Course Syllabus

Independent Study in Idaho

ISI Website| indepst@uidaho.edu | 208-885-6641

PSYC 3900 - The Psychology of Learning

Sponsoring Institution: University of Idaho

3 Credits

Instructor Information

Course Instructor: Steve Meier, PhD, ICPS

Your course instructor is Dr. Steven E. Meier, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Idaho. Dr. Meier received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Washington State University. His specialty of training was in experimental psychology with specialties in Learning (Applied Behavior Analysis), Addictive Behavior (Primarily Alcoholism), and Physiological Systems.

Course Description

Experimental literature of the nature and conditions of classical and operant conditioning, verbal learning, and cognition. 

This course will provide you with an overview of Psychological Learning Theories. Although the course will emphasize classical, operant, and cognitive approaches, a review of other learning model will be presented as well.

Prerequisite: Psyc 101. Recommended Preparation: Psyc 218 (Introduction to Research in the Behavioral Sciences) or a similar research methods course. If you have not taken such a course, let the instructor know and additional material will be assigned to you. You must understand issues regarding experimental design.

Course Learning Outcomes

  • To understand concepts in the field of learning theory.
  • To understand strengths and weaknesses of each learning model.
  • To gain a historical understanding of traditional learning models.
  • To gain further experience in writing.

Required Materials

Kline, S. Learning: Principles and Applications (8th Ed). Boston: Sage, 2019. ISBN: 9781544323664

Although any edition of the textbook will work, if you purchase a different edition, you will need to carefully select the chapters that apply to a lesson's topic as the publisher has changed the chapter order from one version to the next.

Course Rules and Requirements

There are 12 Modules/Lessons in this course and 11 assignments, plus a term paper and 4 exams.

Study Hints:

  • Complete all assigned readings.
  • Set a schedule allowing for completion of the course one month prior to your desired deadline.
  • Review additional learning opportunities materials in Canvas to gain further clarification on subjects covered.
  • Note: The content of this course tends to be difficult for some individuals. Thus, you must work hard with the content to receive a good grade.

Lesson Guidelines

  • Students may submit up to 3 lessons at once.
  • Students may submit up to 6 lessons in one week.
  • Keep a copy of every lesson submitted. Write your name and V Number on every submission.
  • Students may submit lessons via Canvas.
  • Students will receive graded lessons via Canvas.
  • You will typically receive graded lessons within three weeks after the date of the receipt by the instructor.

Term Paper 

You will be required to write a 5-10 page term paper on a learning topic of your choice. You must use at least 10 references from journal articles or books. Popular press (e.g., Time, Scientific American, Newspapers, etc.) and Non-Governmental websites will not count toward your total. You can use a maximum of 4 websites in your count. (100 Points)

Exams Overview

You must wait for grades and comments on lessons before taking each subsequent exam. There will be four exams. Each will be essay, short answer, or fill in the blank. Each exam will only cover the material in the particular section. The exams are worth 100 points each. Each exam has an hour and a half time limit. Submit all lessons preceding each exam prior to requesting it.

Exam Guidelines

  • Wait for grades and feedback on lessons before taking exams.
  • Exams are closed book and closed notes.
  • For exams, students should bring with them photo ID and their V Number.
  • Graded exams will not be returned to you.

Email Standards

Place questions or comments for the instructor in the body of the email.
In the email's subject line include:
  • Your name, V number, course subject and number, and lesson number(s).
    • Example: Joe Vandal, V01234567, BUS L321, Lessons 1, 2

In the body of the email include:

  • Your name, V number, course subject, number, title, date and lesson numbers(s).
    • Example: Joe Vandal, V01234567, BUS L321: Principles of Marketing, day-month-year, Lessons 1, 2

Grade Information

A final course grade is issued after all lessons and exams have been graded.

Grading Criterion - Exams

The grading criteria for the Exam Essay Responses (both short and long essay questions) includes:

  1.  Accurately presenting the material requested in the questions.
  2. Completely covering the breadth of issues posed in the questions.
  3. Referring to and integrating appropriate case examples to illustrate concepts.
  4. Legible answers presented in a legible and well-organized style with concepts and illustrative examples that are clearly articulated.

Grading Criterion - Paper/Essay

Paper Grading Criteria include:

  1. The use of APA style
  2. Clarity/Readability of the content (No typo's, misspelled words, etc.).
  3. Quality of the organization
  4. Quality of the content
  5. General overall presentation.

Grade Scale

The final course grade will be based upon the following considerations:

  • Exams = 400
  • Lessons = 275
  • Paper = 100
  • Total = 805

All grades will be based on the following scale:

  • >787 = A 90%
  • >700 = B 80%
  • >612 = C 70%
  • >525= D 60%
  • <525= F <60%

Course Policies

Refer to the ISI website's Current Students page for the most current policies and procedures, including information on setting up accounts, student confidentiality, exams, transcripts, course exchanges, refunds, academic integrity, library resources, disability support and other services. 

Cheating and Plagiarism

Acts of academic dishonesty, including cheating or plagiarism, are considered a very serious transgression and may result in a grade of F for the course. Individuals who are caught cheating or plagiarizing material will receive an F grade for the course.

Note: I use term-paper cheating technology.

AI Use Prohibited

As artificial intelligence tools become more widely available, it is important to clarify how they may or may not be used in this course. The following policy is designed to support your learning and ensure academic integrity.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools—including but not limited to ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, Grammarly, image generators, and automated coding/writing assistants—is not permitted in this course.  

Unauthorized use of AI tools is considered a form of unauthorized assistance and undermines the core learning objectives of the class. This course is intentionally designed to build foundational skills—such as critical analysis, discipline-specific reasoning, original writing, and independent problem-solving—that require your direct engagement. Using AI tools to generate or revise work may hinder the achievement of these objectives and may compromise the integrity of your academic development.

Any use of AI tools for coursework, unless explicitly allowed by the instructor for a specific assignment, will be treated as a violation of academic integrity and may result in sanctions as outlined in the University of Idaho Student Code of Conduct. Students are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all university policies regarding academic honesty and should consult the Student Code of Conduct for further guidance.