3. Exams. Write 3 exams, consisting mostly of multiple choice items, but there may be identifications and short essays.  All students will take the exams at the same time. Please DO NOT request altering the exam schedule (particularly the final exam). I cannot accommodate all the potential requests, so, to be fair, I must make this rather rigid rule. The only exceptions are for health reasons or traveling athletic teams, and I will need official documentation. Thank you for understanding.

4. Research participation. Participation in one on-going research project within the Psychology and Sociology Department is strongly encouraged. If you choose not to be a participant, the alternative project described in this syllabus (see Research Participation Requirement) will need to be completed. Turn in a one page, double-spaced, accurately typed description and evaluation of your experience within one week of completing your participation near the end of the semester. Identify the student researcher, the purpose of the study, the hypothesis, any dependent and independent variables, actual activities you are asked to do, and your reaction to your participation.  [NOTE: Do not confuse this activity with your involvement in the library research requirement explained in point 5, which follows.]

5. Annotated bibliography. Many of you are taking this class as your college-mandated research requirement. See Explanation of an R-designated course for more detail. You may have already completed the separate library instruction sessions associated with R-designated courses. However, all students will complete the research assignment, explained in the Guidelines for Annotated Bibliography section, and will participate in the group project. More specifically, you will complete an annotated bibliography alone on a topic assigned to you, but then you cooperate with others to make a presentation to the class.

6. Portfolio. To aid your mastery of psychology concepts, you will use the Student Activities CD-ROM included with your text. Over the semester, complete eight (8) quizzes (with 100% accuracy) as part of a portfolio of quizzes and five (5) PsychSims (simulations) to be submitted late in the semester (Portfolio due April 25). To be sure everyone understands the technology, one quiz from the CD-Rom, with accuracy of 100 %, will be due on January 27. It will be returned to you for inclusion in your final portfolio as one of the six final quizzes. There will be a reduction in the final Portfolio grade if you do not turn it in. Be sure to see the next paragraph for more details.

            Quizzes: Select any 8 of the 10 quizzes for the material we cover in the course.  For example, your first quiz is over Modules 1-2.  Quizzes are across the several related modules on a general topic (i.e., Memory has a single quiz over 5 modules).  Of course you should do more than these to aid your learning, but 8 is the minimum. Each time you complete the group of modules, you will click on the "quizzes" button and  complete it.  Then scroll back up to the beginning of the quiz, where the number correct is now recorded next to the reset button, but don't reset unless you want to take the quiz again.  If you have achieved 100% accuracy, go to "file," click on "print," then under the "print range" select "pages 1 to 1," and finally, click on print "only the selected frame."   This prints only the first page of the quiz on which the score is printed.  No need to print out 6 or 7 pages of the quiz!  Every quiz must be completed with 100 percent accuracy. You may take each quiz over as many times as necessary to achieve this accuracy. Be sure to number the quizzes at the upper right corner (number 1 through 8) and hand write your name clearly at the top of every quiz. Do not allow any one else to copy your work on these quizzes.  Together these quizzes will be part of the portfolio.

            Simulations: There are 19 PsychSims (activities and simulations) on the CD, but you only need to do five.  Select a PsychSim Module on a topic that interests you.  Once you reach the module title page and "module map," then scroll down the page and click on the link that lets you print out the worksheet for that activity. If a "file download" window appears, click on "download from current location" and click on OK.  Once you have printed out the worksheet, work through the activity, completing each worksheet section in your own, clearly readable handwriting. Include these 5 worksheets in the final portfolio.

Submitting the portfolio: Be sure that all the work in the portfolio is your own--take no short cuts by plagiarizing someone else's work.  Organize all 8 quizzes and 5 simulations in a folder, which should be appropriately and neatly labeled. Either place them in the folder pockets or in a flat three-hole binder. I prefer you not use a bulky three-ring binder or the type with the clear plastic cover and snap-on binding.

    Grading of the portfolio is based on completeness, accuracy, organization, neatness, and promptness in meeting the requirements of the portfolio. Unlike the 100% accuracy required on the quizzes, the simulations may be completed just one time and do not have to meet specific criteria before submission other than to complete each section in your handwriting to the best of your ability.

7. The college is clear on its position regarding plagiarism: it is not tolerated. Borrowing without acknowledgement from other sources, including friends, is unethical. This is not the place for a definitive statement about what is and is not plagiarism, but if you have any questions, please ask. You are expected to do your own research, learning activities, and writing in every course, and you are expected to confront others you may see plagiarizing material. Be honorable and ethical. Help us maintain high ethical standards.

8. As a class, we will have a public folder ( a class-members-only email folder) to share information between class periods and to carry on exchanges about information/issues/questions which I or any class member may post. Once the course is under way, the instructor will explain more fully how this works, if you are not familiar with public  folders. Be sure you have an e-mail account, especially if you commute from off campus. It is important to check the folder at least once every 24 hours. You are responsible for messages sent via the folder--such as a request from me to bring your text to class the next class period. You can achieve extra credit for using this folder, so see "Extra Credit Possibilities."

Instructions: Our shared public folder will show up in the left panel of your screen as a folder labeled Introduction to Psychology.  To get to it, go to Public Folders and click on the plus sign.  Then click on the plus signs of each of the following, in order: All Public Folders...Academic..... Classes...Stevenson. D.  Now, click on "Introduction to Psychology" and you are in the folder.  Please read the messages from me, and reply.  Directions on how to do that are in the message from me there.

9. Special note: Good grammar and proper sentence construction are important. Therefore, a lack of these is considered poor form and intolerable. A good paper always goes through several drafts. Always proofread your work, and have someone else proofread it by reading it out loud to you to double check for errors and "typos." There is no such thing as a paper with "good content" when the content is communicated poorly. If you need more help, you can see the instructor for help or go to the Writing Center.

Be sure to use the APA Citation and Annotation Format for all papers, which includes using one inch margins and all but the first pages are numbered.