Course Syllabus
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Introduction to Psychology
Instructor: Nick Tuttle
Johnson County Community College
PSYC 130, Introduction to Psychology 310 CRN 11435
Fully online, Asynchronous – no scheduled meeting times
Spring 2024
Course Syllabus
Instructor: Nick Tuttle
Telephone: N/A. Please message on Canvas
Email: I prefer that you use Canvas in-class messaging to contact me (called "Inbox"). If needed, my email is tuttlen@smccd.edu. Response time is 24-48 hours via a Canvas message, excluding weekends and holidays
Course Dates: Starts on 1/17/23 and ends on 5/24/23
Office: OCB 205A
Office Hours: Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 10:00-11:00 AM in-person and Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 2:00-3:00 PM via Zoom. Please use this Calendly link to schedule a time.
Introduction to Psychology Course Description
This basic introduction to psychology includes the study of biological aspects of behavior, the brain, consciousness, sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, stress, maturation and development, learning and memory, normal and abnormal personality, and social psychology. This course is the prerequisite for all advanced-level psychology courses.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:
- Discuss the historical, philosophical and scientific basis of the discipline of psychology.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method and experimental analysis.
- Identify major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural).
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:
- Describe the definition of psychology, specialties and perspectives pervasive in the field
- Describe issues in research methods, statistical analysis and ethics in psychology
- Compare biological parallels with human behavior
- Discuss theories and professional issues in development over the life span
- Explain current and past developments in sensation and perception
- Define physiology of sensory systems
- Discuss theories of states of consciousness
- Share current and past issues in cognitive psychology
- Discuss major theories in learning and their impact on behavior
- Explain human behavior in terms of motivation and emotion
- Discuss theories of personality
- Define specific psychological disorders, their diagnosis and causes
- Cite therapeutic techniques and issues in clinical psychology
- Discuss current issues and importance of health psychology
- Explain human and social behavior and theories which attempt to explain the social human
Required Textbook
The text is a digital textbook titled Experience Psychology, King, 5e, 2021, McGraw Hill. You do not need to do anything to purchase the text as it was automatically billed to to your student account at a reduced price from retail. You can access the textbook within the modules or click on the McGraw-Hill Connect link on the left column of this page.
Course Requirements and Grading
The following sections describe the reading, discussion, quiz, exam, and final research project requirements of the course. To avoid problems, it is important that you invest time carefully reading this information.
Reading
The reading assignments are a critical element of this course. You are expected to read all reading assignments and to refer to them in your discussion postings. You should begin each week by reading from the assigned textbook, the online lectures, and any articles that may be assigned. On average, you will be reading 30-35 pages from the text each week. This amounts to a lot of reading, and this is why reading and studying the course text make up the bulk of the work.
In order to do well on the quizzes and exams, you must read and actively study all reading assignments. This means, while you read the textbook, take notes on it...like you might in a lecture class. Or, if it works better for you, prepare an outline of the chapter or make flash cards of the main terms. Or, try to apply the information to your life so that you can more easily remember it. Find some way to do something active with the material that you are trying to learn. Students are most successful when they space out study sessions rather than cramming, experience the new material in multiple modalities, test themselves on the material, and elaborate on the material to make meaningful connections.
I have set up a course schedule with reading assignment due dates. I highly recommend that you follow my schedule. Otherwise, you will be faced with the overwhelming task of trying to master a large amount of information at the last minute for each exam. Create a course reading and study schedule for yourself and follow the course schedule I have provided to avoid falling behind.
Connect Smartbook
As part of your reading assignment, you will do some activities using the Connect Smartbook feature of our textbook. It is an interactive way to read and understand the material, plus you get points for completing the readings. These assignments are based on completion and performance, so it is a great way to increase your grade.
Quizzes
The quizzes are designed to help you keep on track with your reading. The reading makes up the bulk of your homework each week. Fortunately, the reading is super interesting!
Weekly quizzes will effectively help you keep up with the reading. Quizzes are a critical motivator for getting the reading assignments done on time and helped them master the course material. Plus, studying for and taking the quizzes is excellent preparation for the exams. The quizzes are not timed.
