The Ghost in the Machine

Method of Teaching:

Summary:
1. Lectures: one per week, serving learning objectives 1 and 2 (see above)

2. Seminars: one per week, serving all learning objectives

  • Seminar discussion (serving all objectives)

  • Presentations by the students to the seminar group (idem)

    • 3. Independent research in library and on web – culminating in the two essays for the course assessment (serving mainly objectives 3 & 4). Essay 2 in particular will also serve objective 5, as it is an interdisciplinary essay. See the section on ‘assessment’ below.

    4. Email discussion will be encouraged (serving all objectives).


    More information about each of the methods of teaching used in this course follows below.

    1. In the lectures the students will be introduced to basic methodological and philosophical issues and questions in cognitive science, such as:

  • How can we best pursue questions about the mind? Through philosophy, or through science? Both? How shall we construe a science of the mind?
  • What is cognitive science?
  • What is cognition?
  • Why cognitive science?
  • How are brain and mind related? How do mind and body interact?
  • What is intelligence? What is understanding?
  • Can machines think?
  • What kind of access do we have to minds, our own as well as others’?
  • How do we know that other people have minds? How do we understand other minds?
  • What light does neuroscience shed on the mind?
  • How is knowledge acquired?
  • (How) can we model the mind?
  • What is representation?
  • How do the different disciplines of cognitive science ask and answer questions about cognition?
  • What do the different disciplines of cognitive science do?
  • What is interdisciplinarity?
  • (How) does interdisciplinarity work?

    • 2. In the seminars, the students will discuss questions and issues presented in the lecture of that week. The discussion is guided by a question, problem or issue and based on the students’ reading of the relevant texts, suggested beforehand by lecturer, and by the lectures themselves. The seminar is also a place where the students can and are encouraged to ask questions.

    An absolute requirement for the seminars to run well and be worthwhile for everyone, is that the students have read the required texts.

    Reading the texts includes taking notes, summarizing and analyzing the material. In doing this, please take care to cite names, principles, concepts and arguments correctly. An important aspect of reading is being critical towards what you read. Ask questions while you read, and in the seminar. Both questions for clarification and for critical discussion are welcome in the seminars, and also in the lectures.

    During the seminars, the students can expect to be asked questions about the reading. I.e. each seminar one or more particular students will be asked things about the week’s topic, the reading they have done for the seminar, or the progress on their essay, presentation or learning diary.

    The students are also required to give one 15 minute presentation during this course (see ‘Assessment’ below). The tutor will help with the process of preparing and delivering the presentation. Feedback will also be given on the presentation, on content as well as delivery.


    3. The students will have to work independently and do research in the library and on the web, related to the topics discussed in the course. This will culminate in the assessed coursework: the 2 essays and the presentation.


    4. During the term, email discussion of certain questions/topics will be encouraged. We will use the University email addresses for this. Your university email address will be used throughout your career here to pass on important information about courses and other things. It’s a thing to keep an eye on.