North Seattle Community College
General Psychology (online)
Spring Quarter 2012
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Course Dates:
Monday, April 2nd - Sunday, June 17th
(Please note: Spring quarter officially ends 6/15, but you have until 6/17 to complete course activities)
Credits:
5 Credits
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Instructor:
Kali Kuwada, Psy.D., LMHC
Contact:
Email: kali.kuwada@seattlecolleges.edu or through Angel
Phone: (206) 934-5465
I will respond to messages within 24 hours (weekends excluded).
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Required Text:
Myers, D. G. (2012). Psychology in Everyday Life. New York: Worth Publishers.
Text Resource:
Psychology in Everyday Life Textbook Companion site:
http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/pel2e/default.asp#t_661455_
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Course Description
General Psychology provides an overview of human behavior that is influenced by a multitude of contextual
factors. These factors will be explored within the larger frameworks of physical and emotional development,
learning and memory, and perception and motivation (just to name a few!). Related topics may include states of
consciousness, intelligence, motivation, stress and health, cross-cultural psychology and applied psychology.
Course Purpose & Goals
1)
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a dynamic understanding of human behavior in
the context of psychological theory, research and practice.
2)
Specific goals for this course are as follows:
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Recognize, compare and contrast the different theoretical perspectives in the field of psychology.
Define, elaborate upon and exemplify psychological concepts.
Demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing and evaluating others’ and one’s own view thinking
on complex psychological issues under discussion.
Demonstrate information literacy skills by seeking out high-quality online information relevant to
psychological issues under discussion.
Greater sensitivity to diversity by considering different points of view on controversial issues.
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Method of Instruction
This online course will use a variety of instructional methods including readings from the textbook, online
activities and discussions. My intention is to minimize busy work by assigning tasks that are concise, relevant
and meaningful. Make sure to read all the instructions each week to be clear about what you need to do. With
the exception of Week 1, the general weekly structure is as follows:

Read the textbook: Each week you are assigned a chapter from the textbook, which should be your
first task for the week. Note that we will not cover all chapters in this book.
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Review the lecture material: In addition to each week’s reading, some of the chapter material is
covered in a PowerPoint presentation, chapter overview handout and video (if applicable). I recommend
reviewing the material and getting your reading done no later than Wednesday of each week so that you
may focus on discussion assignments and studying for your tests later in the week.
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Attend or watch the weekly Collaborate session: Thursday of each week, you have the option to
attend a live Collaborate meeting with me. I will be available online (time TBA) to help you with any
questions you might have. Email me your chapter questions by Wednesday at noon so I can prepare for
the live session. If you can’t make the live session, don’t worry, it will be recorded and archived so you
can watch it at your convenience (Collaborate instructions are in Week 2 folder).
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Participate in the discussion: Discussions with your classmates are an important part of this course
and are worth 50% of your grade (more details below).
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Take the Chapter Test or Write a Paper: There are a total of 10 multiple-choice tests offered this
quarter (one test is administered per week). However, weeks 5, 7, 9, and 11 you have the option to write
a brief paper instead of taking the test. These activities total 50% of your grade (details below).
Each week’s chapter discussion forum and test will be available 12AM on Monday until 11:59PM Sunday of
that week. If you chose to write a paper instead of taking the chapter test (during week, 5, 7, 9, or 11), you must
email me the paper by 11:59PM on Sunday.
This means that you have the flexibility to complete your assigned tasks at any point during that week. If an
assignment or test is not submitted before the deadline, a score of 0 will be entered into the grade book.
Therefore, a ‘broken computer’, ‘power outage’ or ‘lost internet connection’ is not an acceptable excuse for
missing an assignment or test. Plan ahead and take some time to think about a backup plan in case technical
glitches arise.
Weekly Tasks & Extra Credit
Weekly Chapter Tests
Starting week 2, there will be 10 weekly chapter tests administered this quarter. These tests are open book,
timed and will include 20 multiple-choice questions. Each question is worth .25 points, with a maximum score
of 5 points per test. You can earn a total of 50 points from these tests. The test questions are randomly drawn
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from some of the key concepts in the chapter. You will have 20 minutes to complete each weekly test.