The quizzes will correspond to each of the chapters we cover in the textbook. These quizzes are worth 15 points each and will consist of 10-15 multiple-choice questions. They will be available for 7 days, and are due on the last day of each week in our course: Sundays by 11:59pm (CST). However, once they are available to you, you can complete them earlier than Sunday. Your first attempt at the quiz is the only attempt that will be graded, and you have one attempt at each quiz. Do not begin a quiz until you are ready to take it and submit your answers for grading. Once the due date and time for each quiz have passed, you will be able to access the entire quiz (questions and answers) to review it.
You are required to complete all but two of the assigned quizzes. The two lowest quiz scores will be dropped from your final grade. If you miss a quiz, you may not make it up. That quiz will be recorded as a “0” and will automatically be one of your lowest scores. If you prefer, you can simply skip a total of 2 quizzes over the course of the semester. Or, you can choose to take them all, keeping in mind that your 2 lowest scores will be dropped at the end of the semester. Extra quizzes taken beyond the required 13 are not counted as extra credit.
Exams and Final
The exams will consist of multiple choice questions. They are not timed. You will have two exams and one final. While the final is assigned during finals week at the end of the semester, it will not be comprehensive. There are between 30 questions on each exam depending on the number of chapters upon which the exam is based. Your first attempt on each is the only attempt that will be graded. You can access the exams the same way you can access the quizzes, once the availability period is over. All of the exams are required (in other words, I do not drop any scores). Except for the final exam, which may be available for less days, exams will be available to you for a total of 7 days. You can decide what day within this 7 day period you want to take the exam.
Even though you will have access to your textbook and any notes you take, the exams are not meant to be open book exams. Therefore, you should plan to study for them as you would for any closed book exam.
If you miss an exam, there are no exam makeups unless you can send me official documentation on letterhead (e.g., a doctor’s note) that indicates that you were unable to take the exam during the availability period (see section “Late Assignments & Missed Exams” for more information).
Writing Assignment
This assignment is required of everyone. The assignment is called “The World’s Shortest Research Paper.” More detailed information on this assignment will be presented later in the semester.
Discussion Board Posts
A significant portion of your final grade will reflect your participation in discussions. Reading postings, completing discussion board assignments, and participating in the discussions are required of everyone. Canvas’ discussion boards are designed for asynchronous use, so we do not have to be available at the same time to have a discussion. Online discussions are one of the most important aspects of your online experience. They provide a unique space for everyone to be heard, and because they are asynchronous, you are able to take time to carefully think about what you would like to communicate. The more you read and participate, the more connected you will feel to the class.
The tone and language of your postings should be professional, considerate, and courteous. Check with yourself before posting your comments…would you use the same tone and say the same things in a face to face discussion with your peers or your professor? Discussion board postings should demonstrate your scholarly approach to the course material and showcase your critical thinking and analytical skills.
Be sure to only share what you are comfortable sharing. In a virtual classroom, it can sometimes be easy to forget that there are other, very real people receiving and reading your messages. Read through your postings and make sure that what you intend to communicate is coming through. It is expected that you will follow the proper rules of Netiquette in all discussion boards and emails. Please familiarize yourself with these rules of internet etiquette (or “netiquette”) before participating in the discussion boards.
You can earn up to 20 points each time you contribute to the assigned reading-based discussions. There will be a discussion topic offered each week. The discussion posts are designed to help you think deeply and process the information you are learning. Some will require that you engage in extra research, moving beyond the textbook and using references to complete the assignment. Explicit instructions will be presented with each assigned discussion.
The introductions discussion is required of everyone. After that, you are required to address all but two of the offered discussion topics. In other words, you can opt out of 2 of the reading based discussions.
In addition to being mindful of your tone and following the rules of netiquette, each comment you provide should be well-written in your own words, generally free of spelling and grammatical errors, and demonstrate thoughtfulness. Be sure to give proper credit to any sources you use by posting your references at the end of your posting. Cutting and pasting or copying your answers from another source is plagiarism and will result in a 0 for that post as well as a possible referral to the dean. Use paraphrasing instead, and give credit to your sources. Over the years, I have become quite good at recognizing writing that is cut and pasted writing. To avoid unnecessary problems, use your own writing for this class (and every class!).
