WELCOME TO PSYCHOLOGY 120! Hassan Sayeed

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1 WELCOME TO PSYCHOLOGY 120! Hassan Sayeed This may be the first time that some of you are taking a course which is managed online. You can find out about reading assignments, online activities, writing assignments, test dates, etc. at the Desire2Learn (d2l) website for the course as well as the scores on your quizzes, tests, and assignments. You can download, upload, and submit assignment files. WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY 1. Take care of your tuition payment plans! If you do not pay your tuition, etc. on time, you get dropped from the course and lose access to the course's website and cannot submit assignments. 2. Read EVERYTHING listed under "Overview". The syllabus is especially important. It spells out, among other things, what the course covers, your responsibilities as well as mine, and the grading policy. The schedule for the course on the last page of the syllabus gives you a bird's eye view of the course. 3. Get a copy of the textbook immediately with the access codes for Revel and MyPsychLab. There are two different codes for access to the two websites. 1. The access code for Revel allows you access to the textbook so you can study interactively, reading the text, taking quizzes to test your understanding, watching videos, etc. Click on "Registering for REVEL" under "Contents" to find out about the procedure for registering for REVEL. 2. The access code for MyPsychLab allows you to access MyVirtualChild. You will bring up a child from birth to age 18. All your written assignments are based on MyVirtualChild. Click on "Registering for MyPsychLab" under "Contents" to find out about the procedure for registering for MyPsychLab. 4. It is absolutely essential for you to understand from the beginning exactly how this course is run. If there is anything that is confusing in the overview materials, including the syllabus, contact me immediately. If you have trouble using d2l, get in touch with me or Oakton s IT staff as soon as possible. HOW TO CONTACT ME There are several ways to contact me: 1. See me in my office (Skokie, B222) during my office hours (posted on my office door as well as listed in the syllabus). 2. Send me an through d2l's system itself. During the semester the d2l system is my preferred choice for s regarding anything that has to do with the course. All the s for a given class are located in one place and it is easy for me to make sure that I respond to your s in a timely manner. 3. Send me an using my regular address (hsayeed@oakton.edu) 4. Call me during my office hours (see syllabus for the times). My office phone number is (847)

2 5. Leave a message for me at the Faculty Support Office in Skokie (Room B206, phone number ). The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m on Saturdays. YOUR TEXTBOOK PACKAGE The textbook for the course is Human Development A Cultural Approach, second edition by Jeffrey J. Arnett. It is published by Pearson Publishers and comes packaged with the access codes for REVEL and MyPsychLab. You will need to purchase the textbook with the access codes. Other textbooks on human development will not be suitable to the way the course has been designed. You may purchase this package at Oakton's bookstores. WHAT TO EXPECT ON A WEEKLY BASIS For each week the Course Outline in the syllabus provides details on the readings, quizzes, and online assignments, including reports. THE QUIZZES AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE DUE DATES AND TIMES. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK. Since computer glitches always seem to happen at the last minute, DO NOT WAIT until the last minute to complete the assignments and quizzes. Try to get them done at least a day before they are due. If you run into trouble with your home computer you can complete your work at any one of the computers in the open computer labs at either campus. If you are unable to access a quiz or assignment because of a computer glitch, let me know as soon as possible. I will look into the problem and, if possible and if you give me sufficient time, reset the items. Both the syllabus and the d2l calendar specify the days and the weeks in which you will have tests. Tests must be taken at one of the Oakton campus testing centers (learning centers) if you live within a reasonable distance from one of them. If you do not live within a reasonable distance from Oakton's two main campuses, you must arrange to take the tests at a college or public library closer to where you live. The arrangement for taking a test at these locations must be made AT LEAST A WEEK before a test is to be taken. Please contact me and Robin Nash, Manager for Alternative Education (rnash@oakton.edu, ), to help you locate places where the tests can be proctored. Please be advised that you may have to pay a fee to take a test at some of these places. At other places, you may have to bring in your laptop which has wifi hardware. I have copied Oakton's test proctoring requirements at the end of this Welcome statement. COMPUTER NEEDS You will need a computer with Internet access. You will also need Microsoft Word or a compatible word processor to do your written assignments.

