BCS 259: Syllabus

Spring 2012

Time & Location

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12:30 - 1:45 PM, Meliora 203

Personnel

Patricia (Patty) Reeder (Instructor)
Office: Meliora 322
E-mail:
Phone: 585-275-1812 (use email if possible)
Office Hours: Mon/Thurs, 2-3pm in Meliora 323A and by appointment

Sarah Bibyk (TA)
Office: Meliora 428
Email:
Office Hours: Tues, 2-3pm; Wed, 3:30-4:30pm in Meliora 418

Course Description

In the beginning, we are little bundles of flesh that cry when we are uncomfortable...and that's just about the extent of our communicative skills. But within a few short years, typically developing children are fully participating members of the language community. This is remarkable because human language is an incredibly complex system. In this course, we ask the question: How do we acquire a system of such incredible complexity, and in such a short period of time? We will consider the steps children take along the path to learning language, including how they learn about sounds, words, higher-level sentence structure, and how to communicate effectively. We will also explore factors within the child and his/her environment that make this remarkable feat possible.

The course will be focused on theories and big ideas, as well as understanding how data and careful scientific investigation supports these theories. This class will be structured as a combination of lectures and seminar style discussions.

Course Requirements

Exams (75% of your grade)

There will be three in-class exams (each worth 25% of your grade) plus an optional final exam. The exams will be a combination of multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions. Exam questions will be based on readings, lectures, in-class videos, the class blog, and class assignments. The optional cumulative final will take place during the exam period. You may use this grade to replace the lowest of your first three exams. There will be NO MAKE-UP EXAMS except for University-sanctioned excuses. If you are unable to take an exam because of a University-sanctioned excuse, you must take the exam PRIOR to the scheduled date. This must be requested at least two weeks in advance. In case of medical or family emergency, a make-up exam will be arranged after the original date.

Assignments (25% of your grade)

There will be a variety of assignments throughout the semester, which will include in-class assignments, quizzes, blog and discussion forum participation, and homework. Due dates will be clearly indicated for each assignment.

Quizzes are to be completed on Blackboard no later than one hour before class (11:30am) on the date specified. Quizzes will become unavailable after this time.
In-class assignments must be completed in class and turned in at the end of class. If you miss class and fail to complete an in-class assignment, you may do a make-up assignment that will be available on Blackboard.
Homework assignments must be typed and submitted via Blackboard no later than 12pm (noon) on the date specified. Late assignments will be penalized 20% for every day late. This penalty starts at 12:01pm on the due date. Extensions cannot be granted unless accompanied by a University excuse.

Attendance

Class attendance and participation are highly encouraged. You should come prepared to class, having done the assigned readings and any assigned homework. Should you miss a class, you are responsible for any and all material discussed during that class. If you miss an in-class assignment, you may do a make-up assignment that will be posted to Blackboard. I caution you that there are hundreds of studies in the cognitive psych literature demonstrating that attending to a secondary task (i.e., farming your Farmville farm, reading the newspaper, texting, etc.) detracts from your performance with a primary task (paying attention in class). The Scientific Literature and I urge you not to waste your time in class multitasking.

Grading

Exam 1: 25%
Exam 2: 25%
Exam 3: 25%
Assignments: 25%

Frequent and substantive participation in-class, on the course blog, or on the discussion forum may count for a small amount of extra credit, particularly if you are straddling two grades.

Course Materials

Hoff, E. (2009). Language Development (4th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson.

Required readings will be a combination of textbook chapters and journal articles posted to Blackboard.

Blackboard: I'm going to use Blackboard quite a bit this semester. Lectures, required readings, quizzes, in-class announcements, the course blog, the discussion forum, your grades, and your homework will all reside on Blackboard. Therefore I expect you to check the website at least once before each class in order to view important announcements.

Academic Honesty

You are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty. Bottom line: don't cheat; don't plagiarize. Cases of suspected misconduct will not be evaluated directly by me, but will be referred to the College Board on Academic Honesty. I take this policy VERY seriously. If you are unsure of something, please ask me. You ARE NOT permitted to discuss the homework or quizzes with each other outside of class, and write-ups must be completed independently. The use of books, notes, etc. during exams is not permitted. The only thing allowed at your desk during an exam is a writing implement. Paper will be provided. The University of Rochester's policy on academic honesty is described in detail at: http://www.rochester.edu/College/honesty/

Learning Assistance

Students who desire assistance on how to take notes, study for exams, or write more clearly should contact the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Lattimore 107 (275-9049). More details can be found at: http://www.rochester.edu/college/cetl/

Instructor Evaluation

I want this to be the best possible learning environment for all of you, and so I encourage you to comment at any time about how the class is going, what you would like to see more or less of, or anything else that would make this a more instructive environment for you. To this end, I will post class/instructor feedback surveys on Blackboard throughout the semester to find out how things are going.

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