Syllabus Walkthrough

Make sure you carefully read through the syllabus -- the video doesn't cover everything!

 

Course Walkthrough

Mission Statement

Solano Community College’s mission is to educate a culturally and academically diverse student population drawn from our local communities and beyond. We are committed to student learning and achievement and to helping our students achieve their educational, professional, and personal goals. Solano transforms students’ lives with undergraduate education, transfer courses, career-and-technical education, certificate programs, workforce development and training, basic-skills education, and lifelong-learning opportunities.

Land Acknowledgment

We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes:

• Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community
• Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians
• Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation

The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands. Approved by Yocha Dehe Tribal Council (July 23, 2019)

Welcome to Introduction to Psychology! If you are new to online learning, or just want a refresher, you will want to head over to the optional Student Online Learning Orientation module before you do anything else, and then return here! If you are comfortable learning online and you're ready to get going, you will want to start by reviewing the Announcements for information about what you need to do to begin the class. 

About your instructor

This closed-captioned video gives you an idea of my education and experience. You can also review my experience on LinkedIn if you wish!

Contact information

Email and contact

My e-mail is ebaum@solano.edu. I prefer Canvas Inbox for messages from students. 

• If you are sending me an e-mail from your personal account or the name on your email isn't the same as in Canvas, please tell me your name -- I get a surprising number of emails from folks who I cannot identify!  It is best to send your message from Canvas inbox.

• If you are asking about an assignment, say specifically what assignment/quiz/whatever you are wanting me to look at (for example "Critical thinking assignment" or "Chapter 10 quiz"). We may have previously discussed it, but the way Canvas works I cannot always scroll through the old messages we have exchanged, so it is very helpful to say this even if we have already discussed it specifically.
  • Ideally, if you have a question about a specific assignment, you will make your request as a submission comment, because I can click on the link in my email and it takes me directly to the assignment. 

Response time to messages

In general I respond to student messages and emails as soon as I see them whenever possible, but the maximum length of time for response is 48 hours M-F. Be aware that this means that you may not get a response in time if you e-mail me on Thursday about an assignment due on the weekend -- make sure you plan ahead for the maximum response time.

Office hours

In general, office hours are on Zoom Fridays 2-3pm.  I will make an Announcement if there is a change to the standard hours, but we can also meet by appointment!

Instruction: Lectures

This course is asynchronous and does not have meeting times (however, it is not self-paced -- you are expected to adhere to course due dates). I provide you with a lecture I have recorded and video content each module, which will provide you the base from which to complete the rest of the work for that topic.

Discussions

Assigned discussions

In general I do not participate in assigned course discussions until they are completed, as I want students to answer each other's questions and feel free to express their opinions openly. At the end of the discussion, I will post answers to any "hanging" questions, or clarify anything else that came up in the discussion; I also post Announcements when I do this, to make sure everyone has seen it! If you want to draw my attention to something specific, please feel free to send me a message and I will pop in to review within 48 hours. 

Lecture discussions

Each lecture has its own discussion topic, and your participation in these is purely up to you, they are not graded and have no points.  I will respond to questions as quickly as possible, but not more than 48 hours after they have been posted, M - F.

Feedback on coursework

I strive to grade all work within a week of the due date. If you submit work late, it may take longer. Feedback guidelines: 

• In the Orientation module for the course, you are required to set your grading and submission comment notifications to "immediate" and I will assume that you have done that when I grade. There are multiple ways to access your submission comments, but one of the easiest is to click on the link in the notification you received.
• Work that has received full credit often does have a comment but may not unless you have asked a question or made a statement that requires one; if you want to make sure I respond to something specific, please say so and I will be sure to do that!
• Work that has not received full credit will always have a submission comment explaining why; remember that assignments can be resubmitted for more points, so make sure you read those comments!

Direct messages

I review the Gradebook at least weekly and reach out to students who seem to be struggling or whose patterns have changed (like if you suddenly stop submitting work after being consistent). If you are struggling in some way that I can see, I will attempt to discuss it with you by reaching out with submission comments and/or Inbox messages on Canvas -- but the responsibility rests on you to engage in that conversation and take the appropriate action. It's always best if you reach out if you need help, because often you will know this before I do. 

Announcements

I will make announcements on Canvas at least weekly to advise you of the work coming up and anything special you need to know about it.  I often also send additional Announcements about resources at the college, changes to our schedule, advisories about classwork, or other important topics -- as required in the Orientation module assignment, it is extremely important that you have set up Canvas to  notify you of these immediately, ideally both through e-mail and a push notification. You are responsible for knowing the content of Announcements!

