The marks (“X”) indicate where the
course-level outcomes match up with the department’s goals for the psychology
program.
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|
Course-level Student Learning
Outcomes
(see page 2)
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|
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
|
7
|
8
|
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Knowledge Base
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X
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X
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X
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|
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X
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X
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Thinking Skills
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|
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X
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X
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|
|
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Language Skills
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X
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X
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|
|
|
|
|
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Information-gathering
and synthesis skills
|
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X
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|
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|
|
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Research
methods and statistical skills
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Interpersonal
skills
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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History of
psychology
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Ethics and
values
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|
|
|
|
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X
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Department
goals can be accessed at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/psychology/aims.php
Teaching & Learning
Process
My teaching approach works to
establish a learning environment that is built upon the values of trust,
empowerment, and respect. By utilizing
lectures, discussions and activities, I hope to assist you with learning on
your own and from each other. One of the
best ways of understanding and synthesizing new information is to be actively
engaged in the learning process. This is
accomplished by participating in class discussions, exercises, and group
assignments. You will be better prepared
to actively engage in the learning process when you review the reading
materials prior to the start of class.
Ways to Facilitate Your Learning
Actively explore things that
are familiar and comfortable, but also those things that may be
new, strange, exotic, weird, uncomfortable, or silly. During your exploration, keep in mind to
think critically about and reflect on what you are learning. Try making connects between what you already know
and the new knowledge, skills and attributes you wish to develop. Also, identify ways that the new information
can be utilized to solve real-life problems that are important to you. My goal for you in
this course is to excel, learn, and explore different aspects of yourself and
others. This goal is best accomplished
by your active participation.
Grade Philosophy
Your grade will
reflect your mastery of the material and the application of course content to
your life. Curving of grades will not
be a regular occurrence (i.e., student grades will not be forced into a
bell/normal curve). I do reserve the
right to shift the grade on an assignment, quiz, or exam, if a significant
issue arises (e.g., there are two correct answers on the test in which one
is from the textbook and one is from the lecture). Everyone in this course has the opportunity
to earn an “A.” Having the opportunity
does not guarantee that everyone will earn an “A,” therefore it is important
for you to regularly attend class, keep up with the readings, participate in
class/group discussions, ask questions, etc.
Course grades will be assigned by the number of
possible points (not by percentage) accumulated in the class.
A = 243 – 270+ C = 189 – 215
B = 216 – 242 D = 162 – 188 F < 162
Assignment
|
Description
|
Point Value
|
Your Scores
|
|
Participation
|
There
will be several activities throughout the semester, which will be used for
formative (feedback) and summative (end of unit) assessments of your
learning.
- Question: What do you want to discover about
yourself? (pre/post)
- Diversity Surveys
- Self-assessments
- Group activities
|
up to
30 pts
|
|
|
Papers
|
For
each topic covered in the course, you will write a one-page reflection paper
in which you connect information from the reading(s) to your personal
life.
For
each guest speaker, you will write a one-page paper describing your reactions
and how the content of the talk can be applied to your life.
|
9 * 10pts
|
|
|
Midterm
|
The
midterm will contain questions consisting of multiple-choice, T/F, and up to
five short answer/essay items.
|
50pts
|
|
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Self and
Peer Evaluations
|
Evaluations
of yourself and from your peers during group activities will be included in
the final grade.
|
20pts
|
|
|
*Final
Project
|
For
your final project, select one of the options listed on the last page of the
syllabus.
|
50pts
|
|
|
Early
Drafts of Final Project
|
There
are due dates for preliminary and revised drafts of your final project. These drafts are to assist you with the
timely completion of your project and to provide constructive feedback
throughout the process.
|
3 * 10 pts
|
|
|
Total
Points
|
|
|
______
270
|
*For each of the final projects, you will turn in segments of the
project throughout the semester.
Course Outline
The following is a listing of
the chapters and topics that will be discussed.
