Course Syllabus Table of Contents PSY 244: Online Developmental Psychology Infancy through Childhood Summer 2011 Table of Contents The Textbook and Materials for the Course are... 2 The Online Nature of the Course... 3 The Grading Scale... 4 How do I View the Grades for my Assignments in ANGEL... 4 The Assignments for the Course... 5 An Overview of the Course Assignments... 5 Exam/Quiz Information... 7 Feedback on Course Grading and Grade Appeals... 8 Assessment Method... 9 How do I hear a Lecture Online?... 10 Time Expectations and Course Timeline... 10 Issues of Academic Integrity... 12 ANGEL Tracking... 13 ANGEL Save & Finish Later Option:... 13 ANGEL Supported Browsers:... 14 Accommodations for Disabilities... 14 Observing a Religious Holiday... 14 Video Tool Kit Assignments... 14 What s Developing? : Grading Rubric... 16 What s Developing? : Assignment Details... 17 What s Developing? : HELP Information... 18 What s Developing? : Assignment Questions... 18 Tentative Course Calendar with Due Dates... 20
Instructor: Cathleen E. McGreal, Ph.D. mcgreal@msu.edu Office Hours: Listed on our ANGEL site Goal: To respond within 24 hours. (Mon Fri) Questions about technical aspects of the course with ANGEL or the lectures in Breeze: CALL MSU HELP LINE: 1-800-500-1554 or (517) 355-2345 Online Developmental Psychology: Infancy through Childhood* Prerequisite: PSY 101 What was your favorite toy when you were in kindergarten? Think for a moment: How might that toy have enhanced your motor skills, imagination, language or social skills? Do you study for college classes using the same strategies that worked in fifth grade? Probably not! Developmental psychologists use the scientific method to address continuities and discontinuities of development through empirical research. Psych 244 covers prenatal development through childhood, focusing on changes in the brain and body, cognition, emotions, personality, contexts of development and interpersonal relationships. The Goals of the Course are: To analyze key issues of child development, including major theories and concepts of development as well as to identify major researchers and theorists. To understand the methods used in developmental psychology (how we know what we know!) and to think critically when analyzing developmental research. To gain awareness and demonstrate how individuals stay the same over time (continuities) and how individuals change (discontinuities). To learn how to interact sensitively with children and to apply the ideas learned to your own life experiences. The Textbook and Materials for the Course are: Berger, Kathleen S. (2009). The developing person through childhood. (Fifth edition). New York: Worth Publishers. Video Tool Kit for Human Development, Worth Publishers. This is a website with FLASH activities and videos. An access code to the site is typically bundled with new books to reduce cost to access the site. If you purchase a used book then access to the Video Tool Kit is purchased at the website for $18.95. The Class Name at the site is Psych 244_2011 and the Class ID is Mc77. URL: http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/devtk/player/pages/login.aspx?uid=0&rau=0 Books will be available through the bookstore on the campus at Michigan State University, http://www.spartanbook.com/ (go to secure online ordering), the Student Book Store http://www.sbsmsu.com/ and other area bookstores as well as at online sources. Page 2
Frequently asked textbook question: What if I find a used copy Berger's The Person through Childhood AND ADOLESCENCE (Eighth edition)? Can I buy it? Yes! If you get a good deal then you may buy that book. Notice that it is the 8 th edition instead of the 5 th edition. It is the same as the childhood edition; it just has the extra chapters on adolescence. It is the 8 th edition because she didn t start pulling out the childhood chapters for a separate book for the first three editions of her child/adolescent book. We order the childhood text because it is a paperback book and it is less expensive than this hard-cover edition. Since MSU offers Psych 344 we don t cover any of the adolescence chapters that would make the additional expense worthwhile. But if you find the book used and it is economical then that would be an appropriate choice. Then you would order the Video Tool Kit site separately unless it came with your used book. Two of my children attend MSU and my motto regarding textbooks is, Go the least expensive route that still gives you the tools you need for the class. The Online Nature of the Course This course will be held entirely online through the ANGEL course management system. There will be no face-to-face classes or tests. You won t need to come to campus. Each assignment will tell you the ANGEL method that will be used for submission. Since this course is completely online, you WILL need to make sure that you will have consistent access to the Internet throughout the course. This course requires a high speed internet connection. You also need to be on a computer that allows downloads of free browser plug ins so that you can watch movies and listen to lectures. A community library would have to have FLASH installed, for example, in order for you to see and hear the lecture. If there is a problem during a test report it as soon as possible to the MSU HELP LINE at 1-800-500-1554 or (517) 355-2345. They will log the problem and in turn, report it to us. These technical problems should be reported immediately (maximum within 6 hours). You may also report the problem to us (although we are not available 24/7 like the Help Line ) If there is a system problem then hearing about what happens from more than one student helps them discover what has gone wrong. If it is just a problem with your computer then they can help trouble shoot that issue, too. If we find out a day or two later that there was a problem with a connection then it is difficult to resolve the issue in regard to a particular Quiz. Keep the ANGEL help numbers by your computer in case there is a problem. Getting Answers to your Questions throughout the semester First, check out the syllabus and then the FAQ discussion board. Another student may have had the same question earlier in the course and you won t have to wait at all for your answer! If your answer is not there then send an email through ANGEL. (See below) You may want to post a question at the Class Lounge because another student may see it and happen to know the answer (handy at 2:00 a.m.!). Instructors only go into the Class Lounge now and then; if you expect instructors to reply then direct an email to us, don t post a question to other students. If a post is of common interest we will move those details to the FAQs so that they are easy to find. The Class Lounge is a place to let each other know interesting information that relates to Developmental Psychology. For example, if you read something in the newspaper or see something in the news that relates to the course it is great to let other students know about it. If you want to know an answer that involves technical aspects of the course then contact the faculty! When contacting us: CONTACT US THROUGH ANGEL, NOT THROUGH MSU MAIL. Put Psych 244 in the Subject Line of your Email. Page 3