Contacting your peers

There are many opportunities to interact with your classmates and with me through Discussion assignments (these are the ones with specific instructions and due dates), as well as through Lecture Discussions (each video lecture has an associated discussion which you are welcome to post questions or thoughts in).  I encourage you to post in the Lecture Discussions even though these are not required -- if you have a question, it is likely other students do also, so this is a great way to build community and connection!

Be respectful of your interactions with your classmates, in and out of the virtual or in person classroom. Behavior between students in person, electronically, and both in and out of the Solano College systems and properties is subject to the Student Conduct policies. If you are assigned to work together and need to make contact outside of class, make sure you are communicating with each other promptly.

Course Description: General Psychology (CRN: 60121, 3 units)

An introduction to psychology as the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Major topics include history of the field, scientific method, sensation and perception, brain and nervous system, states of consciousness, development, learning, memory, cognition, motivation, emotion, personality, tests and measurements, health psychology, behavior disorders and treatment, and social psychology. The influence of intersectionality is examined.  This course is 3 units, and has no prerequisites, co-requisites, or advisories (this means its appropriate for all learners!).

This course has no prerequisites, co-requisites, or advisories.

Course Objectives

As a result of successful completion of this course, a student should be able to demonstrate the following activities:

•  Comprehend basic psychological concepts of human behavior and mental processes.
•  Critically evaluate various theories within each area.
•  Critically evaluate selected research studies for adequacy of design and/or implications of findings.
•  Learn basic concepts from various "schools of psychology."
•  Understand how biological, psychological and sociocultural factors interact to explain behavior and mental processes.
•  Appreciate the importance of psychology to everyday life.

Student Learning Outcomes

As a result of successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives and empirical findings in psychology.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method and research designs (survey, case study, correlational study, experiment).
• Apply psychological principles to personal, social and organizational issues.
• Explain and understand the impact of biases in the field of psychology.

Required and suggested course materials and technology

Canvas and internet

This is an online course that requires consistent access to the Internet an Canvas.  It is extremely useful to have your own computer but this is not required -- if you don't, you can still complete the classwork on a mobile device, though some functionality might be limited. Remember that you can always access the library computers at any Solano campus, and that there are often Chromebooks available for check-out by the semester.

Textbook

You have a choice of a paper or electronic textbook for this course, Essentials of Psychology by Franzoi, 7th Edition, and both options are available though the Bookstore (go to the Bookstore website and enter our CRN) or on the publisher. When deciding which format of the book to buy, consider not just cost, but also how you learn the best -- most people will retain more information reading a paper book! Currently, the least expensive option for our book is about $30. It is also available both in the Vallejo and Fairfield libraries.

Students often ask if they can use previous editions of the book; having not reviewed previous editions of this book, I cannot speak to how similar it is to the current version, but generally there are not huge differences between one edition and the immediate next. Take this route at your own risk!  Students also ask if they need to purchase their books through the bookstore; students with vouchers must do this, but others are not obligated. 

There are no other required books for this class, but you are expected to engage with materials I share with you on Canvas and submit work through Canvas as required. 

Suggested materials

I highly suggest you take notes on the book and the lecture for success in this course. While most students are used to taking notes with a computer or other device, the research is clear that in general you learn more if you take paper notes. Good paper note taking is facilitated by nice tools, examples below:

• A solid composition book (you may prefer college ruled, but most are wide ruled, so check before purchasing).  Do not skimp here -- get the notebook you feel comfortable with and is the highest quality you can afford, because nothing is worse than having the binding coming apart or some other problem mid-semester. I do no recommend spiral bound notebooks as they tend to get bent over time and make it hard to turn the pages without ripping them. Remember: no loose papers are allowed into the exams, only notebooks.
• I really, really do not recommend any type of notebook with paper that is perforated for your notes (i.e., designed to be removed). The chances that some important page comes loose and then is subject to loss is too great.  Definitely do not buy "pads" -- they will not hold up to weekly use all semester, and your pages will fall off.
• I also do not recommend buying one notebook for all your classes -- as you move forward in your education, you will want to keep your notebooks and will sometimes refer back to them; it is much better to be able to organize these by subject than by semester.
• Small erasable highlighters in multiple colors (one color for definitions, one color for questions, so on -- if you are planning to write on both sides of each page of your notebook, I recommend pastels.  If not, I recommend bright colors.)
• A small ruler (helps with graphs, underlines, etc)
• Mechanical pencils or good quality erasable pens (these are the ones I use!)

Course Workload Expectation

How much time and work is required?

