Week 6 – Final Project

• Learning and Cognition Final Project

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review the feedback given to you by your instructor and peers on your Interactive Assignment in Week 5 and contact your instructor if you have any questions. In Week 5 you chose your audience, and the mode of presentation (recorded webinar or instructional/training manual). You will complete the development of your project for this assignment. Effective time management is encouraged to ensure a quality project.

As a reminder, the purpose of this project is to clearly and concisely explain the theory you chose and at least three applications to the organization (audience) you chose, sharing helpful strategies and your developing knowledge about learning and cognition.

As a student of psychology, as you develop your knowledge you may be asked to present concepts to organizations or even at academic conferences. Even at the University of Arizona Global Campus there will be opportunities for you to present your knowledge (Psych Club symposiums, Teaching and Learning Conference, and research symposiums) and hence, developing this skill will help you both academically and professionally. Although using technology can be a bit daunting, in this age, it is imperative that we become more comfortable with this mode of communication. In addition, if you continue your education towards a doctorate at an online institution you may have to defend your dissertation or applied project online so starting your development now, using these technologies is helpful. This is why option 1 for this project is a recorded webinar/presentation.

If you do not currently have the technology to complete this option successfully, Option 2 is an instructional/training manual for an organization that explains your knowledge and educates a group about how it is applicable and useful to them. Please see the examples given to you in Week 5 Interactive Assignment, as well as use search engines to look at other examples that may fit the style of instructional/training manual you wish to create.

Your choices of theories were behavior analysis (previously known as behaviorism), cognitivism, and information processing. You should use the theory you chose in Week 5. Each of presentation options have requirements. Be sure to review these requirements prior to completing the project.

Option A: The recorded webinar must include:

• A URL link to the presentation in the “Submission Comment” section of Waypoint.
• A concise explanation of your theory using slides or text overlays in your video.
• Explanation of a minimum of three concepts and associated strategies based on the theory that could be applied to the organization (audience you chose) and best practices for applying them
• Must include audio and visual text (i.e. your voice, slides with clear, readable text)
• Must be a minimum of 15 minutes in length (Approximately 15 slides)
• All information should be paraphrased and well-cited
• Must include a reference slide or text overlay (Links to an external site.) (For example, if you present using yourself rather than slides, overlays can be added to it through programs such as screencast-o-matic (Links to an external site.).)
• Audio must be clear and easily heard
• Optional

Option B: The instructional/training manual must include:

• Table of Contents
  • List all sections included in the instructional/training manual with the applicable page numbers
• Preface (Links to an external site.)
  • 100 to 150 words
  • Provide an overview of the instructional/training manual and its potential use by your chosen audience. Make sure to identify the value of this information to your audience.  
• Introduction to the major theory topic (behavior analysis, cognitivism, or information processing)
  • 200 to 300 words
  • Provide an introductory summary of the theory you chose to focus on and explain the value of knowing this information to your audience. Why do they need to know this information?
  • Also identify the areas of application strategies you will include in your instructional/training manual
  • Include a thesis sentence at the end of the introduction.
• Major Topic and Inclusion of Potential Applications Discussion
  • 1500 to 2500 words
    • Organize in sections to help your reader see where the information is that you included.
    • Example: If writing about information processing, one could organize sections for each department of the organization and explain applications personalized for that team.
  • Be specific in your explanations about how the application aligns with theory and the benefit it could have for the organization
  • Paraphrase and use citations to support your information.
  • Apply basic research methods and skeptical inquiry to explain the theoretical perspectives and empirical research that substantiate the relationship between the topic and the application of it to the organization.
• Conclusion (200 to 300 words)
  • Summarize the importance of your topic to the specific target group you chose (e.g. educators, specific company, etc.) within the learning and cognition domain. To see an example, revisit the Week 5 Interactive Assignment prompt.
  • Visuals
    • Include appropriate visuals to support your content. Be sure to cite where these were retrieved.

Both options:

• Previous writings from this course verbatim may be used if applicable
• Examples are located in the W5 Interactive Assignment
• Although creative liberties are encouraged, all information incorporated should be supported and professionally presented through the consistent application of ethical principles and adherence to professional standards of learning and cognition psychology as applied to the chosen audience.
• Must include citations and references
• Must use your Academic Voice (Links to an external site.)
• Must use at least seven scholarly sources. (Four of these sources were identified in Week 3 and may again be used.)
• Must address the topics with critical thought and substantiated assertions
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.).
  • This includes any slides for the recorded webinar
• Must include a references section that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in Formatting Your References List