I reserve the right to keep this outline flexible and to make adjustments if needed.
|
Day
|
Date
|
Topic(s)
|
Notes
|
|
T
|
8/30
|
Introductions; review of syllabus; discussing what
you expect from the course; selecting topics for the semester; and learning
styles/preferences
|
VARK assignment
|
|
R
|
9/1
|
Learning styles/preferences
Learning theories
|
|
|
T
|
9/6
|
Learning theories
|
Declare/Chose Your Project
|
|
R
|
9/8
|
Time Management
|
|
|
T
|
9/13
|
Time Management
|
|
|
R
|
9/15
|
Time Management
|
Online/Off-site Activity
|
|
T
|
9/20
|
 Stress & Coping
|
Due:
First draft of project
|
|
R
|
9/22
|
Stress & Coping
|
Due: First
draft of project
|
|
T
|
9/27
|
Stress & Coping
|
|
|
R
|
9/29
|
Stress & Coping
|
|
|
T
|
10/4
|
States of Consciousness
(alert, relaxed/creative, sleep)
|
|
|
R
|
10/6
|
States of Consciousness
(alert, relaxed/creative, sleep)
|
|
|
T
|
10/11
|
Day
to catch-up (if needed), otherwise we’ll start the sleep section
|
 Due:
Revised draft of project
|
|
R
|
10/13
|
Sleep & Dreams
|
Due: Revised draft of project
|
|
T
|
10/18
|
Sleep & Dreams
|
|
|
R
|
10/20
|
Sleep & Dreams
|
Mid-term
grades
|
|
T
|
10/25
|
Sleep & Dreams
|
|
|
R
|
10/27
|
Personality
|
|
|
T
|
11/1
|
Personality
|
|
|
R
|
11/3
|
Personality
|
|
|
T
|
11/8
|
Self-regulation, control,
and complexity
|
|
|
R
|
11/10
|
Self-regulation, control,
and complexity
|
|
|
T
|
11/15
|
Self-regulation, control,
and complexity
|
|
|
R
|
11/17
|
Social and emotional
intelligence
|
|
|
T
|
11/22
|
Social and emotional
intelligence
|
Due: Latest draft of final project
|
|
R
|
11/24
|
No
class: University Holiday
|
|
|
T
|
11/29
|
Social and emotional
intelligence
|
|
|
R
|
12/1
|
Optimism and Pessimism
|
|
|
T
|
12/6
|
Optimism and Pessimism
|
|
|
R
|
12/8
|
Optimism and Pessimism
|
|
|
R
|
12/15
|
Final 11:30 a.m. – 1:20
p.m.
|
Due: Final
Project
|
Instructor & Course Policies
1.
Class
Discussions (both inside
and outside of the actual classroom): I
would like you to know upfront that you will encounter new ideas, topics,
images and discussions in this course, which may challenge your worldview. Some students may find this information personally offensive,
uncomfortable, distasteful, or may cause anger.
Because the field of psychology addresses positive, neutral and negative
aspects of human behavior, we will discuss a broad range of topics that may not
be pleasant for everyone. Please be
respectful to your classmates and your instructor. Debates on relevant issues are encouraged,
however no one should engage in personal attacks inside or outside of the
classroom.
2.
Confidentiality
and Sensitivity: Several of the topics covered in this course
will elicit class discussion on issues that some students may consider to be
personal or private. Although there is
no guarantee to privacy in what is said in the class, I would like each of us
to exercise a degree of sensitivity when discussing class-related conversations
with others outside of class. That is,
you should maintain the confidentiality of the names and/or personal events
that were revealed in class. Thank you for your consideration of this
request.
3.
Take-home
Assignments: Are to be
typed, word-processed, double-spaced, with 1" for all margins, and in 12
point font. Proper grammar, punctuation,
and spelling are expected on all assignments (i.e., points will be deducted if
not followed). Use APA Style for all
citations and references (may not be applicable, unless you want to include
information (quotes or summaries) from articles, books, the Internet, etc.
4.
Midterm
Grade Reports: The University’s policy requires the
reporting of midterm grades to students so that they can make informed
decisions for staying or withdrawing from the class. However, these midpoint grades do not represent the final
course grade since a significant portion of points remain to be completed. You should visit with me if you want to
improve upon your midterm grade or if you received a grade of “D” or lower.
5.
Office
Hours: Tuesdays 10-11:30 a.m. and 2-4 p.m., Wednesdays 3-4:30 p.m., and Thursdays 10-11:30 a.m. Individual appointments are available
upon request. Please take advantage of appointments. These times are set aside
so that questions or concerns can be addressed, assistance and resources
discussed, or for meetings about your professional development (e.g., academic
and career). My goal in this course is
for you to excel and learn something useful, but this cannot be accomplished
without your active participation in the learning process.
6.
Policy
on Cheating/Plagiarism: Students who are caught cheating, and/or
knowingly provide false information may be reprimanded with failure of
assignments, exams, the course, and the burden of other disciplinary actions as
specified in the MWSU Student Handbook.
7.
Drop
Policy: I will not drop students from the class. It
is the student’s responsibility to drop from the course if s/he chooses. Simply
not attending class or not taking tests is not sufficient. Any student on the
roster at the end of the semester will receive a grade regardless of attendance
or test performance; incompletes are issued at the discretion of your
instructor.
