PSY 150 General Psychology syllabus

PSY 150 General Psychology

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name: Sheri Narin

Office Phone: (336) 599 – 1181 ext. 424, Office Location: L130 on the Person County Campus. Office Hours are posted by door. Virtual Office Hour announced weekly.

Email Address: narins@piedmontcc.edu

Fax: (336) 598 - 0453

Secretary Phone: Nancy Watts, (336) 599-1181 ext. 437

Faculty Website Address: http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/faculty/narins (For information specific to this class, click on “Classes that I Teach” and the link for PSY 150)

Course Information

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.

Course Objectives:

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

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

Prerequisites and Co-requisites: 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 Topics:

Module One: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science
Module Two: Neuroscience and Behavior
Module Three: Nature, Nurture and Human Diversity
Module Four: Developing Through the Lifespan
Module Five: Sensation and Perception
Module Six: States of Consciousness
Module Seven: Learning
Module Eight: Memory
Module Ten: Motivation
Module Eleven: Emotions, Stress and Health
Module Twelve: Personality
Module Thirteen: Psychological Disorders
Module Fourteen: Therapy
Module Fifteen: Social Psychology

Specific Course Requirements:
In order to successfully completely Psychology 150, each student will complete the Icebreakers and Modules of Study. Students will complete one module per week (with the exception of summer semester) during the course.

For each module of study, the student will:

Read the assigned text material for that module and research topics within the text in further depth.
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.
Read and evaluate other students' posts on the Discussion Board and respond to at least two classmates
Complete any additional assignments.
Complete the quiz for that module.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks: Exploring Psychology, 7th Edition, David Myers

Supplementary Materials:

To access your online course you will need access to the Internet. For best results, use the Microsoft Internet browser in version 6 or better. Although there are no absolute requirements, computers with faster Internet connections, faster processors, and more memory will get better results. Keep in mind that if you have difficulties connecting to the class or a slow connection, the problem could be occurring at many levels. For help, look at the "Technical Difficulties" document in "How this Course Works" under "Course Information" or try the Technical Help Forum on the course Discussion Board.

Course Website address:
http://courses.piedmontcc.edu, then login and click on PSY 150

Hardware Requirements:

Operating System

Microsoft Windows – 2000 or XP

Mac - MacOS x 10.2 Jaguar

Processor

Microsoft Windows – 800 MHz Intel Pentium III processor or equivalent/better

Mac – 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor, or better

Internet Connection

Microsoft Windows and Mac - DSL or Cable Broadband access

Monitor Resolution

Microsoft Windows and Mac - 1024 x 768 monitor resolution

Free Hard Disk Space

Microsoft Windows and Mac - 500 MB free hard disk space

CPU Memory

Microsoft Windows and Mac – 256 MB of RAM

Audio Card

Microsoft Windows and Mac - 24-bit sound card

Video Card

Microsoft Windows - 64 MB VRAM True Color 24 or 32-bit

Mac – Virtual memory turned on and allocated to at least 128 MB

Browser

Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP, Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP or Vista, Firefox 1.5 (or higher) on Windows XP, Vista, or MAC

Please follow any additional hardware recommendations mentioned at : http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/hardware.htm, with the addition of access to Microsoft Word.

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.

Proctor forms: http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/proctor_index.htm

Software Requirements: Microsoft Word, Adobe Reader, Macromedia Shockwave Player, Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer

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

Assessment and Grading

Grading Procedure:

The final course grade will be based upon the following:
Discussion Forum Activities - 100 points each; 40%
Additional Assignments - 100 points each; 40%
Quizzes - 20 points each, 20%

Grading Scale:
90-100 = A
80-89 points = B
70-79 points = C
60-69 points = D
below 60 points = F

Academic Integrity

In addition to good academic performance, students should exhibit honesty and integrity. If there is any question that academic honesty and integrity are not honored, students may be required to redo assignments in the presence of an instructor-selected monitor. Proof of dishonesty, including plagiarism, will make students subject to disciplinary action. Please consult your college catalog for more information.

Piedmont Community College Plagiarism Policy

7.5.1

PLAGIARISM

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:

Copying material from a published source to avoid having to devise one’s own ideas.

Failing to give clear and proper credit to an idea, phrase, or quotation taken from a source.

Purchasing a pre-written paper.

Having someone other than the stated author complete an assignment, or part of an assignment.

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:

A student who unintentionally plagiarizes will receive a warning and instruction on proper citation, style, and usage for the first offense.

A student who unintentionally plagiarizes a second time in a single course will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized.

A student who intentionally plagiarizes will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized.

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.

Policies and Participation

Assignments and Projects:

For each module of study, the student will:

Read the assigned text material for that module and research topics within the text in further depth.
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.
Read and evaluate other students' posts on the Discussion Board and respond to at least two classmates.
Complete additional assignments for the module.
Complete the quiz for that module.

Class Participation or 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. Late written assignments are penalized 5 points per day late.

Course Ground Rules

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. There is a point penalty for late work.

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) will be returned with one opportunity to make corrections.

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

Guidelines for Communications

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:

Introduce yourself to other learners in that chat session.
Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
Be concise in responding to others in that chat session.
Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
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/

Library

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 Mr. Totten will be kept confidential.

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.

Syllabus Changes

A statement that any necessary changes to the course syllabus will be sent to the student by e-mail and posted on the bulletin board.

Student Email

Student email accounts will be created on the first day of class. If you have enrolled for classes prior to the first day of class, your email address will be created for you. If you register for classes after the first day of class, your email account will be created during the next setup schedule. For information on using your student email account, visit http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/studentemail.html

Technical Support for Distance Learning

A Technical Help Desk is available to students enrolled in courses that utilize Blackboard. This 24-hours-per-day, 7-days-per-week service is available to provide assistance to Internet students who have questions about using Blackboard.

Website - http://d2.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=4287

Toll-free Phone - 866-852-5588

Libbie McPhaul-Moore, 336-599-1181, ext. 445, mcphaul@piedmontcc.edu

Angela Vaughn, 336-599-1181, ext. 246, vaughna@piedmontcc.edu

Blackboard Access Guide, http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/DL/AccessGuide.htm