Psychology 3317E-001

COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

Revised Jan 12, 2022

 

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

LONDON               CANADA

Department of Psychology

2021 – 2022

 

Psych3317E Section 001

COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY

 

Caveats:

  • Elements of this syllabus might be modified based on input from students during the first class (Sept. 15). Any consequent changes will be reflected in the syllabus uploaded to the course OWL site by Sept. 22.
  • Note: The course is centred around community-based projects. Because working in the community is inherently unpredictable, flexibility is key. Accordingly, it may be necessary to change some elements of the class projects (and by extension, syllabus). If made, these alterations (which may include additional/revised readings) will not substantially alter the nature, timing and weighting of the assignments, and students will be given as much advance notice as possible.

 

1.0  CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

An introduction to Community Psychology, which focuses on person-environment interactions and on how society influences individual and community functioning. The course will include a community engaged learning (CEL) component whereby students apply their scholarship to help community-based organizations meet their identified needs. This will not necessarily involve direct client contact.

Antirequisite: Not applicable

Prerequisite(s): Psychology 2820E or Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810. Registration is by special permission only and must be obtained from the course instructor in the Spring/Summer before the course begins in the Fall term.

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record.

This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

Extra Information: 2-3 seminar hours, 4-5 hours on community placement/project. (This course has a service-learning component).

Course Weight:  1.0

 

2.0 COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor/email:     Dr. Leora Swartzman   lswartzm@uwo.ca

Office and Phone Number:     312E Westminster Hall, 519-661-2111 ext. 84654

Office hours:      By appointment

TA:      There is no course TA

Class times:      Wednesdays 1:30-4:30. Although we might not need the entire three-hour block of time each week, please keep it free.

Delivery:      Synchronous.  In person. If, due to COVID-19, we need to meet virtually, we will do so. There also may be some weeks when we decide that it is more convenient to meet virtually. This will be determined at least one week in advance. Students are expected to attend the in-person classes in person.

 

Note: In light of COVID-19, we will conduct our Winter classes virtually (See main page of OWL class site for Zoom link) until such time as the university resumes in-person classes. All project-related work also will be done remotely, until further notice.

Location:      Room 20-F Westminster Hall

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

 

3.0   TEXTBOOK

Jason, L.A., Glantsman, O., O’Brien, J.F., & Ramian, K.N. (2019) Introduction to Community Psychology: Becoming an Agent of Change. Rebus Press (online; Free: Creative Commons)  https://press.rebus.community/introductiontocommunitypsychology/

Assigned readings will include (but will not be limited to) select chapters from the textbook as well as scholarly articles. All material will be uploaded to Perusall.** (See section 6.1)  To access the material, create a Perusall account (at Perusall.com) and enter the course code, which is available on the course OWL site. You can also access the material through in the “Course Readings” section of “Resources” on the course OWL site.  But to earn participation grades, you need to annotate (comment on) the readings via Perusall.  

 

4.0   COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will learn about a range of topics relevant to Community psychology, including: its key principles and values; features and challenges of community-based research; types and models of prevention and promotion, psychological sense of community; and strategies for social change. This learning largely will occur through independent reading in the first semester. Mastery of the material will be assessed through comments/annotations on the readings through Perusall, a peer-to-peer collaborative e-reading platform.

When relevant, we will approach the course material through lenses of COVID-19, social justice and environmental issues, which affect us personally and collectively. They will continue to play out over 2021/22 in unpredictable ways. As such, we may adjust some of the assigned readings and perhaps even class topics to keep our discussions relevant, current and personally meaningful. There will be three broad categories of topics, which will include but are not limited to:

Working with the Community

  • Foundations of community engagement
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Social inequalities and power relations
  • Community mobilization and advocacy

Applied Research

  • Knowledge exchange and mobilization
  • Fundamentals of Evaluation

Soft Skills

  • Effective partnerships and teamwork
  • Project Management
  • Active Listening Skills
  • Professionalism and professional ethics.