Given the large number of emails that we receive this allows us to give our online students first priority. Direct your concerns to FACULTY and one of us will try to answer you within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. Office Hours are posted in our ANGEL site. I check my email intermittently throughout the day. It is reasonable to assume I will answer all messages within a business day (24 hours). As mentioned above, since students often are in our course site in the middle of the night always check the FAQs and the Class Lounge to see if others are there to answer your questions! The Grading Scale GRADE 4 PERCENTAGE SCORE 90 % to 100 % POINTS 269-300 Note: Students who score the minimum number of points for a grade rejoice that they "just made it." Unfortunately, sometimes a score is at the 3.5 85 % to 89 % 254-268.9 very top of the range. The only points available are earned through assignments listed in the 3 80 % to 84 % 239-253.9 syllabus. There are no ways to get more points after the final, so please don't contact us asking 2.5 75 % to 79 % 224-238.9 for a way to do an extra assignment if you are a point away from the next grade! If you are 2 70 % to 74 % 209-223.9 worried about landing on the edge then do the extra credit surveys! Think how great you 1.5 65 % to 69 % 194-208.9 will feel if your points = 264 and you did all the extra credit and end up with a 269 in the course! 1 60 % to 64 % 179-193.9 0 < 60% # 178.9 The grades in this course are based on performance, not on effort. If earning a particular grade is very important to you (for example, if you are on academic probation or if a certain grade is required to participate in sports or to graduate) then make sure that you do everything in your power throughout the semester to earn as many points as possible on the graded activities. Make sure you complete the extra credit surveys! Please don t ask us to raise your grade at the end of the semester because you are only a point or two away from the grade that you wanted. How do I view the grades for my assignments in ANGEL? 1. Go to the Report Tab. 2. Choose Report under the Category Setting. 3. Pick Grades from the Drop-Down List. 4. Go over to the Right and click on Run. 5. You will see all your points for each graded activity. 6. By adding up these points you will be able to compare them to the percentage scores on the Grading Scale of the syllabus to know your current grades at all times. Page 4
The Assignments for the Course Quiz 1 Chapters 1 and 2 [45] Quiz 2 Chapters 3 and 4 45 Quiz 3 Chapters 5,6,7 45 Quiz 4 Chapters 8,9,10 45 Quiz 5 Chapters 11,12,13 45 What's Developing 1 [20] What's Developing 2 20 What's Developing 3 [20] What's Developing 4 20 What's Developing 5 [20] VideoTool Kit 1 [10] VideoTool Kit 2 [10] VideoTool Kit 3 10 VideoTool Kit 4 10 VideoTool Kit 5 10 Open book exams circumstances may mean that you cannot take one of the exams OR you can drop your lowest score. Magazine Articles of approximately 1200 words relating to developmental psychology and/or your developmental experiences. You choose TWO of the Magazine assignments on developmental topics. [This is not a drop a lowest score assignment it is a stress-reducing assignment to help you balance your work load] Exploring Development Video Tool Kit Exercises Watch children engage in the activities we read about. Each weekly assignment includes more than one activity. The VideoTool Kit is an online collection of interactive activities, FLASH animations, and videos. [This is not a drop a lowest score assignment it is a stressreducing assignment to help you balance your work load] Final Exam 50 Class Surveys EXTRA CREDIT [5] Open book Final Exam [You must take the final to complete the course see MSU final exam policy] ANGEL Surveys in the Course [Extra Credit] TOTAL POINTS 300 COURSE ORIENTATION PASSWORD: CHILDREN [Your syllabus password for Day 1 ANGEL orientation] Day One Orientation Password An Overview of the Course Assignments 1. Quiz 1,2,3,4 and 5 Quizzes open 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays (open for 24 hours) 60 minute timed quizzes [One Quiz is Dropped] The quizzes are open for 24 hours from 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday night until 5:00 on Thursday night. These tests may be fill-in, multiple-choice, or other objective questions. One of the reasons they are open book is so that you can spell terms and names correctly. Imagine that someone was on Wheel of Fortune and asked if there was an i in the word Vygotsky. The answer is no. On a Quiz the correct letters have to be given in the right order, too, for key terms! So teratogens would be the correct answer if you were asked the term for Agents and conditions, including viruses, drugs, and chemicals, that can impair prenatal development and result in birth defects or even death. These exams include all information covered in that part of the course: textbook, lectures, video, video tool kit and so on. There are many questions that will be answered in a short period of time so you must know the material very well even though it is open book. Once again, you may use your book but all work must be completed on your own. Make sure you stay in the Quiz rather than going to different folders in ANGEL. Although it is open-book it is NOT open ANGEL-site. That can cause problems in the administration of the Quiz itself. DON T OPEN YOUR ANGEL SITE IN ANOTHER BROWSER DURING AN EXAM. It might appear to work but ANGEL sometimes lists you as a guest in one site and it lists you as You in the other ANGEL site! Your Quiz may not record your answers correctly because ANGEL alternates the site in which you are a guest and in which you are you. This means it would have to be the Quiz that Page 5
