PS101 OC Course Outline (12 Weeks)
Required Readings :
Textbook: Weiten, W. & McCann, D. (2012). Psychology: Themes and variations. 3rd Canadian Ed.
Toronto: Thomson & Nelson. Lesson notes available on course website.
Additional Materials:
Learner.org videos: go to http://www.learner.org to create an account for free. Links to videos will be provided in the course material. Each lesson will suggest programs for you to watch. These videos are there to engage you and to make the content you are learning from text and notes come alive, so to speak.
Calendar Description:
Methods for understanding human and animal behaviour are introduced. This course introduces psychology and its history, and shows how the different areas of psychology are integrated. Topics such as research methods, biological bases, sensation and perception, consciousness, personality, disorders, and treatment are surveyed.
Exclusion: PS100
Course Objectives:
To introduce you to the diverse field of psychology,
To familiarize you with how psychological topics are researched,
To introduce you to how to think critically about psychological theory and research,
To provide you with exposure to research experience through participation in research studies.
Course Overview:
Each lesson will include chapter readings, online lesson material, supplemental material and a weekly quiz. There will be one midterm comprised of the first half of the lessons and the final will be cumulative. All assessments will be completed online. There will be 2% bonus marks given for research participation (see below).
Evaluation:
Online Weekly Quizzes: 25%
Each quiz consists of 15 multiple choice questions. The quiz will cover material in that lesson's assigned readings (in some cases this includes more than one chapter). Each quiz will be available for one week, but you can only take the quiz once during that time period. The quizzes

are timed (you will have 1 minute per question) so you should be prepared because this will not be enough time to seek out each answer in the textbook as you are doing the quiz. Questions will be presented one at a time. As with any multiple choice questions, if you do not know the answer it is much better to guess than to leave an item blank. The 25% of the final grade accounted for by the quizzes will be calculated by summing the grades for all 12 quizzes (145 possible marks) and converting this to a score out of 25. For information about quiz deadlines and availability, see the
“Weekly Schedule” or “Calendar” on the course menu.
Online Midterm: 25%
The midterm will test material from the first half of the course. It is 60 minutes, with 50-60 multiple choice questions. It will be available in Week 6.
Online Final: 40%
The final is cumulative, with a great emphasis on chapters that were not covered in the midterm. It will be 90 minutes, with 90 questions (60 from the 2 nd half; 30 from the first half of the course). The final exam is scheduled by the Examinations office.
Participation: 10%
Most lessons have a discussion question which you will contribute to on the discussion board. I will not necessarily monitor these (except briefly for content), so if you have a specific question that comes up, email me individually. The breakdown of marks for participation is as follows:
To receive all 10% you have to participate all discussion questions
To receive 9%, you have to participate in 10/11
To receive 8%, you have to participate in 9/11
To receive 7%, you have to participate in 8/11
To receive 6% you have to participate in 7/11
To receive 5% you have to participate in 6/11
You receive 0% if you participate in fewer than 6.
Research Participation: 2% bonus marks
You can also receive up to 2% bonus marks for participating in online research studies that are offered by the psychology department. Given that you are learning about research, it is a very valuable hands-on experience to be a participant in such studies. Not only to you get first-hand knowledge of what it is like to be in a study, but you are helping to contribute to psychological knowledge. (Not to mention extra grades that could possibly bump you up to another letter grade!).
Below is the website: http://wlu.sona-systems.com/
Communication Policy
If you want to communicate with me directly, please use the email tool in MyLearningSpace. My
Laurier account will screen non-Laurier accounts so I may never receive your email unless you send it within the course email system. I will respond to your email within 24 hours, except on

weekends and holidays. If I have to be away from email for an extended period of time I will post an announcement.
If you have questions about MyLearningSpace itself (e.g., you can’t access something, you are having trouble logging in etc.), please use the administration discussion board where the Online
Learning staff will be able to help you.
The Bulletin Boards are for you to discuss course content with other students. I will not contribute to the Board if I believe students are answering each other correctly. So, if you have a specific question about content, email me through the course website.
Weekly Schedule: Dates Material
Week 1
Weeks 2, 3
Weeks 4, 5
Week 6
The Evolution of Psychology (Ch. 1)
Research (Ch. 2 + Appendix B)
Brain and Behavior (Ch. 3-part 1, 2)
Sensation and Perception (Ch. 4 part 1)
Midterm
Week 7
Weeks 8, 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Sensation and Perception (Ch 4. part 2)
Consciousness (Ch 5. part 1, 2)
Personality (Ch. 12)
Psychological Disorders (Ch 15)
Approaches to Treatment and Therapy (Ch. 16)