Syllabus: Introduction to Psychological Studies
    Class: MWF 12 - 12:50 in CL-247 | Psychology 202 | Dordt College | Spring 2009

Schedule Assignments / Assessment Tools Course Description & Pre-requisites Learning Objectives Course Policies (Psychology Department http://homepages.dordt.edu/~lantinga/IPS/index.html

Dr. Sherri Lantinga Psychology Office Pod (FO # 211) | 712/722-6038 lantinga@dordt.edu (I only check e-mail 8-5 on weekdays) http://homepages.dordt.edu/~lantinga/ I'm happy to meet with you after class and any time my office door is open; you can also make an appointment.

Course Description & Pre-requisites

Welcome to Introduction to Psychological Studies (IPS)!  I've designed this course to

• deepen your appreciation of the field of psychology as a means to learn about human beings;

• enhance your interpersonal skills and self-insight as they relate to your calling and career interests

• strengthen your desire for service in God's Kingdom.

The pre-requisite for this course is successful completion of General Psychology 201, which gives you a basic understanding of the content and research methods of psychology.  When our class size must be limited, declared psychology majors and minors will be given enrollment priority.

Methods of instruction/format: To develop your interpersonal and communication skills, our classes will involve a range of teaching strategies: large and small group discussions, guest speakers, student presentations, and some lectures. My lectures normally expand on topics from the assigned reading but will not repeat the reading; you are responsible for knowing information from both sources.

Student Learning Objectives

As a result of taking this course, you should be able to...

• Articulate a biblical perspective on what it means to be human
• Describe major theories/schools, research methods, and personal counseling tasks in psychology
• Apply the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct
• Use problem-solving and interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with others, accomplish tasks, and gain information
• Use professional literacy skills (e.g., using PsycInfo, APA writing style, accessing primary/scholarly literature)
• Write a specific, personal plan and supporting documents for entering a career related to psychology
• Describe a variety of ways that psychology can help you serve others

Assignments / Assessment Tools

• Job Application Package & Building Block assignments:  These assignments help you plan your college courses, learn about your strengths and weaknesses from people close to you, and develop the professional tools needed for getting a job interview for a specific position related to psychology.  More details are given elsewhere for the plan, personal interviews, mock interviews, resume draft, and job application package.
   
• Service Learning or Current Events Journals: You may choose to either provide a needed service in the community and reflect on how these experiences relate to our class or regularly review current events and reflect on how they relate to psychology in the public interest.  More details are given here for Service Learning and for Current Events.
   
• "Client" Experience: Psychology students in Psychology 378 (Tests and Measurements) will conduct an initial counseling interview and administer intelligence, personality, and career tests.  You will have an opportunity to serve as their practice "clients" and reflect on this experience.  Complete confidentiality will be ensured.  More details are given here.
   
• Professional Development Reflection papers: At the beginning and end of the semester, you will reflect on your development as a professional and consider the experiences/opportunities that would benefit your continued growth.  More details will be given later.
   
• Journal Article Summary and presentation:  Psychological researchers publish a lot of fascinating research, but their articles use a lot of technical terms that are not easily understood by the general public. In this assignment, you will contribute the to the "giving away of psychology" by "translating" a primary/scholarly research article into an interesting and easy-to-read format. More details are given here.
   
• Other assignments: Some small assignments (e.g., PsycInfo quiz, library scavenger hunt) will help prepare you for class or for doing other projects.