Course Description
TA:CS-0238:Psychology of Cognitive Development
Divisional Requirements
| Was course completed satisfactorily? | Yes |
Course Fundamentals
| Attended class | |
| Participated in class discussion | |
| Participated in in-class or group activities | |
| Completed assignments on time |
Learning Goals
| Learn to read and interpret intellectual or artistic works | |
| Write critically and analytically | |
| Understand quantitative methods of analysis | |
| Develop creative abilities in expressive modes (e.g. creative writing, visual and performance arts, and music) | |
| Effectively present ideas orally | |
| Conceive and complete project-based work | |
| Understand multiple cultural perspectives on intellectual or artistic subjects |
Narrative Description of Student Performance
Ruth Daniel was an exceptional teaching assistant for the Cognitive Development class. Ruth took on greater responsibility for the class when the other teaching assistant could not continue in the role. This meant that Ruth was responsible for providing feedback on more of the students’ reading responses and article summaries. Ruth willingly stepped up to this great involvement and provided helpful feedback throughout the semester. Ruth was also a tremendous resource in supporting students in their research process, both in terms of helping them locate resources through the library and guiding them as they wrote research proposals. Ruth was an excellent role model for our students, fully attending to discussions, asking questions about the material, and demonstrating high levels of academic curiosity.
Ruth led a class on practices for interviewing young children and the risks of suggestive questioning techniques that can bias their reports. This was a wonderful presentation that placed the topic in the context of previous course material and provided background from a notable case (the McMartin preschool case from the 1980s). Ruth included a thorough overview of a research article that examined the effects of suggestive interviewing techniques and contrasted these with more neutral interviewing techniques that are currently implemented. Ruth was very well-prepared and demonstrated their extensive knowledge of the topic. They also skillfully addressed student questions and led a very engaging discussion of the material. Students learned a lot from Ruth’s presentation. I greatly appreciate all of Ruth’s contributions to the class this semester.