gets dropped because your score ends up being low. Technical questions are answered during the Quiz but questions about course content will not be answered during the 24-hours that exams are open. 2. What s Developing? Due 5:00 p.m. on Mondays Throughout the course you will read about how children s work is their play and about the role of pretending in cognition. Your work has an element that I hope you will enjoy, too! Instead of a traditional term paper you write two shorter papers as if you were a writer for Time or for Newsweek who specialized in child development. You have the same amount of space each week - one page in the magazine. The Magazine is found in ANGEL. Just click on Launch Magazine. The editor gives you two assignments and both must be included in that week's issue of the magazine. When you click on Save Answers they are saved for the Editors (Prof. McGreal). One assignment always has a "personal point of contact" between you and the reader so that you have the opportunity to build a strong readership base. In that story you relate aspects of your own development or you have the opportunity to give your view. The other assignment requires that you present theory or research to your readers. You will find a grading rubric later in the syllabus. Note: You have a very limited word count and we are aware of this. [You may feel as if you just don t have room to present all the research you would like to provide.] On the other hand, remember that magazines never run blank space. If you find yourself filling up only half your column then you better read some more research to provide more information! More details are provided in the course folder on this topic in ANGEL. There are 5 assignment options and you choose 2 to complete. If you complete more than 2 only the first two grades will count. 3. Video Tool Kit Assignments: Due 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays Assignments are listed in this syllabus and in each week s folder. You purchase access to the Video Tool Kit when you purchase your book or as a separate subscription. Although there are many different activities you are only graded on those listed in the ANGEL folder. There are 5 VTK assignment options and each VTK consists of 4 activities. You choose 3 VTKs assignment options to complete. You can see which 4 activities are in each VTK in the back of the syllabus. They are quite engaging and if you find that they help your learning style then you are welcome to complete more. Many of the unassigned activities are valuable as well. However, we grade only the first three VTKs that you complete. You cannot raise your grade by completing more. Remember: Each VTK has four activities that MUST be completed for full credit. 4. Surveys: Due 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays [for EXTRA CREDIT] Surveys are given to keep tabs on the way the course is going. Comments from previous semesters were helpful in structuring this summer s class. For example, initially the magazine font was smaller and we made it larger to make it easier for students to work on their papers. The number of What s Developing papers was reduced from weekly required papers due to student comments about the summer half-session. Your comments assist me in fine-tuning the course. In addition, they help me find out more about you as a class. In fact, student comments helped turn this course into an award winning class http://attawards.msu.edu/winners/2006/psy-244 If you go to this site you will notice that in 2006 there were low-point chapter quizzes. I thought they might be useful to get students ready when the chapters were combined. The majority of students felt that chapter quizzes added too much busy work when added to the other assignments. [Unfortunately we couldn't make the magazine wrap columns which is another good suggestion - we are still working on it] Page 6
5. Final Exam, Wednesday, opens at 5:00 p.m. for 24 hours 65 minute exam The Final Exam will have 50 objective questions from lecture, text, tool kit, and videos any material presented throughout the semester. It will be open-book and open-note. It is a timed exam so once again, a high speed internet connection is essential. The final is open from 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday night until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday night. Final exam dates are set by the registrar. Grades are submitted to the Registrar on Friday. [You may not drop the final exam] Exam/Quiz Information Getting your Browser Ready to Take a Quiz or an Exam Before you begin: 1. Clear you cache and cookies by going into the Tools tab in Firefox. 2. Choose Clear Private Data and check two boxes, Cache and Cookies. 3. Click on Clear Private Data Now. 4. Log into ANGEL and begin your exam. [Never open ANGEL in another browser during a test, you might become a guest in your own exam!] Makeup Policy Because students are able to take quizzes at any time on the assigned day and because the lowest of the weekly quiz scores will be dropped, make-up quizzes will not be given except under extreme circumstances. Make-up quizzes will be 45 minutes in length and entirely short answer essay format, and will be offered only to those who have a significant illness documented by a letter from a physician or those who have an extremely serious family problem (e.g., death of a family member) that precludes them from taking the quiz on the scheduled day. Students who miss a quiz without satisfying these conditions will receive a grade of zero for that quiz. Since you may drop three of the What s Developing assignments and two of the Video Tool Kit assignments there are no makeups for these assignments. If you add the class late then Quiz 1, What s Developing 1, and VTK 1 will almost certainly be among your dropped assignments. This is because it can take 24-36 hours for an ANGEL site to be added after a student registers. IF A SIGNIFICANT EMERGENCY OCCURS: Fax the information to (517) 353-4873. Include a cover sheet with Dr. McGreal s name, and the subject line of Psych 244 Missed Exam Documentation. Then send an email to: Dr. Cathleen E. McGreal mcgreal@msu.edu If you do not send the email then it is likely that an extended period of time will pass before your fax is discovered because it is sent to a room with faxes and other equipment but no people! Final Exam Details All Summer Session courses have their finals on the last day of class. Please make a note of this and plan for a day off work or other activities since the last day is a Thursday. MSU policy states: "No student should be required to take more than two examinations during any one day of the final examination period. In order to avoid this problem I am scheduling the final to begin on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. It seems unlikely that anyone will have more than two finals on Wednesday AND Thursday! FINAL EXAMS ARE NOT GIVEN EARLY. MSU SUMMER SESSION POLICY IS TO HAVE THE FINAL EXAM ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS. A student absent from a final examination without a satisfactory explanation will receive a grade of 0.0 on the numerical system, NC on the CR-NC system, or a N in the case of a course authorized for grading on the P-N system. Students unable to take a final examination because of illness or other Page 7
