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SAMPLE SYLLABUS

 

PSYCHOLOGY 350: RESEARCH METHODS I

Instructor: Tharaki Siyaguna

Office: 126C10

Office hours: M, Th from 10.00 to 11.00AM or by appointment

Email: tharaki.siyaguna@ndsu.edu

Class times and days: M, W and F in Minard 220 from 1.00PM to 1.50PM

Prerequisites: PSYC111, MATH 103 or higher

Bulletin description

          This course emphasizes scientific data and analysis for the social and behavioral sciences. This course is focused on familiarizing students with descriptive and inferential analyses and training students to use analyses such as correlation, group comparisons and non-parametric comparisons to analyze data.

 

Course objectives

  • Students will learn how to interpret and apply statistics and statistical techniques used in Psychology.

  • Students will learn how to communicate scientific data and statistical analyses.

  • Students will learn how to critically evaluate research reported in scientific journals.

  • Students will learn how to carry out scientific research in Psychology according to the scientific theory.

 

Required material

Ha, R. R., & Ha, J. C. (2012). Integrative Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences

Please bring a high-quality scientific calculator to every class.

 

Communication

           Blackboard and your university email addresses will be used as the primary means of communication. Announcements, any changes and cancellations will be communicated via Blackboard and email. Therefore, students are encouraged to check Blackboard and their email at least daily.  

 

Office Hours

           Students are encouraged to visit me during my office hours if there is something from the lectures or assignments that needs clarification. If you are unable to attend my regular office hours please e-mail me to schedule an appointment.

 

 

Evaluation procedure and grading criteria

Assignments/Responsibilities

            Practice questions (2 points per assignment -5%): Students are encouraged to complete the required reading prior to class and actively engage in in-class activities. Students will be given opportunities to gain points by answering problem sets and questions posed during 12 periods of class throughout the semester. Since it is likely that students will be unable to attend each and every class period even though there will be 12 assignments presented, only points of the 8 assignments with the highest scores will be incorporated in to the final grade. These assignments will not be indicated on the syllabus or informed of during class, and therefore would take the form of “pop-up” quizzes. Questions and problem sets will be assigned during class and students will be expected to work on their own in answering the questions during the class period. The assignments will be graded based on the accuracy of the answers.

 

           Worksheet assignments (2 points per worksheet – 4%): Students will be given the opportunity to work in groups to solve problem sets posed during 8 class periods throughout the semester. However, points of the seven best assignments will be counted towards the final score. Students will work in self-selected groups of 3-4 students to work on the problem sets. Each student will then complete a worksheet and submit it before the end of class.

 

         Writing assignments (10 points per assignment – 11%): Students will be required to complete four writing assignments. Students will be assigned a research article and students will be required to write a short summary of the article suitable to be posted on a scientific blog. The assignments will be graded based on the accuracy of the information and the writing style. Guidelines will be made available in a timely manner.

 

          Homework assignments (10 points per homework – 23%): Students will be assigned 8 homework assignments throughout the semester. These homework assignments will give students the opportunity to apply statistical concepts and techniques learned in class. Homework assignments will be made available via Blackboard. The assignments will be graded based on the accuracy of the answers.

 

           Exams (50 points per exam – 57%): There will be four exams throughout the semester. Each exam will cover material covered in class, readings and homework assignments. Apart from the final exam, the first three exams will not be cumulative. Exams will not be given early unless it is an emergency. Students must provide me with notice and documentation, and receive approval before being able to receive a make-up exam.

 

         400 points are available in this class. Students will earn points by class participation, completing the homework assignments, the writing assignments, and the exams. Grading will be based on the total points you earn (xxx/400). Students have the opportunity to appeal the homework or exam grade you have received. Students must submit a formal appeal stating a rationale as to why the original answer is correct. This should be done within five working days of the test being returned. The grade for the assignments will be finalized based on the rationale provided by the student.

 

Extra credit

No opportunities for extra credit.      

 

Grade letter

The course will not be graded on a curve. Grades will be assigned according to the table below:

Score (% of points)                Grade

 90-100                                        A

  80-89                                          B

  65-79                                          C

   50-64                                          D

  <50                                              F

 

 

 

Attendance Statement

            According to NDSU Policy 333, attendance in classes is expected. If you are unable to attend a class, please notify me ahead of time. Veterans and student service members with special circumstances or who are activated are encouraged to notify the instructor as soon as possible and are encouraged to provide Activation Orders.

 

 

American Disabilities Act For Students with Special Needs Statement

          Any students with disabilities or other special needs, who need special accommodations in this course, are invited to share these concerns or requests with the instructor and contact the Disability Services Office as soon as possible.

 

Approved Academic Honesty Statement

          The academic community is operated on the basis of honesty, integrity, and fair play. NDSU Policy 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct applies to cases in which cheating, plagiarism, or other academic misconduct have occurred in an instructional context. Students found guilty of academic misconduct are subject to penalties, up to and possibly including suspension and/or expulsion. Student academic misconduct records are maintained by the Office of Registration and Records. Informational resources about academic honesty for students and instructional staff members can be found at www.ndsu.edu/academichonesty.

 

 

 

Schedule

 

 

 

 

REFLECTION

            This sample syllabus is for “Research Methods I” which I am hoping to teach in Fall 2015. The main focus of the course will be to introduce statistical analysis to students. The objectives of the course will revolve around instilling sufficient knowledge in students for them to be able to conduct scientific research, collect and analyze data, evaluate and communicate scientific findings. Students will be given opportunities in the form of formative assessments to practice learned skills in a low stake environment. Highly-structured courses with formative and summative assessments have been found to decrease failure rates (Freeman, Haak, Wenderoth, 2001). Some of the assessments will be required to be completed individually and others in groups as peer discussions have been found to enhance student understanding (Smith et al., 2009). Formative assessments will give the students and the instructor the opportunity to track student progress. Summative assessments will be focused on assessing student understanding and learning. Both formative and summative assessments will be focused on promoting higher order cognitive thinking in students which promtes student learning (Crowe, Dirks & Wenderoth, 2008). The syllabus will also provide sufficient and necessary information that students could refer to at any point in the course, in order to get a clear understanding on what is incorporated into the course as well as the requirements of the course.

 

References

Crowe, A., Dirks, C., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2008). Biology in bloom: implementing Bloom’s taxonomy to enhance student learning in biology. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 7(4), 368–381.

 

Freeman, S., Haak, D., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2011). Increased course structure improves performance in introductory biology. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 10(2), 175–186.

 

Smith, M. K., Wood, W. B., Adams, W. K., Wieman, C., Knight, J. K., Guild, N., & Su, T. T. (2009). Why peer discussion improves student performance on in-class concept questions. Science, 323(5910), 122–124.

Please Note: The schedule may be subjected to changes.

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