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NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
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Course Title: General Psychology
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Course Prefix & Number: PSYC2301
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Section Number: 230/231
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Semester: 162T
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Semester Credit Hours: 3
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Lecture Hours: 3
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Lab Hours: 0
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Course Description (NCTC Catalog):
General Psychology is a survey of the major psychological topics, theories and approaches to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
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Course Prerequisite(s): None
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Required Course Materials:
The Science of Psychology by Laura A. King, 3rd edition, McGraw Hill
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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
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Name of Instructor:
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Leslie Kelley
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Campus/Office Location:
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Corinth Campus, Room 337
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6424 (Email preferred)
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E-mail Address:
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Lkelley@nctc.edu
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GRADING CRITERIA
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# of Graded Course Elements
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Graded Course Elements
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Percentage or Point Values
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1
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Discussion Boards & Replies
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10%
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10
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LEARNSMART Assignments (10 x 2.5% each)
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25%
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5
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Quizzes (5 x 3% each)
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15%
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3 of 4
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Exams (3 x 10% each – lowest of 4 exam grades dropped)
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30%
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1
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Individual Wiki Project
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25%
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A = 90-100%; B = 80-89.5%; C = 70-79.5%; D = 60-69.5%; F = 59.5 points & below
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
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At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
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1.
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Identify various research methods and their characteristics used in the scientific study of psychology.
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2.
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Describe the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped the field of psychology.
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3.
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Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study of psychology.
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4.
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Use terminology unique to the study of psychology.
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5.
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Describe accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation.
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6.
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Identify factors in physiological and psychological processes involved in human behavior.
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Discussion Boards (10%): SHOULD BE RESEARCH-BASED! Not opinion-based! During the first week of the semester, you will write a 300-word discussion and three 100-word replies to other students, on a topic related to a video assigned for class, called the Magician’s Twin. For this assignment, you will need to answer the discussion board question and you may take a stance in favor or against any topic in the video, but always keep in mind that civility is a requirement, e.g., name-calling, such as you might see on some social media sites, is not true academic, intellectual discourse. Additionally, since psychology is a scientific endeavor, you should base your discussion on research, and NOT just opinion. You should rely upon your readings and the lectures to help you explain or expand upon the topic of discussion. The discussion board posts and replies must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on Friday of the first week when they are due (see calendar below). Your grade will be based on the quality and completion of your 300-word discussion board post and your three 100-word replies. 10 percent of your overall grade in the class will be deducted if this discussion board is not completed, and significant reductions will be taken for discussions/replies less than 600 total words. No extra credit will be given for writing more than 600 words, or replying to more than three posts, though students are highly encouraged to reply to more than three posts. Late discussions and reply submissions may not be accepted.
LEARNSMART Assignments (10 x 2.5 percent each = 25%): This assignment requires access to McGraw-Hill Connect, which you can purchase in the bookstore, or directly from the Connect link on Canvas. Please note that everyone will receive a free trial for 2 weeks, in case you cannot immediately purchase the access code for Connect. Also, please note that purchasing an access code, will provide you access to an e-book for the duration of the course. For this assignment, you must complete the 10 LEARNSMART activities assigned for this class (see calendar below). To do so, you must access the LEARNSMART links on the modules page, which correspond to the topics you will be studying each week, and continue working on the assignment until you have completed it. Please note that there is a link for Connect support if you experience difficulties with this software. Each LEARNSMART activity may take 30 minutes to an hour or more to complete, depending on how well you know the material. As with other assignments, the number of days each Connect assignment will be available will vary, so pay close attention to the due dates for each assignment beginning from the first day of class. These assignments will due at 11:59pm on the day designated for each assignment.
Quizzes (5 X 3 percent each = 15%): You will have 5 quizzes over the course of the semester. Each quiz has approximately 10 multiple choice questions, on any topic from the reading/lecture materials for the current or a previous week. These quizzes can be accessed at 6:00am on the day they open, and must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on the day they are due (see calendar below). Your grade will be based on a total of 5 quizzes. Three percent of your overall grade in the class will be deducted for every quiz which is not completed. Late quiz submissions may not be accepted.
