Syllabus

BCSC 111: Syllabus

Fall 2024

Time & Location

Time: Tue/Thu | 3:25 PM - 4:40 PM
Room: Hutchison Hall 141

Personnel

Instructor: Dr. Chung-Lin Martin Yang
Office: Meliora Hall 322
Office Hours: Mon/Wed 10:30 – 11:30am (in person and on Zoom) (starting Sept. 4th)

TAs (in alphabetical order):
Rithwik Cherian
Deeksha Chinta
Krishnaveni Nagarajan
Alex Reyda
Helen German Vargas
Kelly Zhang

Course Description

The goal of this course is to introduce you the field of cognitive science, with a strong focus on cognitive psychology. Topics to be covered in this course include a brief history of cognitive science, memory, attention, cognitive development, cognitive neuroscience, language, individual differences, and cultural factors.

This course follows the College credit hour policy for four-credit courses. This course meets twice weekly for 3 academic hours per week. The course also includes independent out-of-class assignments (complete the required readings) for at least 1 academic hour per week.

Recommended textbook

Cognitive Psychology: In and Out of the Laboratory, 6e by Galotti. Supplemental readings will be posted on Blackboard. Please check the course site regularly. Announcements will also be made when new materials are posted.

Course Requirements

  1. Participation (9%): Active participation in discussions is expected, some of which may require you to turn in a short summary or post something on Blackboard. The basic info survey is worth 1%. Each graded discussion is worth 2% of the course grade. There will be 4 graded discussions throughout the semester (these will be only graded as Complete/Incomplete - no partial credits, and late submissions will be graded as “Incomplete/0”.)
    If you have any questions about the course materials or lecture, please do feel free to ask for clarification in class, ask us after class, email us, or come to our office hours. We are all friendly and eager to help!
  2. Quizzes (22%; 5.5% each): Four closed-book quizzes, which include multiplechoice and true/false questions, will be administered on Blackboard in class (in person). Please bring your laptop or tablet (no smartphones!) to take the quizzes only in our regular lecture hall. (Blackboard will record your IP address!) The purpose of these quizzes is to assess how much you understand the course topics and readings.
  3. Homework Assignments (18%; 6% each): Due dates can be found in the course schedule below. Late submission will NOT be accepted unless you have medical or family emergencies (see course policies #2 and 3 below).
  4. Midterm (25.5%) and final (25.5%): A paper closed-book midterm and final exam will be administered in class in person. The dates can be found in the class schedule below. The final exam is NOT cumulative. Study guides will be provided and posted on Blackboard.

Class Policies

  1. Academic misconduct: All assignments, tests, and activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance with the University of Rochester's Academic Honesty Policy and the Student Code of Conduct (PDF). Plagiarism, cheating, and any form of academic misconduct will be reported following the guidelines set by the University.
    • Proper use of the digital platforms (e.g., Blackboard, Poll Everywhere, and Zoom): please be respectful when you post your comments/questions online or respond to the polls and activities.
  2. Special accommodation: If you need special accommodation (e.g., medical or family emergencies, observance of religious holidays/events, etc.), please let us know as early as possible. We will do our best to accommodate! If you can’t take a test or submit an assignment on time for health reasons, documentations are required for make-ups or late submissions (see below for COVID/flu-like symptoms). Otherwise, late submissions won’t be accepted.
  3. COVID-related policy: If you are not feeling well (even just have some mild symptoms), are waiting for COVID test results, or have been in close contact with COVID patients, just let me know by sending me an email at your earliest convenience. We can discuss how you can make up the missed work. If unfortunately you test positive for COVID, please carefully follow the instructions and procedures
  4. Mobile devices
    Please silence your mobile devices. No cellphone/smartphone or any other entertainment devices are allowed while class is in session. Laptop/tablet use in class is allowed for note-taking and reading course materials only.
  5. Please keep track of your own grades throughout the semester and let us know if you have any questions.

Grading

  1. The final grades (rounded up to the nearest integer) will be based upon the following scale:
    (Note that the total points shown on Blackboard are not accurate, as that’s not weighted by each grading category.)
    • A 93 -100
    • A- 90 - 92
    • B+ 87 - 89
    • B 83 – 86
    • B- 80 - 82
    • C+ 77 – 79
    • C 73 – 76
    • C- 70 – 72
    • D+ 67 – 69
    • D 63 – 66
    • D- 60 – 62
    • E below 60