 

By the end of this course, the successful student will: 

 

Learning Outcome

 

Learning Activities

How Assessed 

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Depth & Breadth of Knowledge

Describe and apply main concepts and principles of community psychology

Reading

Class discussion

Guest lectures

Community project  

Perusall annotations

Contribution to class discussions

Group reports

Group presentations

Individual literature review and annotated bibliography. 

Describe and analyze individual well-being from an ecological perspective.

Reading

Class discussion

Guest lectures

Community project 

Perusall annotations

Contribution to class discussions

Group reports

Group presentations

Abilities

2. Knowledge and Application of Methodologies

Locate and critically evaluate scholarly research that pertains to a real-world problem in community psychology.

Community project

Classroom activity

Contribution to class activity

Group reports

Group presentations

Individual literature review and annotated bibliography

3. Application of Knowledge

Apply community psychology principles to the understanding of everyday problems.

Community-based project  

Classroom activities

Field trips

Guest lectures

Perusall annotations

Contribution to class discussion

Group reports

Group presentations

Annotated bibliography

4. Communication Skills

Communicate scientific findings and scholarly theories in language than is accessible to a non-expert population.

Community project

Classroom activities

Class Presentation

Contribution to class activity

Class presentations.

Written assignments 

5. Autonomy and Professional Capacity

Manage a project from start to end by using planning,

 coordination of efforts, prioritizing, time management and organizational strategies.

Community project

As assessed by instructor and, if appropriate, community supervisor  

Peer evaluation of contribution to project   

 

Attributes

 

6. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge Practice reflective thinking to connect CEL experience with course content and personal values.

Community project

Critical reflection 

Class discussions 

Contribution to class discussions

Final report and presentation

Critical reflection

7. Autonomy and Professional Capacity Recognize and develop own sense of commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility.

Community project

Critical Reflection

Class Discussions Class Activities

Instructor ratings of critical reflection.

Final report and presentation  

 

 

4.1 COURSE STRUCTURE

Learning will occur largely through project-related work and independent reading, assigned reading and material presented in class. As noted above, mastery of the material be assessed by students’ annotations on the readings, and their contribution to class discussions and activities. 

In class: Much of class time in the first two thirds of the Fall semester (before reading week) is aimed at deepening students’ understanding of the material and ability to apply it.  Most class time towards the end of the Fall term (after reading week) will be dedicated to student presentations and student-led discussions, where they describe their community setting, their responsibilities in that setting, what they have learned to date and the scope of the project they are to deliver at the end of the winter term. 

Outside of class: Because much of the foundational knowledge is to be acquired before Fall reading Week (and before students get heavily into their projects), the instructor-assigned reading load will be heavy until mid-late November; be prepared to spend 6 hours a week on those. After Fall reading Week and through the Winter term, they will drop off considerably (and for many weeks, entirely).  During this time, students’ readings will be self-selected and project-related. Throughout the course, but particularly after the Fall reading week and the entire Winter term, students will apply the knowledge and skills acquired to date (i.e., engage in the practice of community psychology) through their work on the community partner projects.  Working in groups of (typically) four, students will spend an average of 5-6 hours per week on the community project they are conducting for the community partner.  Course-related activities and any readings in the Winter term will revolve around the community projects.

 

  • COURSE PROJECTS FOR 2021/22
  •  

Project 1. Creating an Integrated Referral and Goal Monitoring Tool for Youth

Community Partner:  Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU; https://www.you.ca/)

Project Description:

Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU; https://www.you.ca/) is a youth-centred agency that provides a caring, active place for youth to build confidence, skills and independence. It offers a wide range of services and also refers clients to external community agencies. The project, which builds on past student projects, is centred around creating a set of benchmarks to help youth track progress towards their stated life goals. The aim this year is to extend the project by incorporating elements to facilitate behaviour change (e.g., motivational interviewing) and operationalizing ‘life skills’ in the goal template. Note: If this is picked up as a project for the Computer Science program's Capstone course (this won't be known until late September), the student group in this class will help the student group in Computer Science develop a digital version of this tool. The website would include features (e.g., messaging, forums, calendars) to promote engagement with programming/services and support youths’ working relationship with their development counsellors.

