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Psychology: The Science of Learning and Behaviour

A self-paced semester course covering psychology as a science of observable learning and behaviour.
Dr Steph Acaster
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(254)
Star Educator
Class

What's included

10 pre-recorded lessons
10 weeks
of teacher support
1 year access
to the content
Assessment
Weekly quiz questions will allow students to test their knowledge. Optional essay question will receive written feedback.

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12
How does learning and experience shape the ways that people (and animals) interact with their world?

This self-paced class focuses on the "Behaviourist" perspective of Psychology, and covers aspects of the subject that can be learned and studied directly and scientifically through observable behaviour. Starting with some historical perspectives, we will work through some of the key ideas and experiments which have shaped psychological knowledge, and learn key concepts and theories which can be applied to a wide range of everyday experiences. 

*Themes such as interpretation of graphs/data and application of knowledge to scenarios will recur through the different topics - with support for developing these skills throughout.
*In some weeks, mental health topics will be used as examples as the class aims to apply theories to a wide range of behaviours. This will be done from the perspective of explaining some of the theories around possible causes/explanations of symptoms, and NOT from the perspective of providing techniques, strategies, or guidance for symptoms or experiences.


CLASS STRUCTURE:
Each week/topic will begin with a 'master post' in the classroom, first with an interactive lecture video, including descriptions and explanations of the key concepts, and pause breaks for students to fill in participation questions. The teacher will use students' responses in discussion prompts later in the week and/or in future weeks' topics.


PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE:
A basic introduction to Psychology is useful, though not required for a successful class experience. The most important pre-requisite is an interest in the topic!


FURTHER STUDY:
The class is semester course focusing on one branch of Psychology. The lectures will provide core content, but it is possible for interested students to explore further. Students will be encouraged to expand their knowledge beyond the core class content as appropriate to their interests and capabilities, and independent reading is encouraged, though not required for a successful class experience.

Optional short-essay questions will be set and receive feedback if requested by students.

Learners who join this class are also able to join my "Psychology and Neuroscience GROUP" for a free trial (refunded when signing up), to allow opportunities to interact with other learners, and gain exposure to an even wider range of topics in Psychology.
Learning Goals
Students will gain an overview of behaviourist theories.
Students will understand the impacts of learning and experience on psychology/behaviour.
Students will be able to apply psychological theories to everyday scenarios.
learning goal

Syllabus

10 Lessons
over 10 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Historical Perspectives and introduction to behavioural research and ethics.
 Dualism, structuralism, functionalism, behaviourism, research ethics. 
Lesson 2:
Reflexes and simple learning
Lesson 3:
Classical conditioning
 Learning by associating stimuli 
Lesson 4:
Applications of classical conditioning
 e.g. phobias, attraction, superstition, secondary associations 

Other Details

Parental Guidance
The majority of the class covers theory, and the majority of the examples used to illustrate the theories will come from everyday experience. However, a few topics in the class videos include potentially sensitive elements, such as mental health (primarily relating to theories about how people may develop phobias or low motivation) or physical health (factors that can influence sleep habits and snacking behaviour). All of these are used as relatively brief examples to apply the main course content, and explained in the videos from the viewpoint of academic psychological theory, in the same way as theories will be applied to other topics such as animal training and language learning. Students are NOT REQUIRED to share any personal experiences, though they may find some of the theory applicable to their own lives.
Language of Instruction
English (Level: B1)
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Recommended reading (not required as part of the class but a good source to explore further): Powell, R. A., Honey, P. L., & Symbaluk, D. G. (2016). Introduction to learning and behavior. Cengage Learning.
Joined June, 2020
5.0
254reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Doctoral Degree in Psychology from Sheffield Hallam University
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from University of Birmingham, UK
I have a PhD in Psychology and have been teaching the subject at high school and/or university level since 2014.
As well as teaching a range of high-school Psychology classes on Outschool, I also currently work as an Associate Lecturer in Psychology at The Open University in the UK.

Reviews

Self-Paced Class
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$10

weekly or $92 for all content
10 pre-recorded lessons
10 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content

Completed by 13 learners
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Ages: 13-18

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