INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE SCIENCE
COURSE HOMEPAGE

First Semester 2000-2001

Check this page now and then for updates and course announcements

Cognitive Science is a relatively new field of scientific enquiry focusing on the mind and its capacities.  The field of Cognitive Science is built upon a number of sub-disciplines including Psychology, Philosophy, Linguistics (the study of languages), Computer Science, and Neuroscience (the study of the brain and its functions).  In order to reflect this multi-disciplinary character of the field, the Introduction to Cognitive Science course will be taught cooperatively by five lecturers, one from each of the above areas. They shall teach for two weeks each in the following order :
 

Department Lecturer Email
1. Psychology  Dr. Alex Francis afrancis@hkusua.hku.hk
2. Computer Science Dr. Huo Qiang qhuo@csis.hku.hk 
3. Linguistics  Dr. A. Bodomo abbodomo@hkusua.hku.hk
4. Neuroscience  Dr. I. Bruce hrmybic@hkucc.hku.hk
5. Philosophy  Dr. J. Lau jyflau@hkusua.hku.hk

The overall focus of the course will be the nature of representation (in minds, computers. . . ).  Each of the lecturers will discuss how their respective fields contribute to our understanding people's ability to learn, understand and reason.  The topics will range from understanding the contents and organization of knowledge to how the brain actually stores it and how computers might simulate it.

This course does not require any background in cognitive science and is suitable for all students.


Details

Tutor LO Lap Yan (h9605361@hkusua.hku.hk)
Savio WONG Wai Ho (savio@cheerful.com)
Tutorials One hour per week. Details to be announced in the first lecture.
Assessment 40% coursework ( tutorial participation + 5 short assignments)
60% final examination
Useful References and Readings

Course Material and other Resources

Course syllabus (word doc)

Psychology
Powerpoint presentation (Lecture 1 black&white)
Powerpoint presentation (Lecture 1 colour)
Powerpoint presentation (Lecture 3 black&white)
Powerpoint presentation (Lecture 3 colour)
Powerpoint presentation (Lecture 4 black&white)
Powerpoint presentation (Lecture 4 colour)
CogSci.Psy-3.ppt
Notes_for_26_Sept_CogSci.doc
CogSci.Psy-3.ppt
Intro assignment.doc
Tute Q1
Tute Q2
CogSci.Psy-4.ppt
Study Guide
Computer Science

PDF file Postscript file
4 pages on 1 : PDF file Postscript file

Linguistics
Course Outline
Lecture 1: Phonology, Morphology and their Interfaces (PowerPoint)
Lecture 2: Syntax, Semantics, and their Interfaces (PowerPoint)
Lecture 3: Formal Grammars: Parsing and Generation (PowerPoint)
Lecture 4: Language and Literacy Acquisition (PowerPoint)
Summary of the linguistics segment (PowerPoint)
Neuroscience
Philosophy

1. Lecture #1
2. Lecture #2
3. Reading : page 94-105 of Tye (1995) Ten Problems of Consciousness MIT Press. You can read a online copy if (a) you are in the HKU network, and (b) you look up the book at http://www.netlibrary.com. (Do not checkout the book. Use the preview function to read it so other people can also look at it.)
4. Lecture #3
5. Excerpts of readings on conceptual role semantics
6. Lecture #4