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Education 5#: Thinking about Thinking Winter 2018

The 411: The Instructor:

Holly A. Taylor

Contact Information: holly.taylor@dartmouth.edu

603-646-3685

203 Parker House

Office Hours:

Mondays & Fridays: 12:45-1:45 or by appointment

Class Time & Location:

11: M, W, F—11:30-12:35

X-hour: T – 12:15-1:05

[Location: TBD]

About this course: How do you solve a complicated problem, whether the problem is social, engineering, conceptual or scheduling? This course explores how we store and use information, in other words how we use our knowledge to think. Successfully using our knowledge is key to teaching and learning. We will explore questions underlying thinking and learning and their applications (e.g., to education), including:

• Methodology – how do we figure out how people represent and then use information in their minds?

• Processes – what mental processes do people engage in when thinking?

• Variability – is different information mentally represented differently? can the same information be represented differently?

• Individual Differences – do different people represent and use the same information differently?

• Flexibility – can we change how we think about information if needed, i.e. creativity? In what unusual ways might people represent and use information?

We will examine these questions taking a broad perspective from education and related disciplines.

Course Goals: • Think more about thinking.

• Gain facility in understanding what research can reveal about thinking.

• Develop real-world applications for education or related fields that reflect the scientific research on thinking.

• Practice communicating ideas in both written and oral formats.

Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in. ~Alan Alda

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Date Topic Reading Assignment Due

Jan. 3 Introduction to Thinking 5 Naïve Theories of the World Dunbar et al. (2007); Vosniadou, (2007) 8 Mental Imagery Debate Kosslyn et al. (2003); Pylyshyn (2003a,

2003b)

10 Manipulating Mental Images Gooding (2010); Palermo et al. (2008) 12 Activity Day 1 15 Martin Luther King Day 16x Different Ways of Thinking Iyengar et al. (2006); Blazhenkova &

Kozhevnikov (2009) Activity Sheet 1

17 Multimedia Learning Mayer (2008); Muller et al. (2008)

19 Individual Differences Hegarty et al. (2006); Willingham (2010)

22 Thinking about Physical Action Holmes & Calmels (2008); Thomas et al. (2003)

24 Embodied Cognition Casasanto & Chrysikou (2011); Davis & Markman (2012)

26 Activity Day 2

29 Language Comprehension Glenberg (2011); Rapp & Kendeou (2009)

Activity Sheet 2

31 Using Language Rapp et al. (2014); Smith et al. (2009)

Feb. 2 Thought and Language Boroditsky (2011); Regier & Kay (2009) 5 Midterm Exam

7 Crossing Modalities Goldin-Meadow & Beilock (2010); Rothen et al. (2013)

9 Thinking with Analogies Chan & Schunn (2015); Jaeger et al. (2016)

12 Spatial Thinking Newcombe & Stieff (2012); Taylor & Hutton (2013)

14 Applying Spatial Thinking Newcombe (2016); Ramadas (2009)

Course & University Expectations: Expectations: Let’s agree that we’re going to begin and end on time, have plenty of time for questions, come prepared, and fully participate.

Integrity: Academic fraud in unconscionable and insulting. Suspected violations, whether on drafts or final products, will affect your course grade and your standing at Dartmouth. Remind yourself of Dartmouth’s academic honor code: http://www.dartmouth.edu/judicialaffairs/honor/. If you have questions please ask me or consult: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/sources/ for citation information.

Accessibility: If you require accommodations for a documented learning, physical, or psychiatric disability, please talk to me early in the term so we can figure out the best approach for you. If you have not done so already, students requiring disability-related accommodations should register with the Student Accessibility Services office (301 Collis Student Center). Contact info: 646-9900 or Student.Accessibility.Services@Dartmouth.edu. Policies can be found at the following web-site: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~accessibility

Communication: The best way to contact me is by e-mail. I will do my best to respond within 48-hours.

Respect: Everyone has valid contributions to make to class discussions. Respect others’ ideas and viewpoints in all discussions.

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Date Topic Reading Assignment Due Feb. 16 Activity Day 3 Lawson (2006); Weisberg (2008)

19 Understanding Complex Information

Lawson (2006); Weisberg (2008)

Activity Sheet 3

21 Illusions of Explanatory Depth Lombrozo (2006); Keil (2003) 23 Knowledge Distortions Dudokovic (2004); Howe (2011);

Schacter et al. (2011)

26 Metacognition Dunning et al. (2003); McNamara (2011)

28 Unconscious Thought Dijksterhuis et al. (2006); Turke-Browne et al. (2009)

Mar. 2 Activity Day 4 5 Presentations Activity Sheet 4 9 Presentations Project Paper Due TBD Final Exam

Course Policies and Tips: “What are you looking for?”: In your course assignments, I’m looking for interesting ideas tied to course materials and research. I’m looking for evidence that you’ve thought about the issues. I’m also interested in how you choose to communicate your ideas. Clear communication is key. Papers do not need to conform to any particular style. Further, I encourage use of diagrams and pictures to further communicate ideas. As such, I will not provide sample papers, as I feel they implicitly limit your thinking and communication processes. Any details that matter will be outlined on the assignment explanation.

