INET Course Syllabus
PSYC 2301 General Psychology
Psychology
Behavioral Sciences Department
Division of Arts and Sciences
Asst. Professor Robyn Inmon
Internet – Summer I, 2010
South Plains College
Note: The first section of the syllabus is a Common Course Syllabus and in used by all sections of PSYC
2301 at SPC. The second section of the syllabus is titled Instructor’s Course Information and contains the
requirements for this particular section.
The first thing you need to do for this course is to READ THE ENTIRE SYLLABUS. I know it is long, but it is
very important that you understand all that is expected of you, the student, in this course.
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INET Course Syllabus
Common Course Syllabus for PSYC 2301 General Psychology
Department: Behavioral Sciences
Discipline: Psychology
Course Number: PSYC 2301
Course Title: General Psychology
Credit: 3 Lecture, 0 Lab
Satisfies a core curriculum requirement? Yes, Behavioral or Social Science
Prerequisites: TSI compliance in Reading
Available Formats: Conventional, INET, ITV
Campus: Levelland, Reese, ATC, Plainview
Textbook: What Is Psychology? Essentials, Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo, Wadsworth/Cengage
Publishers, ISBN No. 978-0-495-59673-8.
Course Specific Instructions: Each instructor will attach his/her course specific instructions.
Course Description: An introduction to the fundamental concepts in psychology with
emphasis on heredity and environment, individual differences, personality dynamics, and
group processes.
Course Purpose: To acquaint students with the diverse field of psychology, methods of
research used and how it contributes to the body of knowledge in psychology, promotion of
critical thinking, generation of new ideas, and consideration of alternate explanations when
evaluating information.
Course Requirements: To maximize the potential to complete this course, a student should
attend all class meetings, complete all homework assignments and examinations in a timely
manner, and complete all other projects or papers as assigned on the course specific
instructions.
Course Evaluation: See the instructor’s course information sheet for specific items used in
evaluating student performance.
Attendance Policy: Whenever absences become excessive and in the specific instructor’s
opinion, minimum course objectives cannot be met due to absences, the student will be
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withdrawn from the course. Each instructor will have additional information about
attendance on his/her course information sheet.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students who have completed this course will be expected to:
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demonstrate knowledge and understanding of major perspectives in psychology (e.g.,
behaviorism, psychoanalytic, and cognitive),
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of biological bases of behavior and mental
processes (e.g., physiology, sensation, and perception),
understand the nature of psychology as a science and basic research methods used in
psychology (e.g. descriptive, correlational, and experimental),
evaluate the quality of information with an open but critical mind, (e.g.,
differentiating empirical evidence from speculation),
understand major applied areas of psychology (e.g. clinical, counseling, and
industrial/organizational),
recognize the necessity for ethical behavior in all aspects of the science and practice
of psychology,
tolerate ambiguity and realize that psychological explanations will often be complex
and tentative, and
apply psychological knowledge to every-day life which fosters personal growth and
self-awareness and increases awareness and understanding of others.
Through course assignments, papers, activities, and assessments, students will:
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demonstrate the ability to read and write clearly and concisely,
value diversity and differences in people,
explore relationships of ideas and see their similarities and differences,
gain a basic understanding of the career fields related in the major,
assimilate and synthesize information,
integrate ideas across the curricula, and
interrelate the past to the present.
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Instructor’s Course Information
Instructor:
Robyn Inmon
Email:
rinmon@southplainscollege.edu
Contact Information:
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As this is an entirely web-based course, you will contact me by sending an email through your
course in WebCT.
Office Hours:
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I will have no regular office hours during the summer session. I will check WebCT daily, Monday
through Thursday for emails.
Course Competencies:
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The primary criteria for course competency are to demonstrate mastery of a minimum of 60% of
assigned course content and assignments.
Attendance Policy:
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Since this course is a virtual classroom, attendance will be taken according to the following:
 Participation in class discussions by posting to the discussion board
 Taking chapter quizzes on or before the due dates
 Turning in assignments on or before the due dates
Important: You may be administratively dropped from this course without notice if you miss the
due dates for any combination of assignments, quizzes, and/or discussions totaling more than
three (3).
The WebCT software used to manage this online course tracks student logins, tracking when and
where the student has been in the course and how much time is spent in all areas of the course.
In other words, I can tell how active you are in the course! Accessing this information on a
regular basis is extremely important in order to meet the objectives of this course. You will feel
more at ease with the materials if you stay in touch with what is going on.
