Hutchens 1 General Psychology PSY 133, Section 8 Robert T McKibben Education 257 Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-9:15am Spring Semester 2014 Professor Information: Professor: Dr. Scott Alan Hutchens, Ph.D. Department: Psychology Office: ED 215A Office Phone: 936-468-1404 e-mail: Desire2Learn (D2L login: https://d2l.sfasu.edu/) (primary e-mail) & hutchenss@sfasu.edu (I check and reply to course-related email within 24 hours during weekday work hours [8:00-5:00].) Office Hours: MW 9:00am-11:00am; F 9:00am-10:00am & by appointment Required Text: Ciccarelli, S. K., & White, J. N., (2013). Psychology: An Exploration (2 nd ed.). New Jersey, Pearson. ISBN: 9780205985432 *Textbook includes New MyPsychLab with Pearson etext -- Access Card Package Course Description: Psychology 133: Survey of fundamental principles of behavior, including physiological, perceptual, developmental, learning, motivational, cognitive, social, historical, and methodological perspectives. Program Learning Outcomes This is a general education core curriculum course and no specific program learning outcomes for this major are addressed in this course. General Education Core Curriculum Outcome Objectives/Outcomes EEO Objective To employ the appropriate methods, technologies, and data that social and behavior scientists use to investigate the human condition. To use and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories. To analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on the area under study. To identify and understand differences and commonalities within diverse cultures. Students should be familiar with and able to recognize different research methods and their strengths and weaknesses. These methods may include the following: case studies, naturalistic observation, surveys, correlational research and experiments. Students should be able to discuss how major principles and theories can be applied to real life situations. Students should also be able to describe the application of theory to the major areas of psychological study. Students should be able to identify and appreciate the possible influences of some or all of those factors listed above on the behavior and experience of individuals. Students will develop an appreciation of the differences and similarities in behavior and experience as it relates to culture.
Hutchens 2 Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Students should be able to identify how the scientific method is utilized in psychology to learn about the brain and behavior. 2. Students should be able to discuss the many different areas of study in psychology and be able to apply findings from psychology to their understanding of everyday life or their own work goals. 3. Students should be able to critically evaluate a research study for the potential flaws in interpretation. 4. Students should be able to show comprehension from textbook reading assignments through homework assignment and test performance. 5. Students should be able to express knowledge through written assignments and through answering multiple choice questions. Grades: Final grades for the course are based on several different types of assignments: Unit class tests, online chapter quizzes, online discussions, in-class participation, research participation, and MyPsychLab Learning Activities. All grades will be posted in the Desire2Learn (D2L) website. Evaluation and Grading: COURSEWORK POINTS 3 Unit Class Tests (200 points each) 600 (60%) 12 Online Chapter Quizzes (10 points each) 120 (12%) 12 Online Discussions (5 points each) 60 (6%) General Education Core Assessment Test 60 (6%) In-Class Participation 60 (6%) MyPsychLab Learning Activities 60 (6%) Research Participation 40 (4%) Total 1000 (100%) Note Due to time constraints, if all 12 chapters are not covered during the semester, the total number of points (and %s) will be reduced according to the number of chapters that are not covered. Grading Scale: A = 900 -- 1000 (90%-100%) B = 800 -- 899 (80%-89%) C = 700 -- 799 (70%-79%) D = 600 -- 699 (60%-69%) F = 0 -- 599 (0%-59%)
Hutchens 3 Coursework and General Grading Criteria: Coursework will be graded based on completeness, accuracy, and other criteria, including the following: Unit Class Tests: There will be three closed-book unit tests. Each test is comprised of material from the lectures and assigned readings/activities and assignments. The tests will be taken during class time (and during the final exam time). The dates for the tests will be announced as the course progresses. Students will be given at least one-week notice of the exact test date. Online Chapter Quizzes: Quizzes will be available in Desire2Learn for a certain time period corresponding to chapter coverage. The quizzes are open-book. Please see the tentative schedule for chapter coverage at the end of the syllabus. Failure to take a quiz during the available time period will result in a grade of zero on the quiz. Each quiz consists of 20 multiple-choice questions and must be completed during a particular quiz duration (e.g., 25 minutes). Students will have two attempts to take each chapter quiz (the questions are randomly selected and may not be the same for each attempt). Students highest grade will be recorded. Online Discussions: Students will participate in online class discussions by using D2L. For each chapter, students will be required to read online material and/or