reason over which they have no control should notify the assistant deans of their colleges immediately." http://www.reg.msu.edu/roinfo/calendar/finalexam.asp Requests for Changes in Exam (or assignment) Dates Since this course is completely online, you will need to make sure that you will have consistent access to the Internet throughout the course. Vacations don t fit in well with accelerated summer courses, face-to-face or online. Remember each week of an accelerated session is equivalent to two weeks of a regular semester! If your internet plans fall through during a vacation then you may miss turning in an assignment or taking a test. This course is NOT self-paced. There ARE due dates for various assignments. Students have been able to successfully move around the country (and even between countries!) during online classes. In order to do this they coordinate their travel with their course syllabus and they make sure that they have arranged to have a high-speed internet connection wherever they may be. However, given the number of hours per week that are invested in an online course this is quite distracting during a vacation. Course assignments and exams are not changed to accommodate summer activities. Sometimes difficult choices need to be made about taking classes in the summer or engaging in another worthwhile activity. Study Abroad programs may or may not fit in with Summer Session courses depending on their departure dates. MSU has over 250 programs! The Study Abroad faculty cannot take responsibility for ensuring that students have reliable internet connections in order to take exams and finals for online classes. Also, the timing of our final exam is not changed to accommodate various departures or return dates for Study Abroad. Study Abroad is unlikely to allow a change in your schedule to accommodate the final exam schedule established by the registrar's office. Whether Summer Session courses fit with a particular Study Abroad program depends on the timing of the program and the availability of high speed internet to the student at the program site. Some programs fit in very well it all depends on the program. Feedback on Course Grading and Grade Appeals Your submissions After the answers are released for an exam you will see a box like the one above. If you click on the hypertext date displaying when you took the exam then a page will open up and you will see all the exam questions and answers. These answers are available from Friday at 5:00 p.m. until Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. after each exam. You may take notes about individual topics that you want to study but you cannot recopy the entire question. You may not download or copy the questions themselves. Exam questions are not available later in the semester. Page 8
What do you do if you think that your answer was correct but it was marked wrong? Only exam points appealed in this method will be considered: 1. Send the appeal through ANGEL to Faculty. 2. On the Subject Line write: Psych 244 Question Appeal. 3. Explain why your choice is the BEST answer. Document your explanation. Provide textbook page numbers, slide numbers from Adobe Presenter/Breeze, etc. 4. Explain why the choice that is marked as the correct answer is either wrong, ambiguous, or in some way not as good as your choice. Important dates for Appeals and Review of Course Material: Quiz 1 grades and related assignments may be appealed through June 1. Quiz 2 grades and related assignments may be appealed through June 8. Quiz 3 grades and related assignments may be appealed through June 15. Quiz 4 grades and related assignments may be appealed through June 22. Quiz 5 grades and related assignments may be appealed through June 29. Once the appeal dates have passed this material is no longer available; make sure you take down any notes that you may want to have in order to study for the comprehensive final. You may take notes about individual topics that you want to study but you cannot recopy the entire question. You may not download or copy the questions themselves. Quiz questions are not available later in the semester. FINAL EXAM: We will make the answers available at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 30 th for you to view. Make any appeal immediately because I will start working on the grades on Friday, July 1st, when grade forms are available for us to submit grades in the Instructor System. We will check for any last appeals regarding the Final Exam at 11:00 a.m. on July 1st. Once grades are submitted then grade changes are made only for calculation errors. Assessment Method The exam method used in the Department of Psychology is one that enhances exam security during online testing. It is called Single-question, no backtrack. In this type of exam only one question is delivered at a time. A student makes a decision about that question, answers the question and submits it. Then the next question is presented. It is not possible to go back to previous questions. Instructors can ask questions knowing that a question gives away the answer to a previous question. Of course, this could never happen on a regular paper-and-pencil test. This method requires a different strategy for test taking. You may have learned to answer all the questions that you know and then go back to the others. This strategy is not possible in a singlequestion, no backtrack testing method. On the other hand, since this course uses open-book testing many students find that those questions about which they had doubts are the ones that they want to look up in the book. A quick look to refresh their memories and they can proceed with confidence. If single-question no backtrack (open book testing) sounds like a method with which you will be comfortable then this online Psych 244 class is probably a good fit for your assessment style. Page 9
How do I hear a lecture online? Adobe Presenter [Breeze] Audio lectures When you click on the file the lecture just starts! Make sure that your speaker volume is set to a comfortable level or that you have headphones if you are in a library or a coffee shop. You might want to print out a handout of the notes ahead of time if you like to take notes as you listen. If so, just go to the section in the Lecture Folder that has an Adobe Acrobat file (pdf) with 4 slides to a page. Within the Adobe Presenter [Macromedia Breeze] presentation itself you may print only the slide that is currently showing on the screen and so that is less convenient unless you want full screen shots. It is not possible to print the audio portion of the lecture. The button on the lower left corner is a toggle button. If you want to see the titles of the slides then you can keep the display as it is. If you do not want to see them then click on this button and you will see only the slide itself. Click on the button once again and the titles of the slides will be