Contact Information
If you have any concerns
or problems that affect your performance in this course, please set aside some time to
talk with me. This is a part of my job, it is not an imposition on me. It is especially important to talk with me when you experience events that may:
- affect or are affecting your performance in the course
- cause or have caused you to miss class
I'll
do whatever I can to help you, as long as this help does not give you
an unfair advantage. I'll be in my
office and will meet with whomever comes by on:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm (and by appointment)
- Wednesdays, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (and by appointment)
This is the best
time for you to ask me questions about the course material, or to talk with
me about any other issues, concerns, or interests you have. You may come by and talk with me even if you don't have anything in particular you wish to talk about: in short, this is your time. (As mentioned parenthetically, you also may schedule
an appointment to meet with me at other times.)
There are two
other ways to contact me:
- You may send me an
e-mail to: jeff.ricker@sccmail.maricopa.edu
- You may call me
at 480-423-6213. If I am not there, please leave a message with your
name, your question or comment, and your phone number or e-mail address.
Please speak slowly and clearly.
PLEASE REMEMBER: If, for any reason, you are having trouble making it to class or learning the material, get in touch with me right away.
Course Web Site
PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology
http://www.scottsdalecc.edu/ricker/psy101/
If you do not have your own computer or you need to check something on the web site while you are on campus, there are computers available in the Social & Behavioral Sciences Learning Center (SBLC) in Room SB-158. The SBLC is open from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm, Mondays through Thursdays, and from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm on Fridays. There also are computers available in many other areas on campus.
On-Line Textbook
What is Psychological Science?
by Jeffry Ricker (2010)
The Table of Contents is at:
http://www.scottsdalecc.edu/ricker/psy101/readings/toc.html
If you have trouble accessing a section, please contact me immediately so that I can take care of the problem right away.
Course Objectives
I have two main goals
for this course:
Goal 1: To
help you gain a basic familiarity with some of the fundamental concepts,
principles, and theories of general psychology.
In order to accomplish
this goal, topics from each of the following areas are discussed, many of them in
depth:
- states of
consciousness: dreaming, sleeping, & hypnosis
- the structures
and functions of the brain
- learning and
memory
- the influence
of social situations
- the influence
of personality dispositions
- the symptoms,
causes, and treatments of mental disorders
Goal 2: To help
you learn how to study for a college-level course.
In order to accomplish
the second goal, I provide a great deal of structure in this course. I attempt to teach
you what to focus on when studying and provide ways to assess whether or not you are studying effectively.
Course
Requirements
In order
to do well in this course, you will need to learn a large amount of information.
Thus, you should set aside at least six hours per week outside of class for studying. (If you hate to read, this is not the course for you.)
A. Tests
The course is divided into five main parts. At the end of each part,
you will be given a test containing 75 multiple-choice questions. These
questions will cover material from the textbook and the corresponding
class discussions. No test will be dropped.
Which sections will I need to read for each test? See the Test Schedule on the home page for information about which reading sections will be covered.
How should I study for tests? See the How to Study for Tests page for information on how best to study for each test.
What if I am an ESL student? If English is not your native language, and you first learned English after about the age of eight years, you will be allowed to use a translation dictionary for all tests.
B. Participation
Regular class attendance is very important. You also may be asked to participate in an assessment-related project (which will be described in class).
C. Final Examination
At the end of the semester, you will take a comprehensive final
examination consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions. These questions will
be selected from the Practice Quizzes in the first four sections.
Grading
A. Grading Formula
Your final grade in
this class will be based on the following formula:
- 100% of the Final
Grade
Scores on the five tests and the final exam (17.5% for each test and 12.5% for the final exam)
B. Extra Credit
You can earn up to 26 extra-credit points for attendance—1 extra-credit point for each class session attended (except, for test days of course). You also will be given opportunities to earn an additional 16 extra-credit points (to be described in class).
No Other Extra Credit Will Be Given
Can I do an extra-credit to raise my grade? No, the only extra credit given in this class are the 42 points mentioned above.
C. Grading Scale
The
grading scale for this course is:
- A--88%
- B--78%
- C--65%
- D--55%
Because this scale has lower cut-offs than most standard scales and because I provide you with many opportunities to earn extra–credit
points, I am VERY strict about these cut-offs.
What if I fall below a cut-off for a grade? If you fall below the cut-off for a higher grade (even by less than 1% point) , you will get the lower grade.
How will I know what my grade is in the course? If you give me your permission, I will e-mail test scores and grades to you after each test. If you don't already have an e-mail account, SCC has created a gmail account for you.
Withdrawal
From the Course
You do not need to remember withdrawal dates for this class (see the schedule for these dates, however, if you are taking other classes). My withdrawal policy is this: up to the end of the semester, I will allow any student to withdraw with a W if he or she has taken no more than three (3) tests.
In addition, I may withdraw any student who no longer seens to be participating, as long as he or she has not taken more than three tests.
Missed Tests
A. Problems Arising
on Test Days
If, on the day of a test, you get up late, your car
breaks down, there is an accident on the freeway,
etc., please get in contact with me as soon as possible. I will
allow you to take the test on that day without penalty
as long as you get in touch with me and arrange a time and place
to take the test. Thus, as soon as
you know that you're going to have a problem making it to class on a
test day, contact me. If you do not contact me, you will need to arrange
to take a make-up test.
(NOTE: you also may arrange to take the test before the scheduled test date if you know beforehand that you will be absent.)
B. Make-up Tests
If you do not take a test on the day it is scheduled (or before), you MAY be allowed to take a make-up test. Here are the ground rules:
1. One Missed Test. If you miss
one test, you will be allowed to take a make-up test, even without an
excuse. But you must make arrangements with me to do so. You will have one week to take the make-up test. (For example, if the original test date is on Tuesday, you have up to and including the following Tuesday to take the make-up test.)
2. Two Missed Tests. If you miss
a second test, you must provide me with a documented excuse, which typically includes a piece of paper or some other concrete object.
In addition, you must discuss with me the reason why you missed the
test and (this is very important) obtain my permission to take the
make-up test. In other words, you'll probably want to set this
up before the test day if you know in advance that you will be missing the test. In general, remember
this simple rule: do not assume that I will allow you to take a
second missed test. You must obtain my agreement first.
3. Three Missed Tests. If you miss
a third test, you will be withdrawn from the course.
Please remember: there will be no exceptions to these policies, regardless of the reason for missing a test.
What if I miss a test and don't contact you within one week after the test date? In this case, you will not be allowed to make up the test: if you are unable to contact me, then get a family member or a friend to do so.
Important Note
I may change any
of the above information during the semester. I will notify you in class
of any changes. |