Psychology 2620A 001 FW25

Introduction to Educational Psychology

 

Western University

London                   Canada

 

Department of Psychology

Fall/Winter 2025

 

Psychology 2620A    Section 001

 

INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

 

 

1     Calendar Description

 

Survey of psychological research and theory in terms of their implications for educational practice. Topics will include learning, motivation, development, problem-solving, individual differences, teacher effectiveness, and assessment.

Antirequisite(s): Psychology 2610F/G.

Prerequisite(s): A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits of Psychology at the 1000 level.

Extra Information: 3 lecture hours.

Course Weight: 0.50

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

2     Course Information

 

Instructor:                      Dr. John Mitchell

Office & Phone:            see OWL Brightspace

Office Hours:                 Tuesdays 11:00 – 12:00 and Thursday 1:00 – 2:00, and by appointment. Meetings are available in person and over Zoom.  To schedule a Zoom meeting, email me for the Zoom link.

Email:                               jbmitche@uwo.ca

 

Teaching Assistant:   TBA

Office:                               TBA

Office Hours:                 TBA

Email:                               TBA

 

Time and Location of Classes: in-person course

See Student Centre Timetable

3     Course Materials

 

e-textbook available at the Campus Book Store and from Pearson Higher Education. The e-textbook lists with a cost of $57.99 at the Pearson website.

Woolfolk, A., Usher, E. L., Perry, N. E., & Winne, P. H. (2023). Educational Psychology, 8th Canadian Edition, Pearson Education.

 

Abbreviated versions of the slide shows that I use in class will be available on the course website. These are abbreviated versions and are intended to provide an outline for you to use when taking notes; they will not substitute for attending class and taking notes.

 

4     Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

·       Compare theories of learning and teaching and their implications for education.

·       Discuss how learner differences impact education

·       Understand the social and cultural context of education

Lectures and course readings

Multiple choice exams

Online assignments

Knowledge of Methodologies

·       Understand the methodologies used in educational research

Lectures and course readings

Multiple choice exams

 

Application of Knowledge

·       Understand strategies for developing “expert learners” and “expert teachers”

·       Describe factors that increase or decrease students’ motivation and achievement

·       Understand how learning outcomes can be measured

Lectures, course readings, and online assignments

Multiple choice exams

Online assignments

 

Communication Skills

·       Address current issues in education in an online forum

Online assignments based on textbook Point/Counterpoint sections

Online assignments

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

·       Understand the limitations of different approaches to assessment

·       Describe the limitations to educational research

Lectures, course readings, and online assignments based on textbook Point/Counterpoint sections

Multiple choice exams

 

 

5     Evaluation

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives

Online Assignments                25%

Midterm Examination            35%

Final Examination                    40%

Online assignments: There are eight online assignments, and you need to complete five of the eight. If you complete more than the required five, the marks from your best five will be used in the calculation of your course grade. Each online assignment is worth 5% for a total of 25% of the course grade. Online assignments are due by 5:00 pm the Monday after we have completed the corresponding chapter.  Late assignments will be assessed a late penalty of 1 mark for each day late, counting from the day and time that the assignment is due.  For example, an assignment submitted between 5:01 on the due date until 5:00 pm the next day will be assessed a one mark out of five late penalty. An assignment submitted during the following 24 hours will be assessed a two mark late penalty, and so on.

Briefly, an online assignment will ask you to address a Point/Counterpoint or Stop & Think feature from the chapter(s) under consideration and provide a brief reply or assessment of the Point/Counterpoint or Stop & Think, or will ask you to address a theme or issue raised in that chapter. Further details are available on the course website.

Note that no academic considerations will be given for missed online assignments. The flexibility included in these assignments (five of eight with best five counting) is the consideration.

Examinations. There will be a midterm and a final exam.  The midterm is worth 35% of the course grade and the final exam 40%. Both examinations will be multiple choice. The midterm is on October 16 during class time.  The final exam will be held during the December exam period. The midterm will cover material from Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9, and the corresponding classes. The final exam will cover material from Chapters 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15, and the corresponding classes. Note that you are responsible for the entire chapter, including material that is not discussed in class.

Policy on Missing Coursework

Exams must be written on the scheduled dates unless you have a legitimate documented reason approved by your home Faculty’s academic counselling office. A student who misses a scheduled exam for other reasons or does not have approval from an Academic Counselling office or Accessible Education will be assigned a mark of 0 for the exam. Students who have university approval to miss the midterm or final exam will be provided one opportunity for a makeup exam. If the makeup exam is missed due to a further accommodation students may take that exam the next time the course is offered. The make-up exam for the midterm will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday October 24, 2025.