Resources: Take advantage of resources at Dartmouth to enhance your learning. For information on potential academic resources see http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/

Extensions: If you think you could write a much better paper or fully complete an activity sheet if you just had more time, by all means take that time. You don’t even need to ask. However, there is a penalty of 5% per day for late assignments (e.g., 5 points on a 100-point assignment). Weigh how much better your assignment would be with more time against this penalty. No extension can be offered for the presentation.

Electronics: Mounting research suggests that electronics in classrooms hinder more than they help. This research suggests that notes taken by hand yield better learning than typed notes. Further, laptops provide distractions not only for the user, but for those within eye-shot of the screen. If your handwriting is SO bad you feel you must take notes on a computer, you may. However, when not actively taking notes, please put your screen at half-mast. Cell phones should be turned off for class. If you are expecting an emergency call, please let me know and step out of the room if the call comes in.

Absences: If you need to miss class, let me know as soon as possible. There is a range of absences for which accommodations will be considered. In emergent situations, such as illness or family emergency, notify me as soon as possible to make arrangements. For sports absences, let me know the relevant dates in advance. For religious observances that conflict with class, please meet with me before the end of the second week of the term.

X-hours: Unless an unusual situation arises (e.g., blizzard), the x-hour will only be used after MLK Day.

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Assignments: Your course grade is based on 500 points, divided into the following requirements:

Activity Sheets (4 x 25 pts. each = 100 pts.): Four class days will involve activities that provide hands-on experience with some of the concepts we have discussed. Activity sheets will allow you to connect the activities to the course topics specifically and directly see applications of these concepts. In case of illness or excused absence on an Activity Day, you will instead write an application paper covering one or more of the same concepts. More information about the application paper will be available on Canvas.

Exam Questions (2 x 12.5 pts. = 25 pts.): One week prior to each exam you will submit exam questions to me. Details on the requirements and format of these questions will be on Canvas. Some of the best questions will be used on the exams.

Exams – Midterm and Final (2 x 100 pts. each = 200 pts.): You will have both a midterm and a final exam. The final exam is non-cumulative, covering material since the midterm. Exams will involve short essays that will ask you to apply information from readings and class discussions.

Class Project – Presentation and Paper (50 pts. presentation + 100 pts. paper = 150 pts.): For your project, you will work in groups of 2 to 4 students, developing ideas discussed in class into an application for situations that involve thinking (e.g., an education intervention targeting a particular thinking skill). As a preview, the elements of your project will include a fully developed idea and a proto-type or mock-up of the application. You will orally present the idea on the last class day (group presentation -- 50 points). You will also write individual papers (100 points). A more detailed assignment sheet will be posted on Canvas.

Class Participation (25 pts.): When you’re engaged in class discussions it improves both your learning and learning of others in class. When you’ve prepared for class by completing the readings before class, you can be more engaged in class. Your engagement level and class attendance record will factor into total participation points.

Grading: A standard 10% scale will be used for grading (e.g. 90-100% A, 80-89% B, etc. with + and – within this.

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Topic Readings All readings are available on Canvas unless otherwise noted Naïve Theories of the World

Dunbar, K., Fugelsang, J., & Stein, C. (2007). Do naïve theories ever go away? Using brain and behavior to understand changes in concepts. Thinking with data, 193-206.

Vosniadou, S. (2007). Conceptual change and education. Human Development, 50(1), 47-54.

Mental Imagery Debate

Kosslyn, S. M., Ganis, G., & Thompson, W. L. (2003). Mental imagery: against the nihilistic hypothesis. Trends in cognitive sciences, 7(3), 109-111.

Pylyshyn, Z. W. (2003). Explaining mental imagery: now you see it, now you don't: Reply to Kosslyn et al. Trends in cognitive sciences, 7(3), 111-112.

Pylyshyn, Z. (2003). Return of the mental image: are there really pictures in the brain?. Trends in cognitive sciences, 7(3), 113-118.

Manipulating Mental Images

Gooding, D. C. (2010). Visualizing scientific inference. Topics in Cognitive Science, 2(1), 15-35.

Palermo, L., Iaria, G., & Guariglia, C. (2008). Mental imagery skills and topographical orientation in humans: a correlation study. Behavioural Brain Research, 192(2), 248-253.

Different Ways of Thinking

Iyengar, S. S., Wells, R. E., & Schwartz, B. (2006). Doing better but feeling worse. Psychological Science, 17(2), 143-150.

Blazhenkova, O., & Kozhevnikov, M. (2009). The new object‐spatial‐verbal cognitive style model: Theory and measurement. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23(5), 638-663.

Multimedia Learning

Mayer, R. E. (2008). Applying the science of learning: evidence-based principles for the design of multimedia instruction. American Psychologist, 63(8), 760-769.

Muller, D. A., Bewes, J., Sharma, M. D., & Reimann, P. (2008). Saying the wrong thing: Improving learning with multimedia by including misconceptions. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 24(2), 144-155.

Individual Differences

Hegarty, M., Montello, D. R., Richardson, A. E., Ishikawa, T., & Lovelace, K. (2006). Spatial abilities at different scales: Individual differences in aptitude-test performance and spatial-layout learning. Intelligence, 34(2), 151-176.