view online video clips in each chapter learning module and then post their thoughts/opinions (along with a link to a related video or webpage) in the appropriate discussion area. The instructor or GA may post open-ended questions in the instructions area of each discussion. Students must also reply to at least TWO other students posts/replies to earn full credit for each chapter discussion. Students should make their post and two replies for each chapter before the chapter s discussion and quiz deadline expires. Late participation will receive no points. Please follow discussion board etiquette when participating in online discussions. Feel free to make more than the required number of posts/replies. Hopefully some interesting discussions will develop. Discussions will be graded on content and clarity (posts must address questions/videos/readings and must be at least 5 sentences long. The length of replies may vary from 2 to 3 sentences). General Education Core Assessment Test: This short electronic cumulative test will be posted to Desire2Learn near the end of the semester and will have about 20 multiple-choice questions. This test will be graded as a pass or fail assignment with the criteria being 50% of the questions answered correctly. This test will be worth 6% of the final grade in the class. If a student gets more than half of the questions correct, he/she will receive 100% of the points. If a student gets less than half of the questions correct, he/she will receive 50% of the points. If a student does not take the test, he/she will receive a zero. In-class participation: There may be several types of activities that will be included in this inclass participation grade: Participation in activities, discussions, group work, one-minute papers, field/homework assignments, and surveys. A student must be present in class the day of the participation activity to receive credit. These activities will be graded on a completion basis and will each have an equal weight. At the end of the semester, the grade will be determined by: the number of completed activities total number of activities given during the semester
Hutchens 4 MyPsychLab Learning Activities: For each chapter students will participate in MyPsychLab learning activities (Study Plans and Course Content). These activities are designed to help students master concepts presented in the textbook. The chapter activities consist of completing a study plan based on a pre-test and post-test, taking a quiz, and viewing videos and participating in simulations (both followed by a brief comprehension check [quiz]), More detailed information about the learning activities will be provided later in class. Note: MyPsychLab works the best using Mozilla Firefox. Research participation: Every student will be expected to earn 4 research points (R-Points) by participating in psychological studies. For every 30 minutes of research participation, students earn 1 R-Point. Students must sign up for R-Points through the Department of Psychology s Sona Systems Software: http://sfasu.sona-systems.com. If a student has an objection to participating in psychological research or if he/she will not turn 18 before the end of the semester, the student will need to contact the instructor within the first two days of class to get directions for an alternate project. This grade will account for 4% of the final grade. Tips for Success in Online Coursework Course information and work is offered through Desire2Learn and will appear in each student s D2L account if he/she is registered for the course (login: https://d2l.sfasu.edu/). The key words to describe success in my course are self-motivation and self-directed learning. A student must motivate his/herself to carefully read and study each chapter of the textbook and take advantage of the textbook s online resources (MyPsychLab). In order to succeed, students must read the textbook and engage in online activities in D2L and MyPsychLab. In addition to in-class work, there will be online activities (quizzes, discussions, MyPsychLab) to participate in each week. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. If students procrastinate, they will quickly fall behind. Students should NEVER wait until the last minute to take a quiz or complete a discussion assignment. Students should motivate themselves to complete their work well before it is due to avoid being hurt by last minute computer or Internet problems. If a student has D2L technical problems, he/she should contact the SFA D2L Helpdesk immediately (the contact information and tutorials are located on the D2L website: 936-468-1919; D2L@sfasu.edu; http://www.sfaonline.info/#!d2ltutorials-/c14y8). Furthermore, it is important that students check their D2L email on a regular basis. Other than classroom communication, D2L email and announcements will be the primary method of communication in the course. I also encourage students to communicate with other students via D2L email and discussion area. Finally, in addition to reading the textbook to prepare for quizzes, I encourage students to take advantage of the online textbook resources (MyPsychLab). Guidelines for the Course 1. Class Attendance It is very important that students attend every class period. Students will be responsible for material discussed in class which may not be included in the textbook. I will not provide notes (or verbally fill in students) for any missed classes, so students should obtain the names and contact information of classmates. Students are expected to maintain regular and punctual attendance and participate in class. Students are required to attend 75% of the 30 class meetings to receive full credit for this course. If a student
