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Syllabus

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Blackboard

BCS 261: Lecture Schedule

Only students who are enrolled in the course may access the readings online. You must be logged into Blackboard to download the course readings.

01/14
Introduction & overview of class
01/19
MLK Day: No Class
01/21
In class experiment: collaborative conversation with Tangrams
01/26
Discussion of Clark & Wilkes-Gibbs & Tangram experiment (pdf)
01/28
Discussion of issues raised by Tangram experiment
02/02
Background Lecture: When and how do interlocutors take into account each other's perspectives: an introduction to common ground, informativity, & referential domains
(Readings)
02/04-02/09
Presentation & discussion:
Readings:
Wardrow-Lane & Ferreira (2007)
Brown-Schmidt, Gunlogson & Tanenhaus (2008)
Ferreira & Dell (2000)
Wu & Keysar (2007)
Keysar et al. (2000)
Hellar, Grodner & Tanenhaus (2008)
Haywood, Branigan & Pickering (2006)
Hanna & Tanenhaus (2005)
Hellar, Skovbroten & Tanenhaus (abstract)
02/11
Discussion of Projects; sample project list distributed & discussed
02/16
Background Lecture: Language & Thought
02/18-02/23
Presentation and discussion of
Readings:
Papafragou & Trueswell
Lupyan et al.
Boroditsky et al.
Li & Armstrong
Glenberg Ch 21 (OPTIONAL)
02/25
BCS261 Project:
In groups of 2 to 4 people, you will design, set up and carry out a small experiment, testing about 8-10 people (e.g. friends or classmates). The subject of your project should be related to the content of the class. You will be testing a specific hypothesis, and we will be able to help you with working out the design of your experiment.
Assignment for Wednesday:
Write two to three paragraphs, including the following:
1. Your general interests relating to language
2. Idea(s) for a project
3. Are there people that you want to work with?
Make sure to send us your assignment before noon on Wednesday.
03/02
Midterm exam
03/04
Background Lecture: Embodied Language Processing
03/09-03/11
Spring Break: No Class
03/16-03/18
Presentation & discussion of articles
Readings:
Arnold et al. 2004
Wagner, Cook, & Tanenhaus
03/23
No Class
Assignment: Every group should put together a one-page proposal describing their research project. Please make sure to work on this with the other members of your group, and send us your group's proposal (one per group) by noon on Monday at the latest.
03/25
CUNY conference: No Class
03/30-04/01
Background lecture: When you say it and when you don't
Meetings with Prof. Tanenhaus (04/01)
04/13-04/15
Presentation & discussion: (TBA)
Readings:
Boroditsky 2001
04/20-04/22
Presentation & discussion: (TBA)
Readings
Optional Readings
04/27
No Class
04/29
Mini-conference presentations
05/01
Mini-conference presentations
11:30-1:00pm, 366 Meliora Hall
Presentations (pdf)
05/06
Paper due
Project Papers: The paper should be about ten pages long. This does not include any references or tables and figures). Please no more than 15 pages
Begin with a short introduction (3 pages) that motivates the study, including a brief discussion of the most directly relevant literature (2-3 papers at most).
Next, write a short (two or three pages at most) method section that describes your participants and the procedure you used.
Next, write a results section (two or three pages) that summarizes how you analyzed the data and what you found. Include tables and figures if they will help the reader visualize the results.
Finally write a short discussion/conclusion section (two to three pages) that summarizes what you found, what you think it means, and any problems/limitations with your study. You might also suggest future directions for research.

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