Willingham, D. T. (2010). The myth of learning styles. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 42(5), 32-35.

Thinking about Physical Action

Holmes, P., & Calmels, C. (2008). A neuroscientific review of imagery and observation use in sport. Journal of motor behavior, 40(5), 433-445.

Thomas, A. K., Bulevich, J. B., & Loftus, E. F. (2003). Exploring the role of repetition and sensory elaboration in the imagination inflation effect. Memory & Cognition, 31(4), 630-640.

Embodied Cognition

Casasanto, D. & Chrysikou, E. (2011). When Left is “Right”: Motor fluency shapes abstract concepts. Psychological Science, 22(4), 419-422.

Davis, J. I., & Markman, A B. (2012). Embodied cognition as a practical paradigm: Introduction to the topic, the future of embodied cognition. Topics in Cognitive Science, 4, 685-691.

Language Comprehension

Glenberg, A. M. (2011). How reading comprehension is embodied and why that matters. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 4(1), 5-18.

Rapp, D. N., & Kendeou, P. (2009). Noticing and revising discrepancies as texts unfold. Discourse Processes, 46(1), 1-24.

Using Language Rapp, David N., et al. "Amazing stories: Acquiring and avoiding inaccurate information from fiction." Discourse Processes 51.1-2 (2014): 50-74.

Smith, M. K., Wood, W. B., Adams, W. K., Wieman, C., Knight, J. K., Guild, N., & Su, T. T. (2009). Why peer discussion improves student performance on in-class concept questions. Science, 323(5910), 122-124.

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Topic Readings Thought and Language

Boroditsky, L. (2011, February). How language shapes thought. Scientific American, 62-65.

Regier, T., & Kay, P. (2009). Language, thought, and color: Whorf was half right. Trends in cognitive sciences, 13(10), 439-446.

Crossing Modalities

Goldin-Meadow, S., & Beilock, S. L. (2010). Action’s influence on thought: The case of gesture. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 664-674.

Rothen, N., Scott, R. B., Mealor, A. D., Coolbear, D. J., Burckhardt, V., & Ward, J. (2013). Synesthetic experiences enhance unconscious learning. Cognitive neuroscience, 4(3-4), 231-238.

Thinking with Analogies

Chan, J., & Schunn, C. (2015). The impact of analogies on creative concept generation: Lessons from an in vivo study in engineering design. Cognitive science, 39(1), 126-155.

Jaeger, A. J., Taylor, A. R., & Wiley, J. (2016). When, and for Whom, Analogies Help: The Role of Spatial Skills and Interleaved Presentation. Journal of Educational Psychology.

Spatial Thinking Newcombe, N. S., & Stieff, M. (2012). Six myths about spatial thinking. International Journal of Science Education, 34(6), 955-971.

Taylor, H. A., & Hutton, A. (2013). Think3d!: Training spatial thinking fundamental to STEM education. Cognition and Instruction, 31(4), 434-455.

Applying Spatial Thinking

Newcombe, N. S. (2016). Thinking spatially in the science classroom. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 10, 1-6.

Ramadas, J. (2009). Visual and spatial modes in science learning. International Journal of Science Education, 31(3), 301-318.

Understanding Complex Information

Lawson, R. (2006). The science of cycology: Failures to understand how everyday objects work. Memory & cognition, 34(8), 1667-1675.

Weisberg, D.S., Keil, F.C., Goodstein, J., Rawson, E., & Gray, J. (2008). The seductive allure of neuroscience explanations. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(3), 470-477.

Illusions of Explanatory Depth

Lombrozo, T. (2006). The structure and function of explanations. Trends in cognitive sciences, 10(10), 464-470.

Keil, F. C. (2003). Folkscience: Coarse interpretations of complex reality. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(8), 368-373.

Knowledge Distortions

Dudokovic, N., Marsh, E., & Tversky, B. (2004). Telling a story or telling it straight: The effects of entertaining versus accurate retellings on memory. Applied Cognitive Psychology,18, 125-143.

Howe, M. L. (2011). The adaptive nature of memory and its illusions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(5), 312-315.

Schacter, D. L., Guerin, S. A., & St. Jacques, P. L. (2011). Memory distortion: An adaptive perspective. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(10), 467-474.

Metacognition Dunning, D., Johnson, K., Ehrlinger, J., & Kruger, J. (2003). Why people fail to recognize their own incompetence. Current directions in psychological science, 12(3), 83-87.

McNamara, D. S. (2011). Measuring deep, reflective comprehension and learning strategies: challenges and successes. Metacognition and Learning, 6(2), 195-203.

Unconscious Thought

Dijksterhuis, A., Bos, M. W., Nordgren, L. F., & van Baaren, R. B. (2006). On making the right choice: The deliberation-without-attention effect. Science, 311, 1005-1007.

Turk-Browne, N. B., Scholl, B. J., Chun, M. M., & Johnson, M. K. (2009). Neural evidence of statistical learning: Efficient detection of visual regularities without awareness. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 21(10), 1934-1945.