In the spirit of academic exchange, you will be required to respond to at least two posts by a classmate in most discussions. If you are required to respond to a classmate, then the response will typically be worth 5-10 points of the possible 20 points, depending on the assignment. Therefore, if you skip responding to a classmate, you will miss those points. Responses to classmates need to be substantial in nature to receive full credit, so you’ll want to avoid short statements like “I agree” and “I like your post”
Instead, you can do any of the following when replying to classmates' posts:
- Read something related to the information your classmate shares, and share the related information.
- Respond to your classmate’s topic from your own related experience.
- Find some online resources or articles related to your classmate’s topic and share them in your response.
- Pose a thought-provoking question related to your classmate’s topic.
- Find and share multiple perspectives on the topic or share just one alternative perspective to the one shared by your classmate.
Following are the grading criteria I use to assess discussion board assignments. Please note that discussions submitted after 11:59pm (CST) on the due date will not be graded.
"Excellent" discussion postings earning 18-20 points:
- address each part of the discussion assignment prompt.
- demonstrate critical thinking (e.g., application, analysis, synthesis, and/or evaluation), not just recitation of information from the textbook.
- make connections to previous or current course content or to real-life situations.
- contain insightful and thoughtful ideas, connections, or applications. Enough detail is present to fully articulate the idea presented.
- make reference to the textbook or other sources/references when required.
- are well-written and generally free of spelling and grammatical errors.
- include well-written, thoughtful response(s) to classmates if required.
- Any references or citations provided are listed in APA style. Scribbr has a free, APA style citation generator that I highly recommend. You can find that resource here.
"Good" discussion postings earning 16-17 points:
- address each part of the discussion assignment prompt.
- demonstrate critical thinking (e.g., application, analysis, synthesis, and/or evaluation), not just recitation of information from the textbook.
- make connections to previous or current course content or to real-life situations, but the connections are not really clear or very obvious.
- contain insightful and thoughtful ideas, connections, or applications, but they may lack depth and/or detail.
- make reference to the textbook or other sources/references when required.
- are well-written and generally free of spelling and grammatical errors.
- include well-written, thoughtful response(s) to classmates if required.
"Basic" discussion postings earning 14-15 points:
- may not address each part of the discussion assignment prompt.
- are generally competent, but the actual information they provide is limited and basic.
- make highly limited, if any, connections to previous or current course content or to real-life situations.
- contain few, if any, new ideas or applications and are just a summary of other comments.
- may not make reference to the textbook or other sources/references when required.
- may contain quite a few spelling and grammatical errors.
- may not include well-written, thoughtful response(s) to classmates (if required) or includes response(s) that lack depth and/or detail.
"Below expectations" discussion postings earning 0-13 points:
- are superficial and contain no evidence of critical thinking, insight or analysis.
- do not contribute new ideas, connections, or applications.
- may not make reference to the textbook or other sources/references when required.
- may be completely off topic and contain a number of spelling and grammatical errors.
- may not include well-written, thoughtful response(s) to classmates (if required) or includes response(s) that lack depth and/or detail.
Not addressing the discussion topic (except for the 2 you choose not to do) will result in a 0 score. You will not earn extra credit for doing more than the required 13 postings.
Within 7-10 days after a discussion ends, you will be awarded a grade for that discussion post based on the above grading rubric. The grade will be posted on your grades page. For example, if you earn a 16, you can assume that after careful consideration, I have determined that your posting best meets the criteria listed under “Good.” With 150 online students and three discussion boards a week, I regret that I cannot provide substantial individual feedback beyond the use of the above rubric and some brief comments for each discussion you submit. If I have serious concerns, I will communicate them privately in my feedback so that you can work on improving your scores. If you are ever unclear about the rationale for a discussion post grade even after consulting your rubric and reading my comments, I urge you to contact me via a Canvas message. I will be more than happy to provide a specific explanation.