Contacts:

Nick Martin (nickM@you.ca;  519-432-1112 x504) Manager, Food Services and Next Wave Youth Centre. Primary contact

Kaitlyn Harvey (KaitlynH@you.ca; 519.432.1112 x 503) Youth Development Counsellor.

Katherine Krakowski (katherineK@you.ca; 519-432-1112 x295) Manager, Programs and Housing.

Project 2. Improving Financial Literacy Programming for Youth

Community Partners:  CMHA’s Thames Valley Transitional Supportive Housing for Youth (https://cmhamiddlesex.ca/programs-services/transitional-supportive-housing-for-youth) and Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU; https://www.you.ca/)

Project Description:

Youth often enrol in financial literacy programs hoping to learn to budget to save enough money for first and last months’ rent, a major barrier to living independently. Despite being highly motivated, few can achieve this goal. Moreover, even those youth able to make first and last months’ rent may ultimately return to supportive services because they have run out of money.  In 2020/21, a Psych3317E student group started to develop a ‘train the trainer’ manual for these programs. The aim was not to create the content matter, as much good training material on financial literacy is widely available.  Rather, the goal was to improve the ways in which the content was delivered by including elements to increase its’ ‘stickiness’ (i.e., help youth apply what they have learned in the workshop in their daily lives.)  The goal for 2021/22 is to increase the ‘stickiness’ of the revision by incorporating principles of motivational interviewing; pilot the project with CMHA and YOU graduates as the leaders; receive feedback from the youth and community partners on its effectiveness; and revise accordingly.

Contacts:

Amanda Wright (AmandaW@you.ca; 519-432-1112 ext. 102) Youth Development Counsellor.  Primary Contact

 

Stephanie Siambis (S.Siambis@cmhamiddlesex.ca)

Jason Manseau (JasonM@you.ca 519-432-1112 ext. 104 ) Housing Team Leader.

 

Project 3. Organizational Evaluation for “Beyond Me London” 

Community Partner: Beyond Me London (https://beyondmelondon.com/)

Project Description:

Beyond Me London is a big-brother/big-sister program that pairs (Western) student volunteers with youth with disabilities to improve social skills and create community through mentorship. The goal is to help youth with disabilities and their families overcome community-specific challenges and create lasting relationships between mentors and their buddies. To better understand the organization, Psych3317E students will have the opportunity to be a mentor themselves. The organization wants to improve and formalize its operating procedures (intake process, accountability process, training, assessment of outcomes). The student group will help with this process, and time permitting, will initiate a program and outcome evaluation of the implemented changes and identify any shortcomings. If warranted, the students help the organization revisit its goals. The hope is that the student project will help the organization work towards formally registering as a non-profit. 

Contacts:

Shenali Lowe (shenali.lowe@mail.utoronto.ca, 647-385-2115), Head of Development (Primary Contact)

Ashini Peiris (apeiris@uwo.ca 647-529-8952), Co-President

Luka Kremic (luka.kremic@gmail.com 647-380-0520), Senior Advisor, Development and Logistics

 

Project 4. Develop a College Recovery Curriculum for the CMHA

 

Community Partner:  The Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley – Addiction and Mental Health Service (CMHAT-VAMHS. Formerly CMHA Middlesex (https://cmhamiddlesex.ca/)

Project Description:

The goal of the project is to help develop a Recovery College curriculum for Western students and the Thames Valley Community based on the United Kingdom (UK) and CMHA co-production model (https://cmha.ca/what-we-do/national-programs/recovery-colleges/). The purpose of a Recovery College is to support people's recovery from mental health and addiction challenges through learning and education that is co-produced by people with lived experience and people with professional expertise. Students will work with the CMHA Peer Support Manager and team to research Recovery College courses offered in other jurisdictions as well as co-facilitating workshops with students/individuals with lived experience to co-produce courses.

Interim contact:

 Karna Trentman, Director of Community Services (K.Trentman@cmhamiddlesex.ca)

 

 

5.0   EVALUATION

 

Component- Individual Work

 

% of Grade

Due Date/Time Frame

Mini-presentation (6 minutes max.) to class on topic of review paper. Should be lay-friendly and highlight relevance to class project.

