Time: Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-11AM
Room: SZB 316

Personal Information

Dr. Anthony Petrosino
Email: ajpetrosino@mail.utexas.edu
Sanchez Building, Room 462-A Office: 512-232-9681

Office Hours: Monday 1:30-3PM or by appointment

Additional Requirements: Students must use a word processor, e-mail and have access to a web browser. If these requirements cannot be fulfilled, please see instructor.

Required Materials:

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (HPL)
John D. Bransford (Editor), Ann L. Brown (Editor), Rodney R. Cocking (Editor),
Hardcover - 346 pages
ISBN: 0309065577
National Academy Press
Pub Date: 1999
Available online at: http://www.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/notice.html

Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment (KWSK)
Committee on the Foundations of Assessment, James W. Pellegrino, Naomi Chudowsky, and Robert Glaser, editors, Board on Testing and Assessment, Center for Education, National Research Council
382 pages, 7 x 10,
ISBN 0-309-07272-7
Pub date: 2001

Schools For Thought: A Science of Learning in the Classroom (SFT)
John T. Bruer
ISBN: 0-262-02352-0
MIT Press: Bradford Books
Pub Date: 1993

Description: This course focuses on issues of what it means to learn and know science and mathematics. What are the standards for knowing we will use? How is knowing and learning structured and how does what we know change and develop? For the science and mathematics educator, what are the tensions between general, cross-disciplinary characterizations of knowing (e.g. intelligence) and the specifics of coming to understand powerful ideas in mathematics and science? What are the links between knowing and developing in learning theory, and the content and evolution of scientific ideas.

1. Course Expectations

a) Prepare for and participate in class discussion (actual and virtual discussions) and class work.

b) Completion of 3 mini Clinical Interviews with an expert/novice paring on a topic

c) Class Attendance: Class attendance is vital to the success of any course. Regular attendance is expected with no more than 2 unexcused absences from class for the semester. Violation of the attendance policy can result in no credit for the course.

d) Three Exams (100 points each)

2. Grading Policy

To receive an A:

Satisfactory completion of Course Expectation A, and C and 360 or more points from Course Expectations B and D.

To receive a B:

Satisfactory completion of Course Expectation A, and C and 320-359 points from Course Expectations B and D.

To receive a C:

Satisfactory completion of Course Expectation A, and C and 280-319 points from Course Expectations B and D.

To receive a D:

Satisfactory completion of Course Expectation A, and C and 260-279 points from Course Expectations B and D.

To receive an F:

Satisfactory completion of Course Expectation A, and C and 259 or less points from Course Expectations B and D.

3. Syllabus

Tuesday Jan 14 - Introduction to Course

Thursday Jan 16 - A New Theory of Learning

KWSK: 1-14
HPL: pp. 3-27

Tuesday Jan 21 - A New Theory of Learning

SFT: pp.1-18
KWSK: 1-14
HPL: 3-27

Thursday Jan 23 - The Science of Mind-Tasks and Representations

SFT: pp. 19-50
KWSK: 44-51
The Balance Beam Task

Tuesday Jan 28- The Science of Mind--Tasks and Representations

SFT pp. 19-50

Thursday Jan 30 - Modeling Problem Solving - Hobbits and Orchs

Classroom Activity (Lab)

Tuesday Feb 4 - How Experts Differ From Novices

HPL: pp.31-50
SFT: 51-79
KWSK: 79-92

Thursday Feb 6 - How Experts Differ from Novices

HPL: pp.31-50
SFT: 51-79
KWSK: 79-92

Tuesday Feb 11 - Learning and Transfer

HPL:pp.51-78
SFT: pp 51-79

Thursday Feb 13 - The Design of Learning Environments

HPL: 131-154
KWSK: 274-283

Tuesday Feb 18 - TEST 1 (100 points)

Thursday Feb 20 - How People Learn: Mathematics Instruction: Making it Meaningful

Jasper Activity

Tuesday Feb 25 - How People Learn: Mathematics Instruction: Making it Meaningful

CLINICAL INTERVIEW I DUE (33 points)
SFT: pp.81-126

Thursday Feb 27 - How People Learn: Mathematics Instruction: Making it Meaningful

SFT: pp.81-126
HPL: pp.164-172

Tuesday March 4 - How People Learn: Mathematics Instruction: Making it Meaningful

SFT: pp.81-126
HPL: pp.164-172

Thursday March 6 - Classroom Activity: Modeling Elbows

Tuesday March 11 - SPRING BREAK

Thursday March 13 - SPRING BREAK

Tuesday March 18 - How People Learn: Science Instruction

SFT: pp.127-171

Thursday March 20 - How People Learn: Science Instruction

SFT: pp.127-171
HPL:pp.172-189

Tuesday March 25 - How People Learn: Science Instruction

SFT: pp.127-171
HPL:pp.172-189

Thursday March 27 - TEST 2 (100 points)

Tuesday April 1 - Teacher Learning

HPL: 190-205

Thursday April 3 - Teacher Learning

HPL: pp.190-205

Tuesday April 8 - Rethinking the Foundations of Assessment

KWSK: 17-36

Thursday April 10 - Classroom Activity: HPL Assessment Tool

Tuesday April 15 - Technology to Support Learning

HPL: pp.206-230
KWSK: 261-288

Thursday April 17 - Technology to Support Learning

HPL: pp.206-230
KWSK: 261-288

Tuesday April 22 - Assessment in Practice

KWSK: 221-260

Thursday April 24 - Assessment in Practice

CLINICAL INTERVIEW III DUE (34 points)
KWSK: 221-260

Tuesday April 29 - Assessment: Formative and Summative

HPL: pp.233-247
KWSK: 291-314

Thursday May 1 - Test 3 (100 points)

SFT: pp.257-287
HPL: pp.233-247
Final Class

Tuesday May 7 - No Class Days

Academic Integrity

Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty: Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from The University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of The University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.