Introductory Psychology Summer I 20135 PSYC 100 AW1

Professor: Jeffrey P. Nicholas

Office: 316 Hart Hall Phone: (508) 531-2250 Email: j1nicholas@bridgew.edu

Course Goals: • To provide a general background in psychology • To learn how to ask and answer questions about nature • To develop a greater awareness of your own behavior so that you no

longer take it for granted

Required Text: Psychology (10th ed.) by David G. Myers. Worth Publishers, Inc., New York, 2013. ISBN: 9781464108556. This book is available in the Bridgewater State University bookstore and is available from numerous on-line vendors, including Amazon.com. NOTE: Earlier editions of this text are not an adequate substitute for the 10th edition. About Web-Based Courses:

Web-based courses are different from traditional courses; they offer certain advantages to students over the traditional course, but they also carry some costs relative to a traditional course. One great advantage of a web-based course is that you can access the course anytime and anyplace as long as you have internet access. This provides you with incredible flexibility and opens up educational opportunities to people who otherwise would have difficulty accessing education through traditional channels. However, a web-based course also places greater demands on the individual student. First, you need some familiarity with computers and with the internet. A computer novice, or someone with little on-line experience, will have difficulty negotiating a web-based course. Second, you are responsible for much more of your learning in the course. It is your responsibility to keep up with course requirements and to prepare for, and take, examinations on time. Finally, students who thrive on face-to-face interaction or who value the interpersonal nature of a traditional classroom may find web-based courses less satisfying.

Asking Questions about Course Content:

One thing that is different about a web-based  course  relative  to  a  traditional  course  is  that  you  can’t  raise your hand and ask a question of the instructor. The way we will deal with questions about course content is through Email. If you have a question or comment about something you have read or studied, you should send me an Email. Additionally, if you have an issue that needs my personal and private attention, contact me following the procedure outlined below.

Contacting the Instructor: If you have questions about course content or need to speak to me specifically, Email me:

x Email. You can Email me anytime. My Email address is j1nicholas@bridgew.edu. I check Email often during the day, usually between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. Email is the surest way to get me.

x Phone. I am not available by telephone during Summer Session courses. If you need to contact me, do it through Email.

x In-Person. This course is 100% web-based. I do not meet students in my web course face-to-face. The reason for that rule is fairness to all. There may be people enrolled in this course from all over the country. It is not fair if some people have more access to the instructor than someone else. If you need to contact me, do it through Email.

Exams:

You will study 10 chapters from the textbook in this course, covering two chapters per week. You will take one exam for each chapter studied, for a total of ten exams (two exams per week). You are responsible for the entire contents of each chapter. Weekly Exams will be posted on-line, two exams each week. You can access them through Blackboard.    I  will  post  the  week’s  Exams  by  7:00  AM  on  the  date indicated on the Examination Schedule (see below). The Exams will remain active for seven full days, until 7:00 AM on the deadline date. You must complete the Exam within the active period (see the examination schedule below). If you fail to complete the exam within that time frame, you will receive  no  credit  for  that  week’s  exam.    You  are permitted to use your books and notes for these Exams. Each Exam is worth 25 points toward your course total. If you miss an exam you will receive no credit for that exam. It is your responsibility to complete all exams on time. This course is accessible from any computer with internet access. If your home computer malfunctions you can still access the course from another computer and it is your obligation to find another way to access the course. Most public libraries have public computing facilities with internet access. There are no make-up exams and no extensions for any reason.

Academic Integrity: Students are allowed to use their books during exams but are not allowed to collaborate with one another during exams. The penalty for students who discuss course material or who collaborate with one another once an exam opens is failure of the course.

Your Responsibility: You are responsible for your own learning and performance in this course. You are responsible for knowing what to do in terms of course assignments and when to do them. A complete schedule of course events is available on the course website, so there is no excuse for not knowing when an assignment is due or when an exam is scheduled. You must manage your time effectively. If you put off coursework until the end of the week and run out of time, that is your problem. Furthermore, there is no excuse for failing to take a course exam. This course is accessible from any computer with internet access. If your home computer malfunctions you can still access the course from another computer and it is your obligation to find another way to access the course. Most public libraries have public computing facilities with internet access. Finally, you must study and learn the course material. Examinations are administered on-line and you are permitted to use your textbook when taking the exam. However, you will not be able to answer exam questions by looking up answers in the book. The exam consists of questions that test your understanding of course concepts, not your ability to look up terms in the index of the book. I can almost guarantee you that if you wait until the last minute and try to take an exam the evening before the exam closes that you will do poorly. The most effective strategy is to make study of the course material part of your daily routine. Pay careful attention to when exams are scheduled. Holidays do not alter the course schedule.

Final Course Grades: Your final grade in this course is achieved by earning points from exams. There is a total of 250 points possible in this course. Dividing the points you have earned by the total number of points possible yields your percentage score. Final grades are assigned according to the following scale:

%age of possible points Grade 95 - 100 A 90 - 94 A- 88 - 89 B+ 82 - 87 B 80 - 81 B- 78 - 79 C+ 72 - 77 C 70 - 71 C- 60 - 69 D <60 F

A  grade  of  “A”  will  be  assigned  only  for  students  earning 95% of the points possible in this course.

About Course Content: You will notice that we are not covering all of the chapters in the textbook in this course. Unfortunately, we do not have time to cover everything, so some topics have been excluded. The excluded topics are not necessarily of less importance than the ones that have been retained. If you are particularly interested in a topic not covered on the syllabus, you are encouraged to read the information for your own interest and benefit. I will be happy to discuss or answer questions about content not on the exam schedule.

Special Consideration: Students who have religious needs or requirements not specifically addressed on this syllabus are requested to notify the instructor in advance of such needs. Likewise, if there is any student in this class who has special needs because of learning disabilities or other kinds of disabilities, please feel free to contact the instructor to discuss these needs or requirements.

The Examination Schedule Appears Below

Exam Schedule

Begin Topic (Chapter) Deadline

5/26 The Biology of Mind (2) 6/2

5/26 Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind (3) 6/2

Exams 1 & 2 open at 7:00 AM on May 26 and close at 7:00 AM on June 2

6/2 Developing Through the Lifespan (5) 6/9

6/2 Sensation and Perception (6) 6/9

Exams 3 & 4 open at 7:00 AM on June 2 and close at 7:00 AM on June 9

6/9 Learning (7) 6/16

6/9 Memory (8) 6/16

Exams 5 & 6 open at 7:00 AM on June 9 and close at 7:00 AM on June 16

6/16 Intelligence (10) 6/23

6/16 Personality (13) 6/23

Exams 7 & 8 open at 7:00 AM on June 16 and close at 7:00 AM on June 23

6/23 Psychological Disorders (15) 6/30

6/23 Therapy (16) 6/30

Exams 9 & 10 open at 7:00 AM on June 23 and close at 7:00 AM on June 30

Although Summer I officially ends on June 29, you will have until June 30 at 7:00 AM to complete Exams 9 and 10