PSY 250 - Adjustment and Personal Growth Section 970 (PDF)

1 PSY 250 – Adjustment and Personal Growth Section 970 Western Kentucky University On Demand Course Instructor Dr. Elizabeth “Libby” Jones Office – 3022 Gary Ransdell Hall, WKU Phone – 270-745-4414 (voicemail available) Email – [email protected] (preferred method). Email is the best method for communication. Please use the subject line “PSY 250:[brief description of topic] e.g., “Psy 250: course schedule” or Psy 250: self- assessment.” Using this type of subject line will assist in identification of your email among the dozens of emails I receive daily. If you do not receive a reply within 48 hours, please resend your email making sure you have the Psy 250 and topic in the subject line. Credit: Three semester hours. Text: Psychology and the Challenges of Life: Adjustment and Growth (12th edition; 2013) by Jeffrey Nevid and Spencer Rathus, Wiley Publishing. This text can be ordered directly from: College Heights Bookstore Downing University Center Western Kentucky University 1906 College Heights Boulevard Bowling Green, KY 42101 “ Note: Text is available in 3 formats. (1) a book (ISBN 9781118370360), (2) a downloadable e-textbook with permanent access (ISBN9781118548912) or (3) a loose leaf binder ready version ( 9781118182512) Catalog Course Description: Individual, social, and cultural determinants of personal growth and healthy life adjustment. Topics include stress and coping, relationships, values, career development, and decision‐making. General Education: This course fulfills a portion of WKU’s Category F (Health and Wellness) General Education requirement. Specifically, this course addresses the following general education goal: “examines personal behaviors as related to health and wellness to provide an understanding of factors that enhance health, well‐being and quality of life”. The PSY 250 course is not included as a Colonnade Plan course. Succeed: Read the Syllabus Carefully. This document contains an overview of the import information you need to know to be successful in this class. Read this document carefully as you will have to pass a quiz over this material prior to being able to start the first chapter.  2 Course Content Psychology 250 is essentially a course in applying psychology and psychological concepts to everyday life to achieve personal growth. It is an active learning course! Theoretical aspects of psychology which are essential to topics of personal adjustment and wellness will be covered. Thoughtful reading, self‐discovery activities, and applying these concepts to one’s own personal life are important components of this course. This course will include topics such as understanding personality, social influence, interpersonal relationships, love, marriage, anxiety, depression, sexuality, developmental issues, health/psych related topics (e.g., drugs, alcohol, nutrition, and sleep) and stress management. The course balances theoretical and research‐based information with practical application of this knowledge. Applications of psychological concepts and principles in meeting life challenges will be stressed such as managing time, developing self-identity, building and maintaining relationships, adopting healthier behaviors and lifestyles and dealing with emotional problems and psychological disorders. You will best benefit from this course if you try to make it personally meaningful. As you read different sections of the book, think of yourself or people you know well. Be aware of issues/news relating to adjustment and personal growth that you come across in everyday life – on TV, in magazines, newspapers. The field of personal adjustment is continually growing and changing. What You Will Learn:  Students will learn how psychological knowledge is relevant in their personal growth and development, including their understanding of their own patterns of feeling, thinking, and behavior  Students will be able to define key concepts and vocabulary important to the psychology of adjustment.  Students will learn strategies for changing their own behavior so that they can more successfully cope with the challenges of everyday life.  Students will learn to apply psychological principles to meet the challenges of daily life, resolve problems and reach their unique potentials. Note of Caution: Many students assume that an On Demand class will be easier than a face-to-face class. This is not actually the case! We will be covering the same amount of material as a face-to-face class. In order to do well, you must be a self-regulated person who is able to organize and manage your time well. Your Textbook Your textbook is organized in a modular format, which means each chapter is broken down into smaller, more manageable study units. Each module is a self‐contained study unit which begins with a set of introductory questions, and ends with a review section to test your knowledge of key concepts before moving on. Take a few minutes to look at the Table of Contents for the book. You will see the chapters listed by number and the modules within each chapter indicated by the headings