PSY2012 General Psychology Contributed by Professor Nathalie Franco, PhD

PSY2012 General Psychology Contributed by Professor Nathalie Franco, PhD Course Description General Psychology reviews the scientific principles related to human behavior and mental processes. Topics include the scientific method, neuroscience, learning & memory, emotions, motivation & health, life span development, personality, psychological disorders, and social psychology. Requires Text Yes, you need the book! The required course text is the 9 th edition of Exploring Psychology (2014) by David Myers (loose leaf edition packaged with PsychPortal access card). If you purchase the textbook online, you will need to purchase access to PsychPortal. Bring your text with you to class since we may refer to the text during class discussion and for the completion of some learning tasks. Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Identify, differentiate, and summarize the various perspectives and subfields relating to psychology s history. 2. Identify and appraise scientific designs and psychology s major issues. 3. Analyze and evaluate the relationships between biological and neurological processes and behavior. 4. Differentiate and compare types of learning, memory, cognition, and intelligence. 5. Comprehend and infer how motivation and emotion affect both physical and mental health, while utilizing and applying this knowledge for solving problems in their situations and lives. 6. Recognize and compare the various personality theories and apply the arguments both for and against each theory. 7. Evaluate the characteristics, symptoms, and diagnostic criteria relating to the various psychological disorders. 8. Identify and describe the stages of human development through the lifespan and recognize theories that explain it. 9. Describe, apply, and evaluate variables that determine social cognition, social influence, and social relations. 1

Critical Thinking Designated Course This course has been designated as a Critical Thinking Course by BC Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Broward College s Definition of Critical Thinking: To support Broward College s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), critical thinking is defined as a process of evaluating information by questioning and testing assumptions, accepting and rejecting arguments and/or perspectives, and applying reasoning to make informed decisions. Critical Thinking Learning Outcome Statements: Goal 1: The QEP will enhance students critical thinking skills. Students will be able to: 1.1. Analyze and interpret relevant information 1.2. Explain questions, problems, and/or issues 1.3. Evaluate information to determine credibility of reasoning 1.4. Generate well-reasoned conclusions Critical Thinking Learning Experiences: Student Learning Outcome Teaching & Learning Experiences/Activities/ Assignments 1.1. Analyze and interpret Research Design relevant information (In-Class Activity); 1.2. Explain questions, Psychoactive Drugs (SEE-I problems, and/or issues Activity) 1.3. Evaluate information to Psychological Theories of determine credibility of Personality (Role Play) reasoning 1.4. Generate well-reasoned conclusions Psychological Principles in my Life (Writing Assignment) Intellectual Standards Clarity, Accuracy, Precision, Relevance, Logic Clarity, Accuracy, Relevance, Depth, Breath, Significance Clarity, Accuracy, Breath, Logic, Fairness Clarity, Accuracy, Precision, Relevance, Depth, Breath, Logic, Significance Critical Thinking Resources/References for Student Self-exploration The Critical Thinking Community: College and University Students http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/college-and-university-students/799 The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts & Tools (limited download copy) http://www.criticalthinking.org/files/concepts_tools.pdf The Critical Thinking Community: Critical Thinking in Every Day Life: 9 Strategies http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/critical-thinking-in-everyday-life-9-strategies/512 2