Your final course grade will be based on the following:
|
Assessment Type |
Points |
Percentage of Grade |
|
Module Quizzes (15 x 15 points each) |
225 |
25.4% |
|
Connect SmartBook Assignments (12x15 points each) |
180 |
20.4% |
|
Discussion Board Assignments (10 x 20 points each) |
200 |
22.6% |
|
Writing Assignment “The World’s Shortest Research Paper” (100 points) |
100 |
11.3% |
|
Exams (2 x 60 points) and Final Exam (60 points) |
180 |
20.3% |
|
Total Points |
885 |
100% |
Letter Grade for Class
|
% Material |
Grade |
|
93-100% |
A |
|
90-92.9% |
A- |
|
86-89.9% |
B+ |
|
83-85.9% |
B |
|
80-82.9% |
B- |
|
76-79.9% |
C+ |
|
70-55.9% |
C |
|
66-69.9% |
D+ |
|
63-65.9% |
D |
|
60-62.9% |
D- |
|
Below 59.9% |
F |
You can view your grades for assignments and quizzes over the course of the semester by clicking on the "Grades" link that you will find in the left navigational menu in our course. Assignments that are not due yet (or I haven't graded yet) will have blank grades. Assignments that are not turned in will be assigned a 0 score.
You can view my comments on your assignments from within the Grades page. Look for the assignment in the grades listing, and then click the comments icon all the way over to the right of the assignment listing. If you click the assignment link on the Grades page, it will take you to a page where you can see comments I’ve left in the comments sidebar.
Attendance, Participation and Withdrawal/Drop Policies
Successful online learning requires active participation and the ability to follow deadlines and work independently. Active participation includes participation in the discussion boards (including reading the posts in the boards), reading and watching any online material (such as lectures or videos), communicating via email and discussion boards, and taking quizzes and exams. You are required to log in to this course weekly and to participate actively in the discussion boards as described above. Even if you are using one of your discussion board and/or quiz skips you are still expected to log in to class to read the lecture and to keep up with the discussion postings. Skips are not time off from class; they are simply time off from that task. You may need to log in more frequently depending on how long you spend logged in each time. You should know that I am able to track your participation and see what you spend your time doing while "in class" or logged in. I check in regularly to assess your participation.
For absence due to prolonged serious illness, personal emergency, or technical problems you are expected to let me know as soon as possible. You may be withdrawn from the course for excessive absence; “excessive absence” is defined by a total of two or more full weeks of absence from the online course in Canvas. To be clear, this means that except for when excused by me or during a college designated break, I should see that you are consistently logging in and participating in class weekly. If you go without logging in for 2 or more weeks in a row or during two or more separate but full weeks during the semester, you may be withdrawn from the course.
However, please be aware that withdrawal is not automatic. Since there are important withdrawal deadlines set by the college, do not assume that I will drop you from the class if you stop attending; it is ultimately your responsibility to formally drop the class by the appropriate deadlines if you cannot complete the course. I recommend that if you drop the class that you print up verification of the drop. Your claim that you dropped the course will not be enough to retroactively drop the class once the last date to drop has passed. If your name is on my final grade sheet, I will be forced to submit a final grade for you. If you stop attending the class after the last day to withdraw, and you have not achieved a final passing grade, a final grade of FW (rather than F) will be recorded.
If I do withdraw you from the course, and this results in problems with financial aid, GI benefits, health insurance, scholarships, visa status, etc., I cannot reinstate you just to preserve your benefits.
As students participating in my course, respect for one another is critical. I expect everyone to follow the standards of the Student Code of Conduct as described in the Student Handbook. Inappropriate language, such as offensive slang or put-downs, swearing, or hateful speech, will not be tolerated. Please treat others in this course with the same level of respect that you would like to be treated. Again, I expect you to use proper netiquette in this course.
Your Canvas Inbox
As a student using Canvas, you have the ability to send messages to me and to your classmates within the class using Canvas messaging. Canvas messaging provides a closed email system that only allows the sending and receiving of emails within our course. Look for the Inbox link in the left navigational menu.
This is my preferred method of being contacted. Please only message other students in an appropriate manner as detailed above, and any issues in this area may be escalated to the Dean.
Late Assignments and Missed Quizzes/Exams
This online course is not a self-paced course; we will all move through the course together. Accordingly, there are due dates and set weekly tasks. Assignments are due by the listed due date and time. If you know you will not be able to log in or have access to a computer on the day something is due, submit it early or plan to use one of your skips. To be clear, submitting something “early” means submitting it once the assignment is available (open) and before it closes. I cannot open or post assignments, quizzes, or exams ahead of the schedule.
Due to the nature of the quizzes and discussion boards (i.e., you are able to skip two of your choice), I will not accept late discussion submissions. If you have to miss a discussion board due to illness or for any other reason, the missed assignment is automatically counted as one of your allowed skips. Do not miss the required discussion post. Quizzes can be turned in late, but at a 15% penalty per day. This means that after a week late, no points are available for quizzes, so submit at or as close to the deadline as possible to avoid missing too many points.
