Brookdale Community College Essay Example For Students

Brookdale Community College Essay Department of Psychology and Human ServicesPSYC 105 Syllabus- COURSE DESCRIPTIONS InPSYC 105,students will demonstrate an understanding of psychology as a science. They will complete exercises covering fundamental areas of the discipline: history of psychology, scientific methods, sensation and perception, learning and memory, and intelligence and I.Q. testing. Students will gain the ability to examine these subjects from a critical as well as a diverse point of view and the roles of gender, culture and individual differences will be systematically explored. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion ofPSYC 105, the student will be able to: Recognize scientific methods and manipulate some components of experiments, as well as gain familiarity with basic statistical information and measurement requirements such as reliability and validity, with emphasis on scientific reasoning. Explain how learning and thinking arise from the human nervous system, starting with neurons, progressing to the brain itself, incorporating the sensory systems and concluding with the act of perception, with emphasis on scientific reasoning. Investigate and explain the cognitive processes of learning, remembering, intelligence, judgment, and decision making, with emphasis on critical thinking and personal development. Analyze and critically evaluate information that is constantly flowing from the media through a psychological framework, with emphasis on critical thinking and historical/societal analysis. TEXTBOOK Hockenbury,D.H.Hockenbury, S.E.(2013).Psychology(6thedition)- Custom version. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. ASSIGNMENTS GRADING Students inPSYC 105aregradedin accordance withthe following criteria: 1. Attendance and Participation Consistentattendance and active participation are essentialto facilitating student mastery of material presentedin eachcourse. Thus, lateness, lack of attention to lecture, limitedengagement in learning activities, leaving class early and excessive absences, may result in point deductions. 2. Papers There are research papersdue ineach course.They should answer all questions asked, feature complete sentences and strong paragraph structure, and be free from spelling/grammatical error. They should incorporate information from outside sources as well as student analysis, and be written in APA format. 3. Examinations There are unit exams in each course. They take the form of closedand/or open-ended in-class assessments that cover material learned throughout the course. 4. Additional Methods of AssessmentsStudents in each course may also be required to participate in activities that extend learning beyond the traditional paradigm of in-class instruction, paper writing and test taking, via engagement with one (1) or more of the following:E-portfolios: E-Portfolios reflect a compilation of student engagement with on-line resources, such as supplemental seminars, scenario simulations, exploratory learning activities and progress-tracking assessments. Technology today serves to elucidate in-class instruction as well as offer experiential learning opportunities, which students undertake in order to enhance and demonstrate their understanding of theoretical concepts and practically applicable strategies learned in the course. In this course, the textbooks complementary PsychPortal serve s as the basis for assignments within the E-portfolio. Learning communities: Learning communities encourage students to exchange insight and learn from one another, bringing together various perspectives thanks to the diversity of student backgrounds present at the College. Learning communities can exist within singular sections of the course or across sections of different courses in cases where an integrated curriculum exists. Work within learning communities takes the form of student collaboration on research papers, multimedia-based projects, in-class presentations, test preparation, organized debates, and other both formative and summative assessments. Service learning: Service learning offers students the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the course to a community service project. It joins academic study and community service so that students can learn anddevelop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences. Wheninvolved in a service-learning project in this course,the studentgenerally volunteers for 20-45 hours at a site dedicated to the human services field. TheCareer Services staff at the College will assist in the planning of this service learning experience, in collaboration with the student and the instructor. Independent research projects: Students who wish to undertake independent research projects should speak with their instructor about the topic and type of study that most interests them. These projects should relate to material covered in the course, but represent intensive engagement with a specific student. The study culminates with a paper, and possibly also, oral presentation, of the students methodology and findings in undertaking the study. IMPORTANT PROTOCOL On-time Submission- All work must be submitted by its due date except in cases of extenuating circumstances (e.g., severe illness or death in the family). In these cases, students shouldcontact the instructor as soon as possible and proper documentation will be required. Instructors may apply a lateness penalty, including zero credit, when extenuating circumstances do not exist, or proper documentation of the extenuating circumstance is not provided. Make-up Exams- Make-up exams will be given forextraordinary reasons only(e.g., severe illness or death in the family).In these cases, students should contact the instructor as soon as possible and properdocumentation willbe required. For the most part, students are not permitted to take a make-up exam. Technology- Computers are welcome in the classroomon aninstructor-by-instructor basis. Web surfers and e-mailers will be asked to leave the classroom.Cell phones should be turned off or set to vibrate during class time. Emails to professors shouldbe professional and well-written. IMPORTANT POLICY Academic honesty- Students are expected to follow all academic honesty policies. Professors have access to Turn-it-in.com, a search engine that matches the words in student papers with words found on the Internet. Students should take care to paraphrase the words of others, or use exact wording in short passages contained in quotation marks with appropriate references.Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, as well as aiding others to cheat or plagiarize: Cheating: includes copying from someone elses test, submitting material for academic evaluation that has been prepared by another person or by a commercial agency, or illegally changing or substituting one grade for another. Plagiarism: includes submitting written material without proper acknowledgement of the source, deliberate attribution or citation of a fictitious source, or submitting data which have been willfully altered or contrived. Copying phrases, sentences, or paragraphs word for word from an original source without use of quotation marks is plagiarism even if you acknowledge the source. Genetic EssayCHOICE D: Conditioning Comparisons: Describe at least two (2) major differences between classical and operant conditioning and provide illustrative examples of each. Next, address the topic of using operant conditioning to reward children for doing chores at home or following rules at school. Do you think this approach comes at a cost to their development of intrinsic motivation? Why or why not?CHOICE E: Learning Disorders: Choose a learning disorder (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, information processing disorder, etc.). Define it, give information on its prevalence/relevance, and describe how it impacts student learning. What specific interventions are used to address said learning disorder? Topicsfor Unit 4Paper: CHOICE A:Differences in Intelligence:At present, research shows differences in average IQ scores across racial groups in America. What are some reasons for these differences? Address the role of socio-economic status and the interplay between natu re and nurture in the development of a persons IQ CHOICE B:Effort Versus Intelligence:Francine is ten years old and recentlytested as having an IQof 105.Her score last year was 106. In both cases she was given theWechsler intelligence test. Francines father is unhappy with this and insists that the drop in IQ shows that Francinehas not been working hard enough in school.As the school psychologist, explain how you would address each of the following with Francines father: Thedefinition(s) of intelligence The actual abilities thatintelligence tests measure The significance, if any, between the difference inFrancines two (2) test scores The distinguishing factors and research-based outcomes related to a) effort and b)intelligence CHOICE C: Questioning Statistics:People sometimes say,You cant trust statistics, people lie with statistics. Numbers themselvescannot lie or tell the truth, sowhat does the expression to lie with statistics actually mean?In addition, answer the following quest ions: What aredescriptivestatisticsandwhat arecorrelational statistics? Is lying with statistics the same as using them improperly? What isone example of how statistics could be used to misrepresent data? CHOICE D:The Value of Intelligence:IQtests do not tap the full spectrum of intellectual competencies, including the childs ability to use environmental and personal resources in adapting to the world. For example, although interventions donot substantially raise the IQs of mildly retarded individuals, there is good reason to believe that interventions can enhance the functional abilities, learning strategies, adaptive skills, and social competencies of children whose measured IQis low.Our goal should be to provide optimal environments to facilitate such learning and development (Weinberg, 1989, p.103). Identify and discuss keyissues referenced in Weinbergs statement.Source:Weinberg, R.A. (1989), Intelligence and I.Q.: Landmark issues and great debates.American Psychologists, 44, 9 8-04)