| West Valley
College_____ |
| Department of
Psychology___ |
| Michelle D. Reed |
| (408) 741-4029_ |
General Psychology Online
Summer 2013
| General
Information: |
| This
is an online General Psychology course. Students who fail to log-on
during the first three days of class will be dropped from the roster,
unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. After that time, if for any reason
a student has to stop participating in this course, it is his or her
responsibility to formally drop the class with Admissions and Records.
Any student failing to formally drop the course under such
circumstances, will receive an F on his or her transcript. |
| Course
Description: |
| General
Psychology provides students with an understanding of human behavioral
and cognitive activity from a biopsychosocial perspective. Online
Format: 3 units. Acceptable for credit: University of California;
California State University. Course Number: Psych 001. Section
Numbers: 28107; 28110. |
| |
| Students will be expected to read a minimum of
1 chapter per day from the primary textbook, to read from supplemetal
reader(s) and posted lectures/ assignments, and to actively participate
in online discussion assignments (when applicable). The supplemental
reader(s), while brief in length, will need to be completed when
assigned, in addition to the text reading assignments. With any 3 unit
college course, students are expected to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours
of studying for every hour they spend in class. Since this is an online course
without
in-class lectures to attend, it is particularly
accelerated. Online courses in many ways are more challenging
for the student, as the workload requires one to stay on task and
self-motivated throughout the semester. That said, psychology is a
fascinating field with a myriad of topics to discuss and explore; you
will learn about everything from aspects of social psychology, to how
drugs impact the brain, to what causes various disorders, such as
depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. My course offers
interesting reading, several fascinating videos, lectures/ posted
articles, and class discussions. |
| Course
Objectives: |
| The
student will be required to demonstrate an ability to analyze,
synthesize, and critically evaluate basic concepts in psychology both
in testing formats and practical applications. By the completion of
this course, one must be able to explain the biopsychosocial
determinates of behavior, critically analyze and evaluate research
findings in selected topics of psychology, and identify the fundamental
aspects of abnormal psychology. |
| Office
Hours: |
| Regular
office hours will be held online via Angel on Wednesdays from 7:30-8:00
P.M. Appointments may also be scheduled on an individual basis on
campus in Social Sciences office 2d. Students needing to schedule
individualized appointments should email me from within Angel a minumum
for 24 hours prior to the desired appointment time, in order ensure I
have recieved the request in time to respond. Prior to the
beginning of the term, students may email me at: [email protected]. Once the semester
begins, all email communication will occur from within Angel. |
| Disability
Statement: |
| West
Valley College makes reasonable accommodations for persons with
documented disabilities. College materials will be available in
alternate formats (Braille, audio, electronic format, or large print)
upon request. Please contact the Disability and Educational Support
Program at (408) 741-2010 (voice) or (408) 741-2658 (TTY) for
assistance. |
| Testing
Format and Policy: |
| Students
will be given eleven chapter exams/quizzes during the semester based
upon the Myers reading assignments; the lowest chapter quiz will be
dropped at the end of the term. In addition, students will be given
four MANDATORY essay exams during the course,
which will cover both lecture material and reading assignments. The
first three mandatory exams (each on a Thursday evening
from 7:00-8:30 P.M.) will consist of multiple choice,
fill-in and short answer, as well as essays; these exams will be taken
ONLINE at a set date/time. The final exam will be in objective
format only and will be taken online on Thursday, 7/11/13 from
7:00-9:00 P.M. The
majority of your grade in the course will be based upon your chapter
exam and essay exam scores. A small percentage (approximately 6%) of
your grade will be based upon your active, appropriate, and consistent
participation in the course. |
| Grading
Policy: |
| Student
exams will be graded on a slight curve, which is very close to
a traditional percentage grading system. At the end of the semester,
student test and paper scores are totaled. This final point total is
used to formulate the overall grade out of the total possible points. |
| Cheating
Policy: |
| Students
caught cheating will receive an F for that exam or project. The zero
will be averaged into the student's final grade. Additional
repercussions from the college may also occur under such circumstances. |
| Required
Texts and Materials: |
 Myers,
David. (2010) Psychology (Ninth Edition). ISBN: 1-4292-1597-6
Available in either an ebook OR a traditional
textbook version. |
|
.Styron,
William. Darkness Visible (a small book) |
| ***Please
note: the instructor reserves the right to change any portion of this
syllabus during the semester to meet the needs of the class.. |
|