MEi:CogSci Module: Introduction to Cognitive Science 1

Basic Concepts of Cognitive Science Lecture: Foundations, Models, and Paradigms in Cognitive Science

ao.Univ.Prof.Dr. Markus F. Peschl

Seminar: Basic Concepts of Cognitive Science I

Mag. Brigitte Römmer-Nossek, Mag.Elisabeth Zimmermann

MEi:CogSci Teamwork

Mag. Birgit Peterson

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MEi:CogSci@Univie

This introductory module in Cognitive Science is part of the MEi:CogSci joint masters curriculum (= Middle European Interdisciplinary Joint Masters Program in Cognitive Science [at the University of Vienna]).

Syllabus, Contents, and Learning Outcomes

General remark

Contents

The focus of this module is on discovering and understanding the “big lines/trends” and theoretical trains of thought in the field of cognitive science. First, the object, the interdisciplinary structure, as well as the two fundamental concepts of cognitive science will be investigated: the paradigm of computation and the method of simulation.

The second part of this course covers the most important paradigms having been developed in the course of the relatively short history of cognitive science (historical and conceptual overview): the symbolic/propositional approach, mental imagery, neural computation/connectionism, embodied and situated cognition, the dynamical systems approach to cognition, as well as Artificial Life. In order to achieve a more profound understanding of these paradigms and their relations between each other we will take a closer look at the questions of what concept of cognition and knowledge is prevalent in the particular approach. This will lead to a more integrative as well as interdisciplinary perspective taking into account the contributions of the participating disciplines.

The third part of this course deals with philosophy of science issues of cognitive science: the process of (scientific) knowledge generation/construction and its cognitive foundation, the role of the method of simulation in the process of knowledge production (analytical vs. synthetic approach), scientific vs. everyday knowledge, types of knowledge (and their generation), knowledge construction, etc.

Besides that this course takes a closer critical look at the paradoxes, open questions, and problems in this relatively young field of science.

Learning outcomes and goals

Subject specific

• Knowledge and understanding of central questions, key concepts, and approaches in cognitive science
• Gain insight into the field and scientific culture of cognitive science
• Knowledge and understanding of core terminology of cognitive science
• Awareness of the differences in scientific cultures and terminologies
• Basic knowledge and understanding of the history of cognitive science as a field

Methodological

• Gain familiarity with different disciplines and their methodologies relevant to cognitive science and discern differences and commonalities between them

 Generic

Instrumental

• Ability to read, present, and discuss technical literature (seminar & tutorial)

Interpersonal

• Ability to communicate in physical and virtual environments (seminar & tutorial)
• Ability to discuss different points of view in an interdisciplinary team
• Ability to organize group activities (seminar & tutorial)
• Ability to appreciate individual expertise

Systemic

• Ability to reflect upon and discuss individual motivation and interests in context of ones personal and scientific identity

Teaching Methods

This module consists of a lecture, peer-to-peer (p-2-p) teaching sessions, seminar, and tutorials. Hence it is not very useful to complete just the lecture (although it is possible). This lecture offers the following methodological approaches:

• presentation
• peer-to-peer teaching
• student discussions
• group work
• reflection
• interdisciplinary cooperation

The seminar and tutorial offers the following methodological approaches:

• group/team work
• joint interdisciplinary study and discission groups
• individual and collective reflection
• practical work
• joint reading groups — journal club
• (e-)portfolio & learning journal

Target group

This module is mainly designed as an introductory module for students of the MEi:CogSci curriculum. Of course, the lecture is open to students from all disciplines who want to get an overview of the field of cognitive science. This course is designed for an interdisciplinary audience, however students should be at least in the final state of their baccalaureate or early masters studies (or—better—more advanced).

Curricular context, prerequisites, and comments

The set of slides used in this course will be offered to the students. Additional readings can be found here.

Design/Architecture of the CogSci 1 Module

Lecture

The first session will be used for a general introduction and explanation of the specifics of the MEi:CogSci Curriculum as well as a first round of introduction between students.

The rest of the lecture gives an introduction Cognitive Science with a focus on the four central paradigms classical cognitive sciences, connectionism, dynamical systems approach, and embodied and situated cognition.

Peer-to-peer teaching

The goal of the peer-to-peer teaching sessions is to facilitate deep learning of concepts presented in the lecture as basis for the seminar.

Each peer teaching session focuses on one cognitive science paradigm. Prior to the peer teaching sessions all students receive secondary literature concerning the Cognitive Science paradigms discussed in the lecture. In each team, responsibilities for the explanation of different key concepts, such as symbol grounding or distributed representation, are distributed among the team members.

