Thinking about Thinking is a 4-credit summer course that provides an overview of philosophy and psychology related to thinking. The course reflects a general fascination with the mind and questions about how people learn. Topics will include the mind-body problem, childhood development, the connection between language and thought, models of cognition including the computational theory of mind, the social context of thought, and methods for helping oneself and others think.

Check out the links in the menu above for more information about the content and structure of this course.

Course Description

What is thinking? Where does it come from? How can we help others do it better and get better at it ourselves? Take a quick, 5-week introduction to the philosophy of mind from an educational psychology perspective. We will read, write, and talk about thinking. Using the psychology of Piaget and Vygotsky and the philosophy of Dewey as a starting point, we will move on to modern research and theories about thinking. There is no way to cover all the thinking about thinking in this short course. Our focus will be theories that relate to human learning and development and the role of language in thinking. As such, this course is a great fit for teachers or prospective teachers who have an interest in philosophy and psychology.

Meeting Times

This course meets on weekend afternoons during the second summer session:
 • 1-4:30p Saturdays and Sundays,  Aug. 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 26-27, and Sep. 2-3.