Although not all key terms will be tested, you will need to know all the key terms from each chapter.
 These tests are non-cumulative.
 These tests can account for up to 50% of your grade.
 Each week’s chapter test will be available 12AM on Monday until 11:59PM on Sunday
 Since you have a full week to take the test, make-up tests are not offered.
Optional Papers
Some students may find that they would rather demonstrate their knowledge of the weekly chapter through
writing. During weeks 5, 7, 9 and 11 you have the option to write a brief 3-5 page paper instead of taking the
chapter test. Each paper is worth 5 points (and can account for up to 20% of your grade). These papers will:
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Demonstrate your overall understanding of the chapter
Include a brief summary of one credible outside source (i.e., article, journal article, web resource)
related to the chapter
Include a reflection component
Complete instructions will be provided during weeks 5, 7, 9 and 11. For example, you might chose to take 6
tests (30% of your grade) and write all 4 papers (20% of your grade), totaling 50% of your grade. Or, you
might choose to take 8 tests (40% of your grade) and write 2 papers (10% of your grade), totaling 50% of your
grade. You have the option to decide what works best for you!
Weekly Discussion Forum Posts
Throughout the quarter you be required to participate in weekly discussion posts. Starting week 2, a total of 10
post assignments will be graded, worth 5 points each. You can earn a total of 50 points from these post
assignments.
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Discussion forum posts account for 50% of your final grade.
Each week’s discussion forum will be available 12AM on Monday until 11:59PM on Sunday
Since you have a full week to post your responses, late posts will not be accepted.
Discussion posts are to be written in a scholarly manner (I expect college-level writing). Most weekly post
activities total about a page of writing (they are meant to be thoughtful yet succinct). Since this is a survey
course, we do not have enough time to go into depth in any one particular area, therefore these posts allow you
to further explore areas of interest. Have fun with these…I really do want to know what you think!
Discussion Forum “Netiquette”
Students are expected to be civil and respectful towards one another in the discussion forums. Use of profanity
(i.e., words that show disrespect or debasement of a person) may result in suspension of participation in the
forums and a loss of points towards that course grade. In addition, the discussion forums are not chat rooms.
They are mediums for students to discuss specific psychological questions and concepts. Also, it is expected
that students will express their thoughts in carefully-crafted and carefully-proofread sentences written in a
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scholarly style.
Extra Credit
During the first week of the quarter you have the option to take an extra credit syllabus test and submit an
introduction post (worth a total of 5 extra credit points). If you choose not do to the extra credit, you will not be
penalized. Since you have the flexibility to submit each week’s assignment at any point during the week and
you can earn these 5 extra credits points, make-up work will not be accepted (with the exception of an
emergency, in which I will require documentation).
Course Format
The content on the ANGEL website is organized in a number of pages, which can be accessed by clicking on
the tabs at the top of the screen. The name of each tab along with a brief description of its contents is presented
below:

Course: This page serves as the home page and displays course announcements that I have posted. You
are responsible for reading all announcements posted, which may contain important information about
assignments and the course schedule.
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Calendar: This page displays due dates for the weekly discussions and tests.
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Weekly Assignments: This page contains instructions on all the activities that you are required to
complete. The content is organized in folders titled “Week 1”, “Week 2”, etc.
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Grades: On this page, you can keep track of your progress in the course.
Communication with the Instructor
Please send messages to me from within Angel or at kali.kuwada@seattlecolleges.edu. This class is designed to
encourage ongoing dialogue between student and teacher and amongst students as well. I expect that you will
have many questions and comments along the way. One benefit of an online class is that interactions can be
enriched if you make full use of the online tools provided to consult with one another. Communication is built
into the class and I will do my best to reply to any email or phone messages within 24 hours (weekends not
included). Feel free to ask any and all questions about assignments and text readings throughout the quarter.
Troubleshooting
If you are having trouble with any of the technical aspects of Angel, please contact NSCC’s Distance Learning
office: (206) 934.3738. They have temporarily moved down to an office space near the cafeteria (CC 1453A).