The sessions will be run as follows:

• 30 min first session: explanation of the routine; later sessions: presentation of the posters resulting from last session
• 90 min peer teaching: groups students explain and discuss the concepts to each other (teachers and tutors are present for support if needed)
• 15 min break
• 45 min concept groups: forming of “concept groups” (randomly selected) which are responsible for prducing posters on the concepts given for the session.

The posters will be put in a wiki on the common MEi:CogSci platform.

Seminar

For the seminar students will work in interdisciplinary groups on primary literature, each being responsible for one paradigm. One group will focus on a comparison of the paradigms.

Each group is responsible for presentation and moderation of discussion. The presentations are discussed with teachers in advance, who also provide simulations and demonstrations where applicable (the Centre for Teaching and Learning provides 12 notebooks for hand-on experience).

Throughout the master programme students will use an (e)Portfolio to reflect on questions posed, develop their own questions and interests, and document their progress and work.

teamwork tutorial

team building

Students will form interdisciplinary groups which remain stable over the first semester, i.e. for the seminar work. Each group will have to perform a certain task, that will be announced at the meeting.

For the first round, in each group one person will act as an observer.

Afterwards the groups will reflect on their group work experience, report in the plenary, which will close with a common reflection.

Topics, Dates, and Location

unit

date / time

location

topic

Lecture: Basic Concepts in Cognitive Science I (M.Peschl & I.Farkas)

The lecture is open to all students from all faculties—you are very welcome (the lecture can be completed independently of the rest of this module)! The seminar and peer-to-peer teaching sessions in this module are open only to students participating in the MEi:CogSci-program.

14-18

Introduction & Community Building

This unit is open only for MEi:CogSci students!

• Presentation of the MEi:CogSci curriculum
  • Presentation of the Disciplinary Modules
  • Explanation of possibilities of choices, the table of courses, etc.
  • Lab Excursions
• Introduction of students & teachers
• Mentoring and personal consulting (“get ready for the semester”)

9-11

Presentation of MEi:CogSci courses, Mentoring and personal consulting

This unit is open only for MEi:CogSci students (and students who are interested in the other courses offered by the MEi:CogSci program)!

• Presentation of MEi:CogSci courses and teachers
• Mentoring and personal consulting (“get ready for the semester”)

11-13

Introduction

This unit is open for all students!

What is Cognitive Science?

• Introduction and overview
• What is the object of cognitive science?
• What is cognition?
• Basic questions of cognitive science
• The (inter-)disciplinary structure of cognitive science
• The paradigm of computation
• The method of simulation
• Fields of application (Converging Technologies, NBIC, etc.)

Approaches and Paradigms in Cognitive Science I

• Symbolic/propositional approach to cognition
• Physical Symbol Systems Hypothesis (PSSH)
• Mental imagery

Basic Readings (for further readings see here)

• Clark, A. (2001). Mindware. An introduction to the philosophy of cognitive science. New York: Oxford University Press (chapter (1 &) 2, pp (7-27)/28–42).
• Friedenberg, J & Silverman, G. (2006). Cognitive Science: An introduction to the study of the mind, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
• Varela, F.J., E. Thompson, and E. Rosch (1991). The embodied mind: cognitive science and human experience. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. [German: Varela, F.J. (1990). Kognitionswissenschaft -- Kognitionstechnik. Eine Skizze aktueller Perspektiven. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp.]
• Bechtel, W., A. Abrahamsen, and G. Graham (1998). The life of cognitive science. In W. Bechtel and G. Graham (Eds.), A companion to cognitive science, pp. 1–104. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
• Thagard, P. (1996). Mind. Introduction to cognitive science. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (chapter 1)
• Kosslyn, S.M. (1990). Mental imagery. In D.N. Osherson and H. Lasnik (Eds.), An Invitation to cognitive science, pp. 73–97. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

9-13

Moderation and Presentation Techniques

Basic Readings

• Hierhold, E. (2000). Sicher präsentieren -- wirksamer vortragen. Tips und Tricks für den überzeugenden Auftritt. Wien / Frankfurt: Wirtschaftsverlag Ueberreuter.
• workshop will be in German

9-13

Approaches and Paradigms in Cognitive Science II

• Neural computation and connectionism
  • subsymbolic representation
  • learning
• Dynamical systems approach to cognition

Basic Readings (for further readings see here)

