PSY 204 Adolescent Psychology 
                                 Dr. Diane Finley

"A normal adolescent isn't a normal adolescent if he acts normal." Judith Viorst

Contacting the Instructor:
Office Hours: TBA – Check classroom for an announcement
Office: M2049       Phone: 301-322-0869
Email:  dfinley@pgcc.edu  
Website: academic.pgcc.edu/~dfinley
Blackboard: pgcconline.blackboard.com

Be sure to put PSY204PGCC in the subject line so that your mail won't be accidentally deleted. If you put something else in the subject line such as question or test, I may delete your message if I don't read all of my mail.

Prerequisites
General Psychology is a prerequisite of this course. Reading proficiency as defined by the College is also expected.

Course Description
Adolescent Psychology introduces the field and scientific methods of Adolescent Psychology. In this course we look at the dynamic factors which influence the development of the adolescent, including moral development, cognitive and physical development, personality, intelligence and education. In addition applications of theory are discussed. This course is intended to be useful to secondary school teachers, parents of adolescents and those who work with this age group.

Course Rationale
This course is designed to give prospective teachers and others an understanding of the psychological principles related to adolescent. Such principles are selected for their applicability to the classroom. An attempt will be made to relate these principles to many potential situations for the benefit of non-education majors.

Textbooks
The required text is Adolescence, 12th ed., John Santrock, McGraw-Hill Publishers.

General Departmental Objectives:
1. Identify developmental theories of adolescence including Freud, Piaget, Jung, Marcia, Kohlberg and Erikson
2. Discuss the historical development of adolescence as a developmental period
3. List methods of studying adolescents and explain issues related to research on adolescents including ethical and methodological concerns.
4. Discuss adolescence within the context of a lifespan developmental approach to psychology

Specific Objectives
After completing this course, the student who has fully participated in the course should be able to:
(numbers in parentheses relate to the Standard Numbers in the Maryland Outcomes for Teacher Education).

Participation-World Wide Web Protocols
By registering for a Web-based course, you have made a commitment to participate in your course Discussion Boards as well as other online activities. To contact your instructor, use the conferencing software or e-mail links provided, which allow you to communicate with the instructor and your classmates in a virtual classroom 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Note that your instructor is NOT available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) Please plan to participate regularly. You will note in the grading policy that your online Discussion Board participation counts towards your final grade.

You are expected to adhere to the general rules of online etiquette. To prepare to use the online conference, you should read the notes on Online Participation and Online Etiquette in Course Information. Keep those notes handy; you may need to refer to them frequently during the semester.

Student Responsibilities:

      1.  You are expected to read the assigned text material so that you can bring up any questions you may have and participate in class discussion. 

2.    In order to promote a positive learning environment for all students, you are expected to conform to the College Code of Conduct as stated in the College Catalog.   In the online environment, there are also behaviors that are not acceptable. Any behavior that detracts from the learning of other students is unacceptable.  Using profanity is not permitted. Using the class email roster to send a group email without permission of the instructor is not permitted. We are confident you will continue to make every effort to ensure positive learning opportunities for all.

3.  Academic honesty is expected in all work.  Cheating on examinations will lead to strict disciplinary action.  In any written work, cite all references for ideas which are not your own or considered common knowledge.

Grading:
Grading and assignments are designed to tap into a variety of strengths and skills. This means that there are many ways to succeed in this course. See the Class Schedule for a particular semester for grading particulars. Online sections will typically include discussion boards for each chapter, online quizzes, written assignments and a proctored final exam in the Campus Assessment Center. Face-to-face sections will include participation activities, tests and quizzes (possibly online as well), a final exam and written assignments.

Because the course is given in the online format, students will be expected to participate in weekly discussions related to the topics of the week. Each week, one or two assignments will require the students to work with the chapter material on a deeper level and then post in a conference. These are asynchronous (not in real time). Because this course is part of the professional sequence in education, students are expected to actively participate. Each is graded as more incentive to participate.

Final Grades:   

Final Exam
In keeping with the College policy and with sound academic practice, a cumulative final exam will be given during Finals Week. The exam will come entirely from the Study Guide for the Final but it is cumulative and consists of concepts, definitions and theories you should remember when you have finished this course. If you miss the Final Exam, you will not be allowed to make it up without permission from the Dean.

A grade of  I (Incomplete) can only be given for verifiable medical reasons (I will ask for details - a note saying you are sick will not be sufficient) or for documented circumstances beyond your control (this does NOT mean a dead car battery but some severe incident). Documents must be in writing and will be verified. Additionally, it is my choice to give or not give the "I."  The Dean must also approve all Incompletes. He seldom does so. DO NOT ASSUME you will be granted one. If you miss a test during the semester and then do not take the scheduled makeup, you will receive a 0 (zero) on that test.  You will not receive an Incomplete.

Assignments
 A written assignment is included as a part of your course requirement not only to enhance your learning opportunities in psychology but also to utilize and improve your writing skills.  The ability to communicate in written form at a college level will serve you not only in your future academic work, but increase your marketability in your chosen career and hopefully enhance your chances of survival in an increasingly complex society. It is hoped that by reading short articles, chapters in books and/or attending lectures, you will broaden your exposure to, arouse your interest in and increase your knowledge of psychology.

In order to successfully complete these assignments, you will need to use the library.  Knowing where to find information or how to research information is almost as valuable a tool as having the facts in your head.  The library staff is available and most willing to work with you to help you learn how to access information and material via the card catalog, microfilm or computer.

All Written Assignments  
Written assignments are designed to enhance your learning of course materials. ALL projects must be typed or done on a word processor. You must double-space your work. Your paper must have a cover sheet with your name and section number on it. Pay attention to your writing skills as these figure into the final grade. Reference pages must follow the American Psychological Association Style Manual. The Manual is available in the library. There is also information on how to cite and reference APA Style on my homepage. (http://academic.pgcc.edu/~dfinley. Go to the Title 3 Supersite).

Here are some websites that may help you with writing APA Style.

http://www.psychwww.com/resource/apacrib.htm
http://www.uwm.edu/people/pcsmith/usergide.htm
http://www.ldl.net/~bill/aparev.htm
http://methods.fullerton.edu/appa.html

College Policies:
All college policies regarding student conduct, academic integrity and disability referrals apply. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of such policies. For copies check the Student Handbook or contact the Office of Academic Advising.  Students are also responsible for knowing and following all College policies regarding registration, withdrawal, etc.

Classroom Conduct
Students are expected to observe the College code of conduct found in the PGCC Student Handbook. Disruptive students will not be tolerated and are subject to dismissal procedures as outlined in the Handbook, including online students. Cheating is obviously unacceptable behavior and is grounds for failing the class. If you cheat on any test or assignment, you will receive a 0 for that assignment/test. You will not be allowed to make-up any such item. In addition, your behavior will be reported to the Dean.

Students with Disabilities
Any student with a documented disability, including learning disabilities, that the student feels may affect classroom performance should discuss the matter privately with their instructor at the beginning of the semester so that reasonable accommodations can be made. You must have the form from DSS if I am to make any accommodations. Contact the Disability Support Services Office (M-1042) at 301-322-0838 (voice) or 301-322-0122 (TTY) for additional assistance with classes and campus activities. Students must provide documentation of disability when requesting academic accommodations and copies of their enrollment confirmation (bill) with paid receipt. If you need accommodations, I must be notified by the start of the second week of class.

HELP! I'M IN TROUBLE!!
1)      Asking me for help in understanding concepts is also useful. You may do so during  office hours or by email. (Note that during the summer all appointments on campus must be made ahead of time. I am not available in the evenings.
2)      You should plan on spending a minimum of  9-12 hours per week studying for this course (not including extra time needed for projects or tests.) This is outside of the time spent in class.  If you are not putting in this amount of time, re-evaluate your study plan.  For summer, you should increase that time to a minimum of 15 hours per week. We cover 15 weeks of work in 10 weeks during summer school. Thus you must adjust your time accordingly. If you are working full-time, please think long and hard about taking more than one course during the summer.
3)      Reading equivalent chapters in a second psychology text can also help sometimes.
4)      There is free tutoring on campus. Take advantage of the services.
5)      Do NOT wait until the week of the exam to seek help!!!!!

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
If you think I am grossly unfair about something (not that you just don't like the way I teach or my tests), you should first talk with me. If we can't solve the problem, you can put your grievance in writing to the department chair.