LONE STAR COLLEGE MONTGOMERY
Lone Star College System
Online sections
COURSE SYLLABUS
PSYC 2301.4W002 and .42003
INTERNET GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Caveat Emptor: Internet courses are designed for highly motivated students who carefully read and follow directions, who are already computer literate as well as proficient in email, bulletin boards, and the Internet. Students are also responsible for making sure their software is compatible with the instructor’s. I use a PC with Windows Vista or XP as my platform and Office XP or 2007 with MSWord. My Internet courses are NOT independent studies; students work together as a class, and deadlines are firm. Extensive reading is required in the course. You will be reading from your text and other assigned online readings. Please understand that you will be reading a great deal in this class.
Catalogue Description
An introductory course dealing with the elementary principles of human behavior. Designed especially for those students majoring in the social or biological sciences, pre-medicine or education.
Credit
Three credit hours
Prerequisites
College level reading scores; ENGL 0305 or ENGL 0306 AND ENGL 0307 or 0326, OR higher level course (ENGL 1301), OR placement by testing
Computer literacy and basic proficiency in Word, email, and the Internet.
ADA Statement
Students with disabilities who believe that they need accommodations in this course are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Office at 936-273-7239; located in Building E, Office 103H as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
PURPOSE
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. This course will offer students a survey of psychology as a scientific and professional discipline. Students will gain a broad understanding of the major theories, developments, and controversies in psychology. The course will help students to think psychologically about human potential and human problems. Students will gain a better understanding of the many reasons behind the behaviors, feelings, and thoughts of themselves and others. This will help them to appreciate how psychology can be used to improve themselves and to improve the human condition.
COURSE OUTCOMES
1. Describe the historical development of the study of human behavior including current theoretical perspectives prominent in the field of psychology.
2. Introduce terminology unique to the study of psychology.
3. Encourage critical analysis of research findings through application of the scientific method and a basic understanding of research design.
4. Examine, compare and contrast factors contributing to development and the human experience.
5. Include for study accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation.
6. Explore the ways in which humans created their realities including those experiences which deviate from the mainstream of accepted experience and behavior.
7. Develop a theoretical framework by which to examine differing views on the origins of problems and related treatment modalities.
TOPICS
History of Psychology States of Consciousness
Perspectives in Psychology Personality
Brain & Behavior Emotions
Human development Learning & Memory
Motivation Psychological disorders & treatments
Creativity Social behavior
INSTRUCTOR
Mrs. Laura Montgomery , M.A. Office/mailbox location: A200
PREFERRED CONTACT METHOD: Email: Laura.K.Montgomery@lonestar.edu (office), or through online campus course secure email
I generally check email several times daily and will make every attempt to respond within 24 hours during weekdays. I do not work on weekends, so will probably not respond within 24 hours on weekends.
Telephone/Voice mail: 936-520-4637 for emergencies only. I will make every attempt to respond within 24 hours on weekdays.
Office hours: Face to face: by appointment. Please feel free to call or email for arranged times to meet your schedule and mine. Online office hours to be announced in the course
REQUIRED MATERIALS
PC; Internet Access (high speed preferred; some of the films you will be required to view will not work well through dial-up);please make sure all papers and files are saved in Rich Text Format (.rtf) This makes them viewable on any computer. Be sure you have a virus protection program on your computer. Any files sent with viruses will be returned and you will be asked to clean them and resubmit. Always keep at least two backup copies of written assignments–don’t rely solely on your hard drive. Students having computer problems when an assignment is due need to go to one of the computer labs on campus or use a friend’s computer. You may submit assignments early, but not late without penalty. All written assignments are to be submitted through the Assignments tool as either attachments or copy/pasted through the submissions box. NO written assignments will be accepted through email, as the grading tool will be disabled, and you won’t receive a grade!
