MASTER COURSE OUTLINE DEPT: PSY
Big Bend Community College NO: 100
Date: April 26, 2007
COURSE TITLE: Writing and Critical Thinking in Psychology
CIP Code: 42.0101 CREDITS: 3
Intent Code: 11 Total Contact Hours Per Qtr: 33
Program Code: Lecture Hours Per Qtr: 33
Lab Hours Per Qtr:
Distribution Desig.: GE Other Hours Per Qtr:
PREPARED BY: Linda Thimot
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a general course designed to help students gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in psychology and social sciences. This course is specifically designed for students who did not place in ENG 101 and/or MPC 99 or higher, and/or students who are returning to school after a prolonged absence. However, it is open to all students interested in the science of psychology and how to write an informational essay using inductive and deductive reasoning. The course will focus on reading, writing, and study skills and how these pertain to problem solving and critical thinking. Students will learn research methodology, analytical skills, and mathematical application of data to support conclusions using the methods and theories of psychology.
PREREQUISITE(S): None
TEXT: To be decided – PSY 101 textbook, PSY 100 Leaning Guide, General Citation and Reference Guide
COURSE GOALS:
To improve students reading, writing, and study skills as they pertain to success in Psychology.
To improve students understanding of the steps to problem solving and critical thinking, specifically deduction and induction.
To have students apply research methodology to answer questions about the world.
To have students apply mathematical concepts to make supported conclusions.
To improve students’ basic computer skills.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1.To write a basic research term paper or informational essay that has a logical flow of ideas that progress from a general introduction of theory, to a mathematically supported conclusion using proper APA format, citations and references.
2. To demonstrate a knowledge of the differences between experimental and correlational studies, their strengths and weakness, and what conclusions can be drawn from various types of studies.
3. To apply basic statistical concepts and to create graphs and tables that illustrate findings clearly.
4. To apply statistical results in order to make a well supported conclusion.
5. To discuss in writing the interaction between nature and nurture and how this creates behavior.
6. To gain the ability to outline and answer an essay question.
7. To learn how to create and use a table or chart to write a compare and contrast essay.
8. To learn how use feedback to improve work.
9. To be able to read and interpret college level reading material.
10. To learn how to take efficient notes from college level materials such as textbooks, lecture, and articles.
11. To acquire skills in answering multiple choice, short answer, and essays questions.
12. To learn how to download information and/or assignments from the portal and other electronic media.
13. To learn how to format, save, and attach a document, and to determine whether or not an attachment has been received.
COURSE CONTENT OUTLINE:
Week One: Initial Assessment and How to get ready to be a psychology student: Preparation and Studying: Skills and needs assessment
1. Reading and understanding a syllabus
Class Portal
Documents: Retrieving, formatting, saving, citations and references
Email: sending an attachment
Student Needs Survey
2. Note taking: How to gather information
Reading at a college level: Engaging yourself with the material
Studying: Using your textbook while note-taking and referring to your class notes
3. Optimizing your study skills and time: Work smart not hard
Gist, Lecture, Read/Review, Test Self, Read/Review, Practice Quizzes and Exams: Self- Needs and Academic Skills Assessment, and Basic scientific understanding and knowledge; Assessed with take-home writing quizzes and student survey.
Needs and Academic Skills Assessment
Week Two: What is a theory and what are factors?
1. Introduction to the Basic Theory of Behavior: Interaction between nature and nurture
2. What is basic biology?
3. What is environment?
Week Three: Writing for understanding
1. Multiple Choice Test-taking: Learning to ask yourself leading questions and to use key words
2. Writing: Practicing and engaging yourself with the material
Getting ready to write – knowing what the question is asking, and checking the structure and flow on a written answer
Outlining for flow: before and after you write
3. Writing to the “Ignorant Reader”: Name, define, cite, and apply psychological concepts in writing
APA Citations and references
Week Four: Understanding the scientific method and basic vocabulary
1. Making Assessment Useful: Using feedback
2. Introduction to Induction and Deduction: The Steps to the Scientific Method
The Three Basic Variables in Science: Variation, Control, and Outcome
3. Descriptive Studies and Correlations: Internal and External Validity
Week Five: Research Methods and Essay Writing: Testing Theory: Writing a research paper
1. Representativeness: Populations and samples
2. Statistics: Reading and constructing graphs: Scatter plots
3. How to write an Informational Essay: Writing an Argument
What goes in the introduction and the design sections: What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?
Week Six: Essay Writing: Testing Theory: Writing a research paper
1. What goes in the results section: making graphs and discussing data
2. Apply data to theory: How to write a conclusion using data as supporting evidence
3. Group Work
Week Seven:
1. Experiments: Variables
2. Experiments: Controls and Validity
3. Statistics: Reading and constructing graphs: Bar graphs, the normal curve and probability
Week Eight: Tying it together: Using general statistical concepts to make generalized conclusions
1. What goes in the results section: making graphs and discussing data
2. Apply data to theory: How to write a conclusion using data as supporting evidence
3. Group Work
Week Nine: Working at College Level
1. Editing work based on feedback
2. Flow: Topic sentences and transitions: General to specific to general (and so on)
3. Editing work based on instructor feedback
Week Ten: Other Skills
1. Finding, reading, and summarizing an article
Good and bad websites
2. How to write compare and contrast essays: Using tables
3. Adding information to existing paper and editing.
Test-taking
Week Eleven: Final Assessment
1 & 2. Final Paper: Last chance to edit and get feedback
1 & 2. Student Peer Review Using Social Science Rubrics
3. Comprehensive Final Exam
Concepts that should be mastered:
Theory
Hypothesis
Replication
Validity
Population
Samples and Sampling:
Random Selection and Assignment
Representativeness & Generalizability (Generalization ?)
Correlation Research
Experimental Research
Statistical Concepts
Central Tendency
Standard Deviation
Percentiles
Graphs: Bar, Scatter Plot and Normal Curve
Purpose of Introduction, Body, and Conclusion sections of an informational essay
Induction and Deduction
How to take multiple choice quizzes and tests
How to answer essays and short answer questions
EVALUATION METHODS/GRADING PROCEDURES:
Evaluation will be a combination of multiple choice quizzes, exams, and a comprehensive final, written short answer, both individual and group, and essay assignments, and one research paper or informational essay; all written work will create a writing portfolio. Pre and post outcomes will be assessed.
PLANNED TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING STRATEGIES:
X Lecture X Small Group Discussion X Special Project
X Laboratory Computer Audiovisual X Other (Group)
Supervised Clinical X Individualized Instruction
Division Chair Approval
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