This is your student notification of the Instructor’s administrative drop policy and it is your
responsibility to be aware of the policy as outlined in the South Plains College General Catalog,
pages 20 and 21 under Class Attendance.
Late Work: All work must be posted or submitted by the due date to receive credit. NO LATE WORK will
be accepted. Excuses such as “The network was down,” “I could not figure out how to use WebCT,” “I
work a full-time job,” “I have children,” or “I had a family emergency,” etc. are not acceptable. In short,
plan ahead and do not wait until the last minute to submit your discussions and assignments and take
your quizzes. It is a good idea to get your work completed well before the deadline.
I STRONGLY urge you to NOT wait until the last minute to submit your work. By “last minute,” I
am referring to the day work is due, especially in the last few hours before the deadline.
Inevitably, when you do, something happens (you get interrupted and miss the deadline,
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lightening strikes and takes out your computer, etc.). No exceptions will be made for students
not submitting their work on time.
Academic Integrity: You are expected to do your own work. You may not work with another person to
complete your assignments, discussions, or when taking your quizzes. You may not copy another
student’s work and present it as your own. You may not allow another student to copy your work.
Complete honesty is required of the student in the presentation of any and all phases of course work. If
the instructor determines an assignment to be plagiarized, the result can range from a zero for that
assignment to failure of the course. The result will be determined by the instructor. See SPC College
Catalog for additional information.
Equal Opportunity: South Plains College strives to accommodate the individual needs of all students in
order to enhance their opportunities for success in the context of a comprehensive community college
setting. It is the policy of South Plains College to offer all educational and employment opportunities
without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, disability, or age. In addition, this instructor will
not tolerate remarks nor gestures that can be construed to be sexist, racist, heterosexist or in any way
disparaging to another person in the virtual classroom. Students who exhibit such behavior will be
dropped from this class regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, or sexual orientation.
Students with disabilities, including but not limited to physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities, who
wish to request accommodations in this class should notify the Special Services Office early in the
semester so that the appropriate accommodations may be made. In accordance with federal law, a
student requesting accommodations must provide acceptable documentation of his/her disability to the
Special Services Coordinator. A student who enrolls in this class that may need classroom
accommodations is strongly encourage to schedule an intake interview with the special services
department BEFORE enrolling in this class or prior to the add/drop date for this semester. For more
information, call or visit the Special Services Office in the Student Services Building, Levelland Campus,
or by phone at 894-9611, ext. 2529.
HOW THIS COURSE IS CONDUCTED:
This course is an online course, which means that you will access course information and respond to me
and/or other students through the use of the Internet. SPC uses WebCT/Blackboard to deliver and
manage internet courses. WebCT stands for Web Course Tools. It is a software package that was written
to help manage online courses. WebCT and Blackboard are in the process of merging and you may see
either WebCT or Blackboard used in this course.
If you are new to WebCT, it is not difficult to use, and this is coming from someone who is NOT a
computer whiz! To access WebCT, log in to the SPC Homepage at www.southplainscollege.edu and in
the upper right corner you will see WebCT. Click on WebCT and you will be linked to the log-in page. You
will log in using your first initial, last name, and the last four digits of your student ID as your user name,
and the four-digit pin you were provided on your acceptance letter to SPC as your password. If you don’t
know your pin, you can contact the admissions office at 894-9611, ext. 2572, 2578, 2570, or 2375.
Once you’ve logged-in to WebCT, you will find a list of all the courses in which you are currently enrolled
that utilize WebCT. Note: If you are enrolled in a course where the instructor does not utilize WebCT, that course
will not appear. Therefore, what appears on this screen may not reflect all the classes you are enrolled in this
semester. In addition to your courses, you will see “Tutorials – Student Orientation.” It is recommended
that you take time to read and watch the tutorial, especially if this is your first experience using WebCT.
The tutorial will be available all semester for you to use as a resource.
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Under no circumstances are you allowed to give your User ID and/or password to anyone. If someone
besides you is logging into this course on your account, I will drop you immediately with an “F”,
regardless of the reason. Also, if you log in under someone else’s account, I will drop you immediately
with an “F”. If you are taking this course along with a roommate, spouse, or significant other, you need
to let me know immediately. Failure to do so could result in your being dropped from this course with an
“F.”
