General Psychology PSY-1000-100 Fall 2010 Internet Course

General Psychology PSY-1000-100 Fall 2010 Internet Course INSTRUCTOR: Lauren Schmidt, MA, LPC Email: lschmidt@ivcc.edu No office hours: Meet by appointment if needed TEXT: Psychology. 9 th Edition. Wade and Tavris (2008) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. COURSE DESCRIPTION: General Psychology is an introductory course dealing with analysis and description of human behavior with special reference to research methods, psychological influences on the brain and behavior, learning, memory, perception, motivation, emotions, personality and adjustment. Emphasis is placed on psychological principles as they relate to daily life. EXPECTED STUDENT OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of General Psychology, students will be able to Define psychology as an empirical science based upon the objective study of human and animal behavior. Recognize, define, apply, and understand the language (terms) of the science of psychology. Demonstrate recognition and understanding of the basic theorists and theoretical principles of psychology. Demonstrate practical application of psychological theories, principles, and concepts. Use critical thinking skills to analyze new findings in psychological research. Demonstrate understanding of human diversity, including race, ethnicity, culture, gender, abilities, sexual orientation, and age as it impacts the study of human behavior. PLAGIARISM & ACADEMIC HONESTY: Plagiarism constitutes the appropriation of another person's exact words or original thoughts or writing without extending proper credit (using in-text citations and a works cited / reference list) to the original source. As such, plagiarism exists as an illegal action a type of theft that, in the business/professional world, for example, could result in severe penalties against you. The administration and faculty of Illinois Valley Community College prohibit plagiarism, whether the language and the ideas originate from a published source or from work done by another student. Commission of plagiarism and/or cheating may result in failure of the course and/or dismissal from the college. Please refer to IVCC's Style Book for additional information and examples of plagiarism. Cheating will not be tolerated. If you are caught cheating, you will

receive a zero on the assignment or exam. You may also be referred to administration for further disciplinary action. WITHDRAWAL POLICY It is the student s responsibility to ask the instructor to be withdrawn from the class. I do not automatically withdraw students without their agreement to do so unless student has not yet attended. Withdrawal should be made to me in writing and include your name, student identification number, and your address. If you need or want to be withdrawn from class it is your responsibility to let the instructor know and make arrangements to fill out the necessary paperwork. Withdrawal from the course can affect financial aid. Students who receive financial aid should see an advisor in the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from a course. Last day for refund is August 31, 2010 Final Withdrawal Date is November 9, 2010 STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS: The student is expected to follow the guidelines for student code of conduct as outlined in the IVCC catalog. Students are expected to read all of the assigned material for class and complete assignments/exams on time. There will be NO make up exams unless prior arrangements are made. There are NO exceptions. There will be NO late assignments accepted unless prior arrangements made. You will have the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the course materials by performing satisfactorily on examinations, assignments, and a research paper. REQUESTS FOR MODIFICATION: If you need support or assistance because of a disability, you may be eligible for academic assistance accommodations through the Disability Services office. Stop by office B-204 or call Tina 815-224- 0284 or Judy 815-224-0350. ATTENDANCE: This is an online course; therefore attendance is not required in a traditional classroom setting. However, you will need to participate several times per week online for your attendance grade. Students are required to participate online in the discussion boards and complete all required assignments, exams, and research paper by designated time given with active weekly participation. EARLY ALERT SYSTEM: The Early Alert System helps to promote your academic success through the development of a comprehensive process to identify, assist, and follow-up with you as challenges to successfully complete a course may arise. The process consists of the identification of such challenges by faculty referral, self-report, and/or GPA.

Once identified, you will meet with a counselor to assess areas of difficulty and develop a Success Agreement. The Agreement will outline a very specific and individualized plan for you to employ to work toward academic improvement. Students participating in this program will be encouraged to meet more frequently with their counselor to review progress so any new or continuing difficulties can be addressed, and successes can be recognized. Students will continue in the program until satisfactory improvements are achieved. ONLINE ETTIQUETE: In the virtual classroom, you communicate with your classmates and Instructor primarily in writing through the public course bulletin board, e-mail, and sometimes chat sessions. "Online manners" are generally known as "netiquette." As a general rule, you should adhere to the same classroom conduct that you would "off-line" in a face-to-face course. Some examples of proper netiquette are: Avoid writing messages in all capital letters. THIS IS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD AS SHOUTING. 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. Though you may send an e-mail to a single person, it is very easy to forward your message to hundreds or thousands of people. Grammar and spelling matter. Online courses demand the same standard of academic communication and use of grammar as face-to-face courses. Never use profanity in any area of an online course. The transcripts of online course bulletin boards, email, and chat sessions are savable. When responding to messages, only use "Reply to All" when you really intend to reply to all. Avoid unkindly public criticism of others. Publicly criticizing others in an inappropriate way is known as "flaming." 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 thus be misinterpreted. In a face-to-face setting, our tone of voice and facial expressions may convey as much of our meaning as the words we use. In a written message, the subtext of your meaning may be confused or misinterpreted. "Emoticons" are sometimes used in conjunction with text to overlay emotion in a written message, to clarify the meaning (e.g., :-),:-( ). It is a good idea to check with your Professor as to when (or if) it is appropriate in any areas of the online classroom to use emoticons or commonly used Internet slang abbreviations (e.g., "lol," "brb," etc.). Source: How to Succeed in an Online Course: Study Skills and Survival Tips. 6.2.05 http://www.distancelearning.org/howtosucceed.html TECHNICAL SUPPORT: The Learning Commons provides individualized academic assistance to all students utilizing computer technology. The Help

