First Year Experience Program

? Be able to describe the historical development of psychology.

? Understand psychology as a social science and be aware of the research methods used in psychology.

? Be familiar with resources available in psychology, especially through library services and via the internet.

? Develop and demonstrate critical thinking skills.

? Be capable of describing the brain and its relationship to mental processes.

? Understand and describe the major theories used in psychology, including historical approaches, such as functionalism; psychodynamic theory; gestalt psychology; humanistic psychology; behaviorism; developmental theories; cognitive approaches; cognitive-behavioral theories; and systems and family approaches.

? Be familiar with the knowledge base in major content areas of psychology such as sensation and perception, consciousness, learning, memory, language and thinking, intelligence, emotion and motivation, personality, life span psychology, stress and coping, and social psychology.

? Be more integrated into the WestConn community via the learning exercises undertaken in this class.

? Know the common psychological disorders and their psychological treatments.

? Be able to apply your understanding of psychology to your own life.

1. Critical Thinking. These skills will be emphasized throughout the semester. The text "Critical Thinking in Psychology: A Unified Skills Approach" by Alan Bensley will be required of all students and provides many learning exercises for in-class and homework assignments.

2. Writing. Two major writing assignments will be the basis for an introduction to the critical analysis of psychological research dissemnination. I have developed this particular assignment over several years (I have a detailed explanation of the assignment available). I have modified the assignment for this seminar so that students will write two 7-page papers, and each paper must be preceded by handing in a full draft version which will be returned to the student with comments.

In addition, weekly web-based writing assignmnets on course materials will be given.

3. Information Literacy. The major writing assignments and the web-based writing assignments will require extensive use of the library, of research database search tools, and of citing and referencing original sources. This is a very important part of the class and students will be provided with a great deal of support as they learn the tools and skills needed to accomplish their projects.

1. Support Services.

On campus services will be asked to make classroom presentations. The Counseling program at WCSU will be a special focus in this area, and will be incorporated into a discussion of the materials on psychological disorders and their treatment. However a variety of other programs will also be introduced to students (clubs, student organizations, religous organizations, academic support, career support, etc.)

2. Organizational Skills. Materials on time-management, effective decision-making, stress management and other organizational skills will be introduced within relevant sections of the course (e.g., within materials on memory, cognition, stress, etc). An emphasis on practical self-application will be encouraged via the use of homework assignments which will then form the basis of some class writing assignments to be shared with other students in class.