5%

November 10

Individual Review paper (1000-1500) words on a topic relevant to project (10%) and associated annotated bibliography (5%). Earlier and final draft of paper to be submitted, both with Writer’s Diet Report. 5% will be deducted if earlier draft is not submitted and if the final draft is not ‘leaner’ (as per the Writer’s Diet report) than the earlier draft.

15%

November 24

 Participation: Fall and Winter (10% Fall term, 5% Winter term). Includes contribution to class discussions and in-class exercises/activities, Perusall** notations, completion of non-graded assignments/tasks (e.g., response to surveys or pre-class queries from instructor or peers, group agreements, project-management chart.)  50% of the participation grade in the Fall term (i.e., 5% of the final grade) will be based on Perusall annotations.

15%

(10% Fall term. 5% Winter term)

 

Throughout year

Critical Reflection. There are a range of options. For example:  1. A reflection using the DEAL (Describe, Examine, Articulate Learning) framework. 2. A written reflection how this course has changed you (e.g., ‘Advice to my Sept. 2021 self) 3. A brief video to help recruit the ‘right kind’ of student for the course. 4. The letter of reference that you hope that I would write for you.

5%

April 5th

Student’s contribution to project-related work and professionalism, over the year, as determined Project group members and (if appropriate) community partners.  This may affect individual student’s grade on final report.

Note: Students receive interim (formative) feedback from peers and (if appropriate) supervisors) at the end of the Fall term and mid-February. 

Evaluation of contribution to project. May affect individual grade on final report.

Once group final reports, posters and deliverables have been submitted.

 

Total: Proportion of Grade based on Individual work

40%

 

 

Component: Group  Work

% of Grade

Due Date/Time Frame

Oral presentation of project progress report

7.5%

Dec. 1 or Dec. 8

Written Project progress report

10%

Dec. 8

Draft of poster

5%

March 23

Final version of poster

5%

March 28

Oral presentation of final project

7.5%

March 30 or April 6  

Final report, including deliverable(s). As noted above, individual student’s grade may be adjusted upwards or downwards based on peer (and, if applicable, community partners’) evaluation of student’s contribution to the project.

25%

April 8

Total: Proportion of final grade based on Group Work.

60%

 

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%       1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%       2100-2999-level courses

75%       3000-level courses

80%       4000-level courses

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf)

 

A+   90-100          One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level

A      80-89            Superior work that is clearly above average

B      70-79            Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory

C      60-69            Competent work, meeting requirements

D      50-59            Fair work, minimally acceptable

F       below 50     Fail

 

Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.

 

Please note: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

 

 

5.1   POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK

 

You will receive a ‘0’ for any assignments/coursework not submitted. And there will be a late penalty of 2% per each day (or part thereof). Perusall** (See section 6.1) annotations on class readings submitted after the deadline (24 hours before class) will receive ‘0’.

 

 

6.0.   ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

 

See Section 5.0 (Evaluation)

 

There will no tests or quizzes. I will assess your mastery of and engagement with the assigned readings via Perusall** (Perusall.com) a social learning platform where students collaborate in the learning process by sharing questions, comments, and observations on the readings. Your participation grade will be partly based on the quality of your annotations on the readings in Perusall.  Because of this, I don’t feel it necessary to formally test you on the readings. To earn participation marks, you must submit your Perusall notations no later than 24 hours before the class for which they are assigned.

 

6.1   **ABOUT PERUSALL

(Based on material from Perusall.com)

 

Perusall helps students learn by collaboratively annotating the readings and communicating with their classmates. Collaboration gets you help whenever you need it, makes learning more fun, enables you to help others (which research shows is also a great way for you to learn), and helps the instructor and students make better use of class time by facilitating a deeper discussion of the material and associated insights.

If you have a question or information to share about a passage in the readings, highlight the text and type in a comment as an annotation. You can also respond to a classmate’s annotation in threads (Facebook style) in real time or upvote questions you find helpful. Good annotations contribute to the class by stimulating discussion, explaining your thought processes, helping others, and drawing attention to good points. If a particular classmate’s point is relevant, you can explicitly ‘mention’ them and they will be immediately notified, even if not presently signed on.

