PSY 150 71P/71C General Psychology

Spring 2009

Online/Blackboard

                                               

Instructor: Sheri Narin

Office: L130, on the Person County Campus

Phone: (336) 599-1181 ext. 424

Email: narins@piedmontcc.edu

Website:  (distance learning classes only): http://courses.piedmontcc.edu, then log in and click on PSY 150

Virtual Office Hours: (distance learning classes only):  In the evenings, announced in each week’s announcement.  The time is rotated to provide maximum accessibility.

 

Textbook:

Myers, D.G. (2008).  Exploring psychology, 7th ed. New York City:  Worth Publishers.  ISBN: 978-0-7167-7141-8 

 

Course Description:

This course provides an overview of the scientific study of human behavior.  Topics include history, methodology, biopsychology, sensation, perception, learning, motivation, cognition, abnormal behavior, personality theory, social psychology, and other relevant topics.  Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the science of psychology. This course has been approved to satisfy the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement general education core requirement in social/behavioral sciences. 

 

Prerequisite/Corequisites:

There is no prerequisite.

Although experience in online course-taking is not required, students should prepare themselves for the unique setting of online learning. Online learning is reading and writing intensive and requires some basic technical skills. Successful online learners are good at scheduling their time in an organized fashion.

If you have not taken an online course, begin by reviewing the "How this Course Works" policies under "Course Information" carefully. Review the Online Learning Links under "External Links." Practice using the Internet and electronic mail, particularly as part of this course site. If you still have questions, don't be afraid to ask your instructor or other college staff for help. 

 

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of Psychology 150 (General Psychology), the student will understand the basic concepts in general psychology, including:

  1. Define both the science and practice of psychology.
  2. Identify the various subfields and specialty areas within the science of psychology.
  3. Compare and contrast the six contemporary approaches to psychology.
  4. Understand the methods psychologists use to investigate the behavior and mental processes.
  5. Be able to discuss the integration of biological, social, and psychological factors in determining behavior.
  6. Master terms, names, concepts, and theories vital to the understanding of psychology as a science.
  7. Apply psychological principles and findings to your own personal experience.

 

Evaluation:

 

Testing Procedures:
 You will take a quiz at the end of each learning module by the end of the week listed in the Schedule of Assignments. To prepare, read your text and the objectives and lecture notes in the Course Documents section. 

Grading Procedure:

The final course grade will be based upon the following (Note that this is subject to change):
Discussion Forum Activities - 100 points each; approximately 40%
Additional Assignments - 100 points each; approximately 40%
Quizzes - 50 points each, approximately 20%

 

Grading Scale:

90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; below 60% = F 

 

Attendance:

 

Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course if interaction is part of the course design. Students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource, students must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in threaded discussion events.
Students must complete an orientation before beginning the course. 

 

Attendance in this class is counted through Blackboard participation.

 

From the Piedmont Community College Catalog: 

Regular attendance at all class meetings is necessary for students to learn important concepts.  In this regard, the following class attendance policy is established: 

1. A student is expected to be regular and punctual in meeting all classes.  To receive credit for a course, the student must attend prior to the census point and a minimum of 80 percent of classes, labs and shop hours.  Failure to attend class is an absence, regardless of the reason.  Absences are counted from the first scheduled meeting of the class, not the first day the student attends.  All work missed during absences must be made up to the satisfaction of the instructor.  Failure to complete required assignments will negatively affect the student's final grade.

2. A student who exceeds the 20 percent limit of absences may be dropped by the instructor through the eighth week of the semester.  If a student exceeds the 20 percent limit after the eighth week, the instructor is authorized to award the student the "I" or "F" grade as warranted by the student's performance.

3. Any exceptions to this policy must be authorized by the instructor. 

 

Punctuality:
 Post your opening response to the question early in the assignment period so that others have time to respond to you.   No grade will be given for late postings.

 

Class Policies:

1.    Most students email questions, a few call during office hours. My preferred method of contact is email. I will answer email as soon as possible. Please allow 24-48 hours, Monday through Friday, for a reply. If you have not heard from me within that time frame, please send another email.

2.    If you have a question about something please be sure to put "QUESTION" or "QUESTION ABOUT...." as the subject of the email message. If you do, you will likely get a much faster response. Include your name on all correspondence--I cannot recognize you by your email address! 