that are bolded and in all capitals. Interspersed within the modules you will find sections called “Self‐Assessment” (exercises to allow you to apply concepts to yourself), “Adjustment and Modern Life” (cutting edge research), “A Closer Look” (profiles of fascinating individuals in psychology ), “ My Life, My Psych”(application or practice of some of the concepts). These additional sections are designed to help you integrate important issues with “real life” – pay special attention to these sections and tables as you go through the book as you will be responsible for all of the text content. Each  3 chapter ends with a Chapter Review and “Your Personal Journal” reflection questions. There is a free online student website with study aids, chapter summaries and similar materials. Course Structure This course consists of fourteen “lessons” with three exams and a final unit exam taken at the same time as the comprehensive final examination. Each lesson covers the material in one of the 14 chapters in the book. Prior to starting the course you are required to read through all of the materials in the “Get Started” tab. You will have one assignment which is for you to introduce yourself to the instructor and a quiz over the contents of this section. You will not be able to progress to the first unit until you have passed the quiz. The 14 chapters are divided into the 4 units which will be the major tabs on the left-hand table of contents under the learning materials heading in the course site on Blackboard. The chapters located in each unit are listed below: Unit and Chapter Organization  Unit 1 – Chapters 1, 2, & 3  Unit 2 – Chapters 4, 5, 6, & 7  Unit 3 – Chapters 8, 9, 10, & 11  Unit 4 – Chapters 12, 13, & 14 With you open a unit you will see a folder for each chapter and with Units 2, 3, & 4 an assignment submission folder for the applied project labeled “Submit Personal Resource Journal Pages Here.” Each Chapter folder also has a common format with an introduction or overview for the chapter, learning objectives, and key terms along with folders for the video assignment, self-assessment assignment, and quiz. The chapter contents and a brief description follow below. Overview This folder contains a brief chapter overview outline or preview, along with the learning objectives and key terms you will need to know. This overview will prepare you for understanding the important concepts of that chapter. Video Assignment Each chapter/lesson will have a video assignment. These will be short videos that provide some extension or review of the chapter topic(s). Self-Assessment Activity Every chapter/lesson will have a section indicating your choice(s) for your ‘Self-Assessment’ activity for the chapter. Complete the activity as directed and submit it in the designated submission spot under the ‘Self-Assessment’ folder for the chapter/lesson. Quiz Each chapter/lesson will have a folder with a quiz which will consist of 15 or more questions that will total to 15 points per quiz. These quizzes are ‘open book’, meaning you can use your book and course materials to complete the quiz. Read and study the each chapter before taking the quiz. If necessary you can refer back to the text while you are trying to answer the questions. Use the learning aids built into the textbook to facilitate learning. Do not just “find”  4 the answers to the specific questions, because then you will miss the “big picture” of how everything fits together. You would also miss information that might be on an exam or the comprehensive final. The quiz for each chapter will consist of 15 or more multiple choice questions, for15 points. To get an idea of “how you are doing” in the course, lesson grade equivalents are A= 13-15, B= 10‐12, C=7-9, D= 4‐6 and F= 3 or lower. Personal Resource Journal Page Submissions Starting with Unit 2 there is a section where you will turn in your Personal Resource Journal page. Guidelines for completing this page are included in the Self-Assessment and Personal Resource Journal directions handout. You will submit one page for each chapter. Personal Resource Journal pages have a delayed submission as instructor feedback on the self- assessment activity for a chapter must be obtained prior to completing the Personal Resource Journal page for that chapter. Another tab on the table of contents in the Learning Materials section on Blackboard that is labeled “Optional Content.” This section contains material that is not required but may be of interest. There are additional videos, handouts and annotated web resources handouts. As you work through the chapters you will see references to these materials. For example, for one chapter you will be watching 2 videos in a series of 4 videos. The 2 videos not required are available in that folder. They are provided in the event a student wants to go further with the content. The last tab on the table of contents in the Learning Materials section on Blackboard is the “Suggestion Box”. The Suggestion Box is provided for students to submit feedback on this course, course materials, requirements, etc. This is not a required