Amanda Nagy, M.Ed.

[email protected]

General Psychology PSYC 101 “This is a college-credit course intended for students who are ready for the rigor and expectations of college. Dual credit courses require extra effort and personal responsibility. A dual credit course may be more rigorous than other courses you’ve taken in high school and the expectation will be that you participate at the same level as a regular college student. It is important to note that most classes require up to two hours of out-of-class study for every one hour of classroom time.” Instructor Availability Contact through email or Schoology and visit my office during break or your free class periods. Course Description This course provides an introduction to the scientific study of the human experience. Through exposure to the diverse sub-disciplines of psychology such as neuropsychology, life span development, social psychology, thinking, language and intelligence, motivation and emotion, health and human flourishing, and psychological disorder, students gain greater understanding of themselves and the world around them. With emphasis on scientific inquiry and ethical and social responsibility, students taking this course enhance their academic skills, develop knowledge of the discipline, and have opportunities to communicate their understanding with peers, faculty, and professionals in the field. General Education Competency Area This course fulfills the Idaho State General Education competency area of Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing. Academic Affairs Objectives  Learn to Learn. Students learn that as important as content knowledge is, shaping one’s future requires the development of skill in discerning, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating knowledge in diverse contexts. The educational experience at CWI prepares students for a world in which they are likely to change occupations and face unpredictable life events. We strive to develop courses and learning experiences that give students the tools to confidently thrive in a complex, information-saturated, diverse, and dynamic world.  Make Connections. Students learn success in today’s interconnected world requires deliberate engagement and comfort with multiple perspectives, cultures, and contexts. In navigating difference and diversity in the natural and social worlds, students connect ideas, forms of knowledge, and practices to create a richer understanding of themselves as personally and socially responsible citizens.  Solve Problems. Students identify problems, analyze and implement solutions, and interpret and reflect on outcomes to develop skills to individually and collaboratively face challenges and create opportunities. Course Schedule This class begins on Monday, August 17th and ends December 17th for the Fall Semester (15 weeks of class). We meet for class on “A” Days for 1st period (7:40-9:15) in Room 209.

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Course Focus Psychology is both an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain how we think, act and feel. Psychologists, theories, research studies, and terms are found in other academic areas as well as in pop culture. You cannot discuss current events without involving some concept of psychology. Besides complimenting other academic areas, psychology also provides an understanding of yourself and others, delivers analytical skills through the application of scientific method, and use of communication and conflict resolution skills. Therefore, it is important to have knowledge of psychology so that you can be a well-rounded student and individual. Course Objectives and Outcomes General Education Objectives:  Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of a particular Social Science discipline.  Develop an understanding of self and the world by examining the dynamic interaction of individuals, groups, and societies as they shape and are shaped by history, culture, institutions, and ideas.  Utilize Social Sciences approaches, such as research methods, inquiry, or problem-solving, to examine the variety of perspectives about human experience.  Evaluate how reasoning, history, or culture informs and guides individual, civic, or global decisions.  Understand and interpret similarities and differences among and between individuals, cultures, or societies across space and time. Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes:  Think: Apply understanding of the social and/or behavioral science perspective to real world problem/s.  Demonstrate familiarity with major concepts, theories, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. o Understand multiple subareas of psychology (e.g., life span development, social psychology, thinking, language and intelligence etc.). o Recognize that behavior is a result of biological, psychological, and socio-cultural influences (i.e., the biopsychosocial model). o Understand and exemplify that human development is the result of both nature and nurture. o Recognize and differentiate that classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observation are distinct ways of learning. o Understand and explain how memories are constructed through the process of encoding, storage, and retrieval. o Recognize and demonstrate that personality is an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting. o Know that psychological functioning is considered to be disordered when it is deviant, distressful and dysfunctional. o Understand and exemplify how social situations have the power to shape human behavior. o Know that psychology is a science based on the scientific method. o Explain the scientific method and its role in what is known about human behavior. o Recognize and explain that correlational research examines the relationship between two variables while experimental research examines whether one variable causes a second variable.  Develop understanding of real world issue/s through a psychological lens.  Explain and predict behavioral and mental processes using psychological theories.  Tolerate ambiguity and realize that psychological explanations are often complex and tentative.  Communicate: Prepare for educational and career opportunities by developing verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills. 2

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Utilize the CWI Library to find peer-reviewed journal articles on psychological topics. Recognize the basic components of APA formatting and the importance of using appropriate citations.  Examine a primary research source on a psychological topic.  Examine the strengths and weaknesses of various tools used to search for psychological information.  Distinguish between research based knowledge about human behavior and information gained from popular sources.  Identify and evaluate the source, context, and credibility of behavioral claims. Collaborate: Be exposed to a diversity of theory, philosophy, and people.  Examine how an individual’s background and experiences influence perceptions and impact relationships.  Examine and demonstrate the ability to recognize multiple perspectives.  Understand and demonstrate effective and respectful interactions with others.  Anticipate that psychological explanations may vary across populations and contexts.  Recognize prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors that might exist in one’s self and others.

