COMP 20090: Introduction to Cognitive Science (2009/10)
Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary effort to uncover the relationships between brains, minds, and behaviour. This 12 week module will provide a selective look into a number of topics which are central to Cognitive Science. Starting with a historical overview of these relationships, the module will go on to look at topics in the study of language, learning, perception, action, and thought. Each topic will be addressed from a variety of theoretical standpoints.
In 2010, there will be two parallel sets of lectures. On Tuesdays, there will be a lecture at 11, and the same lecture again at 2. On Thursdays, there will be a lecture at 12 and the same again at 2. All lectures will be in the CSI lecture theatre, on the ground floor of the Computer Science building.
New: Study notes will be provided in lectures. If you are missing any study notes, contact fred.cummins at ucd.ie. Remember: attendance at lectures is mandatory, and failure to attend will make passing this course very difficult indeed!
Texts:
There is no set textbook. Mandatory readings for each lecture will be made available through the website in the "Readings and Resources" page. Each lecture also has pointers to a variety of additional readings and resources. You are expected to select some of these for further study.
Evaluation:
There will be two exams, one in-class at week 8, and one at the end of the semester. They will account for 40% and 60% of the final grade, respectively. Exams will assume that you have attended all lectures and that you have read some additional material. Attendance will not be monitored in lectures, but satisfactory performancein exams will demand that you actually attend lectures. Merely perusing the lecture notes after the fact will not suffice.
PDF versions of the study notes will be listed along with each topic in the Readings and Resources page.
| [1] The History of Cognitive Science | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
|---|---|---|
| [2] Language: Innateness and Modularity | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [3] Learning and Development |
Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [4] Movement | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [5] Vision | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [6] Representations | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [7] On Time and Space | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [8] Studying Human Brains | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [9] Memory | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [10] Reasoning | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [11] Social Cognition | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |
| [12] Consciousness | Lecture notes | Readings and Resources |