MCCCD Program Description

Educational Psychology

Course: PSY210

First Term: 2001 Summer I

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Scientific research and psychological principles as they apply to teaching and learning. The role of psychology in educational settings, human diversity, theories of learning, intelligence, memory, creativity, assessment, and factors influencing effective instruction and learning

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Describe the discipline of educational psychology and explain how psychological principles are used to improve the educational process. (I) 2. Describe how the method of scientific inquiry is used in psychological research and how these findings apply to effective instruction and learning. (II) 3. Describe the biological, cognitive, social, and emotional processes of human development as they relate to the tasks of schooling. (III) 4. Explain the psychological research on such sources of human diversity as differences in intellectual ability, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, culture, and gender. (IV) 5. Describe behavioral, cognitive, and information processing theories of learning and their applications in the classroom. (V) 6. Describe psychological research into instructional effectiveness. (VI) 7. Identify and explain how effective teachers motivate their students both to learn and to behave responsibly. (VII) 8. Explain various psychological principles geared to the management and support of a learning-oriented environment. (VIII) 9. Explain how effective teachers determine goals and specify instructional outcomes. (IX) 10. Explain how effective teachers assess students, themselves, and the educational system. (X)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Introduction to Educational Psychology A. Definitions B. Why apply psychology in the classroom? C. Characteristics of novice and expert teachers II. Psychological Research in Education A. Methods of scientific inquiry B. Types of research C. Validity and reliability D. Applications to education III. Human Development A. Cognitive development B. Language development C. Moral development D. Psychosocial development IV. Psychological Perspectives on Human Diversity A. Exceptional children B. Diverse backgrounds C. Gender differences D. Learning styles E. Intelligence and creativity V. Learning A. Behavioral and social theories B. Cognitive theories C. Information processing theories VI. Teacher Effectiveness: Psychological Perspectives A. Do teachers make a difference? B. Characteristics of effective teachers C. How do effective teachers make decisions about teaching? VII. Motivation A. Psychology of human motives B. Student factors C. Classroom atmosphere VIII. Approaches to Learning-Oriented Classrooms A. Encouraging engagement B. Discipline: A behavioral perspective C. Application of theories IX. Goal Setting for Effective Teaching A. Teaching for specific outcomes B. Critical thinking C. Accommodating student diversity X. Assessment and Evaluation A. Student assessment B. Self-assessment C. Assessing the system and involving parents

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 2/27/2001

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.