Psychology
2302: Applied Psychology Syllabus
Dr. Nancy
Masterson, Instructor
Spring 2010: Office Room 110; Phone 703-1552 with VOICE MAIL Email
Address: nancymonline@swtjc.cc.tx.us. For the quickest response please
email any questions regarding the course work to me using the WebCT email program.
Office Hours:
M-W-F:
8:30-9:00 AM
Additional hours will be posted during the first
week of class
Virtual hours
To be determined. Will
be posted during the first week of class.
Immediate response to email and phone calls to 830-703-1552
available during virtual office hours.
Textbook: There is no textbook for this
course. Reading assignments will be from
the internet.
Course Address: http://webct.swtjc.net
Course Catalog Description: A survey of the
applications of psychological knowledge and methods in the fields of business,
industry, education, medicine, law enforcement, social work, and government.
Course
requirements and grading scale
……Basic
computer literacy and mastery of computer skills taught in Orientation to
Online Instruction.
......Access to a computer with a 486 or higher processor.
......Access
to a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
......Access to the Internet.
......Access
to word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect.
Microsoft Word is the preferred word processing software. If you use
another program you will need to be sure to save the file as an RTF file.
......A
portable storage device such as a diskette, a jump drive, or writable CD's
......An email account.
......An adventurous spirit, curiosity, and self-direction.
Course Requirements and approximate points 600-800 points
75-90 points Discussion forum as
assigned [15 points each]
60 points
Change project:
150 points
Home work
50 points In person
midterm exam [open notes]
50 points In person final exam
70 points
5 facts learned and applied to life
for each unit as assigned
50 points
Orientation
50
points Biography of
a famous psychologist
50
points Content
Paper
100 points
Final applications assignment
These are approximations; actual
assignments and points values may vary.
You can earn a 5 point
bonus for each unit if all assignments are uploaded
before the designated closing date/time set for that unit.
Grading Scale
90% of points possible =A; 80% of points possible = B; 70% of
points possible = C; 60% of points possible =D; below 60% is not passing
Course format:
In an online course a web site is used as our classroom. You will
find course information, assignments, and all the other information you need to
complete this course at our WebCT web site located at
http://webct.swtjc.net.
You will also use that site to participate in class discussions and work in
small groups. You will visit other Internet sites to complete interactive
activities and find important information. All assignments and class work
will be submitted electronically to homework boxes at WebCT.
Mastery of the computer skills covered in the Orientation to
Online Instruction is very important to the success of this class. The
ability to perform these skills and the ability to type will greatly reduce
your frustration level.
In the online environment, students choose when they will work on
class materials; however the class has structured deadlines for the completion
of the units. All assignments will be uploaded to our WebCT
assignment boxes. PLEASE NOTE it is a good idea to make
two copies of your work. Keep one on your hard drive and one on a
portable storage device such as a diskette, jump drive, or CD. If you are
doing your work somewhere other than your own computer be
sure to save 2 copies of your work on two separate storage devices [two
diskettes, CD's etc]. Many things can happen and your work can be
lost. Having back up files will allow you to resubmit your work.
Some students have asked if they need their own computer to take this class.
You will need to spend at least 6 hours per week on course activities. Using a
friend or relative's computer is fine as long as you are able to use the system
when you need it. Access to computers and the Internet is also available at the
SWTJC libraries and in some computer labs. Using a computer other than
your own will require advanced planning and storing your work on a portable
storage device.
Attendance:
It is important that you attend (login to) the virtual classroom
at least every three days; every other day is even better. You need to
check your WebCT email and the class website for
announcements. WHEN you login is up to you. The discussion forum and
quizzes, however, have a closing date and all responses need to be posted by
the closing deadline for you to receive credit. Your participation in the
discussion forums and completion of your assignments make up your attendance in
this class. Failure to do this will bring about the same consequences as
missing face-to-face classes—falling behind, confusion, penalties for missed
assignments, mega-stress trying to catch-up and an overall lower grade. I
strongly suggest you plan for and schedule a time for working on the course
assignments. Procrastination is one of the biggest problems students face in an
online course. Everything seems to take longer than we originally think it will
and computers can have problems. I suggest that you think about a back up plan for computer access that you can use if your
computer goes down or is not available.
Course activities
FOR EACH UNIT YOU WILL:
1. Read the assigned material,
online articles, and lecture notes.
2.
Find a URL [internet article] that relates to the unit and post it to the
discussion forum or email the instructor as assigned or list five facts learned
as assigned.
3.
Complete the homework and/or Internet assignment/s/.
4. Participate in the discussion forum as
assigned.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1.
Complete a personal change project of your choice.
2.
Complete a 2 page biography on a prominent psychologist.
3.
Complete a 3-5 page content paper on a subject of your choice related to how we
can apply psychological principles to our lives.
4.
Complete a final applications assignment.
5. Complete an in person midterm and final
exam.
Making the Grade
All course material except for the exams will be turned in
electronically to a WebCT homework box.
Please save a copy of all your work [AND SAVE IT OFTEN while you are working on
a document] somewhere other than your hard drive. If you have a copy of
your work and there is a problem you will not have to do the work again.
You can send your saved copy. The number of the points you earn on the
following activities will determine your course grade. These are the
approximate points that will be available for each of the activities; the exact
totals are subject to change. Your grade will be based on 600-900 points.
The midterm grade will be based upon the work from the orientation, units
1-3, a change project proposal, and the midterm exam. All work is due Monday,
March 8th at 8:00am.
Work for units 4-7 and all remaining work except
for the final applications assignment is due Monday, May 3th at 8:00 am.
All work except the final assignment must be submitted by Thursday, May 6th at 8:00 am.
Exams:
There will be 2 closed book exams in this class.
You need to plan to travel to your closest campus to take the midterm and the final
or discuss with me the process of getting an approved proctor. There will
be at least 2 time options and you can choose the one that is most convenient
for you. An exam schedule will be posted later in the semester as soon as
the IT department determines testing room availability. If you do not live near
a SWTJC campus, it may be possible to make arrangements to take the exam
with an approved proctor or supervisor. These arrangements need to be
made in advance.
Academic Honesty
You are expected to do your own work. While
it is fine to work with another student, it is not acceptable for two or more
people to submit the same or substantially the same file unless it is a group
project. If this occurs all parties will receive a 0 for the assignment.
Repeated occurrences may result in an F for the course.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Statement
Any student with a documented disability needing
academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to the Counseling
Department (see below) as early in the semester (preferable within the first
week) as possible. All discussions will remain confidential.
Crystal City Idalia De La Cruz (830/374-2828)
Del Rio Marilyn Casson (830 775-1560)
Eagle Pass Brenda Hoffman (830/758-4102)
Uvalde Melissa Deleon (830/591-7352)
Revised
January 2010
Dr.
Nancy Masterson
Psychology
2302 Online