Research shows that the following behaviors on Perusall predict higher end-of-semester grades and long-term mastery of the subject. I may use some or all to determine your formal score.

  • Contributing thoughtful questions and comments to the class discussion, spread throughout the entire reading
  • Starting the reading early
  • Breaking the reading into chunks (instead of trying to do it all at once)
  • Reading all the way to the end of the assigned reading
  • Posing thoughtful questions and comments that elicit responses from classmates
  • Answering questions from others
  • Upvoting thoughtful questions and helpful answers

 

 

Section 7.0 (CLASS SCHEDULE) starts on the following page.

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE

 

 

Topics/Activities

Readings. Some of the readings might change or be added.  

Milestones/Assignments

(If the due date is not the same date as the class, it is noted)

(P): Counts towards participation grade. 

FALL 2021

Sept. 8

No class (Jewish New Year)

 

 

Wk 1

Sept. 15

Overview of course

Discussion of course outline.

Getting to know each other

Establishing the class as a community of mutual learning, respect and as a brave space.

Transferable Skills.

 

(P) Come to class prepared to answer questions posed in advance by Instructor

 

 

Wk 2

Sept. 22

Core constructs /Theories and Values in Community Psychology

 

 

 

Ch. 1 Intro. to Community Psychology

Ch. 2. History

Ch. 5 Theories

Ch. 8 Respect for Diversity

Ch. 9 Oppression and Power

McIntosh (1989) White Privilege. Unpacking the Invisible Backpack

 

(P) Come to class prepared to answer questions posed in advance

 

(P) Complete My Life Experiences and Worldview surveys. Via  (anonymous) class quizzes.  Due 9 am, Sept. 20.)  

 

(P)Complete CEL “Deconstructing Power and Privilege in Communities” Module (Instructions on OWL Site). (Upload screen capture/certificate to Assignments

Wk 3

Sept. 29

 

(Will be online)

 

Core constructs, cont’d

(1:30-2:30)

 

Meeting with Community partners (over Zoom, students accessing Zoom room from computers at WH)

(2:40-4:20)

 

 

 

Ch 3. Who we are

Ch. 4 International Perspectives

Ch. 6 Research Methods

Ch. 15 Community organizing, partnerships and coalitions

Ch. 18. Social and political change  

 

(P) Complete Student Experiential Learning Agreement (Due 1:30, Sept.28th)

(P) Student convey project preferences to instructor( via Quizzes,  by noon, Oct. 1st

Wk 4

Oct. 6

Group Work  

Research Ethics  

Professionalism

Active Listening

Oakley (2002). Hitchhikers and Couch Potatoes. 

 

(P) Personal reflection on the Hitchhikers and Couch Potatoes Article (Via Quizzes, 9 am, Oct. 5)

(P) Complete post-call reflections on Hitchhiker and Couch Potato article and subsequent discussion (Quiz, Oct, 8th, noon) 

(P) Professionalism tips. (Quiz,  Oct. 5th, 9 am)

(P) TCPS-2-Core (Course on Research Ethics)  Certificate  of completion uploaded to  Assignments on OWL

(https://tcps2core.ca/  noon, Oct. 4th  

 

 

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE, cont’d 

 

Topics/

Activities

Readings

Milestones/Assignments

Wk 5

Oct. 13

Knowledge Translation; Extracting key elements of a research article; Mining the published and grey literature for relevant information 

 

Ch. 11 Community Intervention

Ch. 12. Prevention and Promotion

Ch. 14. Public policy

Ch. 18 Dissemination and Implementation

Skipper and Pepler (2020). Knowledge mobilization. Action Research 0(0), 1-18 

(P) Upload Certificate of Completion of the three CEL Foundations of Community Engagement Modules to Assignments by noon, Oct. 12th ).

Wk 6

Oct. 20

(or 27)

 

Guest speaker or no class (see Wk 7). Instructor meets with individual students and with groups

Oct. 20th or 27th

Instructor meets individually with students, then groups between Oct. 18th-22nd  

Livingston (2020) How to promote racial equity in the workplace : A Five Step plan. Harvard Business Review Sept-Oct. 2020., 65-72. 

