This course provided a good introduction to cognitive science through its very interesting lectures. Despite the large class size, the professor kept the students engaged in exciting discussions. The worst aspect of the course was that the lectures were very hard to fol ow and often didn’t give students a clear understanding of the content. The course would improve if the exams were more straightforward and the lectures involved less class discussion because that would mean spending more time going over the concepts. Prospective students should know that this is a very technical course which requires a lot of reading but nonetheless is very interesting.

Many students felt that the best aspect of this class was the interesting subject matter covered in the lectures. Students noted that they went into depth about several different topics, which they felt real y helped them understand the materials. However, some students felt that the lectures could get boring, and suggested including visuals like pictures and short film clips to break up the lecture. Other students liked the fact that the professor was open to discussion, but felt that it would have been more effective to split the class into smal er sizes. Prospective students do not need to have any previous knowledge, but should be able to focus in a large lecture setting and be wil ing to participate in discussions about the materials. The concepts are challenging and still relatively new, so students should be open to theoretical examples and data.

The highlights of this course included the fascinating material, interactive lectures, ample opportunity for extra credit and a passionate and knowledgeable instructor. Many students made particular note of the instructor’s willingness to seek out feedback from the class and make changes based on that feedback. Many students pointed out that although the instructor is renowned in his field, he did not seem very well suited to teaching an introductory course. The workload and level of assumed prior knowledge were both cited as the worst aspects of the course. Suggested improvements to the course included lowering the workload, timely feedback on tests and assignments and more focus on the introductory information. Prospective students should be interested in cognitive science and be prepared for a high work load.