displayed once again. You will hear students and professors referring to these types of presentations as either Breeze or Presenter lectures. Adobe acquired Macromedia Breeze and renamed it Adobe Presenter but it still is commonly called a Breeze lecture. Sometimes all that shows up when you go to see your lecture is the word Index. Click on Index and the recording begins. Time Expectations and Course Timeline The course begins on May 16, 2011 and it ends on June 30, 2011 (Thursday). The Academic Calendar listing important dates may be found at http://www.reg.msu.edu/roinfo/calendar/academic20092010.asp All Summer Session courses have their finals on the last day of class. This is a decision that was made by the registrar and those planning the academic calendar. There is no final exam week. Please make a note of this and plan for a day off work or other activities since the last day is a Thursday. ALL OF THE TIMES LISTED ARE EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME. CONVERT TO YOUR TIME ZONE! How flexible is time in this online course? You can decide when you want to complete the assignments in a particular section of the course BUT you must have completed all the assignments in that section by the due date. Our quizzes and final are always on Wednesday-Thursday. You have flexibility within that 24- hour framework to take the quiz or final. They are open for 24 hours, from 5:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The What s Developing assignments (due Mondays) and Video Tool Kits & Surveys (due Tuesdays) could be completed over the weekend if that is when you have the most time or during the weekdays before the assignment is due. You can decide what part of the semester is the most challenging in terms of time management when making decisions about which assignments to complete. Or you can decide based on which topics interest you the most to do a more in-depth analysis. Flexibility and choice is part of the course design! MSU Policies regarding Instructional Contact Hours: Time Expectations "Each course usually carries a specific number of credits based upon the number of instructional contact hours and study hours required each week per semester. The earning of a credit requires, as a minimum, one instructor-student contact hour per week per semester plus two hours of study per contact hour; OR two hours of laboratory contact hours per week per semester, plus one additional hour Page 10
spent in report writing and study; OR other combinations of contact and study hours which constitute an equivalent of these experiences. In all courses taught in the time frame of the regular semester, regardless of format, provision will be made for contact hours and/or study hours which reflect optimal use of the class and study time provided for in the official University calendar and the Schedule of Courses for the semester. In courses in other time frames provision will be made for contact hours and study time in a combination, which is equivalent to the semester experience." From MSU s GENERAL INFORMATION, POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONS What does this mean? Well, in the regular semester for a 3-credit course you meet for 3 hours of instructor-student contact and at the minimum have 6 hours of study per week. Full Semester: 1 credit = 1 contact hour and 2 study hours In the summer session you have 6 hours of instructor student contact and at the minimum have 12 hours of study per week. A face-to face-summer Psych class, for example, might 12:40 to 3:30 on Tuesday and Thursday for its 6 hours. Half Semester: 1 credit = 2 contact hours and 4 study hours Thus, 18 hours per week minimum is the expectation for a half-semester summer course. The fully online course has the same requirements as the face-to-face summer course. Both courses are set up to require 18 hours per week minimum to fulfill the university credit guidelines. Summer courses are intense but it is amazing what you are able to learn in a short period of time :) Taking two online classes at the same time is basically equivalent to a full-time job! Students have done it successfully but it is an intense time commitment. For those who plan to work in the summer taking one class in each summer session often balances the work load in a more manageable way. The State News ran an interesting story on summer classes back in 2008. Did you know that 12-units in the summer session are equivalent to 24-units in the regular semester? Read these excerpts from the story. Low summer enrollment may benefit some By Heather Lockwood The State News Published: May 27, 2008 "Summer courses offer an opportunity for students to catch up or get ahead, but MSU Registrar Dugald McMillan said the workload should not be underestimated. There s no magic advantage in the summer, he said. 'You ll have the same reading lessons, the same exam schedule. 'Summer total enrollment is usually less than other semesters. In recent years, McMillan said summer total enrollment has been slightly more than 20,000..'Class enrollment may tend to be slightly lower in the summer and for some students that may be the benefit,' said Doug Estry, associate provost for undergraduate education.. The summer semester is split between two sessions of condensed seven-week courses, and some summer courses that are not condensed last through both sessions, McMillan said. 'Don t take any more credits in the summer than you would in a regular semester,' he said. 'Twelve credits in seven weeks is the same as 24 credits in a full semester.' Page 11
The two sessions offer flexibility to students and may appeal to students, but the workload can be overwhelming, Estry said.... Deb Dotterer, director of undergraduate student affairs for the College of Natural Science, said students should be aware of what classes entail. 