Psychology 3143G-001
Reading Ability and Disability
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course examines the cognitive processes involved in the development of reading ability and skilled reading. Topics will include predictors of reading success, theories of reading ability, eye movements, reading comprehension, and dyslexia.
Prerequisites: Either Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and 2810, AND one of Psychology 2134A/B, 2135AB or 2410A/B
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.
Antirequisite: The former Psychology 3142E
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
3 seminar hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Xuan Pan
Office: SSC 7440
Office Hours: by appointment
Email: xpan55@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Monday 3:30- 4:30, Wednesday 3:30- 5:30/UCC-65
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ 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. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
There is no required text. Course readings will be posted on OWL
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students are expected to gain an understanding of the cognitive processes involved in skilled reading and in learning to read, and of causes of reading difficulties. Students are also expected to gain an appreciation of the complexity of the process of learning to read, the multiple factors that contribute to success or failure, and the consequences to the individual of poor reading skills.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Articulate the concepts and current states of knowledge in natural science (i.e., biological basis of behaviour, cognition and/or perception) |
Lectures, discussions in class |
3 Tests |
|
Access, interpret and critically evaluate appropriate research in psychology. |
Lectures 2 Assignments |
Assignments 1 and 2 |
|
Evaluate the appropriateness of different methodological approaches to address a specific psychological question |
Lectures Assignments
|
Assignments 1 and 2 |
|
Use evidence to support claims |
Lectures |
3 Tests |
|
Communicate orally accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of the discipline of psychology |
Symposium presentation |
Feedback from peers Grade on presentation |
|
Communicate in writing accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of the discipline of psychology |
Assignments |
Assignments 1 and 2 3 Tests |
5.0 EVALUATION
There will be 2 written assignments; each of these is worth 15% of the final grade. The assignments will be approximately 5-6 pages each. Each student will present in one symposium on reading in special populations. This will involve a 10-minute presentation of 1 journal article, plus introductory and summary remarks developed with a group. The presentation is worth 15%. Written feedback given to students in other symposia is worth 5%. There will be two mid-term tests during the course, each worth 15%, and a final exam worth 20%. All tests will be written format (i.e., not multiple choice).
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Mid-term tests will be held in class on February 5 and March 11. * Make-up tests will be held on the weekends of the same week if necessary.
The final exam will be held during the April exam period (April 6-26). Assignments will be due March 9 and April 1. Late assignments will incur a penalty of 10% per day, including weekends.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Jan. 6 No class (instructor away)
Jan. 8 Introductory Meeting
Jan. 13 Writing systems
Jan. 15 Eye movements in reading
Jan. 20 Orthography; Statistical learning
Jan. 22 Word reading in skilled readers
Jan. 27 Skilled reading comprehension
Jan. 29 The Reading Brain
Feb. 3 Home literacy in preschoolers
Feb. 5 Mid-term 1
Feb. 10 Early predictors of success in reading
Feb. 12 Phonological awareness
Feb. 17-19 No class (spring reading week)
Feb. 24 Learning to read words
Feb. 26 Learning to read words
March 2 Developing word reading fluency
March 4 Developmental reading disability
March 9 The development of reading comprehension ability * Assignment 1 due
March 11 Mid-term 2
March 16 Special populations: Symposium 1
March 18 Special populations: Symposia 2 & 3
March 23 Special populations: Symposium 4
March 25 Special populations: Symposia 5 & 6
March 30 Reading Assessment; International Assessments
April 1 Interventions for word reading difficulties * Assignment 2 due8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. 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 http://www.turnitin.com
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2019-2020 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, 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 lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