Missed exams may not be made up unless you have official documentation (e.g., a doctor’s note on letterhead) describing why it was impossible for you to take your exam on time. Be prepared to email me a copy of the documentation if you contact me for a makeup.
There are always students who ask if I can make an exception to this policy just for them just this once. I really care about my students and want everyone to do well, and I will want to make an exception. With that said, I cannot and will not make exceptions to this policy. This is not to punish anyone. It is about fairness and protecting the academic integrity of this online class.
If you realize you have to miss an exam, then just be sure to obtain the proper documentation as described here before contacting me for a makeup. If a makeup is to occur because you have the required documentation, you must contact me on or before the due date and time of the exam; if you contact me once the exam is over, you cannot make it up even if you have the required documentation.
Remember, all quizzes and exams are untimed, so do not message me about technical issues around submissions. You have seven days to completed these assignments from when they are opened to you, so you have plenty of time to finish your work.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism
Academic dishonesty (i.e., cheating) in this course will not be tolerated. This includes sharing quiz and exam questions and answers, copying someone else's answers during a quiz or exam, searching for and using quiz/exam questions and answers on the internet during a quiz or exam, and getting papers off the Internet to submit for credit, having another person complete your assignments, cutting and pasting information from another source online and presenting it as your own work (i.e., plagiarism), etc.
To plagiarize is to steal and use the ideas and writings of another as one’s own. The college requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student, and as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, plagiarism will not be tolerated. Potential problems can be avoided by documenting all sources used (whether directly quoted or paraphrased) with references or citations. Cheating of any kind will result in a failing grade on that assignment, documentation of the incident, and possible referral to the Office of Student Affairs and Wellness.
Technical Requirements
To participate in this class, you will need access to a laptop, desktop or smartphone, internet, SMCCD account login, and Canvas.
If you need assistance with Canvas at any point, you can find access to support here.
Please respond to any messages from me within 48 hours.
Disabled Students Programs and Services
If you have a documented disability and need accommodations for this class, please see me as soon as possible or contact The Disability Resource Center (DRC) for assistance. Visit https://canadacollege.edu/disabilityresourcecenter/index.php. The DRC office is located in Bldg. 5, Room 303. (650) 306-3259; TDD (650) 306-3161.
Students with disabilities are protected under Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Please understand confidentiality and do not identify the person or their disability information to other students. Taping Lecture: Students who are unable to take or read notes have the right to tape record class lectures only for their personal study.
Title IX Policy Addressing Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and Assault:
We are committed to maintaining a safe and caring college environment at Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College. Cañada college does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, including (but not limited to) sexual assault, sexual coersion, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, cyber-stalking, retaliation, discrimination based on gender and hate crimes based on gender. If you have experienced or would like to report sexual harassment/misconduct, please visit http://smccd.edu/titleix/.
Thank you!
And, finally, thank you! Thank you for reading this syllabus! I know it is long! If you have any questions about the information here, please don’t hesitate to ask. I know there is a lot to remember, but over time, the course policies and procedures will feel like second nature. And, thank you for registering for my course in General Psychology! I feel very fortunate to be a part of your educational journey!
Course Calendar
| Week | Monday Date | Topic of Week |
| 1 | 1/15 | Introduction to Psychology |
| 2 | 1/22 | Psychological Research |
| 3 | 1/29 | Biopsychology |
| 4 | 2/5 | States of Consciousness |
| 5 | 2/12 | Sensation and Perception and Exam 1 |
| 6 | 2/19 | Learning |
| 7 | 2/26 | Thinking and Intelligence |
| 8 | 3/4 | Memory |
| 9 | 3/11 | Spring Break |
| 10 | 3/18 | Lifespan Development |
| 11 | 3/25 | Emotion and Motivation and Exam 2 |
| 12 | 4/1 | Personality |
| 13 | 4/8 | Social Psychology |
| 14 | 4/15 | Stress, Lifestyle, and Health |
| 15 | 4/22 | Psychological Disorders and Research Assignment |
| 16 | 4/29 | Therapy and Treatment |
| 17 | 5/6 | Finals Week (Exam 3) |
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|