'The pace is much faster, but for a lot of students that s not much of a problem because they re focusing on one course rather than a whole course load,' she said. " Retrieved May 27, 2008 URL: http://statenews.com/index.php/trackback/6205 Issues of Academic Integrity Every student is held responsible for knowing the academic integrity policy at MSU. The policy can be found at http://www.vps.msu.edu/splife/rule32.htm Look through the folder that I ve put up in the ANGEL site for some explanations about academic integrity to give you some concrete explanations. Here are some examples of academic dishonesty: Have another student provide academic assistance or coaching during an online quiz or test Have another person take a quiz or test for you Copy questions or answers from your online quiz or test and share them with another student Copy questions or answers from your online quiz or test and post them on a website for others to view Get questions and/or answers from students who have already taken an exam or quiz you are scheduled to take Collaborate with other students on projects or assignments without your instructor's permission Here are some definitions of plagiarism make sure you avoid it! a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work (Webster s Dictionary Online) claiming or submitting the academic work of another as one s own (Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide, see pages 76-77, 108-109) http://www.vps.msu.edu/splife/default.pdf the appropriation of another person s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit (White House Office of Sciences and Technology Policy on Misconduct on Research Information about cheating from the student s point of view can be found at: http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/dishonestystud.html Unfortunately as online courses have become more popular, online cheating has become more common. There are student-based websites that seem to foster and promote academic dishonesty. Please be advised that these sites are known to faculty members who are updated on their contents on a regular basis by honest students and others concerned with academic integrity. You are not authorized to use the all MSU Web site or any other student-based website to complete any course work. Ignorance or misunderstanding of the honesty policy will not serve as an excuse for academic dishonesty. The plagiarism policy is NOT based on the number of points for an assignment. Be honest whether it is an assignment worth a relatively small number of points or a comprehensive final exam. Scholastic dishonesty will be prosecuted to the fullest extent in this class. That means you get a 0.0 in the class and a letter is sent to the dean of your college and to the dean of the College of Social Page 12
Sciences about the incident. A request for your dean to call for a disciplinary hearing to impose sanctions beyond failing the course could occur in some cases of academic dishonesty. SEE THE FOLDER IN ANGEL FOR A LINK TO HELP YOU REVIEW SITUATIONS THAT DEAL WITH ACADEMIC HONESTY. Penalty Grade Policy at MSU Policy change as of 2009 Revised University Policy - Integrity of Scholarship and Grades: When an instructor gives an undergraduate or graduate student a penalty grade for academic misconduct, the instructor must provide a written description of the details of the academic misconduct to the student and to the student s academic dean. The student s academic dean will add the written description to the student s academic record, where it will remain, unless the student successfully grieves the allegation. There are more details regarding this policy and so I have included the document in our ANGEL site. ANGELTracking Please be aware that ANGEL tracks all student login information. For example, it tracks when you have logged into ANGEL and when you have logged out. It also tracks when you begin your quiz and when your quiz is submitted. This is helpful for the instructors because it allows us to resolve issues if there is a problem with the ANGEL system in terms of logging on and/or gaining access to the various sections of the site. Tracking can also help us resolve disputes about exams and assignments, particularly those that are timed. ANGEL tracking also can reveal academic misconduct. Of course, professors cannot view the personal content of a student in the My Content area of ANGEL. For example, professors can t see your personal calendar entries! ANGEL Save and Finish Later option: Serves no purpose during exams ANGEL periodically saves your time sensitive assignments and quizzes as a protection in case your computer crashes. You do not have to do anything for this to happen and will not see a SAVE button on your screen in most cases. Sometimes ANGEL does display an option that says, "Save and Finish Later". Your time just keeps ticking away on timed tests if you choose this option. The option Save and Finish Later is meant to be displayed for data that can be collected over time and not for exams. It could be useful during a survey. If you see it displayed during an exam then don t select it! ANGEL Supported Browsers: Especially Important at Exam Times! When taking the quiz it is important to use a Browser that gets along well with ANGEL! Even if you use Safari or Opera for much of your everyday activity when it comes to a timed situation, such as an exam, then there are ones that ANGEL has been tested on and found to be highly compatible. Sometimes students think that Safari has been working fine since the first day of class but then they discover that there are problems during the exam! It is best to play it safe and use a supported browser. You can see a list of these browsers by looking at the Question Mark over by the Guide at the left of your course. That is where you find answers to other Help Questions about ANGEL, too. Overall the best browser to use is Firefox 3.x Internet Explorer 9 is not compatible with ANGEL. Please use Firefox 3.x or Internet Explorer 8.x when accessing the ANGEL system. Page 13
Recommended Browsers for ANGEL If you are not sure about what browser you are using or don't understand how to get Firefox remember that we have a great Help Desk! Just call 355-2345 or 1-800-500-1554. They are just as happy to help you prevent a problem as they are to help you in the middle of one. Accommodations for Disabilities Students with disabilities should contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to establish reasonable accommodations. For an appointment with a counselor, call (517 353-9642 (voice) or (517) 355-1293 (TTY). Visit the RCPD website at http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/home/ or send them an email at Email: rcpd@msu.edu. As stated on the Psychology Preview Page, ideally this should be done before the semester begins because it often takes a while for this process to be completed, especially for students who do not attend MSU during the regular academic year. Observing a Religious Holiday You may make up coursework missed to observe a religious holiday; make arrangements in advance with the instructor. Look over the course dates at the beginning of the semester and see if a test falls on the 24-hour span of one of these days. The other assignments are open for longer and so it is unlikely that they would interfere with the observance of a religious holiday. Video Tool Kit Assignments (Each assignment has FOUR activities) VideoToolKit 1: Introduction and Theoretical Concepts Ch. 1 What s Wrong with this Study Ch. 2 A Case Study on Culture and Development Ch. 2 Assimilation and Accommodation Ch. 2 Modeling: Learning by Observation VideoToolKit 2: Heredity/Environment; Prenatal Development and Birth Ch. 3 Genetic Code Ch. 4 Teratogens Ch. 4 Prenatal Testing Ch. 4 Periods of Prenatal Development VideoToolKit 3: The First Two Years (Chapters 5,6,7) Ch. 5 Newborn Sense Experiences Ch. 6 The Visual Cliff Ch. 7 Self Awareness and the Rouge Test Ch. 7 Attachment Behaviors in the Strange Situation VideoToolKit 4: Early Childhood Ch. 8 Brain Development: The Play Years Ch. 9 Language Development in Early Childhood Ch. 9 Theory of Mind Ch. 10 Children at Play Page 14