To maximize your chances for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course prerequisites: Computer Knowledge and Skills Students in this course should be familiar with the following computer skills. File Management - You should be familiar with finding and saving files on your computer. The Internet - You should be familiar with connecting to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider or Network Connection. Web Browser Software - You should be familiar with using web browser software to navigate the Internet and locate information. Email - You should be familiar with sending and receiving email messages. Discussions - You should be familiar with posting and reading discussion messages in a threaded format. Attachments - You should be familiar with sending email messages with attached files. Word Processing - You should be familiar with creating, editing, saving, and printing documents using Microsoft Word. Instructional methods This is a 3 credit hour BLENDED course that combines face-to-face with online meetings. The online portion of the course will be available on 1/7/14. Students must come to class for the face-to-face portion of the course in building 5 Room 113 EVERY Wednesday from 11:00 am-12:15pm. You need to allocate time to study and work on assignments. See the course schedule for a detailed description of learning activities for scheduled class meetings and out of class or online assignments. Students are responsible for regularly reviewing the course schedule and completing all required in and out of class assignments. Staying on track on this blended class will require good time management and a proactive approach to homework and reading assignments. During our scheduled class meetings you can expect to listen to mini-lectures, work in small-groups, engage in class discussions, and view relevant online and audio-visual materials. You will also be expected to think, read, and write about psychology and how it applies to life! Class lectures and activities highlight, supplement, reinforce and clarify knowledge you have acquired from a thorough and careful reading of the textbook. Lectures are not a substitute for reading and studying the course material on your own. The online environments for this blended course include: (1) Desire2Learn and (2) PsychPortal. Unlike courses you may have taken in the past where tests, supplementary readings and handouts and other study materials are provided, here you will be accessing these materials and completing assigned activities on your own. This model of learning is challenging. Sometimes a click does not produce the desired result. This is part of your learning. You will be required to solve the inevitable glitches of technology. (See tips for using D2L and PsychPortal below) (1) Desire2Learn (D2L) All power point presentations and handouts will be downloaded on Desire2Learn https://bconline.broward.edu/ You will need your Broward login information. If you need technical assistance, please contact BC helpdesk at (954) 201-7521 or helpdesk@broward.edu 3

Attendance, assignments, discussion topics, announcements, and grades will be posted on this site. All emails regarding course communication should be sent via D2L. o Never use e-mail to: (1) Get routine information that is already in this syllabus. (2) Ask what you missed in a lecture when you were absent. (3) Discuss in-depth a major or significant problem. (4) Hand-in your assignment. (2) PsychPortal Weekly Online homework assignments and quizzes are available through www.yourpsychportal.com Tips for using Psychportal: 1. Fully supported browsers are Internet Explorer and Firefox. Safari and Chrome are NOT supported for this site. 2. Memorize this number: 1-800-936-6899. The tech support people for PsychPortal are extremely helpful. Call them if you are having technical difficulties. Call me if you have questions about Psychology or the course content. 3. Plan ahead: If you leave the week s entire lesson module until the final hour, tech support may not be able to help you to complete assignments by the due date. I will NOT be able to extend deadlines for PsychPortal assignments or quizzes. 4. Stay on top of your work: The blended nature of this course forces you to keep up. Since all activities are time sensitive, and there are no extensions on online assignments, you simply can t fall behind and be successful in this course. Student Performance Evaluation Each of the following components is required for successful completion of this course. Failure to complete any of these will result in a lower grade for the semester. Please see me if you are having difficulty with any of the required components. 1. Learning Tasks (20%) and ONLINE Discussions/Surveys (10%) Completion of Learning Tasks and Online Discussions are an integral part of this course. You will be asked to prepare and participate in discussions, demonstrations, group activities, presentations, etc. This participation will enhance your learning and make the material more meaningful. The responsibility to learn is yours and yours alone. For learning to happen in any course, you must take an active role in the process. For our class, you are expected to come to class prepared and ready to learn, which requires you to read and study the assigned reading before you come to class. Being prepared for class enables you to construct a knowledge base on which subsequent learning rests. To demonstrate your readiness for class, you will be engaging in a variety of Learning Tasks (out-ofclass and in-class) and Online Discussions that require you to (a) use a variety of reasoning strategies to address issues and topics related to the course, and (b) write reflectively about what you are learning, how it relates to what you already know, or how it relates to your life. Your performance on Learning Tasks and Online Discussions will be evaluated using the Learning Task and Discussion Rubrics. These rubrics allow me to assess how accurately you interpret the content of the course and how you are able to support what you say by demonstrating your knowledge of information, facts, and research related to psychology. DETAILED GUIDELINES ON HOW TO POST DISCUSSIONS AND HOW THEY WILL BE GRADED WILL BE POSTED ON D2L. 4

