Texas A&M University Central Texas PSY Human Sexuality INSTRUCTOR AND CONTACT INFORMATION

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1 1 Texas A&M University Central Texas PSY Human Sexuality INSTRUCTOR AND CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Jana I. Tiefenwerth, M.S. Office: I do not maintain an office on campus. Phone: (call or text only from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) State which class you are in if you text me. jtiefenwerth@tamuct.edu; janatie@aol.com Use the Messages tab within the course to send messages within the course room. To reach me outside the course room, use blackboard system first, or use my personal address if blackboard is unavailable. Please copy my personal (CC to Janatie@aol.com) on any correspondence sent through university . Since all mail sent to my university is forwarded to my personal account, if you CC my personal address on the , it will allow me to respond from my personal account. This will allow for an almost immediate reply.). Office Hours: Available anytime through , or by telephone with an appointment. Virtual Office Hours: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Mon. through Fri. by Appt. Mode of instruction and course access: This course is a 100% online course and uses TAMUCT Blackboard Learn system ( You will use the Blackboard username and password communicated to you separately to logon to this system. Student-instructor interaction: I check correspondence several times each day and reply within a short time. If you send a message using Messages within the course room and do not hear from me soon, then me. UNILERT UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central Texas the ability to communicate health and safety emergency information quickly via , text message, and social media. All students are automatically enrolled in UNILERT through their myct account. Connect at to change where you receive your alerts or to opt out. By staying enrolled in UNILERT, university officials can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of your location. COURSE INFORMATION Course Overview and description: PSY 490 PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY Psychology of sexual behavior as related to social conduct. This course explores the field's diversity, controversy, and newest research--helping students to evaluate and understand their own unique experiences in sexuality. Topics are presented in a manner that is accurate, accessible, balanced, and non-judgmental. This course thoroughly explores the historical, biological, psychosocial, behavioral, and cultural aspects of human sexuality. Course Objective: This course is designed to broaden understanding of human sexuality from a psychological, psychosocial, behavioral, historical, and cultural perspective. Student Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. Discuss historical and cultural influences on contemporary sexual attitudes. [Mod 1] 2. Discuss methodology and ethical issues in sex research. [Mod 1] 3. Differentiate between sex and gender and explain how perceptions of gender affect sexuality. [Mod 3] 4. Discuss "nature versus nurture" as it relates to gender identity and sexual orientation. [Mod 3] 5. Identify basic aspects of male and female sexual anatomy and sexual arousal. [Mod 2] 1

2 6. Discuss cross-cultural perspectives on homosexuality and outline how attitudes toward homosexuality have evolved over time. [Mod 5] 7. Explain the importance of communication in sexual relationships and identify helpful communication techniques. [Mod 4] 8. Discuss infertility, reproductive alternatives, and compare advantages and disadvantages of available contraceptives. [Mod 6] 9. Discuss sexual behavior in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. [Mod 6, 7] 10. Discuss various sexual problems among men and women, including a discussion of how common they are, and distinguish between generalized and situational sexual problems. [Mod 7] 11. Discuss types of sexually transmitted diseases and identify effective methods to reduce the likelihood of contracting a STD. [Mod 8] 12. Distinguish between noncoercive and coercive paraphilias. [Mod 8] 2 Required Reading and Textbook(s): Our Sexuality, 13th Edition Robert L. Crooks Karla Baur See the Start Here folder for textbook options. MindTap: The MindTap supplemental web site is optional, but some exam questions may be related to the study material within MindTap. The instructor strongly recommends for students to purchase access to MindTap since it gives a digital copy of the textbook along with important study material related to the textbook content. Course Requirements: COURSE REQUIREMENTS 4 Major Exams (150 points each; Combined Exams are Worth 60% of final course grade) [Total 600 points] 8 s (50 points each; All discussions combined are worth 40% of final course grade) [Total 400 points] Total Possible Points for Entire Course: 1000 points Exam 1. (150 points) This multiple choice and True/False exam will cover chapters 1 through 4 of the course textbook. Exam 2. (150 points) This multiple choice and True/False exam will cover chapters 5 through 8 of the course textbook. Exam 3. (150 points) This multiple choice and True/False exam will cover chapters 9 through 12 of the course textbook. Exam 4. (150 points) This multiple choice and True/False exam will cover chapters 13 through 16 of the course textbook. 8 board topics (50 points each) will cover topics associated with the assigned chapters for that week. 2

