Get Started Syllabus PSY 3333 Industrial Psychology Instructor Krista Howard, PhD krista.howard@txstate.edu Course Description The study of applying psychological knowledge and techniques to the modern industrial environment. Topics studied include employee needs, attitudes, selection, testing, boredom, motivation, anxiety, and job satisfaction. Course Materials The required textbook for this course is: Schultz and Schultz, Psychology and Work Today: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 10th edition, New York: Pearson, 2010. ISBN: 9780205683581 Prerequisite A course in Introduction to Psychology (PSY 1300) or permission of the instructor is the prerequisite for this course. Course Objectives Upon completing this course, you should be able to do the following: describe the various areas of industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology; describe the major methods of research in psychology and explain their advantages and limitations; describe the basic principles and techniques of personnel selection; explain the characteristics and purposes of psychological tests in selection decisions; explain the appropriate use of performance appraisal methods; describe the basic training and development techniques used in business and industry; distinguish between the various approaches to leadership; describe the major theories of motivation; describe the traditional bureaucracy and contrast it to more modern organizational styles; describe the major physical conditions of work and explain how they influence worker productivity; discuss the major physical and psychological factors related to accidents and safety in the workplace; and explain the nature, causes, and effects of stress in the workplace. Course Procedure You have nine months from your date of enrollment to complete this course. The course is divided into two parts, each comprised of five lessons. For each lesson, it is expected that you will carefully read and review the assigned chapters from your text and the material posted in this online course. The lessons in this online course include a review of some of the major points from the text and provide additional material which is not included in your text. To complete each lesson in this course, read the chapter(s) from your text, read the online course content, and complete the self-assessment and assignment. Self-assessments are not graded and provide you with an opportunity to gauge your knowledge of the lesson's content before completing a graded activity. If you miss more than 25% of the questions in a self-assessment, you may want to review that lesson's material before proceeding to the assignment. Assignments must be completed in their entirety and in order. Additionally, you must complete all assignments in order to qualify to take examinations. (That is, I will not let you take a 0 on an assignment in order to progress more quickly through the course.) Completing the Course Study Schedule (.pdf) before you begin your first lesson will help you plan your progress throughout the course. Note: you may submit no more than one assignment per week. Student must receive the graded assignment before submitting next assignment. All Assignments must be graded and returned before taking final exam.
Most students require approximately one full semester (four to five months) to finish this course. Knowing this may help you set reasonable expectations for your own progress. Plan your progress for the course by completing the Course Study Schedule (.pdf). Grading and Assessments Your grade in this course will be determined by your scores on assignments, a midcourse exam, and a final exam. Final grades will be determined as follows: Assignments (10): 50% Midcourse Exam: 25% Final Exam: 25% To pass this course, you must have an average exam score of 60% or better. Final grades will be based on the following percentage scale: A: 90-100 percent B: 80-89 percent C: 70-79 percent D: 60-69 percent F: 59 percent or below Technology Requirement As you have elected to enroll in an online course, it is your responsibility to acquire a consistent, stable, dependable computer and internet connection with which to complete the assignments and assessments for the course by the nine-month completion deadline. It is not the responsibility of the instructor to provide additional time for assignments or exams or an alternative means of completing the course due to technological issues on your part. Just as it is your responsibility to acquire and maintain adequate transportation to attend a face-to-face course, it is your responsibility to secure the technological means to participate in and complete this course. Faculty-Student Contact According to Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, faculty-student contact is very important. Even though this is a correspondence course, I encourage you to contact me if you have any concerns, questions, or problems. You are welcome to e-mail me by using the Mail tool in the left-hand navigation bar. It is important to keep all mail related to this course contained within this TRACS site. My policy is that during non-holiday breaks or announced away times, any email I receive between Monday morning and Friday at noon will receive a reply within 48 hours. Emails received between Friday at noon and Sunday night will receive a reply on the next business day. Scheduling Your Time To some extent you can set your own pace in a correspondence course, but it is important that you schedule your time effectively. You should be able to complete each lesson, along with the