Outcomes Assessment The objectives and outcomes will be assessed by the following assignments and exams: Psychologist Profile, Chapter 1 & 2 Exam, Journal Article Analysis, Midterm Exam, Learning Experiment, Disorders in the Media, Therapy Brochure, Signature Assignment (Final) Signature Assignment  You will prepare a PowerPoint presentation to upload to your e-Portfolio during finals week.  Your presentation should demonstrate your understanding and depth of psychological knowledge gained across the semester as well as connections with a variety of topics discussed.  In order to keep slides in the presentation “clean” and in line with good presentation guidelines, you should include a brief explanation in the Notes portion of each slide that reflects what you would say if you were giving the presentation verbally.  This assignment will be your 80% final exam. You will accrue points during the development and/or review of the project as well as through submitting the final version of your presentation.  You will be required to go through a review/drafting process along the way to receive and respond to feedback on your PowerPoint from your instructor and/or peers.  You will present your PowerPoint verbally to the class. Assignment Prompt: Pick a form of media (movie, music, TV show, video game) and identify 10 different psychological concepts from at least 4 different chapters you learned about in this class that are demonstrated in your chosen media. Do not simply summarize the topic; instead make connections between selected psychological concepts and how they are demonstrated in your chosen media. Your presentation should demonstrate the depth of psychological knowledge you have gained across this semester. Include clear definitions of the psychological concepts you choose referencing your textbook to support your understanding and articulation of the concepts. PSYC 101 Student Outcomes Met by this Option: • THINK: Students will apply understanding of psychological science to real world problem/s. • COMMUNICATE: Prepare for educational and career opportunities by developing verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills. • COLLABORATE: Students will be exposed to a diversity of theory, philosophy, and people. 3

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Make Connections Creative Thinking

Grading Policy Grades will be calculated on a weighted grade system. Formative grades are worth 20% of the final grade; summative grades make up 80% of the final grade. The letter grade will be assigned on the following scale: A 100%-90%, B 89%-80%, C 79%-70%, D 69%-60%, F 59% and below In-class participation, homework assignments, group work, projects, papers, unit exams, and comprehensive final exams will be used to assess how well students achieve the course objectives. Inclass participation, homework assignments, and group work will be used as formative assessments measuring students’ mastery of content. Projects, papers, unit exams, and the comprehensive final will be used as summative assessments measuring students’ overall mastery of course objectives. Due dates for assignments and exams will be strictly enforced. Prioritize and plan ahead. If you miss class or an assignment, I will trust that you had a reason and will work hard to complete all future assignments. You will need to balance the demands of your life and accept the consequences. Drop Policy It is the student’s responsibility to drop the course. All class drops must be officially recorded by the College by completing an Add/Drop form and submitting it to the Dual Credit Office. Classes may NOT be dropped by telephone or e-mail. Failing to drop by this method may result in an outstanding debt to the College as well as a permanent academic transcript record with a grade of “F”. Once the CWI Dual Credit drop and refund deadline has passed, students may withdraw from this course up to the CWI Dual Credit withdrawal deadline. A withdrawn course generates a permanent academic transcript record with a grade of "W". This is considered an unsuccessful attempt and can have impact on a student’s future financial aid eligibility. Students who withdraw from courses after the drop and refund deadline are NOT entitled to refunds of tuition and fees and the full balance owed remains due and payable to College of Western Idaho. All drop/refund and withdraw deadlines are included in the CWI Dual Credit registration packet. For more information about these deadlines, please contact the CWI Dual Credit Office at (208) 562-3371. Textbooks and Required Materials Myers, D.G. (2012). Psychology in everyday life. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publisher. Methods of Delivery In-class participation, homework assignments, group work, projects, papers, unit exams, and comprehensive final exams will be used to assess how well students achieve the course objectives. Inclass participation, homework assignments, and group work will be used as formative assessments measuring students’ mastery of content. Projects, papers, unit exams, and the comprehensive final will be used as summative assessments measuring students’ overall mastery of course objectives. Course Expectations This is a college-level course; therefore, you will be expected to read and write at a college level. The most important expectation is for you to come to class prepared every day. That means you have done your reading, completed your homework, and/or reviewed your notes. Class discussions will revolve around ideas from notes, primary and media sources, and your writing; the class will be much more effective (and engaging!) if you are prepared. Please keep an open mind, as we will sometimes be discussing difficult or controversial topics. Above all, I ask that you participate—that you really TRY. Put forth your ideas! Challenge others! Ask thoughtful questions! Computer Proficiency Expectations Students in this course are expected to be proficient in the following areas: Microsoft PowerPoint The following resources are available as needed: Tutoring Center workshops and online training videos. 4

Behavioral Expectations Students will be expected to follow the discipline policies outlined in the student handbook as discussed in Discovering Excellence training. The One Rule, “you may do anything that does not cause a problem for yourself or anyone else in school”, will be followed at all times. Conduct yourself as an organized, capable professional. Your communications (written and spoken) should be based on careful analysis and use of available resources such as the textbook and online research. Professionalism includes active participation, respect, and integrity. Every student has the right to a respectful learning environment. In order to provide this right to all students, students must take individual responsibility to conduct themselves in a mature and appropriate manner and will be held accountable for their behavior. Academic Honesty All work that you submit must represent your own ideas, concepts, and current understanding. All material found during research must be correctly documented to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words, ideas, or theories as your own without giving the author/artist/creator proper credit. Always cite quotations and paraphrased material. I (and Compass Honors High School) take plagiarism very seriously; if you plagiarize a paper from a book, the internet, a friend, or any other source, you will receive a zero on the assignment and one demerit (see student handbook). Your parent(s) will be notified immediately. Cheating falls into the same category and consequences beyond the loss of a grade will occur. Please cite all sources (APA format). Controversial Subject Matter “It shall be the practice of Compass Public Charter School to provide for study of controversial issues in order that the student may have an opportunity to study such issues in a class atmosphere void of partisanship and bias. The rights of students to study significant issues in an objective atmosphere should be protected. […] An educational climate shall be established which shall be conducive to rational thought, inquiry, and respect for the dignity of the individual. This educational climate will assist students in learning how to think rather than what to think and shall provide students the opportunity to identify, express, and defend their opinions without penalty or fear of reprisal or ridicule.” ~CHHS Practices for Handling Controversial Subject Matter Emergency Procedures Please follow the procedures for fire drills and lockdowns according to the Compass Emergency Response Guide and the Lockdown Drill Guide.

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