VideoToolKit 5: The School Years Ch. 11 Childhood Obesity Ch. 12 Achieving Conservation Ch. 12 Motivation and Learning Ch. 13 Moral Reasoning Remember, the other activities in the Video Tool Kit are interesting and engaging ways to learn about child development. Completing them typically helps students on these sections of the textbook! But you are not required to complete them for the Video Tool Kit Assignment. Problems with the VTK site? Call toll free 1-800-936-6899 for the Worth Publishers Tech Support or techsupport@bfwpub.com Page 15
What s Developing? Grading Rubric (20 points Possible) Category 1 Failing 2 Below Average Paper 1 Information has little Information to do with the relates to the assigned topic. assigned topic Information may not but no details be accurate. or examples are provided. Information may not be accurate. Paper 2 Writing Style/ Mechanics Information has little to do with the assigned topic. Information may not be accurate. Serious organizational problems throughout the papers. They do not appear to have been planned before they were written. Many problems with sentence structure, grammatical errors or spelling errors. The magazine columns may have areas of white space rather than a complete article. Information relates to the assigned topic but no details or examples are provided. Information may not be accurate. An attempt was made to plan the assignment but it remains disorganized in several places. There are several mechanical errors. The magazine columns may have areas of white space rather than a complete article. 3 Average 4 Very Good/Strong Information Information relates to the relates to the assigned topics assigned topics but the ideas and ideas are are not fully fully developed. developed. Supporting Supporting details are details are provided and provided but examples are are not relevant. integrated with the main topics. Information relates to the assigned topics but the ideas are not fully developed. Supporting details are provided but are not integrated with the main topics. The assignment has a sense of organization. The opening and closing sections of each paper unite each paper adequately. There are some sentence structure problems, grammar errors and spelling problems. The writing style is simple and lacks creativity or depth. Information relates to the assigned topics and ideas are fully developed. Supporting details are provided and examples are relevant. There are logical transitions in a well organized paper. The opening and conclusion unite the paper providing an effective framework. The paragraphs are wellconstructed. There may be a few mechanical errors. 5 Exceptional/ Superior Information clearly relates to the assigned topics and ideas are fully developed. Insights are interesting or unusual and likely to engage the reader. Supporting details are appropriate and examples are relevant and engaging. Information clearly relates to the assigned topics and ideas are fully developed. Insights are interesting or unusual and likely to engage the reader. Supporting details are appropriate and examples are relevant and engaging. The writing style is distinctive and confident. There are clear and logical transitions in a well organized paper. The opening and conclusion engage the reader and unite the paper providing an effective framework. The paragraphs are well constructed. There may be one or two mechanical errors that are not serious. Page 16
What s Developing? : Assignment Details Each magazine assignment has two stories; the stories are divided between three columns. Column estimate: About 430-445 words per column (based on sample stories). You decide when to end the first story and when to begin the second story somewhere in the second column. Simply make the title heading for story 2 wherever you decide to begin it by typing a headline, selecting it, and then clicking on Make Header. The text does not wrap between columns. You must conclude a sentence or end with a word at the bottom of a column and then begin in the next column intentionally. You can write your story in your favorite word processing program and then cut and paste it into the magazine. Be careful at the end of the column since it won t wrap! Click on the link that says LAUNCH MAGAZINE. This is where you will find the magazine. The HELP button has the instructions that you will need. The MAKE HEADER button is actually a toggle button so that if you change your mind you can select that text and make it normal size text again. How do I submit the What s Developing? assignment? You do not have to do anything special to submit the newspaper itself. Just click the Save button. When the due date arrives the latest version will be automatically submitted. In order to have a grading rubric associated with your newspaper you MUST go to the What s Developing drop box where you view the rubric and put a message in the drop box that you have completed the assignment. Once you do this: (1) ANGEL creates a link between the assignment and the gradebook. (2) The transfer of the grade occurs once the assignment is graded. (3) You can go to this rubric and view your comments and see which cells were filled in for your assignment. Page 17
What s Developing? : HELP Information Help Button on right hand side of Title Bar across from your name. CREATE TEXT HEADER Select desired text and press the button MAKE HEADER CREATE TEXT HEADER Select desired text and press the button RESET TEXT SAVE YOUR PAGE Press the Save Page button. Make sure you save your page. You can always come back and make edits as long as the page is active. SAVE PAGE PRINT STORY Press the printer icon button. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Type or paste your story into the three columns. You have to manually place your text in the three columns as they don t automatically wrap. What s Developing? : Assignment Questions What's Developing 1: (Based on Chapters 1 & 2) 1) Watch the 7 minute video in your Video Tool Kit called Ethics in Human Research: Violating One s Privacy? [Note: You have to click on the Video Tab, not the Activity Tab]. Familiarize your readers with the basic issues involved in the DeCODE research investigation in Iceland. Integrate this with ethical issues in scientific research covered in Chapter 1. Take a position on this ethical issue explaining why you would or would not be an advocate for the DeCODE research in Iceland. 