Text: Exploring Psychology: 7 th Edition in Modules by David G. Myers. It is published by Worth Publishing, 2007. Earlier editions will work for the course, but I will be assigning pages and modules based on the 7th edition in Modules only. If you choose to use an earlier edition, you alone are responsible for making adjustments in pages/topics/modules, and you will be responsible for an changes in content. There are not a lot of changes in content between the 6th and 7th editions in modules, or between the module version vs. chapter versions, but the the pagination and organization differ slightly. It’s your call which edition you use, but please be cognizant that I am using the 7th edition in Modules, and will post all assignments from that edition only. Do NOT attempt to use any other book than Exploring Psychology or any other author.
There is also an optional study guide available which you may or may not purchase at your discretion. Expect to read a great deal in both the text and selected online assigned readings. You WILL be reading a great deal in this course!
ATTENDANCE
YOU MUST LOG ON THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS!!! STUDENTS NOT LOGGING ON THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS WILL BE DROPPED!!!
Three times weekly login to our course in Angel is required and will be monitored. While in the course you must frequently check the course calendar, email, and announcements, as this is where announcements and changes will be made. This and your participation in weekly discussion group assignments is your attendance, and will be a percentage of your final grade. Failure to participate means you are not attending class.
Announcements tool: I will post announcements of important news as needed in this tool. You should check it with each login. If you have a popup blocker, the popup window of the announcements will not show up, so you will need to check the tool with every login.
Course Calendar: View and print from the course calendar link in “Week 1”
The course calendar is critically important, and it is vital that you check it each week. My strong suggestion is that you print a hard copy of it, and look at it carefully each time you work on the course . All assignments and due dates will be posted on the calendar. It is your guide to “what to do this week”. Although I will make every attempt to adhere to the course calendar dates, I reserve the right to make adjustments as necessary due to unforeseen events (like Hurricane Ike!). You will be notified of any changes through the Announcements tool. Check Announcements frequently and make adjustments to your printed copy of the Course Calendar as needed.
Course Content Modules/Lessons
This is the other critical stop to make each week, as this is where all course materials will be posted and where all work will be done. There will be a link for each week of the course. Be sure to visit this section with each login.
DROPPING THE CLASS
Should it become necessary, for whatever reason, to drop this class, it is the responsibility of the student to take the necessary measures and obtain necessary signatures in a timely manner. “W” day is 5 p.m. on April 6. I do not do administrative drops beyond the first week of the course, as I believe this is the responsibility of the student; if you stop logging in to the course and do not officially drop it, you will receive an “F” for the course.
EVALUATION
The evaluation process consists of collecting points through measurements designed to promote student responsibility, involvement and thinking in the field of psychology. A number of options are also available to assist the student in making this class relevant to his/her interests and learning style. This course, by nature, requires a great deal of reading. Students will be required to read extensively in their text as well as selected online supplementary readings. Please expect to read a great deal to be successful in the course!
1. Participation in individual and group assignments and participation in discussion groups are one of the primary means of learning in this class. You are required to log into the course at least three times weekly. Logins will be monitored. If you are not logging in, you are not “attending” class.
Late policy: Discussions, quizzes, assignments, and exams can all be submitted up to one week late, with a 10 point per day deduction from your score. Any work that is more than one week, (7 days) from the due date/time, will not be accepted or graded. Please mark your calendar with all due dates for the course, as this policy will be strictly enforced.
2. Reading quizzes: Assigned modules will have a 10 point online quiz. Quizzes will be assigned in the week the modules are assigned, and will be available for one week only. No makeup quizzes are allowed. Quizzes are open book, but will have a time limit. The highest 10 quizzes will be counted for a possible total of 100 points.
3. Discussion postings: Various discussion forums pertaining to topics covered in the course will be set up by me throughout the semester. Students will respond to a minimum of 10 discussion prompts throughout the semester. For each prompt, the student will be expected to post one original post and one response to another student’s post. All discussion responses must be proofread and spell checked. Standard rules of internet etiquette will apply, and courtesy to other students will be observed. I will be monitoring the discussions and will block inappropriate/rude/flaming responses. Lively discussion and disagreement is encouraged; rudeness will not be tolerated. As with all writing, consider your audience before you publish! 100 possible points.