Desk Support Staff provides assistance to students in person, on the phone, and via e-mail. Phone: 815-224-0318 Email: crc@ivcc.edu Location: D201 Web Page: Learning Commons If you need assistance with communication tools or software issues, contact our staff. Please call 224-0318 as soon as you detect a problem during regular campus hours. CONTINGENCY PLAN: You will need a lifeline computer--that is a computer that you can use if your home computer is not working, or if you lose your Internet connection. The IVCC Computer Resource Center may serve as your lifeline. Always remember to save materials frequently. Keep a record of all correspondences that you send to me, including emails and assignment submissions. Technology failures are not an automatic excuse for late or missed work. I will acknowledge the receipt of assignments that you are directed to submit via email. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, it is your responsibility to follow-up to determine if I have received it. I will not acknowledge receipt of all email messages, but will attempt to respond to them promptly. GRADING SCALE Journals: 22 at 5 pts each. Total: 110 pts Discussions: 3 at 10 pts each Total: 30 pts Group assignment: 1 at 20 pts Total 20 pts Exams: 4 at 25 pts each Total: 100 pts Research paper: 1 at 150 pts Total: 150 pts Total points available for the course: 410 pts ASSIGNMENTS: JOURNAL ENTRIES: The purpose of the journals is to increase your appreciation and understanding of how psychology relates to your life. Journal entries should connect what you have learned in class and in the text to real life examples and applications of psychological concepts. They will be a reflection of your concept of how psychology relates to your everyday life showing insight and/or application of psychological concepts.

Please complete journal entries each week, one due by midnight on Wednesdays and one due by midnight on Sundays. Journal entries must at least be half a page in length. Based on the chapters assigned, you may do more than one journal per chapter. DISCUSSIONS: You must complete discussion board assignments and respond to at least two other students posts. GROUP ASSIGNMENT: Everyone will be put into groups and each group will answer the four questions pertaining to their drug assigned. I will put you into assigned groups and assign each group a drug. You will need to do some research to find this information. You will then need to respond to other groups on the discussion board. EXAMS: There will be four chapter exams given. Exams will consist of multiplechoice, T/F. You will be allowed an allotted amount of time per exam. RESEARCH PAPER: Each student will complete a research project. You must chose a psychological disorder (i.e: Bipolar disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, etc) and write a research paper about the disorder. You must include but no t limited to causes, signs and symptoms, treatment, and any other pertinent information. Papers must be at least 7 pages, written in APA style. The research paper must include four sources, limited to one Internet source (website) and can include your textbook as a source. Appropriate sources would include a psychological journal, magazine article, book, etc. Please see below for references on how to write a paper in APA style or email questions to the instructor. RESOURCES http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ http://www.apa.org http://www.apastyle.org TENATIVE SCHEDULE WEEK OF CHAPTERS ASSIGNMENTS DUE BY MIDNIGHT Aug 18-22 Chapter 1 and Syllabus Aug 22 Introduction Discussion Board Aug 23-29 Chapter 2 Aug 25 Journal 1 Aug 29 Journal 2

Aug 30-Sept 5 Chapter 3 and 4 Aug 31 Last Day for Refund Sept 1 Journal 3 Sept 5 Journal 4 Sept 6-Sept 12 Chapter 5 Sept 6 Labor Day Campus Closed Sept 8 Sept 12 Group substance assignment Sept 13-Sept 19 Chapter 6 Sept 15 Exam 1: Chapters 1-5 Sept 19 Journal 5 Sept 20-Sept 26 Chapter 7 and 8 Sept 22 Journal 6 Sept 26 Journal 7 Sept 27-Oct 3 Chapter 9 Sept 29 Journal 8 Oct 3 Journal 9 Oct 4-Oct 10 Chapter 10 Oct 6 Exam 2: Chapters 6-9 Oct 8 Course survey discussion Midterm grades due Oct 10 Journal 10 Oct 11 Fall Break Campus Closed Oct 11-Oct 17 Chapter 11 Oct 13 Journal 11 Oct 17 Journal 12 Oct 18-Oct 24 Chapter 12 and 13 Oct 20 Journal 13 Oct 24 Journal 14 Oct 25-Oct 31 Chapter 14 Oct 27 Exam 3: Chapters 10-13 Oct 31 Journal 15 Nov 1-Nov 7 Chapter 15 Nov 3 Journal 16 Nov 7 Journal 17 Nov 8-Nov 14 Chapter 16 Nov 9 Last day to withdrawal Nov 10 Journal 18 Nov 11 Veteran s Day Campus Closed Nov 14 Journal 19 Nov 15-Nov 21 Chapter 17 Nov 17 Journal 20 Nov 21 Journal 21

Nov 22-28 Work on Research Paper Nov 24 Journal 22 Nov 24-Nov 26 Thanksgiving Break Campus Closed Nov 29-Dec 5 Study Dec 1 Exam 4: Chapters 14-17 Dec 7-Dec 12 Research Paper due by Dec 12th THIS COURSE SYLLABUS IS TENTATIVE AND MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR.