Courses
Current Courses (Fall 2008)
Communities & Conflicts: First Year Experience (FYE101)
Human Growth & Development (PSY211)
Introduction to Research Methods & Lab (PSY214 & 224)
Coming Courses: Spring 2009
Human Growth & Development (PSY211) — 2 sections!
Topics in Psychology: Language Development (PSY396)
Topics in Psychology: Human Factors Psychology (PSY396)
What I Teach: Course Descriptions
Click on a course title to download my most recent syllabus.
Listed schedules are tentative and subject to change at any time.
Communities & Conflicts (FYE101)
FYE101 is offered each Fall semester for incoming students.
This course is always offered M/W/F, 11:00-11:50am.
This course introduces students to the liberal arts and to the processes of inquiry by which scholarly, professional, and public communities formulate knowledge and forge solutions to complex problems. Drawing on research, guest speakers, and cultural events from diverse academic disciplines and from contemporary public discourse, students and faculty examine ideas and analyze the arguments and evidence that are used to make and defend conclusions. We build on this examination to collaboratively engage in research projects that enable students to learn the research, analysis, writing and speaking skills essential to their academic and professional lives.
Human Growth & Development (PSY211)
PSY 211 is offered every semester.
This course satisfies the Social Science Core.
This course is typically offered T/Th, 8:20-9:35am
(and T/Th, 9:45-11:00am when a second section is offered).
In this lifespan development course, we explore the theories, themes, and processes of the development of humans from tiny, mewling, infants to wizened senior citizens. Through lectures, movies, in-class visitors, and hands-on activities, students will explore how physical, social, and cognitive development interact to produce... us.
Introduction to Research Methods (PSY214)
Introduction to Research Methods Lab (PSY224)
PSY214/224 is offered each Fall semester.
This course is required for psychology majors.
This course is typically offered T/Th, 2:00-3:15pm.
The lab is typically offered Th, 5:00-8:00pm
In this course, we explore the scientific methods of psychology, including experimental and observational techniques. Topics include problem identification and hypothesis formation, research design, minor application of statistics, collection and interpretation of data, and research report writing.
By the end of this course, students will:
* Understand the vocabulary and methods of experimental design
* Be able to read and extract meaning from a journal article
* Know how to conduct simple research & write an APA-style report
New Course: Language Development, 300-level
Language Development is offered each Spring.
This course is typically offered T/Th, 2:00-3:15pm
This course explores the way that humans (and only humans) develop the unique communication form known as language. We'll investigate language learning from infancy through early childhood, surveying how infants learn the sounds, words, and grammar of their native tongue.
New Course: Human Factors Psychology, 300-level
Human Factors Psychology is offered each Spring.
Beginning in 2010 it will satify the Social Science Core.
This course is typically offered M/W, 2:00-3:15pm
Human Factors is the study of human-environment interactions. Ever wonder who decided what should be on the menu items of your computer software? Or why door handles look the way they do? Or who wrote the air bag warning in your car? Human factors psychologists tackle these and many other applied problems. This course provides an introduction to this discipline and explores one of the many non-clinical applications of psychology.