class activity and suggestions can be submitted anonymously. Materials on Blackboard Access to each chapter is available and will become visible only after completing all activities and submitting assignment(s) for the prior chapter. The same rule applies to the Units. You cannot proceed to Unit 2 until you have finished the Unit 1 materials and assignments and have taken Exam 1. If you do not “see” a chapter please go back and make sure that you submitted all materials and completed all the assignments for the prior chapter. You must also be finished with all chapters within a unit and the Personal Resource Journal pages for units 2, 3, & 4 prior to taking the exam for that unit. The table below provides a more detailed explanation of the sequence for completing tasks. Before Taking: You Must: Complete Readings, Videos & Quizzes for Chapters: You Must: Turn in Self-Assessment Write Ups for Chapters: You Must: Turn in Personal Resource Journal Page for Chapters: Exam 1 1, 2, & 3 1, 2, & 3 None Due Exam 2 4, 5, 6, & 7 4, 5, 6, & 7 1, 2, & 3 Complete Personal Update assignment Exam 3 8, 9, 10, & 11 8, 9, 10, & 11 4, 5, 6, & 7  5 Before Taking: You Must: Complete Readings, Videos & Quizzes for Chapters: You Must: Turn in Self-Assessment Write Ups for Chapters: You Must: Turn in Personal Resource Journal Page for Chapters: Exam 4 & Comprehensive Final (taken at the same time) 12, 13, & 14 12, 13, & 14 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14 Course Project Personal Resource Journal Project An important component of this course is learning to apply your knowledge of psychology to understand yourself and others better. Part of this goal is accomplished through the ‘Self-Assessment’ assignments for each chapter. The applied project will build on those ‘Self-Assessment’ activities. You will build a Personal Resource Journal consisting of notes to yourself that will build on the knowledge gained in each chapter and each chapter’s assignment. The objective is for each student to build a journal that will be a useful personal resource at a later point in time. The specific guidelines for this project are available in a separate handout on the Blackboard course site under the Syllabus & Course Information. Instructional Methods This course is designed as an Independent Learning course. Therefore your primary source of course content will be the textbook in combination with the assignments. Videos are provided to illustrate, provide an overview of or extend content from the text. Instructor feedback is provided the self-assessment and personal resource journal assignments. Exemplars of good and poor assignments are provided as well detailed instructions for the assignments. While this is an independent learning class, you do have instructor support. You can send emails with questions or request information be clarified. See the information under the course instructor for submitting emails. Grading Exams – 500 points. There will be 4 exams total and the last unit exam (exam 4) is taken at the same time as the comprehensive final (content from chapters1 through 11). The first 3 exams will be 100 points each and the final will be 200 points (100 points for the last unit exam and 100 points for the comprehensive exam). All exams and the final must be taken at a proctored exam site approved by WKU. All exams will multiple choice format. Quizzes – 210 points. There will be one quiz per chapter totaling 14. Each quiz is worth 15 points and will have 15 multiple choice questions which will total 15 points Applied Project – 150 points. The applied project is called a Personal Resource Journal. There will be 15 pages (one for each chapter) and then a summary page. Each page is worth 10 points. The grading criteria and structure for these pages is provided in the “Directions for Completing the Self-Assessment and personal Resource Journal Pages under the Syllabus and Course Information tab on the course table of contents. Self-Assessment Assignments 140 points. The self-assessment assignments are completed for each chapter with 14 total. Each self-assessment is worth 10 points. The grading criteria and guidelines for completing this  6 assignment are provided in the “Directions for Completing the Self-Assessment and personal Resource Journal Pages under the Syllabus and Course Information tab on the course table of contents. Final Grade-Your final course grade is based on the sum of all points earned using a 10% cutoff for letter grades (90% and above is an A; 80 – 89% is a B; 70-79% is a C; 60-69% is a D and 59% and below is an F). Point distribution is provided below: Exams (3 at 100 points each) 300 Final Exam (200 points) 200 Quizzes (14 at 15 points each) 210 Applied Project 150 Assignments (14 at 10 points each) 140 Total Points Total 1,000 A = 900-1000 points; B = 800 – 899 points; C = 700 – 799 points; D = 600 – 699 points; F = 599 and below points. Exam Process As indicated on the WKU On Demand website, “WKU On Demand courses require proctored examinations…… It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the center at which the exam will be