3.    If you are looking for an easy, 3 credit blow-off course, this isn't the one. Psychology is an academic discipline like any other. Whether in a classroom or online, I will say up front that I have high expectations for students performance in this course.

4.    It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from this course. You may obtain a withdrawal form from the registrar's office. Failure to officially withdraw from the course can result in a failing grade.

5.    Many students using AOL, Compuserve, or Prodigy have had some technical difficulties with virtual campus courses, including time limits for browsing, discussion forum errors, and file attachment problems. While Blackboard generally works well with AOL (or Compuserve or Prodigy), having an alternative Internet service provider may be wise during the term of enrollment for online students. If you do use the AOL, Compuserve or Prodigy platform, you will need to minimize the AOL (or Compuserve or Prodigy) display window and open the authentic Internet Explorer browser (with the blue "e" icon) and use IE to access Blackboard. The Blackboard teaching platform works best using Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher.

6.    You may work ahead and submit some assignments early. You have three virtual passes for homework assignments to be turned in late – you can submit one homework assignment in one day late, one can be submitted three days late, and one can be submitted a week late.  This does not apply to discussion boards or exams.

7.    As noted in the attendance policy, excessive absences will reflect negatively on your grade.

8.    The ability to write well is an important skill for your professional development.  Assignments with excessive grammatical or spelling errors (excessive as subjectively defined by the instructor) may be returned with one opportunity to make corrections.

9.    Communication about assignments and announcements will be through the Piedmont Community College Student Email system.

10.  NO drinks or food are allowed in ANY classroom at ANY time. 

Learning Resource Center

 

The Piedmont Community College Library Website includes links and services for: an online catalog, basic library information, Help, electronic resources, distance education library services, interlibrary loan, instructional services, citation help, reserves, searching the web, and periodicals. http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/lrc/

 

Student Success Center:

 

Piedmont Community College now offers a comprehensive package of services to assist students with their academic success.  The Student Success Center (SSC) is located in Room G-204 on the Person County Campus and in Room K-152 on the Caswell County Campus.  The SSC provides a variety of free learning support services including computer access, tutoring, supplemental instruction, study groups, and other academic services.  Visit or call Gloria Bennett, Coordinator of the Student Success Center, at 599-1181 ext. 276 to access this valuable student resource

 

Students with Disabilities:

 

If you have a learning or other disability, and you want to request special accommodations to ensure equal access to education at PCC, please see Brian Totten in the Office of Student Development on the main campus, 599-1181, ext. 296. The information that you provide will be kept confidential.  If you are on the Caswell campus, please see Sarah Humphrey, 336-694-5707, ext. 226.

 

Email:

1.    Always include a subject line.

2.    Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.

3.    Use standard fonts.

4.    Do not send large attachments without permission.

5.    Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.

6.    Respect the privacy of other class members.

7.    Include your name on all correspondence--I cannot recognize you by your email address! 

Discussion Board:

These online discussions will take the place of discussions you would typically have in the classroom. You should think about the material and submit replies that are intelligent and clear. Use your ability to select important facts and analyze materials to pull your responses from your text reading, course documents, and Internet references. Spend some time thinking about the topics and how they might relate to your own life before you formulate your replies.

 

You are required to post one response to one of the weekly discussion questions. For the best grade, your response should be at least one substantive paragraph, using correct grammar and spelling. You should also respond to at least two of your classmate's postings each week. Your response should add new information, pro or con, to the information already posted by the student.

1.    Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.

2.    Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.

3.    Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’ ideas.

4.    Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.

Chat:

  1. Introduce yourself to other learners in that chat session.
  2. Be polite.  Choose your words carefully.  Do not use derogatory statements.
  3. Be concise in responding to others in that chat session.
  4. Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
  5. Be constructive in your comments and suggestions.