Note that acceptable documentation and approval through your Faculty’s academic counselling office is required for the midterm exam; academic consideration based on self-attestation cannot be used for the midterm exam.

You need to complete five out of eight online assignments; hence these assignments include flexibility, and no further accommodations are available for the online assignments.  Late assignments will be assessed a late penalty of 1 mark for each day late, counting from the day and time that the assignment is due.

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines:  https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

70%        1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%        2100-2999-level courses

75%        3000-level courses

80%        4000-level courses

In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding

 

Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade be considered regardless of the reason(s) for the request.

 

 

6     Assessment/Evaluation Schedule

 

Online Assignments          25%        Throughout the course

Assignment

Chapter(s)

Due Date1

 

1

3,4

Sept. 22

 

2

5

Sept. 29

 

3

6

Oct. 8

 

4

9

Oct. 15

 

5

10

Oct. 27

 

6

11

Nov. 10

 

7

12

Nov. 17

 

8

14, 15

Dec. 8

 

1 Due by 5:00 on date listed

Midterm Examination      35%        October 16, during scheduled class time

Final Examination              40%        December examination period, scheduled by the Registrar’s Office

 

 

 

7     Class Schedule

   Date                                       Topic                                                                        Reading

    Sept.   4                       Opening Class, Overview, and What is Ed Psych?                    Ch. 1, 2

          9, 11                                 Cognitive Development                                              3

       16, 18                             Self, Social, and Moral Development                                 4

       23, 25                            Learner Differences and Learning Needs                            5

               30     National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (non-instructional day)

    Oct. 2, 7       Language Development, Language Diversity, and Immigrant Education      6                                                                                    

                                       

          9, 14                                    Complex Cognitive Processes                                        9

         16                                        Midterm Exam1                                                       3, 4, 5, 6, 9

        21, 23                               Constructivism and Interactive Learning                            10

        28, 30                    Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation                 11

   Nov. 4, 6                                                           Reading Week                                                        -

  11, 13, 18                                Motivation in Learning and Teaching                                12

        20, 25                                                 Teaching Every Student                                              14

               27            Classroom Assessment, Grading, and Standardized Testing         15

Dec.   2, 4                                                  Assessment continued                                              

                 9                                                 Summing Up: Last Class                                              -

  1. The make-up for the midterm exam is at 1:00 pm on Friday October 24, 2025. Note that acceptable documentation and approval from your Faculty’s academic counselling office or Accessible Education is required to write the make-up for the midterm exam; academic consideration based on self-attestation cannot be used for the midterm exam.

Topics will be covered in the order given above. In some instance, the topic may extend to the following class.  In class I will discuss those parts of the chapter that are the most important, most difficult, or the most interesting and will expand on some material to add depth and/or update the information. For chapters that are on the class schedule you are responsible for the entire chapter, including sections that we do not cover in class.

 

8     Academic Integrity

 

Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

You are welcome to use your laptops, tablets and other devices in class to assist your learning. However, if you are going to use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, watch YouTube, or browse various websites not related to course content, please sit at the back or edges of the classroom.

Research has shown that non-academic use of laptops and smartphones during class has a negative correlation with exam grades (Ravizza et al., 2014). That is, the more students use their devices in class on non-class tasks, the lower their marks on tests and exams, regardless of intellectual ability.  What is most concerning is that not only do those students have lower marks, the students sitting behind them who can be distracted by their screens also score significantly lower on tests and exams (Sana et al., 2013). 

If you choose to hurt your own academic performance, that is your decision.  However, if in doing so you compromise the experience and success of those sitting near you, that is not acceptable.  It is a matter of respect of your classmates

Plagiarism Detection Software

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com.

Use of AI

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.

AI Policy for Psychology:

Responsible use of AI is allowed in Psychology.  This includes using AI for brainstorming, improving grammar, or doing preliminary/background research on a topic.

AI is not to be used in place of critical thinking.

The misuse of AI undermines the academic values of this course.  Relying on AI to create full drafts or fabricate sources is prohibited.  You are ultimately responsible for any work submitted, so it is highly advised that you critically review your Generative AI output before incorporating this information into your assignments.

If you use AI, you must clearly explain its role in your work.  All written assignments will require an AI Usage Statement, in which you will indicate what tools you have used, what you have used them for, and (broadly) how you have modified this information.  Assignments without an AI Usage Statement will not be accepted.

Violations of this policy will be handled according to Western’s scholastic offense policies.

Multiple Choice Exams

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

 

9     Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education

 

View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.

Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.

If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information.  Email: aew@uwo.ca  Phone: 519 661-2147

 

10  Absence & Academic Consideration

 

Please see this link for detailed information on Western’s Academic Considerations protocols: https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html  

 

 

 

11  Other Information

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement

 

Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

 

12  Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.