1. Welcome to Introduction to Psychology! Let’s share a bit about where we are all from…

2. A couple of things to keep in mind as we begin:  Let’s try to stay on topic during our seminars  Be respectful of one another  If you have a question, type ???? so that I have a sign to pay close attention in order to catch your question or comment  If you do this and I (for some reason!) do not address you, PLEASE do so again so that I am sure not to miss what you have to say

3. TECHNICAL ISSUES  At any time during the term, if you experience any technical or other problems, contact Student Services or Technical Services.  You will find contact information on your Course Homepage.  Please contact technical support for technology related issues.

4. For all other course-related problems or concerns, you may always email me through Kaplan mail at ashea@kaplan.edu or contact me on AIM. My AIM ID is awhitneyshea. And remember, I am on Eastern time. ashea@kaplan.edu

5. You can also always contact your advisors. The key here is if you have problems, contact someone. Do not let a problem go unsolved for long! I think it is good to devise a Plan B ahead of time. Think about what your options are if you can’t access the course or email if you are away from your own computer or something happens to it.

6. Here’s another technical problem I’d like to address: In the past, it has not been unusual for someone to get booted out of a seminar, so please do not panic if this happens to you. If you get booted out, just do your best to get right back into the class. Contact me through email if you miss more than 15 minutes. If I get booted out, please keep the discussion on track while you wait for me to get back in. Any questions at this point?

7. SYLLABUS: The syllabus covers Kaplan’s (and my) course policies and expectations. Be sure to read it thoroughly. The syllabus is your guide to the class. And really, will be for all of your classes. So, I want you to get in a habit of looking at and being familiar with it. Some of the info I want you to particularly remember is:

8. COURSE MATERIALS: Software: Microsoft Word is required for all Kaplan Courses If you are using Word 2007, you may have to save your documents in 2003 mode….I have placed a document in doc sharing that will show you how to do that.

9. Text or Alternative Materials: Psychology by Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner (2009) ISBN:-13:978-1-4292-0264-0 Other: Relevant library articles and Internet sources. Text or Alternative Materials: Psychology by Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner (2009) ISBN:-13:978-1-4292-0264-0 Other: Relevant library articles and Internet sources. Any questions on this?

10. PROJECT SUBMISSIONS: PROJECT SUBMISSIONS:  Be careful of project submission dates. Projects are expected to be submitted on or before the due date. Late submission could result in loss of points. I hate to see students lose valuable points because the project was not submitted on time. Too many late submissions can make a big difference in the final grade.  Punctuality is very important in the workplace and I know in your chosen field you must be on top of things at all times. Don’t let poor time management or procrastination hurt you.  Also, The NUMBER ONE reason that students lose points on projects is by NOT following the directions. Read the directions and go through the corresponding grading rubric (located in our syllabus). Read them again and again. Then while you are writing, keep reading them. It is very easy to think you are doing the project correctly when you are not. And when doing a project, make sure you are within the required page limits. If the assignment calls for 3-5 pages, try to stay within those limits. The page requirements refer to the actual essay, not the title page or reference page. Lastly, follow proper grammatical rules, and take advantage of the writing center if needed. It is there to help you. If you do these things, you are on track for an A.  Also, The NUMBER ONE reason that students lose points on projects is by NOT following the directions. Read the directions and go through the corresponding grading rubric (located in our syllabus). Read them again and again. Then while you are writing, keep reading them. It is very easy to think you are doing the project correctly when you are not. And when doing a project, make sure you are within the required page limits. If the assignment calls for 3-5 pages, try to stay within those limits. The page requirements refer to the actual essay, not the title page or reference page. Lastly, follow proper grammatical rules, and take advantage of the writing center if needed. It is there to help you. If you do these things, you are on track for an A.

11. I point all of this out, because again, projects are worth a lot of points. Consider: Project 1, Unit 2175 points Project 2, Unit 5175 points Final Project, Unit 9245 points 595 / 1000 total points… Any questions on projects?

12. DISCUSSION BOARD:  Responses are on topic, original, and contribute to the quality of the discussion.  Responses make frequent, informed references to unit material.  Responses are clearly written.  Responses meet posted length requirements (150 word minimum per discussion question: 50 word minimum on peer responses and at least two peer responses per thread.) **Remember, I do not accept interactive posts past the last day of the unit week!** DISCUSSION BOARD:  Responses are on topic, original, and contribute to the quality of the discussion.  Responses make frequent, informed references to unit material.  Responses are clearly written.  Responses meet posted length requirements (150 word minimum per discussion question: 50 word minimum on peer responses and at least two peer responses per thread.) **Remember, I do not accept interactive posts past the last day of the unit week!**

13. SEMINAR: SEMINAR:  Seminar Etiquette: I hope each one of you will be able to attend the live seminars, on time and for the full hour. It is a great part of the class. And not only show up, but get involved in the discussion. Be active. If you do this, again, you will be on track for an A.  You may contact me after seminar through email or AIM with personal questions.  If you choose not to attend the seminar then you must complete Option 2 of the unit to receive a satisfactory grade for that week’s seminar.  Do not do both. It does not earn you more points! Do one or the other.

14. GRADES:  The DB, Project, and seminar grades are updated by Sunday of each week.  You may receive some grades before, but most always by this time. And that will be the same through the term. That means, 4 days after the last day of the unit week, you will have a grade with comments in the grade book. If you have any questions about a grade, please feel free to contact me. I want to see you do the best you can in this class, and if you do not understand something, lets talk about it.  Any questions on grades?

15. LATE WORK:  Please notify me via email when you submit late work to any unit.  This helps to ensure timely grading. It is a plus for me as it helps me to make note of any missing work. It is a help to you in that you are making sure I see it. Be sure to let me know the exact unit, and assignment. Again, it is good for us both.

16. Okay…any questions on any of the material we have covered? Any course related questions in general that we have not covered? Okay…any questions on any of the material we have covered? Any course related questions in general that we have not covered? No question is a stupid question! I am just an email away if you have any that you think of after seminar (or post in our “Course Questions” section of the classroom).

17. After reading over the syllabus, do you have any concerns about any of the topics or projects? Do you understand the objectives of the course? Are there any questions about when assignments are due? After reading over the syllabus, do you have any concerns about any of the topics or projects? Do you understand the objectives of the course? Are there any questions about when assignments are due? What are the expectations for the discussion questions?

18. When thinking about the timeline of psychology, the early pioneers up through today, which theory do you think had the most impact on psychology becoming a scientific study of the mind and behavior? What are your own reasons for believing this theory made a major impact in the field of psychology?

19. How will the study of psychology benefit you both professionally and personally? Please talk about your major at Kaplan University and the role psychology will play in it.