PSYCHOLOGY 100 - SANTA ANA COLLEGE
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
(Fulfills transfer requirements for Plans A, B, & C and psychology degree)
Instructor: Dr. Fernando Ortiz
Office Hours: Mon – Thu, 1:00-2:30pm
Office: VL-207-4, (714) 564-6554
E-mail: ortiz_fernando@sac.edu
Term: Fall 2014
Section #: 87141
The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the important fundamentals of psychology within a
framework of contemporary issues. Our treatment of the material follows a conceptual approach that stresses
issues and ideas as the means of understanding the fascinating field of psychology.
Blackboard:
All course materials and communications will be disseminated via Blackboard (Bb). You will need to login to
Blackboard by going to https://rsccd.blackboard.com. Your username and password are the same as those you use
for WebAdvisor. Once you login, click on your name on the top-right corner, click on Settings and then Personal
Information. Select Edit Personal Information to ensure that the email listed on Bb is an email account that you
frequently check. I will often email important information through Bb and you are responsible for all such
communication.
Acrobatiq Learning Initiative:
Santa Ana College is collaborating with Carnegie Mellon University to provide a truly online learning experience.
To this end, CMU has developed an interactive online site which contains the text material. Through our
collaboration, we have been able to negotiate access to the site at the reduced price of only $25. This is a one-time
price that will allow you to purchase the code necessary to access the site. There is no “textbook” needed for the
course.
On the OLI site, you will see that this semester course is divided into 17 units. Each unit contains a set of modules
that will take you through each unit.
Learning Outcomes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
To evaluate assigned readings with respect to the adequacy of the evidence and logic.
To apply the knowledge of research methods in interpreting data and drawing conclusions.
To recognize, understand and respect the complexity of sociocultural psychological constructs.
To develop insight into individual and others' behavior and mental processes.
To implement their psychological knowledge and skills in a variety of occupational settings.
Assignments:
Participation. Participation is a very important component of an online course. Since we will not be
meeting face-to-face, it is important that you keep current with course materials and that you check your Blackboard
account and email, at minimum, every other day. To encourage online participation, you will receive up to 100
points for participating in the course. Participation includes one online quiz at the end of Week 1 (20 points) and
contributing to discussions via the discussion board on blackboard on a weekly basis (90 points). Each of your
responses to the Discussion Board will be worth between 5 to 8 points. More information will be provided on
blackboard. Your Discussion Board post is due every Friday by 11:59pm. There will be no late posts accepted.
Module Checkpoints. The module checkpoints are essentially the main work of the course. As you can see
below, there are a total of 59 modules that need to be completed and you will be required to complete from three to
1
four modules per week. Modules for the week are due on Sunday at 11:59pm. It is important that you manage
your time and spread these out throughout the week in order to do well. ALSO, if you are a “weekend person” and
enjoy taking time off of school during the weekend, you will need to manage to have these done prior to the
weekend. There are no make-ups or extensions on modules.
Thought Papers. You will be required to complete a total of four (4) thought papers. These are two page
(typed, double-spaced) essays on topics related to the course material. These will be assigned one week before they
are due. You will need to submit these thought papers directly through Blackboard (instructions to follow).
Emailed Thought Papers will not be accepted.
Exams. A total of four (4) exams will be administered throughout the semester. Exams will be based on
material covered in the unit modules. Each exam will consist of multiple-choice questions and will be completed
online. Since you will typically have a window of two days to complete the exam, there will be NO MAKE-UP
EXAMS!! More information on these exams will be announced on Blackboard.
Course grade:
Therefore, your grade in the course will be based on the following criteria:
Participation (Week 1 Quiz, Weekly Discussion Board responses)
Module Checkpoints 59 @ 4 points each (+ one free)
Thought Papers (4) @ 25 points each
Exams (4) @ 100 points each
Total
110 points
240 points
100 points
400 points
850 points
Final course grades are based on the following point distribution:
A = 90-100% (765-850 points)
B = 80-89% (680-764 points)
C = 70-79% (595-679 points)
D = 60-69% (510-594 points)
F = Below 60% (509 points or fewer)
Cheating/Plagiarism
If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing (using another person’s work/words as your own), you will receive an
automatic zero on the assignment that you cheated on and an Academic Dishonesty report will be filed with the
Division Dean and the Dean of Student Activities for further action.
Withdrawal
During the first week of the course, you will be required to take a short quiz on Blackboard. This quiz is primarily
designed to “take roll.” Students who do not complete this quiz will be dropped from the course. Be sure to
note that after week two (September 7), it is your responsibility to withdraw from the course if you no longer wish to
stay enrolled. The last day to drop the course with a “W” grade is November 16. If you fail to take this
responsibility, the grade posted to your transcript will be based on your points earned in the course.