Hutchens 5 accumulates absences greater than 25% of the scheduled class meetings (over 7 days), the student s assigned final grade for the course will be reduced by a letter grade. 2. Late and Make-Up Test/Work Policy Since online work (quizzes, discussions, MyPsychLab) are online for an good amount of time, make-up work will NOT be offered. Any other late work will have points deducted for each day it is late. One week after the due date, no late work will be accepted. If a student is so late for a test that another student has completed the test and left, the student will not be permitted to start the test at that time. If a student misses a test, make-up tests will be scheduled in the event that documentation is provided to the instructor showing that the student was incapacitated during the time in which the test was offered. Students must provide documentation of a University-recognized excused absence to be eligible to take a make-up test. Make-up tests must be completed within a week. In order to do this, the student must contact the instructor, provide documentation of a University-recognized absence, and schedule a time to make-up the test. It is the student s responsibility to contact the instructor. If a student fails to do so or fails to meet with the instructor in a timely manner (1 week), he/she forfeits his/her opportunity to complete the work and grade of zero will remain in the grade book. 3. Withheld Grades Semester Grades Policy (A-54) Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average. 4. Academic Integrity (A-9.1) Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism. All forms of academic dishonesty will be dealt with seriously and immediately. Please respect SFASU, yourself and me enough not to participate in academic dishonesty. Definition of Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit.
Hutchens 6 Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/academic_integrity.asp 5. Acceptable Student Behavior Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor s ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program (see the Student Conduct Code, policy 10.4). Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students who disrupt the learning environment may be asked to leave class and may be subject to judicial, academic or other penalties. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The instructor shall have full discretion over what behavior is appropriate or inappropriate in the classroom. Students who do not attend class regularly or who perform poorly on class projects/exams may be referred to the icare Early Alert Program. This program provides students with recommendations for resources or other assistance that is available to help SFA students succeed. To conform to this policy, I ask students to do the following: Arrive to class on time Turn off cell phones. Empirical research has documented that cell phones making noise during class distracts students and disrupts learning and test performance. Do not text during class. If you are seen texting, you will be asked to put your phone away. The second time you are seen texting, you will be asked to leave the classroom. Do not speak when another is speaking. Be respectful to your peers and the professor. Do not sleep during class or put your head on your desk. Do not read the newspaper during class Do not leave class early unless you have cleared it with the instructor. You will be permitted to use a laptop computer to take notes during class but if you choose to perform other activities on the laptop (such as social networking or shopping) during class, then you will lose the privilege to use the laptop during class. 6. Students with Disabilities These disabilities could consist of physical, psychiatric, and/or learning impairments. To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/.
Hutchens 7 Schedule of Seminars and Reading Assignments Schedule of topics covered and assignments are listed below. You are expected to have read and be familiar with assigned readings prior to class. Note: All dates and assignments are tentative and the instructor reserves the right to change them. Week # Week that starts on: Lecture Topic Reading Assignment 1 1/13/2014 The Science of Psychology Tips; Chp. 1; Appendix A & B 2 1/20/2014 The Science of Psychology, cont. Chp. 1 3 1/27/2014 The Biological Perspective Chp. 2 4 2/3/2014 Sensation/Perception Chp. 3 5 2/10/2014 Sensation/Perception, cont. Chp. 3 6 2/17/2014 Test 1 (Chp. 1-3); (SETOP Chp. 12 Psychological Disorders on 2-20- 2014) 7 2/24/2014 Learning Chp. 4 8 3/3/2014 Learning, cont. Chp. 4 9 3/10/2014 SPRING BREAK 10 3/17/2014 Memory Chp. 5 11 3/24/2014 Consciousness and Cognition Chp. 6 12 3/31/2014 Test 2 (Chp. 4-6, 12); Development Chp. 7 Across the Life Span 13 4/7/2014 Development Across the Life Span (SWPA - Psychological Therapies on 4/3/2014) 17 Finals Week Chp. 7 Chp 13 14 4/14/2014 Motivation and Emotion Chp. 8 15 4/21/2014 Social Psychology Chp. 10 16 4/28/2014 Theories of Personality and Intelligence Chp. 11 Tuesday 5/6/2014 Test 3 (Chp. 7, 8, 10, 11, & 13) 8:00am-10:00am