This course incorporates insights from General Psychology, Neuroscience, and Education.

During the course we will explore the mental abilities underlying learning processes; the cognitive resources that underlie these processes; the role played by individual factors such as emotional and motivational components in influencing learning.

The main objective of the current course is promoting knowledge about the mutlifaceted cognitive factors that underlie learning and thinking.

The teaching, which is divided into three parts, will cover the following topics:

Part 1: Experimental Methodology in Psychology

Topic 1: Research methods in psychology

Topic 2: Research methods in developmental age

Part 2: Basic cognitive processes.

Topic 1: Learning

Topic 2: Memory

Topic 3: Language

Topic 4: Attention and executive functions

Part. 3: Learning

Topic 1: Reading

Topic 2: Metacognition and Motivation

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Knowledge and understanding: The student will master an adequate knowledge of the most basic processes underlying learning process.

Applying knowledge and understanding: The student will be able to understand which cognitive functions are involved in the learning processes.

Making judgments: The student must be able to critically evaluate the scientific articles presented during the course and to apply the notions learned by preparing theoretically motivated learning methods;

Communication skills: The student will have to acquire a specific language, in order to be able to describe the basic cognitive and psychological constructs inolved in learning;

Learning skills: The student will have to demonstrate autonomy in reading the materials related to scientific research in the field of cognitive psychology of learning and in critically understanding the mental processes described.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

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Teaching

Classes of 2 hours.

Innovative teaching methods

Students will have to create an innovative teaching activity that will be shared with the lecturer at the end of the course. 

Attendance

Attendance is optional but is highly recommended.

Course books

Required Reading:

Legrenzi, P., Jacomuzzi, A. (2021). Fondamenti di Psicologia Generale (seconda ed.). Bologna: Il Mulino. (Chapters: 1  Storia e metodi della psicologia, 3 Attenzione e azione, 6 Apprendimento, 7 Memoria, 9 Comunicazione e linguaggio, 10 Motivazione)

Crepaldi, D. (2020). Neuropsicologia della lettura. Roma: Carocci Editore. (All the chapters)

Slides and additional materials (video) will be made available through the moodle platform.

Assessment

A written test consisting of two short open questions and a more detailed, longer open question. Additionally, students will have to create a multimedia project work (e.g. conceptual map) referring to one of the areas of cognitive functioning addressed during the course. The project work be presented to all colleagues on the platform during classes that will be held online, or alternatively sent to the teacher on the exam date.

The exam will last 25 minutes.

A written test consisting of three open questions. Additionally, students will have to create a didactic activity aimed at promoting child's cognitive development, inspired to the cognitive tasks and materials presented during classes.

The test will last 25 minutes.

The evaluation criteria are the following: 1) relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the contents of the program; 2) degree of articulation of the answer; 3) adequacy of the language used. 

The final evaluation will range from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Required Reading:

Legrenzi, P., Jacomuzzi, A. (2021). Fondamenti di Psicologia Generale (seconda ed.). Bologna: Il Mulino.

 (Chapters: 1  Storia e metodi della psicologia, 3 Attenzione e azione, 6 Apprendimento, 7 Memoria, 9 Comunicazione e linguaggio, 10 Motivazione)

Crepaldi, D. (2020). Neuropsicologia della lettura. Roma: Carocci Editore. (All the chapters)

Slides and additional materials (video) will be made available through the moodle platform.

Attendance

Attendance is optional.

Course books

Legrenzi, P., Jacomuzzi, A. (2021). Fondamenti di Psicologia Generale (seconda ed.). Bologna: Il Mulino.

Crepaldi, D. (2020). Neuropsicologia della lettura. Roma: Carocci Editore.

Assessment

Written examination with open questions.

A written examination consisting of three open questions is planned.

The open questions will be aimed at assessing the ability to critically reason about the knowledge acquired.

Duration of the exam: 25 minutes.

The student will also be required to create a teaching activity (e.g., presentation in ppt or prezi or with another software of the student's choice; concept map in word or with another software) referring to one of the topics covered in class. The lecture activity should be sent to the lecturer on the exam date by uploading it to the course's blended learning platform.

All students, both attending and nonattending, will be required to produce this digital content for examination purposes.

The evaluation criteria are as follows: 1) relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the program content; 2) degree of articulation of the answer; 3) appropriateness of the language used.

The final assessment is expressed in thirtieths (range of marks: from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

None.