3 If you do not have access to a computer with these capabilities, or you run into trouble with your home computer, you can use the computers in the open computer labs at either campus (Skokie or DesPlaines). A folder in the H: drive in the Oakton computer network has been assigned to each one of you as long as you are enrolled at Oakton. It has the same name as your Oakton userid. Whether you use own computer or the H: drive at Oakton, create a subfolder for all your PSY120 work. You can access your online courses by loging into myoakton and clicking "My Courses". You will need to know your Oakton userid and password. ADVICE ON HOW TO SUCCEED You are expected to spend at least the same amount of time studying for an online course as you would expect to spend for an in-class course. Since an in-class course involves the time you spend in class (usually three hours a week) and the time you spend studying at home (usually twice the number of class hours) for 16 weeks and you are taking a class in which the required material has to be covered in 12 weeks, you need to spend about 12 hours per week studying for this course. So set a schedule for yourself! You need a lot of self-discipline to succeed in this course. Students taking this course in class should set aside at least SIX HOURS A WEEK for the course outside of class. More time for study may be needed by those students who are taking the class online. Read "How to Study Psychology" at the course's d2l website for more information. Plan ahead! I cannot emphasize enough the importance of budgeting your time and working in a timely manner. Please remember that I do not accept late work for credit. Look at your work schedule, your other classes, your family life, and anticipate those weeks that are likely to be especially hectic. I will be delighted to meet with you in person to go over a topic, a quiz, a test, or an assignment or to discuss how you are doing. Enjoy the course! Note: The following information will be helpful for those students who cannot take tests at one of the Oakton campus testing centers. TEST PROCTORING for Oakton Community College

4 If student travel to campus is not possible for distance learning courses that require inperson testing, arrangements can be made for off-site proctored testing, per the following. Student responsibilities: 1. Alert your instructor and the Alternative Education office as far in advance of test dates as possible, and no later than one week prior to the test date. Students must then complete ALL testing a minimum of one business day BEFORE the end of the term, UNLESS the exam is taken online. Contact : Robin Nash Barbara Reineking or rnash@oakton.edu barbarar@oakton.edu It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of course testing deadlines, to comply with all course requirements, and to confirm with Alternative Education and the test! proctor that the necessary arrangements have been completed prior to each required 2. Locate a proctor: 1. Identify a community college testing center or that of a nearby university or private college willing to assist. If this is not possible, fully explain and document why. 2. Only if the above is not possible will a full-time, tenured professor of higher education, or professional librarian at a local public library, or other option be considered. 3. The proctor must be a disinterested, neutral party, unrelated to the student, willing to enforce the testing requirements of the course and instructor, and willing to sign an affidavit confirming that testing requirements have been met. 4. Alternative Education reserves the right to reject a proctor at any time if there is reasonable doubt that these requirements will be or have been met. 3. Confirm testing requirements and capabilities of the proctor, i.e. hours of operation, if an appointment is required, if they have the necessary equipment to accommodate testing needs, etc. 4. Obtain a contact name, phone number and address of the person at the proctoring site to whom materials should be sent, and provide to Alternative Education office. 5. Contact the Alternative Education office for additional assistance, to answer any further questions or concerns, and/or to verify testing materials have been sent prior to each exam. 6. Bring photo ID to each exam. Responsibilities of Proctor:

5 1. Confirm student identity with photo ID. 2. Enforce testing requirements per instructions, to best of ability. 3. Record test dates and times. 4. Return signed AFFIDAVIT (when requested), and completed exams (when appropriate) to Oakton Community College immediately upon completion unless prior authorization is given for a delay. Any unauthorized delays endanger acceptance of the test results for the student. 5. Online exams utilize a secret passcode, not revealed to the student, and do not require transmission to/from Oakton. 6. Retain a copy of the completed exam (when appropriate) until confirmation of satisfactory receipt. Responsibilities of Alternative Education: 1. Contact the proctor to confirm suitability, ability to meet the testing needs of the course, and willingness to assist, and notify student of results. 2. Transmit testing materials and/or instructions prior to exam dates, to best of ability, and confirm via with student. Note: See #1 under Student responsibilities 3. If completed tests are to be returned to the College, forward to the appropriate instructor as soon as possible upon receipt. NOTE: In the event of difficulties at the time of the exam, beyond the control of the student and/or proctor, notify the instructor ASAP. The instructor will determine next steps.