Course Learning Activities

The course is divided into Learning Modules.  In each module there are several learning activities, including a website review & discussion,  a textbook chapter discussion, and a knowledge audit. These various learning activities are detailed below.

Website Review/Website Discussion Assignments:

Each module includes a website review and a website discussion activity. The website assignments are designed to introduce you to some of the psychological resources available on the web. You must locate a relevant and authentic website, write a brief, original summary/analysis paper which includes a link to the website, then lead a discussion about the website contents. You submit your review to me for evaluation and to the class for discussion. This assignment requires that you lead the discussion on your own website and also participate in the discussions of at least 3 websites reviewed by other students.

Student-led Discussions:

In every module you will find several student-led discussion forums. These forums are the way we cover the content of the textbook. For each chapter you must ask an original “critical thinking” question about some topic in the chapter. Other students will respond to your question, and you will then reply back to those students. In addition you leading your own discussion threads, you are required to answer some of the questions posed by other students, and they are required to reply to your answers. You are encouraged to keep up these “virtual discussions” as long as they are productive. The idea here is for each student to lead (teach) one topic from each chapter, and participate in a few others. A large percentage of your final grade is determined by the quality and quantity of your participation in these discussions. I will grade these discussions, but I will not be a participant. If the discussion you are leading gets off track, it is your responsibility to refocus it. You are responsible for maintaining the quality of the discussion threads you lead. Every posting to a discussion should add something substantive to that discussion. 

Knowledge Audits:

In each module your appreciation for and understanding of the important content issues and concepts will be assessed by means of a Reflective Blog.  In the blog you are asked to write about and discuss the most important things that you have learned in each module, and describe the knowledge you have gained from the module will impact your values, attitudes, beliefs and behavior.

Talk with the Professor:

In each module there is a “Talk with the Professor” area. In this area I may ask discussion questions about issues which I feel haven’t been fully explored in the Student Led discussion area. Also, in this area you may ask me questions, which I will respond to. Most often, I expect these questions (mine and yours) will be related to the discussions or the textbook – but no relevant topic is “off-limits.” You should check this area each time you log on and participate in these discussion threads.

Extra Credit / Make-up Work / Incomplete Grades:

1. The major requirement in this course is to discuss, with other students, the contents of each chapter in the text. There is no substitute for this requirement, and I do not permit “extra credit” or “alternative credit” assignments.
2. Also, there is no way to “go back” after a module has ended and “make-up” missed discussion activity, because there are no other students left to discuss the content with.
3. Finally, an incomplete in the course is not appropriate, as there is no way to complete the course once it has ended and all of the other students are gone.