3 3 Grading Criteria Rubric and Conversion Individual Assignments: Final Course Grade: Exam points %= A points Exam points 89-80%= B points Exam points 79-70%= C points Final Exam 150 points 69-60%= D points Mod 1 50 points 59% or less = F 599 points or less Mod 2 50 points Mod 3 50 points Mod 4 50 points Mod 5 50 points Mod 6 50 points Mod 7 50 points Mod 8 50 points TOTAL: 1000 points Posting of Grades: Exam Grades will usually post immediately upon submission on the Blackboard Grade Book. Students should monitor their grading status through this tool. Board Grades will post 72 hours after the due date has passed, or before. Final Course Grades will be submitted to the registrar usually within 48 hours after the course end date. Technology Requirements TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT This course will use the new TAMU-CT Blackboard Learn learning management system for class communications, content distribution, and assessments. Logon to to access the course. Username: Your MyCT username (xx123 or everything before the "@" in your MyCT address) Initial password: Your MyCT password For this course, you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer and to the Internet. You will also need a headset with a microphone or speakers and a microphone to be able to listen to online resources and conduct other activities in the course. If you do not have frequent and reliable access to a computer with Internet connection, please consider dropping this course or contact me (your and phone number) to discuss your situation. Blackboard supports the most common operating systems: PC: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista Mac: Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), 10.8 (Mountain Lion), and 10.7 (Lion) NOTE: Computers using Windows XP, Windows 8 RT and OS X 10.6 or lower are NO longer supported 3

4 4 Technology Support Check browser and computer compatibility by following the Browser Check link on the TAMU- CTBlackboard logon page. ( This is a CRITICAL step as these settings are important for when you take an exam or submit an assignment. Upon logging on to Blackboard Learn, you will see a link to Blackboard Student Orientation under My Courses tab. Click on that link and study the materials in this orientation course. The new Blackboard is a brand-new interface and you will have to come up to speed with it really quickly. This orientation course will help you get there. There is also a link to Blackboard Help from inside the course on the left-hand menu bar. The first week of the course includes activities and assignments that will help you get up to speed with navigation, sending and receiving messages and discussion posts, and submitting an assignment. Your ability to function within the Blackboard system will facilitate your success in this course. Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement make sure your computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines. For technological or computer issues, students should contact Help Desk Central. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: helpdesk@tamu.edu Phone: (254) Web Chat: When calling for support please let your support technician know you are a TAMUCT student. For issues related to course content and requirements, contact your instructor. Instructor s Personal Statement It is important for any person to understand to some degree various perspectives on human sexuality. Human sexuality is very complex behavior that is affected by many facets of our lives including our physiology, cognition, and learning. Students taking this course will be provided with an engaging, personally relevant, and academically sound introduction to human sexuality. This course will provide students with an understanding of psychosocial factors that affect sexuality, and at the same time, this course will provide students with a solid basis in the anatomy and physiology of human sexuality. Students taking this course will be given an opportunity to learn how to strengthen and maintain healthy communication among partners, as well as gain information on how to maintain a responsible and healthy sexual relationship. Note: During this course, students may find their own ideas and beliefs about sexuality being challenged, or perhaps reinforced. It is pertinent that every student remember that what is acceptable to one may be deplorable to another. Therefore, students are expected to express their opinions and beliefs in a respectable and mature manner when participating in the discussion forum. As your instructor, I will attempt to provide information and feedback in a sensitive, nonsexist, nonjudgmental manner and I will assume that every individual student is best qualified to determine what is most valid and applicable in his or her own life. I expect every student to be respectful of others, regardless of varying opinions. We can all agree to disagree and learn to appreciate diversity as a tool that allows us to gain a better understanding of the world around us. So start talking, but be kind and sensitive while expressing your opinions on the discussion board! 4