Exams (10 percent each = 30% total): You will have three exams, which will consist of approximately 30-50 multiple choice/matching/true-false questions each. Additionally, you will have a cumulative final exam consisting of approximately 60-70 multiple choice/matching/true-false questions. Your lowest grade on these four tests will be dropped. So, if you study well and are satisfied with your grades on the first three exams, you may choose not to take the cumulative final exam. You will have 40-50 minutes to complete the first three exams, depending on test length, and 90 minutes to complete the cumulative final exam. You must take these exams in one sitting, i.e., you cannot stop and resume at a later time. These exams cannot be accessed before 6:00am on the day they are due, and must be submitted no later than 7:00pm on the day they are due (see calendar below). Your overall exam grade will be based on your three highest exam grades. Questions will be taken directly from PowerPoint slides, lectures, and other assigned materials, as well as your assigned readings/connect, so take good notes and read your text thoroughly. Late exam submissions will not be accepted, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to complete the exam. There will be NO make-up exams, as answers to the exam questions become available as soon as the exam time expires. If you miss the deadline for an exam, that exam will count as a 0 and will be dropped, and the other three exams will make up your overall exam grade.
Individual Wiki Project (25%): SHOULD BE RESEARCH-BASED! Not opinion-based! For this assignment, you will create a Wiki on the class Canvas site. Please provide a brief introduction to your chosen topic. The main focus of this is project will be a clear explanation of at least 4 of the research articles I have provided for your topic. You should be sure to integrate content you have learned from the course, and to include relevant demonstrations, hyperlinks, videos, and/or activities, so that your topic can be clearly understood by your fellow classmates. This project aims at demonstrating that you can clearly communicate the topics you have learned in the class to a general audience, and your work will be reviewed by your fellow classmates. You are to create a Wiki discussing your research topic and the key research related to the topic. This assignment requires that you construct a Wiki page with at least 1200 words of text (not including the reference information, which must be included), demonstrating what you've learned from your research, in addition to any pictures, graphs, videos, weblinks, or other media you add to illustrate your research. This wiki page should include a focus on the primary aspects of the research, movement, and/or scientific perspectives regarding your topic. You should also include some brief cultural, historical, and biographical information to contextualize your topic, especially if your presentation involves specific figures in psychology/history. BUT - DO NOT SIMPLY PROVIDE A BIOGRAPHY OF A THEORIST. Wiki topic choices will be accessible on the first day of class. You are required to look over the topics, and select whichever topic most interests you within the first two weeks. You should then post the title of your topic choice on your wiki topic page. This will be worth 1 of the overall 25% of this assignment. The final Wiki project will be due no later than 11:59pm on Wednesday, January 3rd, and will be worth 20 out of the overall 25% for this assignment, which therefore makes up 20% of your overall grade for the course.
Failing to meet the minimum requirements of 1200 words and use 4 of the provided articles, or failing to adequately demonstrate a clear and thorough understanding of various perspectives of the topic, will result in a significant grade reduction. Be sure to cite (throughout your presentation) all reference materials used!!! Failing to do so, will result in plagiarism and an automatic failing grade. For more info on how to cite in APA format, google the following: OWL Purdue APA formatting. Also, all references cited throughout the Wiki should appear in a reference list, which should appear at the bottom of the wiki page. PLEASE DO NOT USE LONG QUOTES FOR THIS PROJECT! I am assessing your understanding of the research, which requires that you put the information into your own words.
Make sure your Wiki page is laid out in an easy-to-follow manner and that your font is not too small!!! Using headers for different sections can help to organize your project. Be sure to save your research somewhere other than the Wiki page, just in case you have trouble with Canvas. In most cases, it will be easiest to create the text of your wiki in a word document, and then copy it into the wiki textbox, adding pictures and graphics directly to the textbox. Most images and media will not copy over from word into the wiki textbox on canvas, and so they must be added directly with the icons at the top of the textbox. You will be required to complete the project a second time, if you “lose” your research, but will only be able to do so before the deadline. If this happens, be sure to check with me, as I can access your previous submissions in Canvas.
