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CS 6795: Cognitive Science

Fall 2023
Keith McGreggor
Course Description and Syllabus
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Description: CS 6795 is a 3-credit graduate introductory course on cognitive

science. Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary study of mind and
intelligence. The core question is how does mind work? That is, how does mind
produce intelligent behavior?

Cognitive science lies at the intersection of computer science (especially

artificial intelligence), psychology, biology (especially neurobiology),
education, linguistics, anthropology, and philosophy, as indicated by this logo
of the Cognitive Science Society
(https://cognitivesciencesociety.org/):

From the Georgia Tech course catalog:

“Multidisciplinary perspectives on
cognitive science. Interdisciplinary
approaches to issues in cognition,
including memory, language, problem
solving, learning, perception, and action.”

Like the in-person version (CS 6795), this

course is heavily project-based including
both guided and self-directed projects. It
will consist of series of twenty-nine video
lessons; thirty-two reading assignments;
twelve quizzes; six small individual exercises; and one self-directed term
project. Unlike the on-campus class, this (OMSCS 6795) class is fully online and
asynchronous, with the video lessons and the online discussion forum replacing
the in-person classes. However, the professor will hold optional fireside chats at
specific times throughout the semester.

Prerequisites: An open and inquisitive mind! An aptitude for reading! An

aptitude for self-directed, project-based and collaborative learning. Also,
some background in basic computer science and programming such as data
structures and algorithms. Note again that this course requires substantial
reading and writing, as well as considerable investment of time.
Learning Goals: The main learning goal of the course is an introduction to the
basic concepts, hypotheses, models, methods, issues and debates in cognitive
science. Specific objectives include: (1) Introduction to the main information-
processing paradigms in cognitive science as well as the main critiques of the
paradigms, (2) Introduction to the central questions, topics, themes and
perspectives that drive the study of cognitive science, including their historical
development as well as the state of the art, (3) Understanding the variety of
methodologies used to explore cognitive science, including the capabilities
and limitations of different research methods, and (4) Learning about the
relationship between cognitive science and computing, including human-
centered computing, design, and educational technology.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, the typical student should know
enough about cognitive science to: (1) Understand and participate in
scholarly conversations on cognitive science, (2) read and understand the
cognitive science literature, (3) take advanced courses in cognitive science,
(4) take the cognitive science specialization in the Georgia Tech Ph.D.
qualifying examination in human-centered computing, (5) analyze and
address problems in human-centered computing from a cognitive science
perspective, and (6) conduct research into cognitive science.

Learning Strategies: We will use a wide range of learning strategies to

accomplish the above learning goals and outcomes, including learning by
example, learning by doing, authentic learning, project-based learning,
personalized learning, collaborative learning, peer-to-peer learning, learning
by teaching, learning by reflection, and immersion in a community of interest.
Much of the learning in this class will be self-directed.

Learning Assessments: We will use a wide variety of learning assessments to

evaluate the learning outcomes in this class, including quizzes, small group
exercises, two guided projects, and one self-directed project. The various
projects will involving writing of project reports.

Instructor:
Keith McGreggor:
Email: [email protected]
Teaching Assistants:
Head TA:
Irene Ng
[email protected]

Grading TA’s:
Stephen Au
[email protected]

Yeon Tae Chung

[email protected]

Robert Forwerck
[email protected]

Delkhaz Ibrahimi
[email protected]

William Hudgins
[email protected]

Tatiana Santos
[email protected]

Office Hours:
There will not be any formal office hours held during the semester, but
students may request meetings with the teaching assistants as needed.
Otherwise, please direct all questions to the course discussion forum.

Textbooks: The primary textbook is:

MIND, An Introduction to Cognitive Science, Paul Thagard, MIT Press, 2nd

edition, 2005.

This is an easy to read book that offers a light but very useful introduction. It
will provide a shared basis for our more advanced readings on selected
topics. This book is provided in the “Readings and Additional Resources”
section on Canvas.

Here are a few other general resources for cognitive science:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cognitive-science/

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cognitive_Psychology_and_Cognitive_Neuroscie
nce

Cognitive Science, Jay Freidenberg and Gordon Silverman, SAGE, 2016.