Browser Plug-ins and Security Software:
Your Web educational experience in this course will require the use of several additional browser plugins. The following links will take you to some of the most commonly used tools. It is very highly
recommended that you have an anti-virus program on your computer. You will also need Adobe Acrobat
and a multimedia player such as Windows Media Player.
Minimum Software Requirement:
Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or another word processing program capable of saving files in RTF (Rich
Text Format).
Web Browser – Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher version (this is a free downloadable program). If you plan
on using a browser supplied by your Internet Service Provider (for example, AOL or WebTV) make sure it
is the most recent version. I cannot guarantee that all course features will function in all non-Internet
Explorer browsers.
Software links:
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RealNetworks RealOne Player
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Apple Quicktime Media Player http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
Windows Media Player
Computer Requirements:
Since this course is entirely online, participants are expected to have at least an elementary knowledge
of their microcomputer operating system and basic knowledge of software and tools such as a word
processor, e-mail, an Internet browser, and search engines.
You will need to have access to a computer and the course for a minimum of 10 hours per week. The
course is structured so that you may access it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to fit your schedule.
However, the instructor is not available 24/7. I will check this course on a regular basis Monday through
Friday, but not on the weekends. It is recommended that you work on coursework during the week
days, so that if you have any questions you can obtain an answer in a timely manner.
There are some computer skills, in addition to typing, that are necessary in an internet course. Go to the
Instructional Technology Department to see if you have the required skills for this course:
http://www.southplainscollege.edu/online/internet/onlinecourses.html
What You Need To Do For This Course:
There are three types of activities required for this course: discussions, assignments, and quizzes.
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INET Course Syllabus
DISCUSSIONS: These are written assignments submitted through WebCT that all students in the course
will read. There are two parts to the discussions: for most discussion assignments you will post at least
6-8 quality sentences on a particular topic AND respond with at least 6-8 quality sentences to at least
one post by a fellow student. Some discussions, however, will require more than 8 sentences to
adequately answer the questions asked on the topic. You will not be given credit for postings that do not
meet the minimum requirement for length. Also, 6-8 choppy sentences put down just to get the
sentence count will NOT earn you full credit. For sentences to count toward the 6-8 quality sentences
requirement, they must be meaningful sentences showing that you have thought about the topic.
Sentences like “I agree with this,” or “That is interesting,” will not be counted.
To help you do the best you can, I am giving you a grading rubric for the discussion postings and replies:
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Posts:
o A 10 point post has: thoughtful commentary that specifically includes references and/or
discussion to the reading, video or other material; personal connections when relevant;
introduces new ideas and questions; and/or thoroughly addresses the topic; includes at
least the minimum number of quality sentences.
o A 5 point post has: reference to some type of course material; some personal reference
but may not clearly connect to the course material or topic; did not thoroughly address
the topic; includes at least the minimum number of quality sentences.
o A 0 point post has: incorrect or partial posts; no reference to relevant material;
irrelevant ideas; does not meet the minimum number of quality sentences; no post.
Replies:
o A 10 point reply is a reply that: explicitly references ideas in the post; gives personal
commentary in a constructive way; may correct an incorrect posting in a respectful way;
elaborates on the ideas and questions posed in the original post; reflects a good
understanding of the course material; and/or brings up course material that the original
post did not include but was relevant; includes at least 6-8 quality sentences.
o A 5 point reply is a reply that: briefly elaborates on the ideas and questions posed in the
original post; is a personal response that may or may not clearly tie to the original post
but somewhat relevant; includes at least 6-8 quality sentences.
o A 0 point reply is a reply that: includes brief encouragement; is a statement of
agreement or disagreement; is an unclear or offensive response; no reply.
**NOTE: Simply restating what someone else has stated will NOT earn you points. You need to
put thought into your postings, bring in course work, or discuss a personal connection to the
topic to receive the maximum points. Posts and replies are not to be written as you do when
you IM or text someone. Spell everything out (correctly), and use correct grammar and
punctuation. Poorly written posts with spelling errors, poor grammar, or acronyms (e.g. OMG),
diminish the quality of the post/reply and you will lose points.
ASSIGNMENTS: There will be a variety of written assignments you will need to complete. Not all
assignments will be in the same format. You may take an assessment and write about the results. You
may view a video and answer question about your reactions, or you may answer questions related to
the information in your book. Having a variety of assignments will hopefully be more enjoyable for you
while learning about some of the concepts in psychology.
