General Psychology Syllabus for 2022-2023
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Instructor Information

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

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.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

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:

The Tutoring for Success policy applies to any student whose grade or performance in the course falls below a departmentally determined minimum threshold. In either of those cases, the instructor will direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. Under this policy, the instructor will follow specific departmental guidelines governing the use, duration, and grade component of the tutoring need.

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-2301-019 General Psychology

Prerequisites

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 ResourcesStudent 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

Lifespan Development: Lives in Context, EITHER the 2nd Edition (2019) OR the 3rd Edition (2023) by Tara L. Kuther

Supplies

Access to a computer with an Internet connection. If you do not have your own computer, you will need to use AC computers located in The Underground (the basement of Ware) or on the 4^th floor of Ware.

Student Performance

Student performance and learning outcomes for PSYC 2314:

1.    Learn and gain mastery over the basic facts and research findings, terminology, principles, and theories important in the various areas of lifespan developmental psychology.

2.    Develop an understanding, the skills, and techniques for analyzing human behavior using a scientific approach.

3.    Gain a basic understanding of the interaction between genetic and environmental influences on human development.

4.    Gain a basic understanding of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development across the lifespan.

5.    Gain a basic understanding of family, school, and work achievement, and death and dying, as they apply to lifespan development.

6.    Analyze current issues and controversies in the field of developmental psychology.

7.    Practice and develop critical thinking skills and written communications skills.

8.    Find ways to apply psychological findings to everyday life.

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

Because this is a hybrid course, I will not be able to fully lecture over all chapters covered. You will need to read your textbook to get the best grade. Exam questions are pulled directly from the textbook, so the book is required, but you only need the book – I will not use the publisher’s online content so you do NOT need an access code. Also, you may get EITHER the 2nd edition of our textbook OR the 3rd edition – either one will work for this course.

All students are expected to be tolerant and respectful of other students. There will be zero tolerance for any type of harassment.  Please be courteous and respectful of the different opinions of your classmates.  AC also expects that each student will engage in academic honesty and refrain from cheating and/or plagiarism.  I expect each student to complete their own work independently rather than copying assignments from classmates or working collaboratively.  Exams should be completed independently, as should all other Blackboard assignments for this class (this does not include in-class activities conducted in groups, but only applies to required assignments submitted through Blackboard, which should always be completed independently).  Penalties for cheating as well as plagiarism are outlined in the Amarillo College Student Handbook. 

In our course calendar, in the last column, I list due dates for all assignments. Please try to complete all assignments on time. Calendar all due dates, use phone reminders, take advantage of the time you have, and plan ahead. If an emergency is going to prevent you from completing an assignment by the deadline, you will need to let me know, and I require you to tell me before 5:00 p.m. on the day the assignment is due. By 5:00 p.m. on the due date, you should know if it will be possible for you to complete the assignment, so please do not procrastinate past that time to at least begin assignments. I rarely grant extensions on due dates; however, I will always open things up early for you, if that would fit better into your schedule. Most of my assignments are open throughout the course, so you can work ahead and submit assignments before their deadlines.

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 grade 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) – your lowest exam score will be dropped
20% of overall grade – Social Responsibility Assignment
20% of overall grade – Class Participation
10% of overall grade – Exam Reviews (4) – your lowest score will be replaced with your highest score (your highest score is counted twice)
 

