Curriculum :
In this course there will be a systematic examination of the psychological theories that deal with the cognitive processes of thinking, problem solving and learning. The relationship between typical logic and human thinking will be discussed. Particular attention will be paid to the importance of prior knowledge knowledge in cognitive development and to the theories that deal with issues of knowledge representation, categorization, formation and development of concepts and conceptual change. Knowledge development in specific domains, such as physics and mathematics, will be discussed in detail, using research examples from the field of learning and problem solving in these specific domains. Finally, the role of analogies and cultural tools in problem solving, teaching and learning will be discussed.
By the end of the course, students will be able to answer questions such as:
• How do people think?
• How do people reason?
• Which is the role of mental models in thinking and learning and when do people use mental representations to solve problems?
• What is the role of prior knowledge in cognitive development?
• How do children's knowledge in specific domains like physics and mathematics develop and what is the role of instructional analogies and cultural tools in this development?
Outline :
• Concepts: Approaches on conceptual development based on similarity and the role of theories in conceptual development
• Cognitive Development: Theories of Piaget & Vygotsky
• Information Processing Theories
• Evolutionary Theories of thinking
• Theories of Intelligence
• The problem of Conceptual Change:
− Conceptual Change in Physics and Astronomy
− Conceptual Change in Mathematics
− The role of Cultural Tools and Instructional Analogies in Conceptual Change