5 5 Drop Policy COURSE AND UNIVERSITY PROCEDURES AND POLICIES Academic Integrity If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records Office and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always the responsibility of the student. The record s office will provide a deadline for which the form must be returned, completed and signed. Once you return the signed form to the records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into Duck Trax and confirm that you are no longer enrolled. Should you still be enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office immediately? You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid penalty for absence. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an F in the course. Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of academic dishonesty and for reporting the incident to the Director of Student Affairs. More information can be found at Disability Support Services If you have or believe you have a disability and wish to self-identify, you can do so by providing documentation to the Disability Support Coordinator. Students are encouraged to seek information about accommodations to help assure success in their courses. Please call (254) or visit Founder's Hall 114, Suite 114. Additional information can be found at Library Services Library distance education services aims to make available quality assistance to A&M-Central Texas students seeking information sources remotely by providing digital reference, online information literacy tutorials, and digital research materials. Much of the A&M-CT collection is available instantly from home. This includes over half of the library's book collection, as well as approximately 25,000 electronic journals and 200 online databases. Library Distance Education Services are outlined and accessed at: Information literacy focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and work in an information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the development of critical reasoning, ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques. Help may include, but is not limited to: the exploration of information resources such as library collections, the identification of appropriate materials, and the execution of effective search strategies. Library Resources are outlined and accessed at: 5

6 6 Tutoring Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing. Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Warrior Hall, Room 111. Visit and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and contact info. If you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic Support Programs at or by ing tutoring@ct.tamus.edu. Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on your computer! Tutor.com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMUCT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support. This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To access Tutor.com, log into your Blackboard account and click "Online Tutoring." The Operation of the Online Course and Being an Online Student Online learning requires students to be very self-disciplined; be sure you understand and are prepared to comply with all required class assignments and deadlines. For this course, the Weekly Assignments will be posted on the Course Schedule with corresponding due dates listed within the Course Schedule. All graded assignments are due by Sunday, 11:55 p.m. of the associated module, except in Mod 8 which ends on Friday. To assess whether you are ready for online courses, you can take this optional assessment: ( A link to information about Smarter Measures is included in the Online Resources portion of the Course Menu. Late assignments are not accepted. If a student experiences a technical problem that prevents submitting an assignment by the due date, the student should contact the instructor immediately. All assignments in this course are due by the listed due dates found on the Course Schedule for each specific assignment. All graded assignments are due by Sunday, 11:55 p.m. of the associated module, except in Mod 8 which ends on Friday. It is the student s responsibility to read any announcements posted by the instructor under the Announcements section of the homepage, on the discussion board, or in . Students are expected to follow all instructions provided by the instructor for each specific assignment, precisely. Online Classroom Etiquette: Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom online environment that is conducive to learning. Students should maintain appropriate and mature discussions when interacting on the discussion board or in chat rooms. All areas will be monitored. If a disruptive classroom incident occurs, the student may be dropped from the class. Attendance Regular attendance is expected. The discussion board is used to monitor attendance. Students should post on two different days of the week for each module. The student may receive an F in the course when his/her lack of attendance prohibits him/her from meeting the course objectives, or when a student accumulates excessive absences that prevent his or her submitting assignments by the listed due dates. For every 100 points that a student misses in this course, the student s final grade will drop one letter. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 2 DAYS WITHOUT LOGGING ON TO THE COURSE TO CHECK FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OR REMINDERS. COURSE SCHEDULE - All graded assignments are due by Sunday, 11:55 p.m., except in Module 8 which ends Friday, 11:55 p.m. 6