Additional Information and Resources

Web Resources for distance learning (but may be useful for other classes as well):

 Online Services for Distance Learners 

http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/online_services.htm

 

Blackboard Student Support

The North Carolina Conference of English Instructors offers this site with support information for online learners.

http://www.nccei.org/blackboard/students.html

Netiquette, Or How to Mind Your Manners When Using E-Mail
 http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html

The Piedmont Community College Library Website includes links and services for: an online catalog, basic library information, Help, electronic resources, distance education library services, interlibrary loan, instructional services, citation help, reserves, searching the web, and periodicals.
 http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/lrc/

Assignments and Projects:

For each module of study, the student will:

  1. Read the assigned text material for that module and research topics within the text in further depth.
  2. Write a response each week answering one question that is pertinent to that week's topic, and submit that response to the course Discussion Board.
  3. Read and evaluate other students' posts on the Discussion Board and respond to at least two classmates.
  4. Complete additional assignments for the module.
  5. Complete the quiz for that module. 

 

Class/Module Dates:

·         Week One: Monday, January 12, 2009 to Sunday, January 18, 2009:  Introduction/Orientation/Icebreaker

·         Week Two: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 to Sunday, January 25, 2009: Module One: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

·         Week Three: Monday, January 26, 2009 to Sunday, February 1, 2009:  Module Two: Neuroscience and Behavior

·         Week Four: Monday, February 2, 2009 to Sunday, February 8, 2009:  Module Three: Nature, Nurture and Human Diversity

·         Week Five: Monday, February 9, 2009 to Sunday, February 15, 2009:  Module Four: Developing Through the Lifespan

·         Week Six: Monday, February 16, 2009 to Sunday, February 22, 2009:  Module Five: Sensation and Perception

·         Week Seven: Monday, February 23, 2009 to Sunday, March 1, 2009:  Module Six: States of Consciousness

·         Week Eight: Monday, March 2, 2009 to Sunday, March 8, 2009:  Module Seven: Learning

·         Week Nine: Monday, March 16, 2009 to Sunday, March 22, 2009: Module Eight: Memory

·         Week Ten: Monday, March 23, 2009 to Sunday, March 29, 2009: Module Nine:  Thinking, Language and Intelligence

·         Week Eleven: Monday, March 30, 2009 to Sunday, April 5, 2009: Module Ten: Motivation

·         Week Twelve: Monday, April 6, 2009 to Thursday, April 9, 2009 & Wednesday, April 15, 2009 to Sunday, April 19, 2009: Module Eleven: Emotions, Stress and Health

·         Week Thirteen: Monday, April 20, 2009 to Sunday, April 26, 2009: Module Twelve: Personality

·         Week Fourteen: Monday, April 27, 2009 to Sunday, May 3, 2009:  Module Thirteen: Psychological Disorders

·         Week Fifteen: Monday, May 4, 2009 to Sunday, May 10, 2009: Module Fourteen: Therapy

·         Week Sixteen: Monday, May 11, 2009 to Saturday, May 16, 2009: Module Fifteen: Social Psychology

The last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is March 16, 2008.

Plagiarism Policy

                                                                                                              

PLAGIARISM  7.5.1

 

Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is “the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind and presenting it as one's own" (Alexander Lindey, Plagiarism and Originality, 1952).

 

The following acts are examples of intentional plagiarism:

 

 

Unintentional Plagiarism occurs when a student provides sources for his or her work, but the sources are cited incorrectly or inadequately. Handbooks with documentation rules for Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychology Association (APA), two source documentation styles, are housed in the Caswell County Campus Resource Center and in the Person County Campus Learning Resource Center. Students are also encouraged to speak with their instructors when they are uncertain about documenting their sources in class assignments.

 

Plagiarism will result in disciplinary action, and repeated offenses will lead to increased penalties that may ultimately result in expulsion from the College, as set out below:

 

 

If a student receives a course grade of F due to plagiarism, the course instructor will notify the Dean of Student Development using the Plagiarism Incident Report Form.

If a student receives three course grades of F due to plagiarism, as determined by records kept in the office of the Dean of Student Development, he or she will be expelled from the College.

 

Legal Reference: G.S. 115 D-20

History Note: Effective January 20, 2004

 

Plagiarism tutorial: http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/plag/whatisplag.php

 

In furtherance of its Plagiarism Policy, Piedmont Community College has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism in student assignments.  Students may also be asked to submit assignments through the Blackboard tool, SafeAssign. To encourage original and authentic written work, any written assignment created in this course may be submitted for review to Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com) or SafeAssign and will become a searchable document with the Turnitin-protected and restricted use database or the SafeAssign institutional or global database.