assignment for each lesson, within two weeks, so completing the course in four to five months is quite possible if you carefully budget your time. Remember, you have a maximum of nine months to complete this course. Use the Course Study Schedule (.pdf) to help you proceed through the course effectively. Free Tutoring Resources A variety of free tutoring resources are available for students enrolled in correspondence courses. All correspondence students have access to several hours of free online tutoring from Smarthinking for subjects ranging from grammar and writing to mathematics and Spanish. Free online tutoring for writing-related assignments is also available from the Texas State Writing Center. For information on accessing these resources, please visit the Office of Distance and Extended Learning s Free Tutoring page. Currently-enrolled, degree-seeking students able to visit the Texas State campus are eligible for free in-person tutoring from the Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC) on the fourth floor of Alkek Library and from the Math Lab in Derrick 233. TRACS Technical Support Texas State s Information Technology Assistance Center (ITAC) provides phone and LiveChat technical support for TRACS 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. To take advantage of these services, visit ITAC online or call 512.245.ITAC (4822). Note also that a number of online TRACS tutorials are available from TRACS Facts. Before beginning this online course, it is recommended that you review the minimum hardware and software requirements and other important information available on the ITS Course Information page. Students with Special Needs
The Office of Distance and Extended Learning is committed to helping students with disabilities achieve their educational goals. A disability is not a barrier to correspondence study, and we strive to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals in coursework and test taking. Students who require special accommodations need to provide verification of their disability to the Office of Disability Services, Suite 5-5.1 LBJ Student Center, 512.245.3451 (voice/tty). Students should then notify the Office of Distance and Extended Learning of any disability-related accommodation needs as soon as possible to avoid a delay in accommodations. Academic Integrity The Texas State Academic Honor Code applies to all Texas State students, including correspondence students. The Honor Code serves as an affirmation that the University demands the highest standard of integrity in all actions related to the academic community. Psychology Department Policy The Texas State Psychology Department has also adopted a policy on academic honesty, which applies to correspondence students as well as to on-campus students. As the policy states, The study of psychology is done best in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Academic dishonesty, in any form, destroys this atmosphere. Academic dishonesty consists of any of a number of things that spoil a good student-teacher relationship. A list of academically dishonest behaviors includes: passing off others work as one s own; copying off of another person during an examination; signing another person s name on an attendance sheet; in written papers, paraphrasing from an outside source while failing to credit the source or copying more than four words in sequence without quotation marks and appropriate citation. The Psychology Department faculty believe that appropriate penalties for academic dishonesty include an "F" in the course and/or prosecution through the Student Justice System. Course Study Schedule (.pdf) Copyright (c) 2013, Office of Distance and Extended Learning Course Study Schedule (.pdf) Meet Your Instructor Copyright (c) 2013, Office of Distance and Extended Learning Krista Howard, PhD Email: krista.howard@txstate.edu
Phone: (512) 245-5547 Office: UAC 257 E-Mail Address: kh44@txstate.edu Office Hours: TR 9:00A-11:00A; By Appointment Research Interests General Information Dr. Howard's research focuses on chronic illness and pain conditions. She studies risk factors, treatment outcomes, and medication and treatment adherence. Dr. Howard's research also focuses on occupational health factors, such as how stress and psychopathology affect job-related outcomes. Health Psychology Chronic Pain Research Disparities in Post-Surgical Outcomes following Lower Extremity Arthroplasty Treatment and Medication Adherence Fibromyalgia and Central Sensitization Industrial and Organizational Psychology Occupational Health Psychology Evaluation of Stress for Public School Teachers on Occupational and Health Outcomes Psychometrics Quantitative Psychology Career Advising Interests General Information Health Psychology Industrial and Organizational Psychology Psychometrics Quantitative Psychology Biography Dr. Howard completed her PhD in Health Psychology and Neuroscience in 2010 at the University of Texas at Arlington. Correspondence Course Information (.pdf) Correspondence Course Information (-2.pdf) Student Introductions
Introduce yourself to your classmates. At minimum, your post should include your name, hometown, major, college (if not Texas State), and any additional information you feel is important. Your post should include a minimum of 100 words. If you'd like, attach a photo or representative avatar. To post your introduction, click Discussions in the left menu bar. Then, choose Student Introductions and select Post New Thread. After you have entered a title and composed your introduction in the Message box, click Post Message.