7 7 Week 1 Mar. 21st to Mar. 27th Week 2 Mar. 28th to Apr. 3 rd Note: Some questions on the major Week 3 Apr. 4th to Apr. 10 th exams may be similar to/or the same as Week 4 Apr. 11th to Apr. 17 th those seen on the MindTap practice quizzes. Week 5 Apr. 18th to Apr. 24 th Some exam questions may be related to the Week 6 Apr. 25th to May 1 st material presented in the MindTap video Week 7 May 2nd to May 8 th segments. All MindTap material is Week 8 May 9th to Fri, May 13th (5 days only) associated with the required textbook. Module Dates: Assigned Reading: Graded Assignments: Module 1- Week to 3-27 Module 2- Week to 4-3 Module 3- Week to 4-10 Read Chapters 1 and 2 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 1 and Ch. 2. Read Chapters 3 and 4 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 3 and Ch. 4. Read Chapters 5 and 6 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 5 and Ch Complete Module 1 Due Complete Module 2 2. Complete Exam 1 over Chapters 1 through 4 All Due Complete Module 3 Due

8 8 Module 4- Week to 4-17 Module 5- Week to 4-24 Module 6- Week to 5-1 Module 7- Week to 5-8 Module 8- Week to 5-13 NOTE: This week is short. Open 5 days only! Read Chapters 7 and 8 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 7 and Ch. 8. Read Chapters 9 and 10 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 9 and Ch. 10. Read Chapters 11 and 12 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 11 and Ch. 12. Read Chapters 13 and 14 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 13 and Ch. 14. Read Chapters 15 and 16 and any lecture materials posted by the instructor. MindTap for Ch. 15 and Ch Complete Module 4 2. Complete Exam 2 over Chapters 5 through 8 All Due Complete Module 5 Due Complete Module 6 2. Complete Exam 3 over Chapters 9 through 12 All Due Complete Module 7 Due Complete Module 8 2. Complete Final Exam over Chapters 13 through 16 All Due 5-13 *** Class ends Fri., May 13 th, midnight. LATE ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED!! The last day to drop this course with a Q or W is April 22 nd. Check the TAMU-CT catalog to confirm. 8

9 9 Board Instructions Students, we will not have a required research paper in this course, but I do expect scholarly writing on the discussion board each week. To earn full points, students must submit a 400 words or more original discussion that answers the weekly discussion board topic, and two substantive replies (at least 100 words or more in each reply) to other students' posts. Posts should be made on any two days and all questions parts should be addressed. The discussion should contain ample textbook references to fully support assertions. Please include the page number(s) within parentheses after the sentence(s) referenced from the textbook. APA formatting should be used in the in-text citations and in the reference list. The content should demonstrate full and thorough mastery of the topic with proper writing/spelling/grammar and APA formatting. I suggest that you Google "6th edition APA formatting using in-text citations" and "6th edition APA formatting in reference list" if you need examples. Please include a word count at the bottom of your original discussion (do not include the question or the reference list in that word count). You do not have to include word counts on replies to other students. Random checks of word counts will be made. The student will receive a zero if the word count is incorrect. Students may participate more than two days and may submit more than the three required contributions, but a minimum of two days on the board is required. This participation counts as attendance. IMPORTANT NOTE: You will not be able to view other student's posts until you first submit your original discussion. Create a thread to submit your 400-word original discussion that answers the week's topic. After submitting your original discussion, you will then be able to reply to other students' posts. Be sure to participate on the board any TWO days of the week. NOTE: board questions will be available by Monday morning of each week. If a question is not visible on Monday, please the instructor immediately. Again, you will NOT be able to view other students' work until you have submitted your own original discussion using the Create Thread button. Weekly Board Checklist (worth 50 points): o Submit an insightful, thorough original discussion (400 words or more) that answers topic for the week (include word count at the bottom of the page after your reference list). Answer all question parts. 9

10 10 o o o o Include textbook reference material to fully support your assertions (include page numbers within parentheses). Submit two substantive 100-word replies to at least two other students' posts after you submit your original discussion. Return to the board at least one other day after submitting your original discussion to submit an additional reply to another student's work. Use correct APA formatting and correct punctuation/spelling. Include a reference list and the word count in your original discussion. Submit work on any TWO days each week. This document is subject to change at the instructor s discretion. Students will be notified of any changes prior to implementation of changes. 10