General Psychology Syllabus for 2018-2019
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

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If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

PSYC-2301-005 General Psychology

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: RDNG 0331-minimum grade of C or a score on a state-approved test indicating college-level reading skills

Course Description

General Psychology is a survey of the major psychological topics, theories and approaches to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Hybrid

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Exploring Psychology, 11th Edition, David G. Myers & C. Nathan DeWall

This book is typically cheapest if you purchase both the print loose-leaf version along with the access code to the digital information available through LaunchPad.  For this course, however, I will NOT be requiring any LaunchPad (digital) assignments.  You will just need access to the book.

If you are unable to get the 11th edition, do not use an edition older than the 10th, and please let me know that you are using a previous edition, so that I can make sure you also receive any updated information.

Supplies

Pencil, pens, spiral notebook, and access to a computer with Internet connection. If you do not have your own computer, you will need to use AC computers located on the 4^th floor of the Library.  Your exams will be given online, so you need to make sure you have a reliable computer AND Internet connection.

Student Performance

These are the MINIMUM competencies. After studying the material presented in this course, the student will be able to do the following as evaluated by the faculty in the department/program:

1. Identify various research methods and their characteristics used in the scientific study of psychology.

2. Describe the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped the field of psychology.

3. Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study of psychology.

4. Use terminology unique to the study of psychology.

5. Describe accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation.

6. Identify factors in physiological and psychological processes involved in human behavior.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Reading your textbook and attending lectures will enable you to do well in this class.  Exam questions are pulled directly from the textbook, so you will need the book.  This year, the book is cheapest through many vendors if you purchase the full bundle, which includes the print version in a loose-leaf format as well as the digital version through LaunchPad.  I will NOT be requiring you to do anything using LaunchPad; however, there are helpful tools available through this digital platform that would likely help you improve your grade.  Just make sure that you get the 11^th edition of our book, in whatever format you can find/prefer.

While in class, please do not use electronic devices for purposes other than notetaking.  I encourage students to record my lectures, since some people think I talk fast, and sometimes, I only briefly mention content that could be on the exams.  If you are waiting on an important call, please tell me beforehand.  If you receive that call during class, you may then step out of the room to answer.  I would prefer you not to leave and reenter the room throughout the session, as that can be disruptive. 

All students are expected to be tolerant and respectful of other students and of me.  This includes refraining from talking with one another while I am lecturing – not only does this distract me, but it also distracts other students.  I will ask you to stop, and if it continues, I will ask you to leave the class.  Attendance is voluntary (I do not require attendance for a grade), so please do not come if you do not intend to pay attention.  There will be zero tolerance for any type of harassment.  AC also expects that each student will engage in academic honesty and refrain from cheating and/or plagiarism.  I require each student to complete his/her own work independently rather than copying assignments from classmates.  Exams should be completed independently, as should all other assignments for this class.  The one exception is each small group assignment, which can be done with the other members of your group.  All other assignments should be completed independently.  Penalties for cheating as well as plagiarism are outlined in the Amarillo College Student Handbook. 

I expect all students to complete assignments in a timely manner.  No extensions of any due date will be provided.  Take advantage of the time you have and plan ahead.  Even on exams, you will have at least five days to complete them.  If you would like to complete an exam before it opens, please contact me as soon as you can.  If you are unable to complete an assignment by deadline, you will receive a 0.  I do not accept late work.

Grading Criteria

You can check your grades in our course in Blackboard.  For your final overall course grade, I will round up at the standard .5 and above.  Grading will be on the scale:

100-89.5% = A
89.4-79.5% = B
79.4-69.5% = C
69.4-59.5% = D
59.4% and below = F

The points will be earned:

50% of overall grade – Exams (4); each Exam is worth 12.5% of your total grade
20% of overall grade – Social Responsibility Assignment
15% of overall grade – Reading Logs (4); each Reading Log is worth 3.75% of your total grade
15% of overall grade – Group Participation Assignments (5); each activity is worth 3% of your total grade

