Course Syllabus

 Honors Introduction to Psychology: Spring 2012 (PY 105-900)

Instructor

Dr. Steven Prentice-Dunn

E-mail: spdpsychology@gmail.com (This is the best way to reach me; however, please see e-mail guidelines on this page.)
Office: 352 Gordon Palmer Hall on the UA campus
Office hours: Mon & Thu: 9:00 am-11:00 am Central; Wed 1:00 pm-3:00 pm Central
Website: http://bama.ua.edu/~sprentic
Phone: 205-348-1940
Mailbox: Department of Psychology office (348 Gordon Palmer Hall)

Course Prerequisite: You must be enrolled in the University's Honors Program to qualify for this course.


Readiness for an Online Course

Online learning requires a unique combination of technological knowledge, motivation, and time management skills. Please consider that the course platform that we will use (called "Connect") is time-and-effort intensive since it is meant to teach as well as assess your knowledge. As a result, this course will take at least as much time as a conventional course in introductory psychology.


Course Description and Learning Outcomes

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Psychologists study many questions that make up the very fabric of our lives. For example: Why do we risk our own safety to help another in an emergency? How do we remember names? What happens in the brain when we sleep? Why do some people lead healthy lifestyles while others do not? What causes mental illness and who is susceptible? What methods can be used to treat such individuals? How do children learn complex tasks? Why do some people join cults? One of my colleagues describes an introductory psychology course as a chance to explore the operator's manual for humans. Although the manual is not complete, it continues to grow and it contains interesting facts that often run counter to what people commonly believe. Psychology is a fascinating field and I am excited about teaching this course. I hope to spread that enthusiasm to you.

The range of topics that we will explore is impressive. Among them are brain functions, learning, memory, sleep and dreams, aggression, gender, stress and health, psychological disorders and treatment, social influence tactics, prejudice, and group dynamics. Covering these areas will allow you to achieve the following outcomes:

General Learning Outcomes for 100-Level and 200-Level Courses:

Explain the scientific method and use it to evaluate scientific information.
Discriminate between reliable and less reliable information in your decision-making.

Specific Learning Outcomes for PY 101:

Demonstrate how course concepts apply to daily living.
Understand that behavior, thoughts, and emotions are shaped by heredity, immediate environment, and culture.
Understand that people’s experience of the world is subjective.
Recognize that psychological conclusions are based on the scientific method.

To see how the various course components are linked with the learning outcomes, see this assessment table.


Required Text (eBook)
 Feldman, R. S. (2011). Connect plus online access for Essentials of Understanding Psychology (9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780077381448. You can purchase the code for the required eBook and online access either at the UA Supply Store or by visiting the Connect sign-in website. (http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/spd-py105)


Course Websites

eLearning (Go to your eLearning course list on myBama or to https://elearning.ua.edu/webct/logon/1677150365011)

Connect home page (http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/spd-py105)

Staying Informed

Course News. Updates are provided on the course news page. Changes to the schedule, clarification of the assignments, and reminders of upcoming events are among the items that will be posted there. In addition, updates may provide additional information on issues presented in the course or illustrate interesting everyday applications of the course material. Please check the news page frequently (preferably daily).

"Ask Dr. P-D". I have created a discussion board on e-Learning called "Ask Dr. P-D." There you can post questions or statements that might be of interest to the whole class. I will check this discussion board at least once every two days and respond to your inquiries.

FAQs. You can check out the Frequently Asked Questions that I created from student questions in prior courses.


Requirements and Deadlines

LearnSmart modules. An integral part of this course is LearnSmart. In this system, the content of each of the e-book chapters is taught and assessed in segments called modules. In each module, you answer items in several formats including multiple-choice, short answer, true-false, and matching. Before answering each question, you indicate how sure you are of the correct response and then answer the question and get feedback. The question difficulty goes up or down based on how well the you are doing. Topics that you miss are readministered until you conistently get them correct. Should you continually miss items in a specific content area from the chapter, you may be timed out and referred to the eBook for further study.

Although you may work through an individual module as often as you wish prior to the deadline, you will only earn credit for the module if you complete it with at least a 95% accuracy. When you enter the LearnSmart system for the first time, you can check out the tutorial. Note to iPad users: Not all features of the LearnSmart system are operational on iPads. To complete the LearnSmart modules, you should use a laptop or desktop computer with a cable or wireless connection.