4. Examinations will each consist of up to 50 multiple choice questions. Up to 100 points can be earned on each regular exam and 200 points on the final exam by demonstrating knowledge of psychological concepts and the ability to integrate and apply them in real life situations. There will be 4 exams and a final for the course. Examinations will be open book but will have a time limit. Exams will be open for specific dates; makeup exams will not be allowed, as students will have one week to take each exam. The final exam is partially comprehensive.
All exams must be taken by the end of finals week.
5. Research assignments are individual activities that will enhance the student’s research skills and provide first-hand experiences in psychology. All work should be typed and double-spaced in 10 or 12 point Arial, Courier, or Times New Roman font, with the student name, course, section, and assignment title in the upper left had corner. Papers are to be submitted via the assignments drop box. I will not accept assignments submitted through email. Assignments may be submitted early; however late papers will be accepted up to 1 week from the due date, with a deduction of 10 points per day. Papers will not be accepted more than one week from the due date, and a grade of “0” will be recorded. Content will be evaluated for clarity of thought, quality of source, and academic level of written work. Please check spelling, punctuation, and mechanics on all papers—do not discount the quality of your ideas by submitted assignments rife with errors. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! All papers received in this course are electronically examined for plagiarism. Plagiarism will result in a “0” for the assignment, a possible “F” for the course, and potential dismissal from Lone Star College . Information about avoiding plagiarism will be distributed and discussed in the course. If you have any doubt at all, document your source. Still have doubts? Email me!
• Professional Journal Article Evaluation: You will need to have an active Lone Star College library card to do this assignment. You can get a student ID on campus, and activate the library bar code at the library. Do this at the very beginning of the semester. Do not wait until 1 day before the assignment is due! Submit a research article from a professional psychological journal with your 1 full typed page review. The “Academic Search Premiere” search engine on the library computer can provide the full text of a peer-reviewed journal article. Be sure it is an original research article. In one page, describe the research. The following questions should be answered. What was their research question? What type of research was used: descriptive-observational, correlational, experimental, or other? What were their findings? What are your thoughts as to the quality of the research? This assignment is worth 50 points.
• Psychopharmacology review: Review and present information about five currently or historically prescribed psychoactive drugs. What is the drug? What is its use? Side effects? Effectiveness? Write a 1-3 page typed paper presenting your findings in detail. This assignment is worth 50 points.
CHOICE OPTION: You must do one of the following assignments, but may CHOOSE which you prefer. CHOOSE ONLY ONE ! This assignment is worth 200 points
Thinking Psychologically Journal–Throughout the course, write a 10 page minimum journal of your reactions and learning from the assigned work. You will include at least 10 one page entries detailing what you have learned from the various assigned modules and how this applies to your personal or professional life. Think of it as 10 mini papers. You may use outside references or articles germane to your entries, or base them solely on course materials. This journal must be typed and submitted through the Assignments too. This assignment is due May 1.
OR
Research Paper/project: This may be original research done in any area of psychology in which you have a special interest. You must use a minimum of 7 sources for your paper, of which only 3 may be internet websites; the others must be books or journal articles which can be accessed online through the databases. You will write a 10 full page paper, double spaced, in MLA or APA format with correct citations, to submit to me as an attachment through the drop box, due May 1.
7. Extra credit: Extra credit opportunities will be posted throughout the semester as they become available.
Final Grade
The final grade will be earned by demonstrating a level of proficiency as shown below: Out of a possible 1000 points:
F Failure to earn credit due to points below acceptable level of 600
D 600-699 points awarded
C 700-799 points awarded
B 800-899 points awarded
A 900 or more points awarded
Academic integrity
As outlined in the college catalog Lone Star Montgomery College is committed to a high standard of academic integrity…In becoming a part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating on exams or assignments, collusion on an exam or project…When there is clear evidence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, a faculty member will take disciplinary action including, but not limited to: requiring the student to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or “F” for an exam or assignment; or assigning a grade of “F” for the course.”