supervised before you submit the exam request form. This request must be received by our office AFTER you submitted all assignments prior to the exam” (www.wuk.edu/ondemand/exams.php). You can find more information about arranging exams in the General Student Guidelines and Procedures document found under the Independent Learning tab on the table of contents for the class. Submitting Assignments and Accessing Course Documents Submitting Assignments -All assignments require text files to be uploaded to Blackboard using the assignment tool that is found once you click on the assignment title in each chapter. All text documents must be Word DOC, DOCX or RTF file formats. Once your assignment is graded, it is your responsibility to go back and open the assignment and check for instructor feedback. If you are unfamiliar with submitting assignments there are online video tutorials that you can access by going to the Student Support tab on the course table of contents. You are advised to keep a file copy of what you submit. All written work must evidence adherence to writing contentions (grammar, syntax, clarity). In general, avoid the use of slang terms and note that oral speech is less formal than that required for written products. Use the Grammar and Spell Check features under the review tab on the MS Word tool bar. Points can and will be deducted for poorly written documents. Accessing Course Documents-The course format for text documents from me will be Word docx or Adobe PDF. You can download the Adobe reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/reader.html).  7 How To Be Successful  Create a schedule for yourself for completing the class. Strategies that seem to work best include creating a routine study schedule (plan time, don’t wait for free time). Establishing a schedule that includes regular or routine times to read and study. Print out the chapter objectives and key terms and take note of where you see this content as you read each chapter.  Pay careful attention to Module 1.5 on page 34 of your text which covers strategies for becoming a successful student.  Reevaluate your schedule and/or strategies after a couple of weeks to see if you need to make some adjustments.  Be methodical. Buy your textbook and read all sections of each chapter. Print out the guidelines for completing assignments and this syllabus for handy reference. Read or reread directions before writing up an assignment. Proof your written assignments prior to submission. Take note and modify your assignments according to the feedback provided by your instructor.  Be a self-directed learner. Make it your business to know what you need to know and what you need to do.  Review and make it your business to know the guidelines that you have for participating in an Independent Learning course such as how long you have to finish this class, how to schedule exams and how to access technology support. This information is available on the course site.  Your time commitment for this class will be at least equal to and may exceed a face-to-face version of this class (3 hours class time and 6-9 hours study time per week)  If you are a first time online learner it would be good to visit the Distance Learning support materials on their website. They provide some good materials for you to use to assess your readiness (e.g., the “Is Distance Learning for me?” document located at WKU Distance Learning website's orientation materials) and the technology resources needed to participate in online courses. Student Disability Services In compliance with university policy, students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services in DUC A-200 of the Student Success Center in Downing University Center. The phone number is 270- 745-5004. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Dr. Jones is a faculty member of the Psychology Department at Western Kentucky University where she teaches graduate courses in the School Psychology and Clinical Psychology programs and undergraduate courses in the psychology major. Dr. Jones' area of expertise is in school psychology, or the application of the science of psychology to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. She is a licensed psychologist in Kentucky and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Prior to coming to WKU, she practiced as a school psychologist for 9 years collaborating with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments for all students. Her prior work experience includes rural and urban public school systems and a residential psychiatric facility for youth. Currently she trains future school psychologists in WKU's School Psychology Program  8 while also teaching courses at the undergraduate level. Her research interests include social and emotional development and risk-taking and self-harm behaviors in youth. On a personal note, Dr. Jones is a ‘Carolina Girl’ as she grew up in Greenville, SC. Her graduate training took place at the University of Georgia and she is an avid UGA football fan (Go Dawgs!). She has lived in Bowling Green, KY and taught at WKU for the past 25 years.