Purdue University Northwest > Faculty Senate > News > Senate Documents > CHESS 17-33 NEW COURSE PSY 20401

CHESS 17-33 NEW COURSE PSY 20401

January 23, 2018

Purdue Northwest Curriculum Document

Program Name: Psychology

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  • Document No: CHESS 17-33 NEW COURSE PSY 20401
  • Proposed Effective Date: Fall 2018
  • Submitting Department: Psychology, CHESS
  • Date Reviewed by Department: 12/11/17
  • Submission Date: 1/23/2018
  • Date Reviewed College/School Curriculum Committee: 01/26/2018 and 02/02/2018
  • Contact Person: Robert Hallock, Assistant Professor

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  • Approval by Faculty Senate:
  • Date Reviewed by Senate Curriculum Committee:
  • Name(s) of Library Staff Consulted: Not Applicable
  • Will New Library Resources Used?: No
  • Form 40 Needed?: Yes

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Task: Course Change or New Course Proposal

    • Program Name: Psychology
    • Degree name(s): Bachelor of Science

Section II: This section is for changes in courses only

Subject:

PSY 20401 – Learning & Memory will be a new course that offers a survey of two of our 300-level courses; Learning (PSY 31400) and Human Memory (PSY 31100).

Justification:

The course will be an overview of Learning and Memory as a 20000-level course that we intend to require as part of our revision of the BS in psychology degree. Currently, PSY 31100 and PSY31400 are offered but our faculty agree that while an understanding of these two topics in psychology is essential to the major, our students are better served by a single required 20000 level course rather than requiring the two upper level courses.

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Current:

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Proposed:

PSY 20401 Learning & Memory

Credit Hours : 3:00

Class 3, lab 0

This course explores the basics of learning theory, the types of memory, and the relationship between memory and brain function. Prerequisites: PSY 12000 with minimum grade of C-

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Course Objectives / Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. identify habituation and sensitization when it occurs
  2. differentiate between classical and operant conditioning principles.
  3. demonstrate an understanding of episodic, semantic, and motor memory.
  4. explain the differences between short term & long term memory.
  5. identify the neurological correlates of memory in the brain.
  6. explain social learning theory
  7. describe how memory changes as a function of age.

Impact on Students:

This course will better serve our students as a required learning and memory course and will better prepare them for upper level courses in Learning (PSY 31400), and in Memory (PSY 31100).

Impact on University Resources:

Not Applicable.

Impact on other Academic Units:

Not Applicable.