• Exams:  There will be four 50-question multiple-choice exams taken online in Blackboard.  (There will be an additional 5 to 10 bonus questions on each exam.)
  • I will drop your lowest exam grade.
  • The exam questions will be taken directly from the textbook.
    • Bonus questions will come directly from my in-class lectures.
  • Exams will open at 12:00 a.m. on the date indicated on the course calendar and will close when indicated, at least 5 days later, at 11:59 p.m. 
  • You must complete the exam in the allotted time of 90 minutes.
  • Please do not wait until the last minute, when you will not find anyone to assist you with technical problems.  I, and most all other AC staff, will be unavailable to answer questions after 8 p.m. each weeknight and on weekends. 
  • Do NOT take exams on a laptop connecting to the Internet wirelessly, a cell phone, or when using an unreliable connection.  Use an actual computer that has a dedicated cable for the Internet connection.
  • These exams are open-book/open-note, and you may take them at any location (from home, in an AC computer lab, at the public library, etc.).
• Social Responsibility Assignment:
  • You will be required to complete 4 hours of community service at a service agency (which you choose) in the community.
  • You must provide signed documentation verifying that you completed all of the hours.  
    • If you do not provide verification of all 4 hours completed, you will receive a 0 for your overall Social Responsibility Assignment. 
  • After you have completed your hours, you will then answer questions about your experience. 
    • You will complete the “Social Responsibility Assignment Template” and submit it through Blackboard as a Word document or Rich Text file. 
      • Do NOT create your own file – use the TEMPLATE, filling in your answers after each question.
      • Do NOT submit this assignment as a PDF.  Only Microsoft Word or Rich Text files are acceptable.
  • Each question has a rubric, which will be used for grading. The questions are worth different amounts of points.  You will be able to access the rubric within the assignment in Blackboard and in the Instructions document for this assignment.
  • While you can complete your volunteer hours with other classmates, you are required to complete the template on your own.  Submit your own independent work for a grade.
  • If you have done this for another class in a previous semester, you must complete another 4 hours and submit a new template, tailored to THIS class.
    • For example, on the template, you are required to cite our textbook – use the textbook we are using in this class.
  • See additional information about this project in the Blackboard class, including the rubric by which you will be graded.
    • In our Blackboard class, I have also created a video on this assignment.  I encourage you to watch it, because students who do not comply with the requirements outlined here and in that video will have points deducted.
• Reading Logs:  These are study aids, both in terms of helping you learn the material and to be used while taking your open-book/-note exams. 
  • Reading Logs should be completed independently, NOT with anyone else.
  • Complete 1 Reading Log for each exam, covering material on EACH of the chapters on that exam.
  • Take these by hand OR type them.
  • I do not have a page requirement, but please use your best judgment.  Adequately cover the material in each of the chapters.  Writing about only a few concepts from each chapter will be insufficient.  However, I do not want to read novels.  Even if you write these by hand and have relatively large handwriting, I do not want to receive 20+ pages of notes.  On average, most students submit 10-15 pages of handwritten notes or 6-8 pages of typewritten notes.
  • Take these notes as you read the textbook.  These should NOT be your in-class notes.
  • Include page numbers from the book.  If you do not include page numbers, points will be deducted.   
  • You may use any note-taking style you prefer.  If you are unsure of what to do, research Cornell Notetaking Style, which has been shown to be effective in boosting college exam grades.
• Group Participation Activities: 
  • These will be small assignments that I will assign in classes (in person) and will also later post on the Announcements page (in our class in Blackboard) and through the Remind app.
  • You and your group will be learning about a particular topic prior to class so that you can discuss that topic and provide the rest of the class with a handout summarizing it (I will make the copies and distribute handouts to the class).
  • This is NOT a big group project.
  • The point of this assignment is to foster in-class discussions, to involve students in my lectures (so I’m not the only one talking) and to give you an easy grade.
  • You also have some flexibility in what role you play within your group.  If you prefer not to contribute to in-class discussions OR if you will be unable to attend the class during which your group’s assigned topic will be discussed, you can prepare the handout that I will then copy and distribute in class.
  • Members of your group who “present” your findings in class will do so very informally.  This isn’t a formal speech but simply in-class discussion. 
  • The only reason you will be assigned to a group is to ensure that someone will be present in class to summarize what your group researched.  You do not actually have to work together beyond coordinating who plans to participate in class and who plans to create the handout.
  • For this “Group Participation Activities” grade, you will only receive points if you EITHER speak up in class OR create the handout.
  • Assigned topics will be small portions of what we will cover for a particular chapter.  For example, one group might be tasked with explaining how a neuron fires, while another group might explain what Piaget proposed in his theory.
• You will find additional information about all assignments in our class in Blackboard, including videos I have made for each of them.

Attendance

It’s college; I know you will want to skip, but if you show up, you will do better in this class. It’s an 8-week hybrid class, so if you miss, you will get behind very quickly. Traditional classes were twice as long (16 weeks).  “Hybrid” means that you meet half as often and do most of the work on your own, so an 8-week hybrid class moves FAST. 

Your grade will NOT be docked for missing a class; however, by attending classes, you will benefit from my explanations of information that could be on your exams, including bonus questions.  On each exam, I include at least 5 bonus questions over information only covered in class (not in the textbook or easily found elsewhere), so attendance will not only help you learn the material but will also give you the chance to earn some extra points on exams.  Also, if you attend classes, you will be able to receive points toward the “Group Participation Activities” grade from simply participating in the in-class discussions.

Although I will not count off points if you miss a class, I will track attendance for AC’s records.  You will be required to sign in (on a paper attendance sheet) each class session.  This will not count toward your grade in any way and is used only for informational purposes, but please do sign in – students have been dropped from the class roster for failing to sign in and prove their attendance.

Calendar

Additional Information

I will hold office hours by appointment.  I am happy to schedule times that are convenient for you, even after-hours or on weekends.

The best way to reach me is by sending me an email (mseder@actx.edu) or a message using the Remind app.

You can also contact me on my office phone (806)345-5582, but that will only work during typical business hours (8:00-5:00).  If you do not reach me when calling, leave me a message.  I will check voicemail messages periodically throughout typical workdays (from 8:00-5:00).  If you do not leave a complete message, I may not be able to help you.  Please tell me your full name and which class you are attending (for example, “Sue Smith in General Psychology at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays/Thursdays”). 

I cannot guarantee that I will respond to any messages after 5:00 p.m.  I can guarantee that I will not respond to any messages left on my office number after 5:00 p.m. or to very many messages sent via email or Remind after 8:00 p.m.