Fall 2009
Time & Location:
PSYCHOLOGY OF READING
Psy 338K (Unique #44095)
MWF 12:00 to 1:00 PM, NOA 1.116
Instructor: Patrick Carroll, Ph.D.
Email:
carroll@psy.utexas.edu
Office Telephone:
(512) 475-7007
Office Location:
SEA 5.204 (Seay Psychology Building)
Office Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 1:00-2:00 PM (and by appt.)
Teaching Assistant: Danielle Eagan, M.A.
Email:
deagan@mail.utexas.edu
Contact Telephone:
215-906-1071
Office Location:
SEA 4.110 E (This is a suite of offices. Enter through the Business Office, SEA 4.110)
Office Hours:
TBA
Class Homepage: Blackboard
Readings: Readings will be posted on Blackboard (Course Documents > Readings). The majority of these readings will be
chapters from introductory-level textbooks in Human Cognition, Cognitive Development, and Cognitive
Neuroscience.
Goals of Course:
Writing is one of the great human inventions, an invention that is not merely a tool, but a powerful, shaping force in
our lives, and it is an invention with an impact that may actually be increasing in the technology-laden world of our
information society. Literacy is built on an evolved innovation that may have been the single most important factor
in distinguishing humans from our primate cousins—our elaborate and amazingly nuanced communication system
called language. In turn, language and its child—literacy—are governed by a brain that defines, represents, and acts
on the world using a rich, multi-layered system of symbols and processes these symbols using a vast array of
cognitive resources.
This class is an exploration of our symbolic, linguistic mind and brain and the influence of what is arguably our
greatest technology—writing. We will look at language to try to see how it works. We will explore how a “new”
ability—literacy—appeared within historical time and became an important force in human psychology and
continues to redefine itself in each generation. We will explore how literacy is acquired and why some have
difficulty becoming literate, while others find it easy. We will look at influences on literate practices, from pathways
in the brain to approaches to classroom instruction to social forces that determine the very meaning of being literate.
Finally, we will study reading as one example of a set of complex, refined abilities (others include mathematics,
music, and visual artistry) that define the pathways of human achievement.
Tests:
Your grade will be based on your performance on four (4) tests. The tests will contain a mixture of short essays,
definitions, and multiple-choice items. The four tests will be equally weighted, each composing 25% of your grade.
Tests are scheduled for the following days:
Wednesday, September 23
Wednesday, October 14
Monday, November 9
Friday, December 4
Tests are not cumulative. Each test will concentrate on the material from that portion of the course—lectures and
readings. Obviously, the material is interrelated, so basic knowledge of the previous parts of the course will be
assumed on each test.
Attendance:
Good attendance is expected and will not be rewarded, but poor attendance can be penalized. Attendance of 80%,
excluding tests, will be used as an operational definition of “minimum reasonable attendance.” The consequence of
poor attendance (operationally: less than 80%) will be a reduction in grade, with the degree of impact related to level
of attendance. I will not give “excused absences” for regular classes, even for exceptionally good excuses. If you
need to inform me about an emergency that will keep you out of class, do so by email and I can take account of that
information if I wish to do so at the end of the semester.
Final Course Grades: Final course grades will be based on the percentage of the total possible points that you receive., with
the following ranges:
A
92-100
A90-91
B+
88-89
B
82-87
B80-81
C+
78-79
C
72-77
C70-71
D+
68-69
D
62-67
D60-61
F
Below 60
Grades merely reflect your performance on the tests, papers, and other activities. I cannot evaluate how hard you
work, how smart or motivated you are, how important the grade is to your future goals, how much you know of
untested material, how well you would have done with a different testing format, how good a human being you are,
or a myriad of other factors. I don’t trivialize the importance of these other factors—I am simply not capable of
fairly and meaningfully incorporating them into a grade.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Academic dishonesty: Cheating—high tech or low—will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate “F” for the entire
course. Plagiarism or any other failure to do your own work is also unacceptable and even a single instance may
result in a failing grade for the course. Plagiarism is any not clearly acknowledged use of other people’s language in
your own writing. Plagiarism is not simple direct lifting of other people’s language, but also paraphrasing and
paralleling their wording or discourse structure.