DSPS Statement
A student with a disability, who would like to request an academic accommodation, is responsible for identifying
herself/himself to the instructor and to the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS). To make arrangements
for academic accommodations, contact the DSPS Office in Johnson Center, U-103, or phone (714) 564-6284 for a
referral to the appropriate DSPS Department.
2
MODULE and EXAM Schedule
Section #: 87141 – Fall 2014
Unit
Unit 1:
Learning
Strategies
Unit 2:
Introduction
Unit 3:
Methods
Unit 4:
Brains,
Bodies, and
Behavior
Unit 5:
Sensing &
Perceiving
Unit 6:
Learning
Module
Due
Dates
Module
Read over Unit 1 and carefully read syllabus to
prepare for the Quiz (20 pts of Participation grade).
Students who do not complete Quiz will be dropped from the course
1. Welcome to Psychology
Aug. 31 at
2. History and Perspectives
11:59pm
3. Scientific Method
Exams
QUIZ Due Friday,
August 29 by
11:59pm
4. Research Designs
5. Neurons: The Building Blocks of the Nervous System
6. Brain Regions
Sep. 7 at
11:59pm
7. Methods of Studying the Brain
8. The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
9. Introduction to Sensing & Perceiving
10. Seeing: The Visual System
11. Audition & Other Senses
12. Perception: Interpreting Sensation Based on
Knowledge
13. Classical Conditioning
14. Operant Conditioning
Exam I
(Unit 2 – Unit 6)
Available on
Monday, Sep. 22
at 12:01am
Sep. 14 at
11:59pm
Due by
Tuesday, Sep. 23
at 11:59pm
Sep. 21 at
11:59pm
15. Learning by Insight and Observation
16. Types and Stages of Memory
Unit 7:
Memory
Unit 8:
Language
Unit 9:
Intelligence
17. How we Remember: Cues to Improving Memory
Sep. 28 at
11:59pm
18. The Biology of Memory
19. Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Memory and Cognition
20. Communicating with Others: The Development and
Use of Language
21. Defining and Measuring Intelligence
Oct. 5 at
11:59pm
Available on
Monday, Oct. 20
at 12:01am
22. Bell Curve
23. Sternberg & Gardner
24. Issues and Controversies Related to Intelligence
25. Introduction to Lifespan Development
Oct. 12 at
11:59pm
26. Prenatal and Early Development
Unit 10:
Lifespan
Development
Exam II
(Unit 7 – Unit 10)
27. Cognitive Development in Childhood
28. Social & Personality Development in Children
29. Development During Adolescence
30. Adulthood: Early, Middle, and Late
3
Oct. 19 at
11:59pm
Due by
Tuesday, Oct. 21
at 11:59pm
Unit 11:
Emotion and
Motivation
Unit 12:
Personality
Unit 13:
Psychology in
Our Social
Lives
Unit 14:
Wellness
31. Experience of Emotion
Oct. 26 at
11:59pm
32. Positive Emotions
33. Human Motivation
34. Personality and Behavior: Approaches and
Measurement
35. The Origins of Personality
36. Is Personality More Nature or Nurture? Behavioral
and Molecular Genetics
37. Social Cognition: Making Sense of Ourselves and
Others
38. Interacting with Others: Helping, Hurting, and
Conforming
39. Working with Groups: The Costs and Benefits of
Social Groups
40. Having Balance in Your Life
41. Maintaining Balance and Optimal Wellness in Your
Life
42. Being Out of Balance
43. Stress
Nov. 2 at
11:59pm
Exam III
(Unit 11 – Unit 14)
Available on
Monday, Nov. 17
at 12:01am
Nov. 9 at
11:59pm
Due by
Tuesday, Nov. 18
at 11:59pm
Nov. 16 at
11:59pm
44. Pain Management
45. Mindfulness
46. Defining Psychological Disorders
Nov. 23 at
11:59pm
47. Anxiety and Related Disorders
48. Mood Disorders
Unit 15:
Disorders
49. Schizophrenia
50. Personality Disorders
Nov. 30 at
11:59pm
51. Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Available on
Monday, Dec. 15
at 12:01am
52. Controversies and Conclusions
53. Psychotherapy
Unit 16:
Treatment
54. Biomedical
Dec. 7 at
11:59pm
55. Social
56. Prevention
57. Introduction to Consciousness
Unit 17:
Consciousness
Exam IV
(Unit 15 – Unit 17)
58. Sleeping and Dreaming Revitalize Us for Action
59. Altering Consciousness With Psychoactive Drugs
4
Dec. 14 at
11:59pm
Due by
Tuesday, Dec. 16
at 11:59pm