The basic process for submitting your wiki is:
***Modules Tab : Wiki Project-Instructions and Final Submission Link : Submit or Resubmit Assignment Button : Create Content or Copy from your word document into the Text Entry Box : Submit or Resubmit Assignment Button Again***
Wiki Project Review: Wiki project reviews can be accessed from the course Home page. On the day following the completion of your wiki assignment, you will write a 100-word review for 4 other students’ projects, for a total of 400 words. This part of the assignment will count for 4 of the overall 25% of the Wiki Project grade, which makes up 4% of your overall grade for the course. The Wiki Project Review assignment will be accessible after the due date for the wiki has expired, and will be due no later than 11:59pm on Wednesday, January 4th.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
You are expected to keep within the on-going discussion typically the nature of a psychology class by logging in and completing your assignments in canvas daily, and perhaps most importantly, by maintaining ongoing communication with your fellow classmates over the course of the entire semester. Failing to log in regularly will result in failure to finish assignments on time. All assignments have strict deadlines and cannot be made up late. Therefore, failing to log in, will likely result in a low or failing grade. If you choose to drop this class, it is your responsibility to drop the class. Remember that the last day to drop is Dec. 27th, 2016.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
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Dates & Chapters
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General Description of Subject Matter; *Assignments Due*
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12/12-12/16: Chapters 1-3
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What is Psychology; Scientific Method; Biological Foundations of Behavior
*Discussion Board #1 Due 12/16*
*Quiz #1 Due 12/16*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 1 Assignment Due 12/19*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 2 Assignment Due 12/19*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 3 Assignment Due 12/19*
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Wednesday, Dec 14th
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Official Date of Record
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12/19-12/23: Chapters 9, 4 & 5
Exam #1 available only on 12/23.
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Human Development, Sensation Perception, Consciousness
*Wiki Sign-up Due 12/19*
*Quiz #2 Due 12/21*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 4 Assignment Due 12/23*
*Exam #1 – Chapters 1-5 & 9 Due 12/23*
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Thursday, November 3rd
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Last day to Withdraw from Class
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12/26-12/30: Chapters 6-8 & 10
12/26-12/30: Chapters 6-8 & 10
Exam #2 available only on 12/30
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Learning, Memory, Intelligence, Motivation, & Emotion
*LEARNSMART Ch. 6 Assignment Due 12/28*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 7 Assignment Due 12/28*
*Quiz #3 Due 12/28*
*Quiz #4 Due 12/29*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 10 Assignment Due 12/30*
*Exam #2 – Chapters 6-8 & 10 Due 12/30*
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1/2-1/4: Chapters 11-16
Exam #3 available only on 1/4
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Human Sexuality, Personality, Social Psychology; Psychological Disorders & Therapies
*LEARNSMART Ch. 13 Assignment Due 1/3*
*Quiz #5 Due 1/3*
*Finalized Wiki Projects Due 1/3*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 15 Assignment Due 1/4*
*LEARNSMART Ch. 16 Assignment Due 1/4*
*Wiki Project Reviews Due 1/4*
*Exam #3 – Chapters 11-16 Due 1/4*
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Thurs., Jan. 5th
Only Available on 1/5/17
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Cumulative Final Exam: Chapters 1-16
Open from 6:00am (1/5) to 11:59pm (1/5)
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LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW
Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is December 27th, 2016.
DISABILITY SERVICES (OSD)
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.
North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx
CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA______________________________
o Communication
o Mathematics
o Life and Physical Science
o Language, Philosophy & Culture
o Creative Arts
o American History
o Government/Political Science
x Social and Behavioral Sciences
o Component Area Option
REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES
x Critical Thinking
x Communication
x Empirical and Quantitative
o Teamwork
o Personal Responsibility
x Social Responsibility
COURSE TYPE
o Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)
x Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course
o WECM Course
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. http://nctc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Catalog/North-Central-Texas-College-Student-Handbook
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR DEPARTMENT CHAIR & INSTRUCTIONAL DEAN
If you have a concern that we are not able to resolve, you may contact the department chair for further assistance. Please note that if you contact the department chair prior to discussing the issue with me, then the department chair will simply ask you to discuss the matter with me first, before he becomes involved. If you do not feel comfortable discussing the issue with me, you are free at any time to contact the department chair.
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Name of Chair/Coordinator:
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Dr. Leslie Kelley
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Office Location:
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Corinth Campus, Room 336
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6424 (Email preferred)
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E-mail Address:
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lkelley@nctc.edu
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Name of Instructional Dean:
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Dean Sara Alford
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Office Location:
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Flower Mound 200C
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Telephone Number:
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972-899-8414
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E-mail Address:
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salford@nctc.edu
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