Introduction to PsychologySS124-15H

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATIONCandace Cresap-Blomquist

Kaplan Email Address: CCresap-Blomquist@kaplan.eduAIM Instant Messenger Name: CadeBlom

SEMINAR INFORMATIONSeminar Sessions: every Monday

from 7:00 – 8:00pm EST

For those students not enrolled in my class, please contact your instructor for specifics on their policies for discussion boards and projects.

Conditional Enrollment• Please be aware of the following policy which affects

all incoming KU students:

• All Kaplan University undergraduate students will be considered conditionally admitted to the University and will not receive financial aid while in this status. All University policies nevertheless apply to such students, and they enjoy all the rights and resources of a fully instated student during the period of conditional admittance.

Conditional Enrollment• At the end of the fifth week of classes, the University will review the

academic performance of conditionally admitted students. Students who have earned a grade up to that point of 65 percent or higher for all coursework will be allowed to continue in their program and will only then be eligible for disbursement of any financial aid and to receive credit for the course. The University will reverse the enrollment of any student not meeting these criteria, and such a student will not owe any financial obligation to the University except for the application fee, which is non-refundable

• Students whose enrollments are reversed in this manner may not reapply for admission for one year unless they qualify for a waiver as applied by the dean of their respective school.

• If you have any questions, please contact your Academic Advisor.

• No late work will be accepted for Unit 5!!

SEMINAR GRADING RUBRIC: Please make sure you are familiar with this. This is how we assign points to each of you for your participation. Please note the rubric for seminars:

Grading Criteria Points Points Earned

Frequent and thoughtful interaction on concepts being discussed by students and instructor. (20 – 25 posts throughout seminar)

0-2

Posts are on topic and contribute to the quality of the seminar.

0-2

Student arrives on time and stays the entire seminar.

0-1

Total 0-5

Seminar Option 2

If you are unable to attend Seminar, you have the option to complete Seminar Option 2. You will need to click on seminar discussion for the Unit we are in and participate in an asynchronous discussion by responding to the questions below. Your response should be composed in complete sentences and paragraphs and be 200–250 words long.

Post Seminar Discussion

After seminar is over, some students like to stay after and talk about specific problems they may be having with class or the content we are discussing (sort of like a group office hours) or they may want to chat with their classmates.

I want to make sure that you are clear that all discussions will go into the seminar transcript, and if you have any personal issues you need to discuss with me (grades, a personal situation causing hardship, etc.), that discussion cannot take place in ClassLive. Meet me in an Instant Messaging session (AIM) or, if needed, I can call you on the phone.

Turnitin and Plagiarism

Turnitin.com is a website that has a database which checks submitted papers against the internet and other colleges. It is a way for instructors to make sure that students are turning in original work. While you are not required to submit your papers to turnitin, I may submit a paper if I think it has been plagiarized.

When you click on Turnitin in your Course Home, it will

also give you a link to resources on plagiarism. Make sure that you check those out!!

Kaplan’s Writing and Math CentersOne of the most useful student resources available for you is Kaplan’s Writing and Math Center.

For this course, you would use the Writing Center. Available in the Writing Center are these services:

- Writing Tutor- Question & Answer Writing Center- Writing Reference Library- Paper Review Service

Other Services you may want to use are the Learning Resources – Study Tips & Tools, Online Library, Disability Services, & Academic Policies

APA Style of Documentation

You are encouraged to use the APA Style of Documentation (APA formatting) in your discussion posts and in your projects. A link in your Course Home, APA Quick Reference, will help you do this.

We will be discussing citations and references throughout this term, as they will be required in future courses!

Projects: A Major Percentage of Your Grade!

You have three projects due for this term. The first project is due at the end of Unit 2, the second is due at the end of Unit 5, and the final project is due at the end of Unit 9. PLAN ACCORDINGLY!!

1. Make sure that you are following the project rubric s located in your syllabus.

2. Make sure you are following the project directions listed in the courseroom under each Unit.

Seminar Topic 1: Syllabus

After reading the syllabus, do you have any concerns about any of the topics or projects? Do you understand the objectives of the course? Are there any questions about when assignments are due? What are the expectations for the discussion questions?

Grading Criteria/Course Evaluation

• Weekly Seminar, Units 1 – 9 5 points each (45 points total)

• Weekly Discussion, Units 1 – 9 40 points each (360 points

total)• Project 1, Unit 2 175 points• Project 2, Unit 5 175 points• Final Project, Unit 9 245 points• Total Number of Points Available 1000 points

Instructor’s Grading Criteria/Timetable

All course projects submitted on time will be graded within five days of their due date (the Sunday of the following unit). Late projects will be graded within five days of their submission date.

Seminar grades for those who attended will usually be updated two days after the online seminar session.

Seminar Option 2 and Discussion grades will be updated each week no later than Sunday of the week following the Unit’s completion.

It is important that you familiarize yourself with the LATE POLICIES for seminar, discussion boards, and projects. These late policies will be followed throughout the term.

Extenuating Circumstances

If you have extenuating circumstances that prevent you from completing projects, quizzes or participating in the class, please contact the instructor to make alternative arrangements. The possibility of alternative arrangements is at the discretion of the instructor.

Active communication is the key to overcoming any hurdles you may encounter during the term. If you are unable to contact your instructor, you should contact your academic advisor.

Seminar Topic 2: Early Pioneers in Psychology

When thinking about the timeline of psychology, the early pioneers up through today, which theory do you think had the most impact on psychology becoming a scientific study of the mind and behavior?

What are your own reasons for believing this theory made a major impact in the field of psychology?

Seminar Topic 3: Personal and Professional Benefits of Studying Psychology

How will the study of psychology benefit you both professionally and personally? Please talk about your major at Kaplan University and the role psychology will play in it.

Unit 2: Ethics and Research Methods

The ethical considerations that must be met before a psychological study can be performed are critical. In this unit, you will learn about the different types of research methods used to conduct studies as well as the ethics involved in all psychological studies. For example, each method has to be valid and reliable. You will also learn about types of validity, correlation, causation, and drawing conclusions in research.

Research Methods

Psychologists conduct research in a variety of ways, including the case study, naturalistic observation, correlational research, survey research, and the experimental method.

Ethics

Psychologists today must adhere to strict and specific guidelines concerning the ethical treatment of humans and animals while conducting research.

Why is this necessary?

Unit 2 Project

Your Unit 2 Project is due on Tuesday at 11:59pm ET. You will need to submit it to the DropBox in the courseroom. Do you have any questions regarding your project?