• Bechtel, W. and A. Abrahamsen (2002). Connectionism and the mind. Parallel processing, dynamics, and evolution in networks (second ed.). Malden, MA; Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.
• Boden, M.A. (Ed.) (1996). The philosophy of artificial life. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.
• Brooks, R.A. (1991). Intelligence without representation. Artificial Intelligence 47, 139–159.
• Churchland, P.M. (1990). Cognitive activity in artificial neural networks. In D.N. Osherson and H. Lasnik (Eds.), An Invitation to cognitive science, pp. 199-227. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Clark, A. (2001). Mindware. An introduction to the philosophy of cognitive science. New York: Oxford University Press (chapter 4, pp 62–81 & chapter 7 [120-139]).
• Gelder, T.J.v. and R. Port (1995). It's about time: an overview of the dynamical approach to cognition. In R. Port and T.v. Gelder (Eds.), Mind as motion: explorations in the dynamics of cognition Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Thelen, E. and L.B. Smith (1994). A dynamic systems approach to the development of cognition and action. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (optional)

9-13

Approaches and Paradigms in Cognitive Science III

• embodiment & embodied knowledge
• situated and extended cognition
• artifacts and cultural cognition
• Artificial Life

Basic Readings (for further readings see here)

• Clark, A. (2008). Supersizing the mind. Embodiment, action, and cognitive extension. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.
• Menary, R. (Ed.). (2010). The extended mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Hutchins, E. (1995). Cognition in the Wild. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Krippendorff, K. (2006). The semantic turn. A new foundation for design. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor and Francis CRC Press.
• Peschl, M. F., & Fundneider, T. (2011). Designing (and) enabling interfaces for collaborative knowledge creation and innovation. Computers and Human Behavior, 2011.

9-13

Philosophy of Science Foundations for Cognitive Science

• From perception to (scientific) knowledge
• Construction of (scientific and everyday) knowledge — cognitive foundations
• Knowledge Cycle
• Scientific knowledge vs. everyday knowledge

• Types of knowledge, knowledge generation and knowledge construction
• Epistemological relationship between reality and knowledge
• Analytical vs. synthetic approach/methods

Basic Readings (for further readings see here)

• Bechtel, W. (1988). Philosophy of science. An overview for cognitive science. Hillsdale, N.J.: L.Erlbaum.
• Harre, R. (2002). Cognitive science. A philosophical introduction. London: SAGE Publications.
• Peschl, M.F. (2008). Triple-loop learning as foundation for profound change, individual cultivation, and radical innovation. Construction processes beyond scientific and rational knowledge. Constructivist Foundations 2(2-3), 136–145.
• Peschl, M.F. (1994). Repräsentation und Konstruktion. Kognitions- und neuroinformatische Konzepte als Grundlage einer naturalisierten Epistemologie und Wissenschaftstheorie. Braunschweig, Wiesbaden: Vieweg.

6

9-11

Overspill

9-10

HS 2i, NIG

Examination

9.00h

Examination (2nd choice)

MEi:CogSci Teamwork: Peer-to-Peer Teaching Sessions: Basic Concepts in Cognitive Science I

(these sessions are compulsory for MEi:CogSci students)

General topics/concepts (to be answered for every paradigm)

• representation
• learning
• perception
• action
• What is intelligence?
• cognition

11-15

Introduction to www.meicogsci.eu platform and ePortfolio

Community buildung +

Dynamical Systems Game

This session on dynamic systems involves a dynamic systems board game, in order to give students “hands-on” experience with a dynamical system, followed by reflection and analysis of the experience and key concepts.

11-15

Classical Cognitive Science

Concepts to be worked on:

• symbol grounding
• computation + Turing machine
• symbol representing the world
• syntax
• semantics
• algorithm
• Chinese Room argument

11-15

Connectionism & Neural Computation

Concepts to be worked on:

• subsymbolic representation
• gradedness
• graceful degradation
• robustness
• feedback
• neural architecture & knowledge

11-15

Dynamical Systems,  Embodiment & Situated Cognition

Concepts to be worked on:

• dynamical system
• state space
• attractor
• emergence
• adaptation
• self organisation
• interaction / coupling
• embodied representation
• Umwelt
• Agent
• cultural cognition
• purpose
• subsumption architecture

11–15

Semester reflection and outlook for summer term

+ MEi:CogSci Teamwork/Tutorials (B.Peterson)

(for further details and session dates see table of courses at MEi:CogSci site; these tutorials are compulsory for MEi:CogSci students):

• Exuctsion to Bratislava, TBA (December)

Seminar: Basic Concepts in Cognitive Science I (B.Römmer-Nossek & E.Zimmermann)

(for further details see table of courses at MEi:CogSci site; this seminar is compulsory for MEi:CogSci students)

Readings having a "*" are compulsory for all!

