Course Syllabus

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Community College of Philadelphia

Psychology 101 (Intro to Psych) Winter Inter-session 2017-2018

Online

 

Professor: Michael Zimney, M.Ed.

Email:  Mzimney@ccp.edu

Cell Phone:  215-760-4232

 

Course Description

The focus of this course is upon the scientific study of human and animal behavior and the mental processes that motivate those behaviors.  This is a level 1, intro course so it is not possible to cover every aspect of Psychology, which encompasses far more information than can be fit into a 7 week cycle.  Topics we will cover will include the history and research methods of psychology, perception and learning (as well as memory), personality disorders and abnormal psychology, and careers in psychology.

Student Learning outcomes

Upon the completion of this course students will be expected to:

  1. Define psychology as a science in terms of history, theories, methods, applied areas, and ethical issues.
  2. Describe the structure and function of the nervous system as the biological basis of behavior and cognition.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of the major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and socio-cultural).
  4. Apply the major theoretical perspectives to an understanding of personality, lifespan development, abnormal behavior, and psychotherapy.
  5. Recognize and respect human diversity and understand that psychological explanations may vary across populations and contexts.
  6. Describe a variety of careers in psychology and how psychology is applied to many areas of life and work today.

Textbook:  Exploring Psychology in Modules (10th ed), Myers, D., Dewall, C.N.

A copy of this text book is available on reserve in the school library.

In addition, I may provide videos for viewing or ask you to visit certain websites. 

Grading:

Your grade will be based upon the completion of:

  • 3 non-cumulative quizzes (50 pts each) 150 pts
  • 15 Assignments (40 pts each) 600 pts
  • 1 Paper assignment 100 pts
  • 5 Gradable discussions (30 pts each) 150 pts

For a total of 1000 pts.

A = 1000 – 900 pts

B = 899 – 800 pts

C = 799 – 700 pts

D = 699 – 600 pts

F = 599 – 0 pts

 

Sessions:

The course is divided into 3 sessions.  All 3 sessions will be made available to you so you may work ahead if you choose but, due dates are provided within each sessions assignment tabs.  Each session is provided approximately 9 days for completion.

Exams:

Exams will be based on the material from the text book which will also be covered during class lectures.  The exams are non-cumulative which means that they will only focus on the material that was covered in the appropriate session.  Exams will consist of multiple choice questions.  You may retake the exams as many times as you would like and the due dates are provided within each quiz link.

Assignments:

There are 15 assignments spread out across the 3 sessions.  Each assignment is worth 40 pts and they are designed to allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the material we have covered.  Due dates are provided within each assignment link.

Paper Assignment:

There is one paper assignment which is part of session 3.  The details of this assignment are provided in the link.

 

Discussions:

There are 5 gradable discussions worth 30 points each.  You are expected to first respond to a discussion prompt (300 words, 10 points).  You must then respond to 2 fellow students’ submissions (100 words, 10 points each, for a total of 20 points)

           

Attendance: 

Being fully online, attendance is monitored through the submission of your quizzes, assignments, and discussions.  Failing to submit an any of these by the due date is considered poor attendance and will result in a 50% drop in grade for each missed submission.

 

Plagiarism and Cheating:

Attempting to pass off someone else’s material as your own is strictly prohibited as well as unethical.  Any student who is caught cheating will automatically fail that assignment or exam.  Additionally, if you are caught cheating on an exam you may not use that exam as your 1 “gimme” (discarded exam).

Online Classroom Behavior:

Students are expected to act in a mature manner and in such a way that does not impede upon any other student’s ability to participate in the class.  Students are expected to respect the diversity (race, ethnicity, gender, religion, ideal of thought, sexual orientation, age, etc…) of their peers; to not do so will not be tolerated.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due