2) Our textbook points out that the historical context in which a child is born is important to consider when looking at development. Those born within a few years of one another are called a cohort. We even get a sense of a person's era when we know their first name! Write an article explaining the concept of historical time, giving an example of an event/technological advancement/experience that your cohort has experienced and how it had an influence on the development of your cohort. What's Developing 2: (Based on Chapters 3 & 4) 1) After reviewing the Video Tool Kit exercise on Ch 4 Birth (Duration 15 minutes) and Ch 17 Epilogue: The Transition to Parenthood (Duration: 25 minutes) develop your own set of interview questions about the birth/adoption story of your own life. Interview your mother, father, or another adult familiar with aspects of your life story before your own memory begins. Write an "article" for the magazine based on your interview. You may write it in the first person or the third person. If you are the oldest/only then the transition to parenthood came with your entry into the family system. If you have an older sibling(s) then focus on adjusting to a new child in the home (you!). Let your readers know some of the changes they can expect when a child is born/adopted with illustrations from your interview. There is considerable flexibility in this assignment. You can focus primarily on birth or the overall transition experience. Page 18
2) After watching the Video Tool Kit video, Ch 3 Infertility and IVF (Duration 3 minutes) write an article for the magazine on IVF and ICSI (intra cytoplasmic sperm injection). What possible difficulties could arise as a result of the procedure in the video? Why is it different than the procedures in Finland or Belgium? [see the textbook for these details] Let your readers know your views on the current U.S. policy compared to those in other countries. What's Developing 3: Based on Chapters 5,6,7 1) The Video Tool Kit video in Ch 6 on Affordances (Duration 0:43; this means 43 seconds) shows how two individuals can perceive the same object, the same environment, the same situation yet they actually will observe and interpret the object, environment, situation in a completely different way. Use this concept as your background as you view the Ch 5 Video Tool Kit Video called, Hothouse Babies (Duration 1:55). The description that accompanies Hothouse Babies says, Household toys and toys created by parents can provide all the stimulation children need. Yet as you can see the mother in the video is concerned about providing the correct stimulus materials to ensure her child a positive academic future. Address the concerns that some of your readers may have since they want the best for their children as you explain cognitive development in the first two years. 2) Watch, Are Young Children Self Aware? Lessons from the Animals in the Ch 7 Video Tool Kit section (Duration 5:42) and integrate it with the section on self awareness and mirror recognition found in the textbook. The video presents two different views on animal self awareness; present both sides but let your readers know which view you feel is the stronger one. What's Developing 4: Based on Chapters 8,9,10 1) Your readers might wonder why the salt that they buy on supermarket shelves says that it is iodized. Chapter 8 of the text explains that children may consume enough calories but still lack important nutrients. Watch the Video Tool Kit video in Ch 8 called, Children in China with Iodine Deficiency (Duration 6:42). Explain to your readers the necessity of eating a variety of foods, using iodine deficiency as your example. 2) One of the Video Tool Kit videos in Ch 10 asks children how they would handle situations when grandparents gave them gifts that were not at all what they wanted. In Learning Emotional Display Rules: The Disappointing Gift Task (Duration 2:26) younger children report that they would handle the situation in quite different ways than do the older children. How does this relate to Emotional Development and to Sex and Gender as discussed in Chapter 10. Do you have a personal disappointing gift story to use as a hook that your readers would enjoy? What's Developing 5: Based on Chapters 11,12,13 1) The editor wants a story on teaching and learning (Chapter 12) which includes performance differences between boys and girls in the classroom which are revealed in the Video Tool Kit video in Ch 12, Are Today s Girls Academically Superior? (Duration: 5:46). Let the readers know the long term implications in terms of performance in adolescence, the college years, and career choices. 2) In the early 1930s at a White House Conference it was officially declared that "Play is the Work of the Child". Explain why developmental research supports this view. Give an example from your own childhood of something that you learned through play. Page 19
Tentative Course Calendar with Due Dates 1 Part I: The Beginnings Ch 1, Ch 2 2 Continue Chapter 2 Theories 3 Read Chapters 3,4 Heredity/ Environment Prenatal/Birth 4 Read Chapters 5,6,7 Infant/Toddler (Part II) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday May 16 ANGEL Orientation, Begin Course May 23 What s Developing 1 is Due today at 5:00 p.m. May 30 University Holiday: Memorial Day June 6 What s Developing 2 is Due today at 5:00 p.m. May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 24 Chapter 1& 2 Video Tool Kit and Survey 1 Due at 5:00 p.m. May 31 Chapter 3& 4 Video Tool Kit and Survey 2 Due at 5:00 p.m. June 7 Chapter 5,6 & 7 Video Tool Kit and Survey 3 Due at 5:00 p.m. May 25 Exam I Chapters 1,2, Opens at 5:00 p.m. June 1 Exam II Chapters 3,4 Opens at 5:00 p.m. June 8 Exam III Chapters 5,6,7 opens at 5:00 p.m. May 26 Exam I Chapters 1,2, closes at 5:00 p.m. June 2 Exam II Chapters 3,4 closes at 5:00 p.m. June 9 Exam III Chapters 5,6,7 closes at 5:00 p.m. May 27 In a regular semester today would be the end of the first month! June 3 June 10 Wow! You are more than halfway through the semester! 5 Read Chapters 8,9,10 Play Years (Part III) June 13 What s Developing 3 is Due today at 5:00 p.m. June 14 Chapter 8, 9 &10 Video Tool Kit and Survey 4 Due at 5:00 p.m. June 15 Exam IV Chapters 8,9,10 opens at 5:00 p.m. June 16 Exam IV Chapters 8,9,10 closes at 5:00 p.m. June 17 6 Read Chapters 11,12,13 School Years (Part IV) June 20 What s Developing 4 is Due today at 5:00 p.m. June 21 Chapter 11, 12, & 13 Video Tool Kit and Survey 5 Due at 5:00 p.m. June 22 Exam V Chapters 11,12,13 opens at 5:00 p.m. June 23 Exam V Chapters 11,12,13 Closes at 5:00 p.m. June 24 7 From Conception To Puberty June 27 What s Developing 5 is Due today at 5:00 p.m. June 28 June 29 Comprehensive Final Exam Opens at 5:00 p.m. June 30 Comprehensive Final Exam closes at 5:00 p.m. July 1 Semester has ended; submit grades. Page 20