Missing a Test & Makeup Tests: If you miss a regular test AND receive an excused absence, you will need to take a
makeup test. Makeup tests will be given as soon as possible after the student has returned to class, contingent on my
having time to write a new test.
An excused absence for a test will be given only for fully documented medical or family emergencies. Please
include contact information (name & telephone number) with the documentation you submit and arrange for legal
release of verification information where there are restrictions.
Compiling and providing clear and verifiable documentation is your responsibility.
Do not wait to be asked. Even if you have received verbal or emailed permission to miss a test, the absence does not
become an officially excused absence until documentation is on file and has been received in a timely manner.
Borderline Grades: The formal grade ranges are in a table above. Every semester some students are just below some
cutoffs, sometimes a point or two and sometimes just a fractional value short. My formal policy is that the cutoffs
are those listed in the previous sentence. Any “rounding up” or other similar grade modifications are not open to
discussion or debate. You may accurately assume that I know you would like to have the highest grade possible and
that you would like me to push your grade over the borderline. I also believe that you can probably give me very
good reasons for your grade being lower than it should be. Unfortunately, I am in no position to verify individual
reasons, so such explanations really don’t change the grading problem for me. I will try to be fair and reasonable in
assigning grades. If you achieve the minimum cutoff for a particular grade, then you are guaranteed that grade. If
you are below that cutoff, it is out of your hands and you should hope for the best.
Special Testing Arrangements: Please note that The University of Texas at Austin provides, upon request, appropriate
academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the
Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY A. If a student has a documented need for special testing
arrangements, it is the responsibility of the student to arrange with the instructor for special testing prior to each
exam.
Electronics policy: Cell phones and many other electronic devices are a relatively new phenomenon and proper etiquette for
their use is still evolving. Here is my policy.
 Use of cell phones and other messaging devices during class is rude and potentially disruptive in lecture. Please
turn them off and put them away during class times.
 You may, of course, use a laptop computer during class. Please refrain from multitasking. Use your computer
for class purposes only.
 Electronic systems present increasing opportunities to cheat during tests. Cell phones and other electronic
devices must be turned off and put away completely during tests.
 If you are expecting an emergency call during class or lecture, you should check with the instructor before class
to make arrangements.
Receiving email: It is university policy that email is an official communication channel. You must keep your official email
address accurate and up-to-date. Be sure that junk filters do not exclude university-related message-type indicators
(e.g., informational, operational, official, urgent). Class email messages are generated using the university system
and it is expected that you will receive these messages. In addition, a “full mailbox” will prevent email delivery.
Keep your official mailbox functional.
Email Etiquette: Please assume a friendly-but-formal relationship in emails. The instructor and TA are not part of your
circle of friends and an email from cutebunny@yipee.com without additional identifying information asking “Do we
have a paper due tomorrow?” is inappropriate and goofy. A full name (not just “Ginger!” or “Timmy”) is reasonable
for formal communication, though turning on your “signature” line is probably most effective.
General Communication: If you have a question or request needing a reply, please use email, not a phone message. I will
reply as soon as possible; however, I only check my email a couple of times a day. I do not receive university-related
email at my home (evenings and weekends). If you have not received a reply within 24 hours (or Monday morning for a
message sent after noon on Friday), please send a follow-up message. If you need to send such a follow-up message, I
apologize in advance, but I may have missed your message from among the many I receive every day. I am not trying to
ignore you or be rude.
Departmental Prerequisites:
The Psychology Department will drop all students who do not meet the following prerequisites:
(a) PSY 301 with a C or better
(b) PSY 418 (or an equivalent listed in the course schedule) with a C or better
(c) Upper-Division standing (60 hours completed)