"Good morning, everyone. Today we're diving into learning theories — but we're doing something different than a traditional lecture. Today you'll work together as psychologists-in-training, and you'll also treat AI as a tool, a resource, and sometimes, a trap. By the end of this class, I want you to be able to answer three questions: (1) What distinguishes classical, operant, and observational learning? (2) How do these theories apply to real life? (3) When should you trust AI, and when should you challenge it?"
Students enter class and see a slide pairing a puppy image with the school logo. Instructor asks: "Without saying anything — notice your emotional reaction. What did you feel? Why might I have shown you this combination?"
Students write a one-word reaction on a sticky note, then share with a partner.
Social Constructivism: Activates prior knowledge; pair discussion surfaces patterns of similar/different responses, beginning collaborative sense-making.
Instructor reveals the puppy + logo setup as a conditioning demonstration (US = puppy, NS = logo). Then models critical AI interrogation:
"I asked an AI to generate 5 examples of classical conditioning in everyday life. Let's see them — and critically evaluate them as a class."
Display 5 AI-generated examples. Students raise thumbs up/down on accuracy.
Instructor transparently demonstrates their own critical evaluation of AI outputs. Students participate as judges — establishing the class norm that AI outputs are assessable, not authoritative.
Instructor displays the 5 pre-test questions and reveals correct answers. Students discuss in pairs:
"Did anyone get Q2 wrong? What made it tricky? Did your AI journal reveal any similar misconceptions?"Instructor calls on 3 pairs to share AI-related insights from their pre-class journal.
Social Constructivism: Peer discussion targets misconception resolution within ZPD — students learn from each other's errors through discourse.
Students share observations such as: "The AI's explanation helped me understand the distinction I got wrong" or "The AI confused extinction and punishment — I caught it."
Instructor states the 7 ILOs and frames the lesson:
"Today we'll build knowledge together, critically examine AI as a learning tool, and prepare for our group synthesis project."
Explicitly frames AI literacy: "You'll become critical consumers of AI — learning when AI helps and when your judgment must prevail."
Purpose: Run the 5-question diagnostic and live thumbs-up/down poll on AI examples. Results display instantly and drive pair-share discussions.