• There will be four 50-question multiple-choice exams taken online in Blackboard. 
  • I will drop your lowest exam grade.
  • The exam questions will be taken directly from the textbook.
  • 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. (except for the last exam, which will be due by Noon on the last day of the course).    
  • You must complete the exam, all at once, within 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 night. 
  • 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.
  • You may take each exam from any location – from home, in an AC computer lab, at the public library, etc.
  • These exams are open-book/open-note.
  • You will be able to see your exam grade immediately, but you cannot access all of the questions/answers until after the due date has passed – at that point, you can click on the menu item My Grades in our course, click on the Exam of interest, and you will then see all of the questions/answers.
• For the Social Responsibility Assignment:
  • You will be required to complete 4 hours of community service at a service agency in your community. This would likely be a nonprofit organization that provides a service to the entire community.
    • Possible agencies include churches, the Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Maverick Girls and Boys Club, and the SPCA or local pound. 
    • If you are unsure if your agency qualifies, please ask me before you complete the volunteer hours. If you are in the Amarillo area, you might find some options by signing up for Hands On Amarillo at: https://www.handsonamarillo.org/.
  • 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. 
    • The form verifying your hours must be signed (an original signature is required) by the person who supervised you while you volunteered – an employee of the agency.
  • After you have completed your 4 hours, you will then answer questions about the experience, entering your answers directly onto the template provided in our course. 
    • 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 (you can simply add your answers to the template and do not need to change anything on the template itself).
      • At least for your answers, follow MLA style. Watch the video on this assignment for more details on what is expected.
      • 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.
  • Although 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, you are required to cite our textbook in your answer to #3 – use the textbook we are using in this class.
  • This full assignment is divided into 3 parts.
    • Part 1: Prior to the final deadline for this assignment, and by the due date indicated on our course calendar, please tell me at which agency you plan to volunteer (please just send me an email). This is typically due Week 3.
      • If you have already arranged to complete your 4 hours at this agency, consider typing out your answer to #1 on the template. You could also answer #5. Do not wait until the last minute to start this assignment, worth 20% of your final grade in this course.
    • Part 2: By the due date indicated on our course calendar, submit your Works Cited page (only that portion of the full assignment is required at this point). This is typically due Week 4.
    • Part 3: By the date indicated on our course calendar, the full template with all of your answers AND the form(s) signed by a volunteer supervisor, verifying your 4 completed hours, are due. The full assignment, with all parts, is typically due Week 7.
  • If you are actually reading this, thank you. Please email me: “I read the syllabus” and I will give you a bonus point. My email is below.
  • Also, please find below the full citation to our textbook, which you will need for the Works cited page of the Social Responsibility Assignment. I have provided both editions of the textbook you can use for this class. Select the one you have and then you can copy/paste this citation directly onto the last page of your template – the Works Cited page.

Kuther, Tara L. Lifespan Development: Lives in Context. 2nd ed., SAGE, 2019.

Kuther, Tara L. Lifespan Development: Lives in Context. 3rd ed., SAGE, 2023.

• Participation:
  • I want to reward your effort and participation in class. There are three ways you can earn participation points.
    1. Come to class and participate by answering my questions and contributing your own ideas during our in-class discussions. Beyond only offering your opinions (which are also welcome), demonstrate your familiarity with the course content, referring to information you learned from reading our textbook – actually speak knowledgably about psychology. Each time you participate by speaking up, I will mark a tally beside your name. At the end of the course, I will add all of these “points” and based on how often you contributed to discussions (compared to your classmates) I will assign grades for your participation in class and/or in the online forum (please see immediately below for information about the online participation option).
    2. If you prefer not to speak up in class, you can instead contribute to class discussions and earn participation points by posting comments/questions in the online forum. Or, if you get sick and must miss several classes (only missing a few classes won’t hurt your grade significantly, but after missing several, consider posting online), you can still participate with us through this forum. This online forum ONLY applies if you are not able to participate in class discussions in person for any reason. If you speak up in class, you can ignore this second option – skip to #3 below.
       • I will be using the Blackboard tool for online Discussion Boards, but this is not a typical Discussion Board. You will NOT be expected to post an initial post and two replies by specific due dates.
       • There are no strict due dates for posts. This discussion forum will be open all 8 weeks. You can post and reply whenever convenient for you.
       • “Deadlines” will need to loosely follow along with the chapters as scheduled in our course calendar. In other words, if our course calendar indicates that chapter 4 will be covered that week, that’s when you should post a comment or question regarding Chapter 4. You are tested on Chapter 4 in Exam 1, so waiting until long after Exam 1 was due to post comments about that content would not be helpful. Please try to follow along with the course calendar. 
       • If you use this online forum, I ask that you routinely check this forum and reply to people who direct their comments to you (myself included).
    3. Finally, there are 3 quizzes that CAN count toward your Participation grade if you need them, but only ONE of these is required for a grade – the Syllabus Quiz.
       • All quizzes are completed in Blackboard.
       • All are open-book/open-note.
       • The Syllabus Quiz includes 15 questions (some multiple choice and some true/false).
       • You can refer to course materials as you complete the quiz, but it IS timed. You only have 30 minutes to complete it, so it’s best if you read the syllabus and review other course materials prior to beginning the quiz.
       • You only have one chance to complete the Syllabus Quiz, so plan to finish it all once you start it.
       • You will be able to see your grade immediately after finishing the quiz but will not be able to access all of your answers (seeing the correct answers) until after the due date has passed. Then, you can access the quiz by going to My Grades, selecting Syllabus Quiz, and clicking on your grade.
       • 2 Additional Video Quizzes:
       • I offer 2 additional quizzes as yet another option you have to earn Participation points in this class. They will also help prepare you for exams, since the quiz questions come directly from the exam pools.
       • If you choose to speak up in class, though, contributing frequently to our in-class discussions alone is all you need to do to earn full credit toward your Participation grade. These video quizzes are NOT required and are only options for those who do not speak up in class, who miss classes, and who don’t contribute to the online forum.