An earlier edition of this book is available online
http://www2.fiit.stuba.sk/~kvasnicka/CognitiveScience/Friedenberg_Cognitiv
e%20science.pdf

The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences

Robert Wilson and Frank Keil (editors)
MIT Press, 1999
http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/project/oplan/documents/1999/1999-MITECS.pdf

Readings: The accompanying class schedule specifies a series of reading

assignments. We will provide digital copies of all readings. We expect that
each student will have read at least the primary readings in the week they are
assigned.

Reading a research paper is not easy and can take several hours. To make the
process easier and more efficient, you want to read a paper in multiple passes.
In the first pass, read only the title, abstract, the introduction, and the
conclusions. This should be easy and fast and will give you a gist of the paper.
In the second pass, also read the section and subsection headings, the
illustrations (figures, tables, and their captions), the discussion section, and
browse through the list of references. This should give you a better
understanding of the paper. In a third pass, if needed and/or if you want to,
you can read the full paper. Here are some more tips on how to read a
research paper:

https://web.stanford.edu/class/ee384m/Handouts/HowtoReadPaper.pdf

https://www.elsevier.com/connect/infographic-how-to-read-a-scientific-
paper

Writing: Each student in the class will engage in six individual exercises and a
semester-long self-directed project. The project will entail the writing of a
paper: the length of the paper will vary depending on the project. Here are
two tutorials on how to write a term paper:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Term-Paper
http://www.collegeonline.org/library/online-assignments/termpaper-
writing.html

We encourage all students to think of the semester-long self-directed team

project as potentially leading to a paper worthy of publication. Here is the IEEE
template for writing papers:
https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html

Generative AI: Use of ChatGPT and other LLMs: If you wish, you are permitted
to use ChatGPT and other LLMs to support your writing for any assignment.
However, if you do so, you must do both of the following:
1. You must properly cite each and every section within which the tool was used,
even if you have rephrased the generated information. See the IEEE guidelines
for proper citation methods.
2. In each submission that used such a tool, you must include an appendix of no
less than 500 words within which you reflect on the effect of using that tool in
your own writing (style, voice, emphasis, etc.).

Canvas site: The Head TA will maintain a Canvas site for the class that will
provide information about the course, assessments, and grades. The Head TA
will also maintain the discussion forum.

Class Participation: This class requires strong participation in the class through
the online discussion forum, completion of class surveys, and peer feedback
for the term project milestone assignments.

Quizzes: We will have a quiz almost every week for a total of twelve quizzes.
Each quiz will consist of multiple-choice questions. The quizzes will be directly
from the primary readings and are intended to make sure that all students are
doing the readings. Two attempts are permitted per quiz, and the highest
score will be recorded.

Individual Exercises: We will have six individual exercises. Each of the six
exercises will also pertain to the readings in the class. Each exercise will result
in a short (2-3 page) report on the exercise. The lowest exercise grade will be
dropped, so your total score will be comprised of the 5 highest exercise scores.

Term Project: The semester-long term project will unfold over 12 weeks.
Students may choose to investigate a topic of their choice. We expect each
student to spend at least 100 person hours on the project. Hours will be tracked
via a task list that is included with your initial project milestone. The project itself
includes a detailed analysis of a problem from the perspective of cognitive
science and survey of the related literature. The TAs will work with the students
in helping them with their term projects. To keep track of students’ progress,
we will have 4 milestones, and we will provide details as part of the project
release. We expect some of the term project reports to be of a quality that
can be submitted to professional workshops for potential publication.

Peer Feedback: Peer Feedback will not factor into your assignment’s final
grade, but it provides an opportunity to practice providing peer reviews.
Please note that for all peer reviews, the feedback must be useful. Simply filling
out the form and writing a couple words isn’t sufficient to receive credit. Here
are some examples of what we’d expect for peer reviews.

Examinations: There are no examinations in this class.

Assignment Due Dates: All assignments are due at 11:59pm Anywhere on

Earth time, unless otherwise noted. We will not accept assignments submitted
late due to time zone issues. You should update your Canvas to reflect your
time zone. There are no exceptions; sorry.