S1

17-20

1090, Porzellang. 33a

What is (human) intelligence?

Readings (for presentation team):

• (*) Roth, G & Dicke, U. (2005). Evolution of the brain and intelligence. TICS, Vol.9, No.5.
• Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence Reframed. Basic Books. New York. Chapter 1-3.
• Newell, A. & Simon, H. (1963). GPS, a program that simulates human thought. In: Feigenbaum, E. & Feldman, J. (Eds.) Computers and Thought. MacGraw-Hill Inc., New York.
• Turing, A.M. (1950). Computing machinery and intelligence. Mind, Vol. 59, 1950.

S2

17-20

1090, Porzellang. 33a

Does complex behaviour always demand a complex mechanism?

Readings (for presentation team):

• (*)Achim Stephan (2006). The dual role of ‘emergence’ in the philosophy of mind and in cognitive science. Synthese 151 (3):485-498.
• Nolfi & Floreano (2000). The Role of Self-Organization for the Synthesis and the Understanding of Behavioural Systems. Evolutionary Robotics. MIT Press. Chapter 1
• Pfeifer  &Scheier (1999). Understanding Intelligence. MIT Press. Chapter 6. (Braitenberg Vehicles)
• Beer, R.D. (2000). Dynamical Approaches to Cognitive Science. Trends in Cognitive Science, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2000.
• Joseph Weizenbaum (1966). ELIZA - A computer program for the study of natural language communication between man and machine. Communications of the ACM, 9(1).

S3

17-20

1090, Porzellang. 33a

Are we born with a language module?

Readings (for presentation team):

• (*)Bates, E. (1994). Modularity, domain specificity and the development of language. In D.C. Gajdusek, G.M. McKhann, & C.L. Bolis, (Eds.), Evolution and neurology of language. Discussions in Neuroscience, 10, 136-149.
• Hauser M.D., Chomsky N., Fitch W.T. (2002) The Faculty of Language: What Is It, Who Has It, and How Did It Evolve? Science, Vol. 298.
• Savage-Rumbaugh S. & Bakke K.E. (1996) Animal Language: Methodological and Interpretive Issues. In Readings in Animal Cognition
• Bickard, M. (2007). Language as an interaction system. New Ideas in Psychology 25, 171-187.

S4

17-20

1090, Porzellang. 33a

How modular is the brain?

Readings (for presentation team):

• (*)Buzsáki G. (2006). Rhythms of the Brain. Oxford University Press. Chapter 1- 4.
• Forstmann B.U. et al (2011). Reciprocal relations between cognitive neuroscience and formal cognitive models: opposites attract? TICS Vol. 15, No. 6, 272-279. + O’Reilly J.X. & Mars R.B. (2011) Computational Neuroscience:localising Greek letters? Comment on Forstmann et al. TICS Vol.15, No.10, 450.
• Bassett D. & Gazzaniga M. (2011). Understanding complexity in the human brain. TICS Vol.15, No. 5., 200-209
• Bressler S.L. & Menon V. (2010) Large-scale brain networks in cognition: emerging methods and principles. TICS 14, 277-290.

S5

17-20

1090, Porzellang. 33a

Where are the boundaries of cognition?

Readings (for presentation team):

• (*)Tomasello, M., et.al. (2005) Understanding and sharing intentions: The origins of cultural cognition. BBS Oct; 28(5):675-91.
• Clark, A. (1997). Being There – Putting Brain, Body, and the World Together Again. Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 1997. Kapitel 1–3.
• Hutchins, E. (1995). How a cockpit remembers its speed. Cognitive Science. 19, pp.265-288.
• Lengeler et al. (2000). Neubewertung kognitiver Leistungen im Lichte der Fähigkeiten einzelliger Lebewesen
• Robbins T.W. & Kousta S. (2011). Uncovering the genetic underpinnings of cognition. TICS Vol.15, No. 9, 375-377

17-20

1090, Porzellang. 33a

Overspill session & Semester reflection

Assesment, Examination, and Completion of the Module,

• You have to complete the take-home examination
  • For MEi:Cogsci students this exam will be part of the module examination "Introduction to Cognitive Science 1"

• Active participation in the peer-to-peer teaching sessions

• For the seminar you will have to give 1-2 presentations and design the presentation units in your presentation team + portfolio work

• To complete the module you will have to work on your learning journal/(e-)portfolio in a continuous process of reflection. You will receive detailed information.

Contact Addresses

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