reading and discussion of published research papers, and book chapters.

Cognitive Science has been described as the meeting point of Artificial Intelligence from Computer Science, and Cognitive Psychology from the psychological sciences. We will study the ways in which (a) AI models can suggest possible architectures of the human brain, (b) psychological studies can suggest both architectures of the human brain and also possible architectures of intelligent computer systems (c) theories of computational intelligence can suggest designs for both the human brain and intelligent computer systems, and (d) difficult theoretical and philosophical problems that arise when we consider building systems with the staggering complexity of the human mind. Cognitive Science, or Information Processing Psychology, also embraces the disciplines of linguistics, philosophy, and physiology, and we will consider topics from these areas as well. Specific topics include, but are not limited to: Cognitive Psychology, Categorization, Imagery, Rerpesentation and symbols, Perception, Memory, Attention, Languge, Semantic Networks, Emotion, Case-based reasoning, Scripts, Metaphor, new frontiers of science, Philosophical concerns, Brain plasticity.


Learning Goals:

By the end of this course you will:
  • Have a broad understanding of the basic problems of cognitive science.
  • Have a good understanding of some of the approaches taken to modeling human cognition on computers.
  • Have developed competancy in reading, and discussing challenging research articles.
  • Have participated in many high-level discussions of the course material.
  • Have demonstrated master's-level understanding of cognitive science on exams such that you are qualified to teach this course in the future.

Submission File Formats:

All text submissions must be made in Microsoft Word format, or in plain ascii HTML, or plain ascii text. (Free programs are available to produce each of these formats.) No other formats will be graded.

Assignments must be submitted to BOTH COL and TurnItIn.com before they will be graded for credit. Students are responsible for downloading their assignments after uploading, to make sure that files have not been corrupted.


Administration:

  • Office hours are posted under my faculty link at cdm.depaul.edu.
  • All course materials, assignments, and the schedule are posted either at COL or at the course website.

Academic Integrity:

Cheating, plagiarism, and unethical conduct are not allowed, and will be sactioned, including referral to the dean's office, and failure in the class. Please refer to the Academic Handbook by which rules you are expected to abide.



School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296