You are expected to hand in out-of-class Learning Tasks and complete Online Discussions on time. Learning Tasks cannot be emailed to the instructor, or made up. You will have an opportunity to participate in Learning Tasks and online discussions throughout the semester. These are required and will help you prepare for the face to face portion of the course. (See Learning Tasks and Online Discussions Schedule below). You will also be asked to complete surveys and online assessments. (See Surveys Schedule below). Due dates are anticipated based on the course outline. Learning Tasks and Online Discussion due dates may be modified by the instructor. Students are responsible for finding out about changes announced during class. You are responsible for making sure your Learning Task Log and Folder remain with me at all times. Do not take the folder home. You will receive a zero for your learning task grade if your folder or log is missing. DETAILED GUIDELINES ON HOW TO POST DISCUSSIONS AND HOW THEY WILL BE GRADED WILL BE POSTED ON D2L. 2. PSYCHPORTAL ACTIVITIES (10%): Homework Assignments (5%) These will consist of Learning Curve assignments (LC) and Concepts in Action (CA) for each chapter. LC assignments include quiz type questions designed to help you learn the material. It is highly recommended that you read each section of the chapter before attempting the LC assignment for that section. You will save a lot of time if you read before you attempt the LC. The more you know the faster you get through each section. If you don t know the answers, you will spend more time until completing the points you need to get credit. CA assignments are brief interactive tutorials that bring key concepts from the text to life. They each include a short quiz. For each LC and CA you complete before the due date, you will earn 100 points. If you don t complete the LC or CA you will receive a zero. The 2 lowest online PsychPortal homework grades will be dropped at the end of the semester. There are no extensions for PsychPortal assignments. (See Assignment Due Dates below) Quizzes (5%) Mastery Quizzes consist of multiple choice questions. They can be taken any time prior to the due date. They are usually due at the completion of each chapter and will serve as preparation for the exams. The quizzes are timed (30 minutes). You will have 2 attempts to complete each quiz. The highest grade of the 2 attempts will be recorded. Collaboration between students and discussion of quiz answers are NOT permitted. Allow yourself enough time to complete the quizzes. Technical issues can happen and excuses about technical problems will not be accepted from students who wait until the last minute to take quizzes. There are no extensions for PsychPortal quizzes. (See Assignment Due Dates below) 3. Exams (60%) Three (3) multiple-choice exams (20% each) will be given. All students are required to take the in-class exams on the dates they are scheduled (see make-up policy under class policies). Cell phones and laptops must be completely out of reach during exams. If your instructor is able to see your phone, regardless of the reason you will receive an automatic F on the exam. Use the restroom before the exam. You will not be allowed to leave the room once the exam begins. 5

How your Grade will be Determined: Assessment Percent of Final Grade Learning Tasks 20% Online Discussion/Surveys 10% PsychPortal Activities 10% Exams 60% Total 100% A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = 59% or below Class Policies Class Attendance and Withdrawal Policy Regular, active, and meaningful participation in both face-to-face class meetings and online learning activities is a critically important component of this course and is essential to your success. It is recommended that you log into the course several times during the week. Frequency and quality of participation may affect your grade. Active participation is expected of all students in this course. Check your email and course discussions regularly. Ask questions. Post and respond to messages. Complete PsychPortal LC, CA, & MQ on time. If you stop participating after the withdrawal date, you will receive an F, which will then be computed as an F in your GPA. To avoid this situation, you should remain an active learner in this class and always communicate extenuating circumstances to me. Ongoing communication with the instructor is critical to your course success. Completion of tests, assignments, and other class activities are used as indicators of your participation in order to satisfy this reporting requirement. The last day to withdraw is Month, Date, Year. If you withdraw through the Registrar s Office (online or in person) on or before that date, you will receive a grade of W. If you simply stop attending class and do not withdraw yourself through the proper channels, you will receive an F. Exam Policy and Grading Make-up Test Policy o Make-up tests will be permitted only under extenuating circumstances and only with prior notification and official documentation (original funeral notice, original doctor s note, etc.). o The instructor reserves the right to create alternate make-up exams (e.g. essay format) for students (with documented, excused absences) who are not able to take the scheduled exams. 6