A three unit "lecture" course, by virtue of what is known as the Carnegie UnitLinks to an external site., mathematically establishes a standard the amount of work expected from a student (and the instructor) in an 18-week course (9) but this is a compressed summer course that meets over 8 weeks, and so the time commitment is changed to reflect this. California state law upholds this, see California Code of Regulations, Education Code, Title 5, Section 55002.5. Be prepared for about 20.25 hours of work per week in this course. 

Table shows calculation of number of hours per week to be spent on class

Type of Unit	Units	x Hours per unit	Total Hours
Lecture	3	x 18	= 54
2 hours of homework per hour of lecture	3	x 36	= 108
		Hours of work per term	= 162 hours of student work
		/8 weeks	= 8
		Hours of work per week	= about 20.25

Course Content Outline

Please reference the Course Outline for the state approved content and requirements for this course.

Grading Scale

The below shows how your grade is calculated at the end of the semester and entered onto your transcript, but on our path there, we do things a little bit differently.

A note on rounding: In general I do not round grades, unless you have turned in every piece of coursework and revised everything that was available to revise. If you have done these things and are within a percentage point of the next grade up, I may round.

 

This table shows the course grading scale.

Scale	Letter Grade
90% - 100%	A
80% - 89%	B
70% - 79%	C
60% - 69%	D
0% - 59%	F

Course grading policies with an equity focus

The way our grading is the same as other courses

I aim to grade within a week of submission and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook. Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. Assigned work is not weighted.

Most modules involve a quiz on the reading, and an assignment or graded discussion. 

In general, students consider me to be a fair grader -- I do read and think through each of your submissions, and your grade is not automatically full credit; you do not have to do everything perfectly, but I do expect your strongest possible effort. 

The way our grading is different from other courses

Our course grading focuses strongly on equity:

• The grading features a simplified structure (see "Grading Structure," below) that allows for revision and resubmission of assignments without penalty until the midterm date (first half work) or final date (second half work)
• Eligible late work (assignments) can usually be submitted up to two points in the course: midterm and final. This means that while you can turn in late work, you can only turn in the work from the first half of the class until the midterm is due, and the second half of the class until the final is due. Late assignments may incur a 10% penalty.
  • What is not "eligible" and why? 
    • Discussions: Discussions are designed to be interactive and iterative conversations with your peers, so participating after that process has completed does not meet the goal for the task.  As such, assigned Discussions lock on their due dates and are not reopened.
    • Quizzes: Quizzes due dates are designed to help you keep up to date with the reading, and so are not flexible.
    • Personal Improvement Framework (replaces a midterm exam): Your PIF focuses your first half work in the course and sets you up to apply it to the second half. If it is late, you are not able to apply it effectively. 
    • Exam: To preserve academic integrity and to allow for prompt course grading, the final exam (our only exam!) locks on the course end date and cannot be reopened after that time as the class has concluded. 

Grading structure

The Personal Improvement Framework is 20 points and has its own rubric.

The final exam is 11 points in two parts (multiple choice and essay) and has its own rubric.

Reading quizzes are worth 2 points.

Discussions are scored as 2 points for your initial post and 2 points for your reply. Most assignments are also worth 2 points and are graded as follows:

• 0 = Not completed (yet!)

• 1 = Revise & resubmit: The submission isn’t quite there yet. This usually means the questions weren’t fully answered, or the response lacked the depth needed to show clear understanding of the material. Check the comments for specific feedback—you can resubmit as long as the assignment hasn’t locked.

• 2 = Meets expectations: The work answers all (or nearly all) parts of the prompt with clear and sufficient detail.

 

All assignments include detailed instructions about what is required in your submission; to ensure full credit, make sure you have addressed all parts of all questions.

Why isn't the work graded the "standard" way, with 100-90% an A, 89-80% a B, 79-70% a C, 60-69% a D and below 60% an F?

Having more than half the grading scale taken up by a failing grade is not fair (or equitable)!  See below, to help visual learners:

Methods of Evaluation

Assignments and assigned discussions

Assignments and assigned discussions usually do not rely on the reading much, if at all, to complete.  Instead, they usually expand upon the module topic and ask you to critically examine how he concepts you learned in the module apply to the topic.

Module quizzes

The material for reading quizzes comes from the textbook only, and are designed to ensure you are keeping up with the reading. You have as many untimed attempts as you need to complete the quizzes, but they will lock on their due date and do not reopen.