Psych & Life asssignments. These assignments will give you practice in applying the course content to everyday life. Each involves completing tasks and a 3-page written paper. You are required to complete 4 papers, but have seven topics from which to choose: Correlation and causation, Training children and pets, Modifying your behavior, Gender roles, Personality, Stress and coping, and Implicit attitudes. Note that the "Modifying your behavior" topic counts as two papers. More details on the topics and format can be found on the Connect home page.

Discussion board posts. The discussion board is intended to engage you in the course content and hear other students' perspectives. For each chapter, I will post a question or assignment on eLearning and then moderate a discussion. You are required to participate in the discussion on 10 chapters, but are welcome to contribute to all 12 chapters should you wish. A complete post consists of an initial response plus replies to any follow-up questions. For more details on the format, see the discussion board instructions.

Course themes. Toward the end of the semester, I will ask you to reflect on the course content. On the eLearning discussion board, you will post a reply to the following items: 1. Thinking back on the semester, identify a general theme from the course in each of the following areas (Note that there are no correct or incorrect answers): The brain, disorders and treatment, social behavior, staying healthy in mind and body. 2. Complete the following statement: “In this course, I learned that people……" You will be awarded 2% toward your course grade.

UA course-instructor evaluation (Student Opinions of Instruction-SOI). Toward the end of the semester, you will receive email instructions from the UA Provost on how to complete UA's anonymous course-instructor evaluation, called the Student Opinions of Instruction (SOI). This form is used to evaluate the effectiveness of instructors and is reviewed by the Psychology Department Chair, the A&S Dean, and me.

The link to the evaluation can be found under the student tab on myBama. On the page is a box that reads Student Opinions of Instruction (It has an image of a computer mouse on it). Click the image and then you will sign in using your myBama logon/password. You will then be able to click on our course number to complete the survey. Once you have completed and submitted a survey you will see the course list again and a status note (e.g., "PY 105-900: Submitted"). To receive course credit, I suggest sending me a screenshot or other image of the status note for the course.

 

Course Sequence

The Connect home page contains all course activities except for the discussion board ( which is on eLearning). Within each section (e.g., Personality) you will find a sequence of events that should be followed in order. For example, most sections begin with reading specific pages in the e-book, followed by various exercises, articles, and videos, and end with completion of a LearnSmart module.

The semester is divided into three segments and you are required to complete all course assignments (typically 4 LearnSmart modules, dicsussion board posts, and 1-2 Psych & Life assignments for that period. The course is set up so that you can finish all requirements by completing an average of one chapter per week.

 

Deadlines

Here are important dates for completing the course. Details on the tasks can be found on the Connect home page.

Task
Date
All tasks related to the Course Introduction, including posting your student introduction Jan 18
All tasks and LearnSmart modules related to Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5 Feb 15
Selected discussion board posts for Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5 Feb 15
Selected Psych & Life assignments: Correlation and causation; Training children and pets Feb 15
All tasks and LearnSmart modules related to Chapters 6, 8, 9, 10 Mar 21
Selected discussion board posts for Chapters 6, 8, 9, 10 Mar 21
Selected Psych & Life assignments: Modifying your behavior; Gender roles; Personality Mar 21
Last day to drop course with a grade of W Mar 21
All tasks and LearnSmart modules related to Chapters 11, 14, 12, 13 Apr 25
Selected discussion board posts for Chapters 11, 14, 12, 13 Apr 25
Selected Psych & Life assignments: Stress and coping; Implicit attitudes Apr 25
UA course-instructor evaluation (SOI) Apr 16-29
Course themes assignment on e-Learning discussion board Apr 25-27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 


Grades

You should use the Connect website to track your progress in the LearnSmart modules. However, the official gradebook will be kept on e-Learning. Your course grade will be determined with the following weights:

LearnSmart modules: 72% (For each of 12 modules completed with 95% accuracy, you earn 6 points. Any module completed with less than a 95% accuracy will receive 0 points.)

Psych & Life assignments: 16% (Submit 4 papers; each is worth 4%)

Discussion board posts on eLearning: 8% (Submit postings for 10 chapters; each is worth 0.8%)

Course themes assignment: 2%

UA course-instructor evaluation (Student Opinions of Instruction-SOI): 2%. (Credit given for submitting an evaluation)

There are 100 points possible for the course. Letter grades for the course will assigned using the following scale.
A+ = 97-100...A = 93-96.....A- = 90-92

B+ = 87-89.....B = 83-86.....B- = 80-82

C+ = 77-79.....C = 73-76.....C- = 70-72

D+ = 67-69.....D = 63-66.....D- = 60-62

F = 59 and below

Additional Policies

Professional behavior. As the instructor, I am responsible for creating an environment that helps students learn. I take that obligation seriously by being prepared, treating you with respect, and establishing a positive atmosphere. One of the most valuable aspects of college is exposure to the variety viewpoints. You can gain the most by presenting your views respectfully. It's no problem to disagree with me or with a classmate in an email or online discussion, but please avoid hurtful comments about others.