Additionally, you may find answers to your questions via the Distance Learning website:
http://www.virtualcollege.org/index.html and/or NSCC’s Angel support website:
http://www.virtualcollege.org/resource/angel_lms/angel_index.htm
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Textbook Internet Resource
There is a website provided by the textbook publisher that has activities and other content designed to enhance
the student’s learning experience. The website can be found at:
http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/pel2e/default.asp#t_661455_
Weekly Course Schedule
Dates
Topic
Posts & Test Due by 11:59pm
Week 1: 4/2 - 4/8
Syllabus Review & Introduction
4/8 (*extra credit)
Week 2: 4/9 - 4/15
Chapter 1: Psychology’s Roots, Big Ideas
& Critical Thinking Tools
4/15
Week 3: 4/16 - 4/22
Chapter 2: Neuroscience & Consciousness
4/22
Week 4: 4/23 - 4/29
Chapter 8: Thinking, Language & Intelligence
4/29
Week 5: 4/30 - 5/6
Chapter 4: Gender & Sexuality
5/6
Week 6: 5/7 - 5/13
Chapter 9: Motivation & Emotion
5/13
Week 7: 5/14 - 5/20
Chapter 10: Stress, Health & Human Flourishing
5/20
Week 8: 5/21 - 5/27
Chapter 11: Personality
5/27
Week 9: 5/28 - 6/3
Chapter 12: Psychological Disorders
6/3
Week 10: 6/4 - 6/10
Chapter 13: Therapy
6/10
Week 11: 6/11 - 6/17
Chapter 14: Social Psychology
6/17
HAVE A GREAT BREAK!!
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Course Policies
Academic Problems: It is important to me that you succeed in this class. If you have questions or concerns
about the subject matter or your performance, please contact me as soon as possible. Do not wait until the end
of the quarter to talk with me about academic difficulties. Additionally, there are resources on campus that may
be helpful to you.
 Tutoring: https://northseattle.edu/tutoring?search_standing=8
 Counseling: https://northseattle.edu/counseling?search_standing=1
Student Conduct/Academic Integrity: Cases of cheating, plagiarism or other types of academic dishonesty
are unacceptable in this course. This includes: (1) submitting a quiz, exam or assignment that another person
completed; (2) completing a quiz exam or assignment for another student; (3) copying phrases or sentences
from a book, article or Internet source into an assignment without providing a citation; and (4) copying from
someone else’s work. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to the College’s Student Code of
Conduct and disciplinary processes.
Discrimination: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any
participant in an educational program. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and
student-to-student sexual harassment. NSCC’s policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees
of the College but to students as well.
ADA Accommodations: If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course
successfully, please contact Disability Services, located in CC 2346A (Northwest section of the East
wing of the College Center, 2nd floor) phone: (206) 934-3697 voice, (206) 934-0079 modem (TTY).
Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented
disabilities. Services are coordinated through the Disability Services office with the student and
instructor.
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Grading Information
The discussion board posts are worth 50% of your grade and the tests worth 50% of your grade, totaling 100%.
The optional Week 1 extra credit syllabus test and introduction will also be calculated as extra points toward
your final grade. The total number of points you earn will be converted to a percentage of the total points
possible. Your final grade will be assigned in accordance the decimal grading scale as shown below.
Points = %
Decimal Grade
Points = %
Decimal Grade
96-100% (A)
4.0
78 (C+)
2.3
94-95 (A)
3.9
77 (C+)
2.2
93 (A-)
3.8
75-76 (C)
2.1
92 (A-)
3.7
73-74 (C)
2.0
91 (A-)
3.6
71-72 (C)
1.9
90 (A-)
3.5
69 -70 (C-)
1.8
89 (B+)
3.4
68 (C-)
1.7
88 (B+)
3.3
67 (C-)
1.6
87 (B+)
3.2
66 (C-)
1.5
86 (B)
3.1
65 (D+)
1.4
85 (B)
3.0
64 (D+)
1.3
84 (B)
2.9
63 (D+)
1.2
83 (B-)
2.8
62 (D)
1.1
82 (B-)
2.7
61 (D)
1.0
81 (B-)
2.6
60 (D)
0.9
80 (B-)
2.5
59 (D-)
0.8
79 (C+)
2.4
58 (D-)
0.7
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