Skagit Valley College

Catalog Course Search Details

 Course Title:   Knowing and Learning

 Title Abbreviation:   KNOWING/LEARNING

 Department:    PSYC

 Course #:    115

 Credits:    5

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    5

 CIP:    n/a

 EPC:    n/a

 REV:    2018


 Course Description  

An exploration through the disciplinary lenses of philosophy and psychology of how we acquire knowledge of the world around us, including an examination of the factors that help or hinder us as we try to learn new things.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: Completed ENGL& 101 with a grade of 2.0 or higher.

Additional Course Details

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 55

Lab: 0

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0


Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Academic Social Sciences  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Other Institution Equivalencies Table
Institution Course # Remarks
UW PSYC 115 Introduction to logic emphasizing concepts and methods useful for practical analysis of arguments in everyday contexts; meaning, syllogisms, logical diagrams, inductive and statistical inference, informal fallacies, argument structure, perhaps some beginning symbolic logic
WWU

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Understand and appreciate
    • The neurobiology of learning and knowing
    • The psychology of believing, knowing and learning
    • Learning and learning styles
    • Learning and culture (incl. gender)
    • Belief systems and the function of belief in a person�s life
    • The philosophy of knowledge (epistemology)
    • Science and the scientific method
    • Critical thinking and logic
    • Aesthetic thinking and creativity
    • Technology, knowledge and learning
    • The role of the community college in learning

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

0. Application and Integration

Definition: Applying information from one or more disciplines and/or field experiences in new contexts (Outcome 0.1); developing integrated approaches or responses to personal, academic, professional, and social issues (Outcomes 0.2-0.5).

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
0.3 Identify and evaluate the relationships among different perspectives within a field of study and among different fields of study.

1. Information Literacy

Definition: Recognizing when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
1.1 Determine the extent of information needed.
1.2 Access the needed information effectively, efficiently, ethically, and legally.
1.3 Evaluate information and its sources critically.

2. Critical Thinking

Definition: The ability to think critically about the nature of knowledge within a discipline and about the ways in which that knowledge is constructed and validated and to be sensitive to the ways these processes often vary among disciplines.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
2.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and facts related to a specific discipline.
2.2 Analyze issues and develop questions within a discipline.
2.3 Identify, interpret, and evaluate pertinent data and previous experience to reach conclusions.
2.4 Evaluate decisions by analyzing outcomes and the impact of actions.
2.5 Identify similarities and differences in the ways in which data is collected and analyzed in different disciplines.
2.6 Recognize how the value and biases in different disciplines can affect the ways in which data is analyzed.
2.7 Identify and evaluate connections and relationships among disciplines.
2.8 Describe how one’s own preconceptions, biases and values affect one’s response to new and ambiguous situations.
2.9 Apply and/or create problem-solving strategies to successfully adapt to unpredictable and/or changing environments.

3. Communication

Definition: Understanding and producing effective written, spoken, visual, and non-verbal communication.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
3.1 Recognize, read, and comprehend academic and/or professional writing.

4. Community & Cultural Diversity

Definition: Recognizing the value of human communities and cultures from multiple perspectives through a critical understanding of their similarities and differences.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
4.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and issues associated with the diverse perspectives of race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, and culture.
4.2 Understand, value and respect human differences and commonalities as they relate to issues of race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and culture.
4.3 Understand the historically and socially constructed nature of—and the meanings attributed to—human differences.

6. Individual Awareness & Responsibility

Definition: Understanding, managing, and taking responsibility for one’s learning and behavior in varied and changing environments.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
6.1 Identify ethical and healthy choices and apply these personally, socially, academically, and professionally.
6.3 Apply successful organizational strategies of planning, goal setting, prioritizing, resolving conflict, and managing time to specific goals and/or projects.
6.4 Use self-reflection to recognize and define a sense of self-identity in personal, social/gender, and/or cultural/global terms and in relationship to others.
6.5 Develop self-monitoring and self-advocacy skills to effect positive life changes.

7. Aesthetics & Creativity

Definition: Interpreting human experience through engagement with creative processes and aesthetic principles.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
7.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of arts and creative expression in societies.

8. Mathematical Reasoning

Definition: Understanding and applying concepts of mathematics and logical reasoning in a variety of contexts, both academic and non-academic.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
8.2 Correctly apply logical reasoning and mathematical principles to solve problems.
8.3 Interpret information and reasoning expressed mathematically (for example in spreadsheets, diagrams, charts, formulas, etc.).

9. Scientific Literacy

Definition: Understanding scientific principles, and analyzing and applying scientific information in a variety of contexts.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
9.1 Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental scientific concepts.
9.2 Demonstrate their understanding of the principles of scientific methods, analysis, and reasoning.
9.3 Analyze, apply, and communicate scientific concepts and principles in context (for example, in technological, personal, and/or professional situations).

10. Technology

Definition: Understanding the role of technology in society and using technology appropriately and effectively.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
10.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the development and impact of technology in human experience (history, global, and local).
10.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of technology in one’s personal and professional life.

Course Contents

  1. The neurobiology of learning and knowing
  2. The psychology of believing, knowing and learning
  3. Learning and learning styles
  4. Learning and culture (incl. gender)
  5. Belief systems and the function of belief in a person�s life
  6. The philosophy of knowledge (epistemology)
  7. Science and the scientific method
  8. Critical thinking and logic
  9. Aesthetic thinking and creativity
  10. Technology, knowledge and learning
  11. The role of the community college