**VERY USEFUL RECOMMENDATION: I suggest that you write your discussion posts, discussion
replies, and assignments using a word document FIRST. This will allow you to edit, run a spelling and
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INET Course Syllabus
grammar check, and make any other corrections before you submit it. Just copy what you’ve written and
paste it into the submission window. The quality of your submissions will be greatly enhanced. Be sure
to save everything you’ve created. That way, if for some reason your submission does not go through,
you can easily resubmit it without having to write it all over again.
QUIZZES: You will have 10 quizzes consisting of fifty multiple-choice questions to complete for this
course. Be sure to watch the calendar or check each quiz to see when they are available and for the
deadline. No student will be allowed to take a quiz after the deadline regardless of the reason for
missing the deadline.
**NOTE: It is impossible to accommodate each individual student’s schedule in regards to working fullor part-time, trips out of town, harvesting season, etc. You have several DAYS to complete your work for
this class. It is recommended that you DO NOT WAIT until the last minute (or last hour or last day) to
complete your work.
GRADING POLICY:
Your final grade for the course will be calculated based on total points earned.
How can I earn points?
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Discussions
10 @ 20 points each
Assignments
5 @ 50 points each
Quizzes
10 @ 50 points each
Total possible points is 950.
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200 points
250 points
500 points
Points necessary for each grade:
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For an A in the course, you will need between 855 and 950 points.
For a B in the course, you will need between 760 and 854 points.
For a C in the course, you will need between 665 and 759 points.
For a D in the course, you will need between 570 and 664 points.
Students earning less than 570 points will receive an F for the course.
Important: You may be administratively dropped from this course without notice if you miss the
due dates for any combination of assignments, quizzes, discussions and/or exams totaling more
than three (3).
Other Information:
Open Computer Lab: There is an Open Computer Lab located on the Levelland campus in the Technology
Center. It is available to all students with an SPC ID. Computers are also available on the Reese Center
(Bldg. 8), Lubbock ATC, and Plainview campuses. Check with each campus for information and lab hours:
Levelland Campus: 894-9611
Reese Center: 885-3048
Byron Martin ATC: 747-0576
Plainview Center: 296-9611
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Course Schedule for PSYC 2301.151
Summer I, 2010
Module 1:
Chapter 1
What Is Psychology?
Due Dates (by midnight)
Discussion 1:
Introductions
June 2nd
Discussion 2:
Personal Theory of Psychology
June 4th
Assignment 1:
Experimental Research
June 4th
Quiz 1:
Chapter 1
June 5th
Module 2:
Chapter 11
Health, Stress, and Coping: How Can You Create a Healthy Life?
Assignment 2:
Stress: What Type Are You?
June 8th
Quiz 2:
Chapter 11
June 8th
Module 3:
Chapter 2
How Does Biology Influence Our Behavior?
Discussion 3:
Neuroscience and the Brain
June 9th
Assignment 3:
Glial Cells and Neurons
June 11th
Quiz 3:
Chapter 2
June 11th
Module 4:
Chapter 3
How Do We Sense and Perceive Our World?
Discussion 4:
Sensation
June 13th
Quiz 4:
Chapter 3
June 13th
Module 5:
Chapter 4
Consciousness: Wide Awake, in a Daze, or Dreaming?
Discussion 5:
Sleep Disorders
June 15th
Quiz 5:
Chapter 4
June 15th
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Module 6:
Chapter 5
How Do We Learn?
Discussion 6:
Observational Learning
June 17th
Discussion 7:
Punishment
June 19th
Quiz 6:
Chapter 5
June 19th
Module 7:
Chapter 6
How Does Memory Function?
Assignment 4:
Memory
June 22nd
Quiz 7:
Chapter 6
June 22nd
Module 8:
Chapter 12
What Is Personality, and How Do We Measure It?
Discussion 8:
Stanford Prison Experiment
June 24th
Assignment 5:
Myer’s-Briggs Type Assessment
June 26th
Quiz 8:
Chapter 12
June 26th
Module 9:
Them?
Chapter 13
What Are psychological Disorders, and How Can We Understand
Discussion 9:
Psychological Disorders
June 28th
Quiz 9:
Chapter 13
June 28th
Module 10:
Chapter 14
What Therapies Are Used to Treat Psychological Problems?
Discussion 10:
Normal versus Abnormal
June 30th
Quiz 10:
Chapter 14
July 1st
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