PATHWAYS Topics and Courses

SAMPLE TOPICS FOR PATHWAYS COURSES

Food, Money, Oceans, Philadelphia, Visual Culture, Fieldwork

Courses Currently under Development

Minds, Machines, and Representation (AKA CGSC 270 Introduction to Cognitive Science)

Instructor: Bill Frawley (Linguistics and Cognitive Science) and Guests

This course draws on linguistics, cognitive psychology, computer science, neuroscience, philosophy, and anthropology to investigate the mind as a representation-using machine. Among the topics covered:

Searching for a Unified Theory of Mind
Representation, Computation, Architecture, Explanation
The Processor on Two Levels: Brains as Wetware, Minds as Software
Evolutionary Framework: Animals and Humans
Spatial Knowledge
Face Knowledge
Knowledge of Language
Musical and Mathematical Knowledge
Theory of Mind
Breakdown and Losses: Agnosias, Aphasias, and Processing Deficits
Applications: Mathematics Learning and Teaching
Frontiers: Consciousness, Emotions

This course will have guest lectures by a dozen members of the Cognitive Science faculty and so will give students the opportunity to learn about the representational mind from a variety of perspectives. There will also be one graduate TA and three undergraduate TAs who will lead discussions and provide tutoring.

How course meets the PATHWAYS goals:

oral and written communication, quantitative reasoning, information technology: a variety of short and long writing assignments, web-based materials and exercises, oral reports.
think critically to solve problems: :problem search and analysis.
work and learn independently and collaboratively: group work.
questions of ethics and responsibility: issues in animal minds, minds of individuals with breakdowns and deficits.
diverse ways of thinking: varied, interdisciplinary approaches to the mind.
develop curiosity, confidence, and engagement: exposure to faculty and encouragement to be involved in their research projects
integrate knowledge and extend classroom boundaries: real-world problem search, applied issues, visits to Applied Science and Engineering Labs at AI DuPont Hospital

For earlier versions of this class, see

More course descriptions to be posted soon