Writing: Please write in complete, grammatically correct sentences rather than using the type of abbreviations used when instant messaging. Be careful what you put in writing. Even if you are writing an e-mail message to one person, assume that anyone could read it. Grammar and spelling matter. Never use profanity in any area of an online course. The transcripts of online course bulletin boards and e-mails can be saved. When responding to messages, only use "Reply to All" when you really intend to reply to everyone on the original email. Use sarcasm cautiously. In the absence of nonverbal cues such as facial expressions and voice inflections, the context for your sarcasm may be lost, and your message may be misinterpreted. (Note: Thanks to Pam Marek of Kennesaw State Universityfor these suggestions.)

E-mail guidelines: I welcome your e-mails. However, please observe the following guidelines: Send e-mail to: spdpsychology@gmail.com . Include your full name and CWID (Campus-Wide ID) in the sender or subject line. Consult the course website for clarification on assignments before contacting me. I typically do not check my e-mail after 5:00 pm.

Special needs. Should you need assistance due to a disability, please contact the UA Office of Disability Services at Osband Hall (205-348-4285) or visit 133-B Martha Parham Hall East as soon as possible to register for services. After registering with that office, please contact me. You must be registered to receive any accomodations.

Code of academic conduct. All students enrolled at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars.  The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline.  Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.

Subject to change. Current assignments are listed on the Connect home page. However, I may ask you to do additional assignments during the semester. Should changes become necessary, I’ll notify you on the course news page.

Helpful links. You can find information on a variety of UA resources (e.g., Counseling Center, Center for Teaching and Learning) as well as additional information on course topics by going to the links page.

Emergency information. In the event of an emergency, the primary University communication tool for sending out information is the web site www.ua.edu. Students should consult this site as soon as they can in an emergency. I will give information on the course during the emergency through the E-Learning.


System Requirements

This course requires a high-speed Internet connection and the following free multimedia plug-ins<http://uaonline.ua.edu/plugins>:

 * Adobe Reader
 * Flash Player
 * PowerPoint Viewer
 * QuickTime, RealPlayer, or Windows Media Player

You must have speakers working properly on your computer before beginning the course. You will also need access to Microsoft Word to complete some assignments. Note to iPad users: Not all features of Connect are operational on iPads. You should use a laptop or desktop computer with a cable or wireless connection.

Minimum Student Technical Skills

Participation in an online course requires basic knowledge of computer technology and applications. You should be able to:

* Navigate and use eLearning (see eLearning Tutorials<http://www.uaonline.ua.edu/e_learning_tutorials/>, if you need assistance).
* Understand basic computer usage, including keyboard, mouse, CD drive, and printer.
* Access the Internet via DSL, cable modem, or a network interface.
* Open and view media files that are displayed in a player such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime, and RealPlayer.
* Use Microsoft Word to write and save assignments as .doc files.
* Send, receive, store, and retrieve messages.
* Send, receive, and open file attachments.


Technical Support

 

For E-Learning: To obtain assistance with technical issues (removing pop-up blockers, trouble opening pages or quizzes, etc.) or if you are unable to see the course content or have other questions regarding the course itself, please visit the College of Continuing Studies Online Course Technical Support (http://ccs-aohelpdesk.ccs.ua-net.ua.edu/index.php?pg=request&Custom1=BSC216) to submit a request or call 205-348-9157 (Toll Free: 1-866-205-1011).

 

For Connect: When you register for Connect, you can have your computer assessed quickly for the appropriate plug-ins. Any that are needed can be downloaded from Connect. Tutorials can be found at the support center website (http://mpss.mhhe.com/). I also advise you to check out the FAQs that I created from student questions in prior courses. If you need further technical assistance with Connect, go to the support center website (http://mpss.mhhe.com/), click the “Customer Support” tab on the Connect homepage, or phone (800) 331-5094 (Hours: Monday-Thursday– 8am to 11pm (Central), Friday – 8am to 6pm, Sunday – 6pm to 11pm). If you need additional technical assistance with LearnSmart, you can check out the LearnSmart support center (http://mpss.mhhe.com/products-learnsmart.php).