Late and Make-up Work Policy: There will be no make-up work provided for
missed assignments. Of course, emergencies (illness, family emergencies) will
happen. In those instances, please contact the Dean of Students office. The
Dean of Students is equipped to verify emergencies and pass confirmation
on to all your classes. For consistency, we ask all students to do this in the
event of an emergency.

Communication Policy:

You are responsible for knowing the following information:

1. Anything posted to this syllabus

2. Anything emailed directly to you by the teaching team (including

announcements via Canvas and Ed Discussions), 24 hours after receiving
such an email or post.

Because Canvas and Ed Discussions announcements are emailed to you as

well, you need only to check your Georgia Tech email once every 24 hours
to remain up to date on new information during the semester. Georgia Tech
generally recommends students to check their Georgia Tech email once
every 24 hours. So, if an announcement or message is time sensitive, you will
not be responsible for the contents of the announcement until 24 hours after
it has been sent.

Grades: Here is a distribution of weights for different activities for calculating

the final grade.
Class surveys: 2%
Peer feedback: 5%
Participation in the discussion forum: 8%
Quizzes (Q1-Q12): 15%
Individual Exercises (IE1-IE6): 30%
Self-directed term project (M1-M4): 40%

We will assign extra credit to exemplary exercises and projects and post them
on Canvas. Thus, it is possible to get a score higher than 100% in this class.

The final grades may be normalized (or curved).

Proctoring Information: In order to verify the identity of all GT online students,

all online students are required to complete the onboarding quiz that uses
Honorlock. Honorlock is utilized for student identity verification and to ensure
academic integrity. Honorlock provides student identity verification via facial
and ID photos. You may also be asked to scan the room around you. The
onboarding quiz will be a practice quiz that will not affect your grade in the
course. You can take the onboarding quiz as many times as you want. All
potential violations are reviewed by a human. The Honorlock support team is
available 24/7. While Honorlock will not require you to create an account,
download software, or schedule an appointment in advance, you will need
Google Chrome and download the Honorlock Chrome Extension.
Information on how to access Honorlock and additional resources are
provided below. You can also access Honorlock support at
https://honorlock.com/support/.

Honor Code: Learning is a social process. This is why encourage class

participation. Thus, on one hand, we strongly encourage collaboration in this
class. On the other, we will abide by the Georgia Tech’s honor code of
academic conduct. This means that any work submitted by a student must be
his or her own. With the advent of the internet, it has become easy to take
materials from various resources available on the web. But please remember
that it has also become easy to check for it: the TA can and will enter an
arbitrary sentence from a paper into a search engine and find out if the
sentence has been taken from elsewhere. Students are encouraged to consult
resources available on the web and elsewhere. However, any material taken
from any resource must be properly attributed. The paper must reflect the
student’s own design and analysis, work and writing.

Georgia Tech Counseling: The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused many
problems related to health, including mental health. Georgia Tech offers
counseling services to all students, staff and faculty
(https://counseling.gatech.edu/content/services). It also offers emergency
counseling services (https://counseling.gatech.edu/content/students-crisis). It
is for all of us to take care of one another as well as ourselves.
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OMSCS 6795: Cognitive Science

Fall 2023
Keith McGreggor
Class Schedule
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This is a day-by-day schedule for our class. The schedule specifies a series of video
lessons and corresponding reading assignments. All readings are listed by the last
names of the first author. All readings are available on Canvas in a digital form. We
expect that each student will have watched the video lessons and read at least the
primary readings on each topic in the assigned week.

The schedule also specifies the activities and assessments for each week: surveys,
quizzes, exercises, and self-directed projects. Note also that all assessments are due
on Sunday midnight AOE, which translates to Monday 8 am in Atlanta.

There will be three class surveys in all, including the final CIOS survey administered by
Georgia Tech.

The quizzes are multiple-choice and based on the reading assignments. All twelve
quizzes will be based on the primary readings.

The individual exercises too will be based on the primary readings. There will be six
exercises in total.

In the self-directed term project, students will work on a theme/problem on their

choice. The term project will unfold over 12 weeks, with 4 milestones.

