Fall 2020 Class Syllabus

Name of Course: Introduction to Psychology 2301-0346

Instructor’s Name:  Mr. Jose A. Rivas, M.S.
Email Address:  jrivas@nctc.edu

Starts:  01/21/2020 Ends:   05/16/2020 Last Drop Date:  04/03/2020 with a “W”

Online Class Office Hours:  As needed.

Responding to E-mails or Canvas Messages:  Within 24 to 48 hours (I usually check my emails and Canvas messages every day unless I am unable to access my computer). All generic questions must be written the “Ask Mr. Rivas Questions” discussion board.  All personal inquiries can be submitted by email or by Canvas message.

 

E-mail Policy

Due to limitations in my speech communication, students may submit any questions or inquiries to me vial email whenever face-to-face communication is not possible.

 

REQUIRED OR RECOMMENDED COURSE MATERIALS

King, A. L.  The Science of Psychology, 4^th ed.  Connect Learning. ISBM: 10:  1259765350.  ISBN: 13:  9781259765353.

“Please make to subscribe to the full version of McGraw Hill Connect’s website to complete all quizzes and exams!”

 “All students must purchase and read the required text book.”

 

 

(ccove@nctc.edu). Failure to comply with the face coverings requirement may result in the Instructor directing the student to leave the classroom. Any student asked to leave the classroom may be referred to the student conduct officer. These policies and procedures were updated on July 30, 2020 and are subject to change.

 

Temporary COVID-19 Attendance Policy for Face-to-Face Meetings: We are facing an unprecedented situation in which all of us must be flexible and make prudent decisions in the best interest of our families, our campus, and our community. In light of this, North Central Texas College is temporarily establishing the requirement that faculty keep records of student attendance for face-to-face course meetings as well as a documented seating chart. In addition, students who are sick or need to quarantine should not attend classes. Students will not be required to provide formal documentation from a health care provider and will not be penalized for COVID-19 related absences when proper notification to campus health officials is made in accordance with the guidelines stated below.

 

Faculty will:

 

• Notify students about important course information and delivery changes through Canvas and campus email.

 

Students should:

• Provide notification to campus officials (via NCTC Daily Health Check protocol through Canvas) if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or have to quarantine so we can confirm reported absence with instructors, monitor, and assist the campus community.
• Notify instructors in advance of the absence.
• Connect with that class through Webex if the class session is being transmitted in a hybrid fashion.
• Keep up with and/or make up missed classwork or assignments.
• Submit assignments digitally through Canvas or other means as announced by your instructor.
• Work with their instructors to reschedule exams, labs, and other critical academic activities described in the course syllabus.
• Check Canvas and campus email daily to receive important announcements pertaining to the course.

During this period, faculty with face-to-face meetings will establish assigned seating/work stations to facilitate roll-taking, and, if necessary, contact tracing. Additionally, we ask all members of the College community to be attentive to their health, and safeguard others, by following the CDC’s guideline to “stay home when you are sick.” You should stay home if you have symptoms. More information on what to do if you are sick is available at the CDC’s website.

Additional NCTC information is available at http://www.nctc.edu/coronavirus/index.html

Course Assignments:  All students are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to each class meeting.  Students must also complete assigned activities by their due dates.  Students that do not complete assignments by their due dates will be subjected to points subtracted to their grade for that activity.  Only students with well-documented information may be granted an extension on missed quizzes or exams.  This excludes all discussion boards and homework assignments.

Discussion Forum Questions:  Students are required to participate on all discussion forum activities.  Students may correspond with their fellow classmates, but only to discuss discussion forum questions, answers, and/or activities.  Students may not use the online discussion forums to express vulgar or obscene language, personal interactions with other students, and/or personal views not related to discussion forum activities.  Students that do fail to follow the rules may be expelled from the course.  All generic questions must be written the “Ask Mr. Rivas Questions” discussion forum.  All personal inquiries can be submitted by email or Canvas message.

Exams and/or Quizzes:  There will be two exams and six quizzes over the course of the semester.  All exams and/or quizzes will be graded within a week after students have completed the assessment tool by the date listed on this syllabus.

All Papers or Written Assignments Must be Submitted on a Word Document of 2010 or greater.

(Required Assignment) Reflection Paper:

Students must write a 3 to 5 page, double-spaced paper about how the theories, terms, and/or principles discussed throughout the course of Psychology apply to their own life.  This paper is about how we often times use Psychology references/terms to analyze ourselves.  The paper must be written and saved in Microsoft Word 2010 or greater Format.  Students must include at least one professional citations/references from all used resources and a title page with their paper in APA format.  This paper can reflect any age up to the current age, or an in-depth perception of future stages.  Students are not required to write about past, presence, or future age levels within the whole paper.  Students must select at least one age level.  For example, students can write about their school-aged years, and the joys and/or difficulties of being a child in school.  The basic assumption for this paper is to recognize self-perception within one’s own life as it relates to chapters in the book or our discussion topics.  I am looking for how the student might (or might want to) handle a perceived situation such as; illness, disease, loss of a loved-one or pet, and/or loss of bodily function(s).  The early age reflection portion of the paper may include brief discussions from parents, family members, caregivers, relatives, friends, coworkers, and anyone that has direct long-lasting connections with the student.  Student should submit their papers in the Canvas Assignment drop-box.  The maximum amount of points for this activity is 120 points or 20% of final grade.  The paper will due before: Sunday, May 10, 2020 by 11:59pm.

 

Your paper should contain the following elements:

Describe some of the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped how [psychological topic] has been conceptualized.

 

Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study of [psychological topic].

Identify research methods used in the study of [psychological topic], and some specific findings of these research methods related to [psychological topic].

Describe the psychological assessment and evaluation of [psychological topic].

Identify some of the physiological and psychological processes involved in [psychological topic].

Discuss individual and social responsibility in regard to [psychological topic].

 

Grading Reduction Scale:

5 points off for the incorrect length and submitted under Word 2010 or greater. 

10 points off for the quality of your title page and reference sheet in APA format. 

10 points off for the incorrect subject matter choice/descriptions, textbook knowledge, and use of course information. 

25 points off for being late on paper. 

10 points off for lack of effort to produce a quality paper in APA format. 

 

(Required Assignment) Tour of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Students may choose to participate in an hour virtual tour of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Texas.  The tour will include a complete overview of the history of the hospital; an explanation of the hospital’s funding resources, a walk-through of the clinic for prosthetics, child Life area, occupational and physical therapy, the learning center, the patient care area, and other medical departments.   Students must also participate in the discussion forum with questions about the tour by the assigned due date.  This activity is worth 45 points to all students that participate in the tour.  Note, other instructors may not allow their students to use the tour as an excused absence if they participate in the tour.  Students may not participate in the tour and the alternative assignment for added bonus points.  The tour dates will be: 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS, EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING CRITERIA

=# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Points Values
Required	Exam One-Midterm Exam	120 points
Required	Exam Two-Final Exam	120 points
Required	6 Discussion Forums	30 points
Required	6 Quizzes	60 points
Required	Self-Reflection Paper (All Papers or Written Assignments Must be Submitted on a Word Document of 2010 or greater).	120 points
Required	Student Online Participation (All points will be granted if student participates with nearly all activities)	10 points
Required	TSRH Tour/Alternative Assignment	45 points
	Total Amounts of Possible Points	505 points

 

 

 

Grade Point Scale with Letter Grade:

450 to 505 = A

400 to 449 = B

350 to 399 = C

300 to 349 =  D

299 and Below = F