Academic Honesty Broward College expects its students to be honest in all of their course work and activities. A student s academic work must be the result of her or his own thought, research, and/or self-expression. Cheating will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, collaboration on exams or assignments and plagiarized papers. The first incident will result in a grade of zero for the assignment. A second occurrence will result in a failing grade for the class, removal from the class, and possible additional sanctions as determined by the Dean of Students. Classroom Expectations and Climate In this class the expectations are that everyone will put forth their best effort and show mutual respect. Professionalism and courteous conduct contributes to your learning and the learning of others. For example, courteous conduct includes turning off cell phones and other electronic devices when class starts and placing these devices out of sight (backpack, purse, or bag). Courteous conduct also includes showing respect for others points of view and contributions. Discourteous conduct, on the other hand, distracts from your learning and the learning of others. Some examples of conduct that distract from learning are checking your phone for messages, engaging in side-bar conversations not related to course content, studying for other courses while in PSY 2012, and using a laptop in class for actions unrelated to our class. Expectations for Course Communication Email: Use the email tool only for private, personal, one-to-one communication with a specific individual or groups of individuals. Please do not send course related emails to the instructor's BC email address. Solicitations will not be tolerated. Assignments sent to the instructor's BC email will not be accepted. Alternate Communication: In the event that the course communication tools are unavailable for more than 24 hours, the instructor will communicate with students (if necessary) via their BC email addresses. Discussions: Use the "generic" discussion thread to post questions that might be of general interest to all students such as questions about assignments, tests, etc. Students are expected to respond to at least 2 other students' original posts. Proofread the content of your posts before making them public; proper grammar and sentence structure are expected. Remember that the discussion tool is public - everyone will be able to view posts and responses. See the Netiquette section below for expectations regarding appropriate behavior in online discussions. Faculty Response Policy: Course emails and discussion posts will be answered within 48 hours. Emails sent on Saturday or Sunday may not be answered until Monday. It is recommended that you post course-related questions in the discussion area. If you need info related to a test or assignment, plan ahead and submit your questions well ahead of the due date. Your instructor is not online 24 hours per day, so please allow time for responses. Chat: Chat allows you to talk with other students in the course in real-time outside of your on-campus class meetings. Students must set up times to meet other students in the chat tool. This is a useful tool for coordinating group projects. Netiquette: In all online communication, it is expected that all students will follow rules of online "netiquette". Netiquette is a set of rules for polite online behavior that all members of this class are expected to follow. Read some general rules from http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html. Basically, these rules say to "be respectful and be polite to each other" and "be patient," etc. No one is perfect and we all have different approaches to life, work, and school. 7

Individuals who violate the netiquette policy or engage in disruptive online behaviors such as flaming (posting disrespectful or hostile comments), posting inappropriate comments, or shouting (posting messages using all capitals) may have their course access privileges revoked and/or they may be referred to the Student Dean. Students who continue to engage in unacceptable online behavior after being warned, may be permanently denied access to the course and/or may receive an F for the course. Please don't use email shorthand like ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing) or BTW (by the way) - not everyone knows what these abbreviations mean. If you want to use emoticons (smileys) to convey feelings, please stick with the basics happy :-) sad :-( or wink ;-). Others are less well known and are subject to different interpretations. The idea is to be clear in your communications. Privacy Notice: Course access records, quiz scores, email postings, discussion postings, and chat room conversations will be stored. This is one more reason to make sure that your communications adhere to the netiquette policy. Special Needs Students having special needs as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify the Office of Disability Services as early in the term as possible. It is the student's responsibility to contact the Disability Support Office prior to document disability prior to receiving services. Notify me after you have contacted the Office of Disability Services so that I can consult with the Office of Disability Services to discuss what reasonable accommodations would be appropriate for your situation. Course Outline Attached is a tentative outline of the topics and assignments for this semester. In most instances, the sequence of the course schedule is followed; however, due to extenuating circumstances, it is sometimes necessary for the instructor to make changes in either the schedule or assignments. It is your responsibility to know and follow the written guidance given in this syllabus and the course sequence. Changes will be announced in class and/or online via announcements and/or email. Students are responsible for all announced changes. 8