Part A of the course: Basics of Cognitive Science

Week of 8/21
Videos Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3

Readings Representation -1 Thagard Ch. 1

Logic, probability Thagard Ch. 2
Rules -1 Thagard Ch. 3
Concepts -1 Thagard Ch. 4

Activities Onboarding quiz assigned 8/21, due 8/27

Start-of-Course survey assigned 8/21, due 8/27
Week of 8/28

Videos Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6

Readings Analogies -1 Thagard Ch. 5

Images -1 Thagard Ch. 6
Connections -1 Thagard Ch. 7

Activities Quiz 1 assigned 8/28, due 9/3

Week of 9/4

Videos Lesson 7
Lesson 8

Readings Review of CogSci Thagard Ch. 8

Brains Thagard Ch. 9
Emotions Thagard Ch. 10

Activities Quiz 2 assigned 9/4, due 9/10

Individual exercise 1 assigned 9/4, due 9/10
Milestone 1 assigned 9/4, due 9/24

Week of 9/11

Videos Lesson 9
Lesson 10

Readings Consciousness Thagard Ch. 11

Body Thagard Ch. 12
Culture Thagard Ch. 13
Review Thagard Ch. 14

Activities Quiz 3 assigned 9/11, due 9/17

Individual exercise 1 assigned 9/11, due 9/17
Part B of the course: Computational Cognitive Science

Week of 9/18

Videos Lesson 11
Lesson 12

Readings Explanations Simon – Ch.1 Simon Ch. 5

Information-processing levels Marr Newell

Activities Quiz 4 assigned 9/18, due 9/24

Milestone 1 due 9/24

Week of 9/25

Videos Lesson 13
Lesson 14

Readings Representation – 2 Markman Bechtel

Concepts - 2 Schank Nersessian

Activities Quiz 5 assigned 9/25, due 10/1

Week of 10/2

Videos Lesson 15
Lesson 16

Readings Analogies - 2 Kolodner Centner

Images - 2 Larkin Dehaene

Activities Quiz 6 assigned 10/2, due 10/8

Individual exercise 3 assigned 10/2, due 10/8
Milestone 2 assigned 10/2, due 10/22
Week of 10/9

Videos Lesson 17
Lesson 18

Readings Cognitive Architectures Laird, Libere, Rosenbloom Langley

Neural Networks Rogers Bengio

Activities Quiz 7 assigned 10/9, due 10/15

Individual exercise 4 assigned 10/9, due 10/15

Week of 10/16

Videos Lesson 19
Lesson 20

Readings Embodied Cognition Brooks

Distributed Cognition Hutchins Grosz

Activities Quiz 8 assigned 10/16, due 10/22

Milestone 2 due 10/22

Part C of the course: Cognitive Science and Human-Centered Computing

Week of 10/23

Videos Lesson 21
Lesson 22

Readings Culture Tomasello Shore

Relationship to AI Langley Goel

Activities Quiz 9 assigned 10/23, due 10/29

Week of 10/30

Videos Lesson 23
Lesson 24

Readings Relationship to Learning Bransford Lave

Relationship to Design Norman Simon

Activities Quiz 10 assigned 10/30, due 11/5

Individual exercise 5 assigned 10/30, due 11/5

Week of 11/6

Videos Lesson 25
Lesson 26

Readings Relationship to Human-Computer Interaction Baron-Cohen

Relationship to Robotics Cakmak Fitzgerald

Activities Quiz 11 assigned 11/6, due 11/12

Individual exercise 6 assigned 11/6, due 11/12
Milestone 3 assigned 11/6, due 11/26

Week of 11/13

Videos Lesson 27
Lesson 28

Readings Relationship to Creativity Boden

Activities Quiz 12 assigned 11/13, due 11/19

Milestone 4 assigned 11/13, due 12/3
Week of 11/20

Videos None

Readings None

Activities Milestone 3 due 11/26

Week of 11/27

Videos None

Readings None

Activities Milestone 4 due 12/3

Week of 12/4

Videos None

Readings None

Activities End-of-Course survey assigned 12/4, due 12/10

CIOS survey due 12/10