Midterm: Personal Improvement Framework

I have found that Introduction to Psychology provides a unique opportunity to apply the material to the personal life experience of students; about half of the content, when taken together, presents an opportunity to create for yourself a personal development framework based on the concepts you learn in each chapter and class. Most of the time, students take the opportunity to create a framework to improve their academic habits and their success in college by setting goals and using what they have learned to achieve those. You will spend the first part of the course focusing on your personal development framework by watching lectures and completing the reading and assignments for psychology as science (in which you learn about critical thinking skills), learning, consciousness, memory, language/ thinking/intelligence, motivation, personality, and emotion/stress/health. With this information in hand, you will prepare your framework as a mid-term project, and then spend the rest of the semester applying it to the remaining content.

Final exam

Your final exam covers the content from the second half of the course, that is, since you completed your Personal Improvement Framework. It is designed to be the result of the hard work you have done implementing your Framework strategies around academic improvement (most people have at least one of these!).  Though you can use all the course materials to complete it, it will not be practical to go looking for every answer -- I advise you to take notes on the book and lecture material, so you can find what you need from your notes during the final. You can approach the final any way you like, but a big part of this course is helping you get truly prepared for a rigorous college setting, and completing your exam based only on your notes is a good way to test that out!

Logging in and participation 

Drop the class if you can no longer attend to avoid negative consequences to your transcript or incur fees -- please see "Critical Dates" below for deadlines.

There are some circumstances in which I may drop you from the course at my discretion:

• If you do not complete all the elements of the Orientation Module within a week of enrollment, including the Academic Honesty components.
• If you do not complete any work assigned on Canvas for a week or more;
• If you do not login to Canvas for a week or more;
• If you only participate in quizzes, but do not contribute meaningful other work;
• If you are flagged more than twice for an Academic Integrity violation;
• If you miss the Personal Improvement Framework;
• If I suspect you are not a genuine student (i.e., you are enrolled only to gather student financial aid).

Please reach out to me if you are struggling with attendance, it's not a fatal flaw in many cases! 

Academic honesty

There is no space for academic dishonesty in this class. All students in my classes are responsible for the orientation content on academic integrity and plagiarism, and you are held to these standards throughout the class.

 

 

Collaborating on or plagiarizing class materials in whole or in part (including patchwriting, which is the most common form of plagiarism I see), or using AI or other technology to otherwise produce work that is not your own will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and will not be handled lightly; remember that students who register in Solano classes are required to abide by the Student Code of Conduct and violation of the code is basis for referral to the Student Conduct Office, dismissal from class, or dismissal from the College (see the Student Conduct OfficeLinks to an external site. for exact wording and language). If you are academically dishonest: 

• For a first and second offense you will at minimum receive a zero for the assignment and you will lose a letter grade in the class for each offense. At my discretion, depending on the severity of the incident and other factors (such as a previous warning in this or another one of my classes at this or another school), you may lose more than one letter grade, receive an F for the semester, and/or be referred for college-level discipline.
• For a third offense, even if it occurs before the first and/or second offense is graded (for example, the assignments are due on the same day) you will automatically receive an F in the class, and may be referred for college-level discipline.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The World Economic Forum defines generative AI as “a category of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that generate new outputs based on the data they have been trained on. Unlike traditional AI systems that are designed to recognize patterns and make predictions, generative AI creates new content in the form of images, text, audio, and more.” I may use AI detection tools to screen student work in this class. Please discuss any questions or concerns you may have about these tools with me.

My policy for AI use in this class

The Academic Integrity policy as described above applies to AI use.

Do not use AI, do not use Grammarly, do not use translation software or anything that creates words for you or modifies your words for any purpose. Every assignment you submit should be created by you, from beginning to end, including content editing (spell check is allowed). I would rather see less than perfect writing than AI generated material. All assignments are subject to being run through one or more AI detectors inside the Solano LMS or outside of it, and high percentages and/or a marked difference between the assignment at hand and your typical writing style will trigger the policy, as above -- this will also trigger a much closer examination of all your previous work and re-grading if appropriate, so best to avoid the issue all together and write your own assignments in full.

If you are worried about this aspect of the policy, compose your work with Google Docs or Word with tracked changes, and if you are questioned, you can provide the document history to me for review. 

If you received a 0 for an assignment and a notification in the submission comments that your assignment has been flagged under the Academic Integrity/AI policy, you have 72 hours to respond and request a meeting to discuss the incident and the assignment in question. If you do not do this, or if you do not attend the meeting we set, I will assume you accept the application of the policy. If you attend the meeting claiming you did not use AI but cannot satisfactorily explain the circumstances or assignment, you will be referred to the Student Conduct Office.

Inclusive Learning Commitment