8. Flexibility:
The class schedule provided on the first day of class is a preliminary
draft, which will allows the students enrolled to customize a portion of topics
to be covered in the course. After the
topics have been selected, a revised syllabus will be issued to the class. The updated syllabus is always tentative, and
while I do not plan to make changes, I reserve the right to adjust to the
syllabus as necessary. If you miss a
lecture, you should contact someone in the class to find out what you missed
and whether any announcements or changes were made.
9. Attendance
Policy: Class attendance is a serious and vital
responsibility for all students.
Attendance is expected and allows you the opportunity to maximize your
learning potential, thus missing class puts you at a significant disadvantage.
Obtaining lecture notes for missed classes is your responsibility. If you know
in advance that you will miss class on major due date or for long periods of
time, please notify me immediately! Ensure that any missed work is
completed in advance of the due date. Attendance does NOT mean that you show up to class and read a newspaper or
talk with your friends about non-topic related issues. Individuals
who exhibit behaviors that the instructor considers disrespectful or a
hindrance to the learning process will be asked to leave the classroom.
10. Snow Days: If we miss a class because of a snow/ice day,
the exam schedule will remain as planned in the syllabus. The only exception is if a snow day occurs on
an exam day. In that case, the exam will
take place on the next day we return to class.
11. Phone/Pagers: These items are to be placed in the silent,
vibrate, or off mode during class. This
policy will also be applied to your instructor.
More stern steps may be taken for repeat offenders.
12. Food/Drink: We are in a technology classroom, which does not
allow food or beverages. The only
exception is water in a sealable container.
Services Available to
Students
13.
Academic
Assistance: Students wishing to seek out additional help
with their coursework (e.g., reading, math, study skills, etc.) are encouraged
to contact the Center for Academic Support at (816) 271-4524, visit their
office located in the Hearnes Center room 213, or on
the web at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/cas/
14.
Adult
Student Services: Non-traditional students wishing to seek out
additional assistance are encouraged to contact the Non-Traditional Student
Services at (816) 271-4280, visit their office at Eder
Hall room 202, or on the web at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/nontrad/
15.
Service
for Disabled Students: Students with known learning or other
disabilities are encouraged to speak with Michael
Ritter (mritter@missouriwestern.edu), Special Needs/Disability Services
Office, Eder Hall Suite
202B, (816) 271-4330, to assist you in the provision of services within the
classroom. Web site: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/ds/
16.
Counseling:
Students wishing to talk with a trained professional regarding
relationship issues, mental health, academic stress, etc. are encouraged to
contact the Counseling Center at (816) 271-4327; located in Eder Hall room 209.
Open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. http://www.missouriwestern.edu/counseling/
17. Student Health
and Well-being: Students wishing to address
their health and well-being should visit the Esry Student Health Center located in the Blum Union room 203 or call (816)
271-4495. For information on services
provided, please visit their web site at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/healthserv/
18. Career
Development: Student interested in career
related issues should contact the office of Career Development at (816)
271-4205 or visit their office located in Eder Hall
room 202. Additional information is
available on their web site at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/careerdevelopment/
Additional Resources:
The university’s Library: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/library/
Academic Calendar: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/academic%5Fcalendar/
Copyright © 2005 Dr. Patricia A. Marsh as
to this syllabus and all lectures. Students are prohibited from selling (or being paid for taking)
notes during this course to or by any person or commercial firm without the
express written permission of the instructor teaching this course.
Options for
Final Project
1. Creating a resource packet for a targeted student group at Missouri Western State University (e.g., single parent
students, first generation students, non-traditional students, etc.). Discuss target group with me before starting
on this project.
2. Personal
Change Project—possible projects include selecting one desirable behavior
to increase and one undesirable behavior to decrease; an autobiography written
and rewritten throughout the semester incorporating course content; or
implementing a stress management program.
3. Altering Your State of Consciousness—modifying your wakeful state of
consciousness (high beta wave activity) through legal and safe methods. You
will write about your experience(s) and your physical or mental
sensations/perceptions. Examples of
modifying your conscious could include caffeine, deep prayer or meditative
exercises, changes in sleep patterns, hypnosis, day dreaming, etc. Approval from your instructor is required
prior to starting this particular project.
4. Applied Career Project—Creating a cover letter and resume to be used
within three months or developing curriculum vitae, which will be built upon
prior to graduation and applying to graduate school. Both projects will also include designing a
method of contacting and updating your professional references.