PSY 2012 Blended Course TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE Date Topic Reading Due Date 11:55 pm 1 Introduction/Syllabus/D2L/Psych Portal Registration Deadline Perspectives in Psychology Chapter 1 1/19 2 Critical Thinking Critical Thinking Websites 3 Thinking Critically with Psychological Science Chapter 1 Ch. 1 LC,CA Due 1/21 Ch. 1 MQ Due 2/18 4 The Biology of Behavior Chapter 2 Ch. 2 LC,CA Due 2/28 Ch. 2 MQ Due 2/18 5 Consciousness, Sleep, Hypnosis Psychoactive Drugs Chapter 3 Ch. 3 LC,CA Due 2/4 Ch. 3 MQ Due 2/18 6 Developing Through the Life Span Chapter 4 Ch. 4 LC,CA Due 2/11 Ch. 4 MQ Due 2/18 7 Exam # 1 Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 8 Classical Conditioning Operant and Observational Learning 9 Spring Break! Chapter 7 Ch. 7 LC,CA Due 2/25 Ch. 7 MQ Due 3/25 10 Memory Chapter 8 Ch. 8 LC,CA Due 3/11 Ch. 8 MQ Due 3/25 11 Thinking & Intelligence Chapter 9 Ch. 9 LC,CA Due 3/18 Ch. 9 MQ Due 3/25 12 Exam # 2 Chapters 7, 8, 9 13 Stress, Health, & Positive Psychology Chapter 11 Ch. 11 LC,CA Due 4/1 Ch. 11 MQ Due 4/29 14 Personality Chapter 12 Ch. 12 LC,CA Due 4/8 Ch. 12 MQ Due 4/29 15 Psychological Disorders Chapter 14 Ch. 14 LC,CA Due 4/15 Ch. 14 MQ Due 4/29 16 Therapies Chapter 15 Ch. 15 LC,CA Due 4/22 Ch. 15 MQ Due 4/29 Exam # 3 Ch. 11, 12, 14, 15 9

Learning Tasks and ONLINE discussion Due Dates LT or D2L Type Title Reading Due Date In-class/ D2L Perspectives in Psychology Chapter 1 Individual pp. 6-7 1 LT # 1 (double points) DUE on D2L via Assignments 2 D2L D2L Discussion Introduce yourself D2L Discussion D2L 1 D2L Discussion Is Psychology a science? pp. 10-15 D2L Discussion 3 LT # 2 In-class/ Group Design your own study pp. 15-25; Table 1.2 Be prepared to work in groups Due in class 4 LT # 3 Out-of-class The Biology of Behavior Chapter 2 Beginning of class 5 LT # 4 Out-of-class/ Individual In-class/Group Psychoactive Drugs: Activity + Quiz Chapter 3 Topics will be assigned 6 No Learning Task or Online Discussion (Complete Survey) 7 Exam # 1 8 LT # 5 In-class/Group Classical Conditioning Operant Learning 9 Spring Break! 10 D2L 2 D2L Discussion Memory Construction and Repressed Memories 11 LT # 6 Out-of-class/ Individual In-class/Group Thinking Study Guide + Quiz Chapter 7 pp. 239-252; Figure 7.3; Table 7.1 & 7.3 Chapter 8 pp. 294-299 Chapter 9 pp. 306-315 Figure 9.5 Beginning of class DUE by the end D2L Discussion Study Guide DUE; Quiz DUE by end of class 12 Exam # 2 13 D2L 3 D2L Discussion Stress and Health Chapter 11 D2L Discussion 14 LT # 7 Out-of-class/ Individual In-class/Group 15 LT # 8 (double points) Out-of-Class/ Individual Personality Theorists Chapter 12 Psychoanalytic, Humanistic, Social Cognitive, Trait Psychological Principles in All Chapters my Life DUE Beginning of class; Role Play in class DUE on D2L via Assignments 16 No Learning Task or Online Discussion (Complete Survey) Exam # 3 10

SURVEYS* Due Dates F2F or D2L Title Due Date 1 2 D2L Learning Strategies Questionnaire (1) * 11:59 pm 3 4 5 6 7 Exam # 1 8 Spring Break! 9 D2L Learning Strategies Questionnaire (2) ** 11:59 pm 10 11 12 Exam # 2 13 14 15 16 D2L Learning Strategies Questionnaire (3) *** 11:59 pm *You will receive extra credit on your Exam 1 if you complete this questionnaire by the deadline **You will receive extra credit on your Exam 2 if you complete this questionnaire by the deadline ***You will receive extra credit on your Exam 3 if you complete this questionnaire by the deadline Additional online surveys will be posted on D2L 11