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Topics in Cognitive Modelling

Assessment: Overview

There will be no exam for this course. Instead the assessment will consist of:

1. Oral presentation (20%): students will (in pairs or small groups, depending on course enrolment) choose 2-3 papers on a given topic to present. Topics and papers will be selected from a list provided by the instructor; students may choose a different topic if approved in advance by the instructor.
2. Brief paper responses (25%): For each class (with a few exceptions; see below) other than the one with their own presentation, students will submit a brief (2-3 paragraph) response dealing with one paper from the topic presented that day, including a summary of the paper's main content, and comments or questions arising from their reading.
3. Final Essay (55%): students will choose an area of cognitive modelling and write an essay based on one or more articles approved by the instructor.

All brief paper responses are due in class on the day of the associated paper's oral presentation, so that those students who have written responses can serve as additional discussants of paper. Responses will not be accepted after class or by email. However, to account for possible illness or other unavoidable absences, each student may skip two responses without penalty to the final mark. The only exceptions to this policy are in cases of documented special circumstances (e.g., extended illness with doctor's note).

Late policy and other regulations

This course follows the usual Informatics policies regarding late handins and academic (mis)conduct. See also the guidance for each assignment for more information about plaigiarism and proper citation of others' work.

Oral presentations

More information on oral presentations:

• Guidance on preparing presentations
• Sample marking form
• Schedule of student presentations (who goes when)

Brief paper responses

More information on brief paper responses:

• Guidance on paper responses
• Sample responses (by Sharon Goldwater)
• Sample responses from students

Final essay

Deadline for selecting topic/paper(s): 24 Feb.

Deadline for final essay: 4pm on Thursday, 24 March. We will use Turnitin for electronic handin; instructions will be sent via the course mailing list.

More information on the final essay:

• Guidance on final essay
• Tips on choosing a topic
• Marking rubric

Examples: to see the kinds of essays we are expecting, you may wish to take a look at the two example papers below. The first is an essay for TCM, and shows the level of detail and general structure we are expecting. The second essay is from the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience course, which has a very similar (but not identical) final essay requirement involving describing 1-2 papers, with analysis.

• TCM: Inferring word meanings
• CCN: Attention