• • • • Although not required, I highly recommend at least watching the 2 videos (if not also taking their accompanying quizzes) over Chapters 1 & 2, because I do not lecture in class over these first two chapters, but they are covered on Exam 1. Reading the chapters and watching these videos are the only preparation you will have on these first two chapters for Exam 1.
      • The video quizzes are NOT timed.
      • Unlike the Syllabus Quiz and Exams, you can retake the Video Quizzes as often as you’d like – your highest grade will stay in the gradebook.
      • Immediately after taking each quiz, you will see your grade; however, you will not be able to access the full quiz with the questions/answers until after the due date has passed.
        • Please NOTE: The grades you receive for these video quizzes are NOT the grades you will receive for the Participation Grade. The video quiz grade only shows you how many questions you got correct. The Participation Grade is determined by how much you (and your classmates) actually participate in this class. In other words, if you only complete two quizzes, scoring 100s on both, it is still possible that you will NOT receive a 100 on the final Participation grade. If those are the only two activities you complete, ignoring all of the other opportunities to participate in this class, you will only receive partial credit for your overall Participation Grade.
        • You can use the full quizzes as you take the Exam covering that content (Exams are open-book/open-note). After the due date for each quiz has passed, you can access those quizzes by going to My Grades, selecting each quiz, and then clicking on the grade you received. That will open up the full quiz, with all of the correct answers indicated.
      • Again, you only need to take the video quizzes if you do not plan to participate in class discussions or the online discussion forum. Contributing often to discussions is enough to earn a good Participation Grade. But, at least watching the two chapter videos will help prepare you for exam content over these first two chapters.
      • Compared to your classmates, if you are speaking up in classes about as often as they are, you will very likely receive a 100 for your overall Participation grade.
  • Exam Reviews:
    • Prior to each exam, there will be an Exam Review over the same chapters as the upcoming exam, so there are 4 total Exam Reviews.
    • Each Exam Review includes 20 multiple-choice questions taken directly from the exam pools for the chapters covered – so you might see some of the exact same questions on your Exam.
    • Exam Reviews are very similar to the Exams. You only get one chance to take them in Blackboard, and you will have a time limit (30 minutes).
    • You can access the full review (with all of the correct answers) after the due date has passed. Since these Exam Reviews are due just before the exams open, you can access them while you are taking your exams by going to My Grades, selecting the appropriate Exam Review, and clicking on the grade you received.
    • I do not drop an Exam Review grade, but I will replace your lowest grade with your highest score (so you will receive your highest Exam Review score twice).
• Finally, throughout this course, I will offer chances for you to earn bonus points that are added on to your final average in the class. This often helps people who are hovering near their target letter grade get bumped up to it. But you will have to find and take advantage of these opportunities as they come, all along the course. I don't offer last-minute chances to save a poor grade. You will find these chances incorporated in class materials in Blackboard. You have to find it to earn it!
• In our class in Blackboard, you will find additional information about all assignments, including videos I have made for each of them.

Attendance

Attendance is measured not only by attending in-person classes but also by way of your completion of assignments by their due dates. If you do not attend our first class, then you must complete the first assignment in this course by the deadline or communicate with me about why you are not participating, or you will be dropped from the class altogether.  Automatic withdrawals occur if students do not submit their first assignments through Blackboard.

Although I do not require you to attend classes and there is no attendance grade, I will award participation points for knowledgeable participation in class discussions, and by attending classes, you will also benefit from my explanations of information that could be on your exams. BUT if you feel sick, please do not come to class. We are still coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I do not count attendance toward your course grade. Each time that you are in class, however, please make sure to sign that day’s attendance sheet, which is one of the records maintained for the course and is something AC tracks.

Periodically, I will make announcements, which will be posted in our class on the “Announcements” page in our course and also sent out via email, so checking your email regularly is expected.

Calendar

Additional Information

Please contact me if you have questions or problems that are impacting your performance in this class.  As much as possible, I will be happy to help you.  My contact information is below.

I will hold office hours by appointment.  I am happy to schedule times that are convenient for you, even after-hours or on weekends.  If you are unable to meet with me in person, we could arrange a time for a call or Blackboard Collaborate session (like Zoom).

The best way to reach me is by sending me an email (mseder@actx.edu).

You can also contact me on my office phone (806)345-5582, but that will only work during typical business hours. I typically work 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.  If you do not reach me when calling, leave me a message.  I will check voicemail messages periodically throughout most workdays.  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 the Lifespan 2:00 Tuesday/Thursday class”). 

I cannot guarantee that I will respond to any messages after 4:30 p.m.  I can guarantee that I will not respond to any messages left on my office number after 4:30 p.m. or to very many messages sent via email after 8:00 p.m.