Thrift and Sugarman (2019). What is social justice? Implications for Psychology. Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 39, 1-17.

Notations due noon, Oct. 19th

 

Note: Regardless of whether there is a guest speaker or no class

(P)Submit group agreement/contract to Assignments on OWL be uploaded to OWL (by noon., Oct. 19th)  

 

Students will come to individual meeting with Instructor with a (rough/preliminary) idea of their area of specialty for the project and a relevant research article.

Wk 7

Oct. 27

(or 20)

Guest speaker or no  class  (see Wk. 6)

Instructor meets individually with students, then groups, Oct. 25th and 26th.

 

Instructor meets with groups the week of Oct. 27th

Regardless, notations on Livingston(2020), Thrift and Sugarman (2019) are noon, Oct. 19th

(P) Each group uploads project management chart by noon Oct. 29th

 

 

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE, cont’d 

 

Topics/

Activities

Readings

Milestones/Assignments

Wk 8

Nov. 3

READING WEEK

NA

NA

Wk 9

Nov. 10

 

Epistemology (how do we know what we know?) and Dialectics (its AND, not BUT)

 

Communicating research findings succinctly, and in a lay-friendly manner

 

 

Darlaston-Jones (2007) Making connections: The relationship between epistemology and research methods. The Australian Community Psychologist, 16, 19-27

Drawson at al. (2017). Indigenous research methods: A systematic review. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 8, 1-27. 

Ferdman (2017) Paradoxes of Inclusion. J Applied Psych

 Wiggins and Christopherson (2019) The replication crisis in psychology. Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 39, 202-217

(P) Come to class prepared to give an example of a dialectical tension (contradiction) in everyday life and an observation about epistemology.  They need not be relevant to the project. Submit, via Assignments, a brief summary (no more than a paragraph) to the instructor by noon, Nov. 8th.

 

Student give mini (and lay friendly) presentations (6 mins max) on their research article.

Wk 10

Nov. 17

TBA/No class or guest speaker.

TBA. Depends on guest speaker.

 

Wk 11

Nov. 24

TBA/ No class or guest speaker

TBA. Depends on guest speaker.

Individual review paper (10%) and annotated bibliography (5%) Due by 5 pm, Nov. 24th

Wk 12

Dec. 1

Presentation of progress reports  

None

Group presentation of progress reports (7.5%)

Wk 13. Dec. 8

Presentation of progress reports Debrief and discuss project-related work for Winter term.

None

Group presentations of progress reports  (7.5%)

Written progress reports due (10%)

(Late penalty does not apply until noon, Dec. 15th )

(P) Submit 1st interim evaluation of peer (by Dec. 15th)

 

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE cont’d.  Italicized sections are tentative/TBA

WINTER 2022

 

TOPICS/

ACTIVITIES

In the Winter term, unless otherwise specified, during class time, students will work on their projects, in consultation with the Instructor, as need be.

READINGS:

Most (if not all) weeks, there will be no readings.

Any assigned readings/materials (ideally, requiring no more than 2 hours to review) will be to facilitate student work on the evolving project/subprojects

Milestone/Assignments

In Winter term, student work will be wholly project-related

Wk 1

Jan. 12

Mini-presentations of projects

TBA

 

Wk 2

Jan. 19

Project work

TBA

 

Wk 3

Jan. 26

Project work

TBA

 

Wk 4

Feb. 2

Project work

None

 

Wk 5

Feb. 9

Project work

TBA

 

Wk 6

Feb. 16

Project work

TBA

 

Wk 7

Feb. 23

No Class. Reading Week

TBA

 

Wk 8

March 2

Project work

None

(P) Submit (2nd) interim evaluation of peers (March 4, 11 pm)

Wk 9

 Mar. 9

Project work

None  

 

Wk 10

Mar. 16

Project work

None

 

Wk 11

Mar. 23

Project work

None

Draft of poster (5%) (March 23, 11 pm)

Final version of poster (5%)  (March 28, 11 pm)

Wk 12

Mar. 30

Group  presentations

None

Group presentation of project (7.5 %) (Upload to Assignments before class)

 

Critical reflection (5%). (April 5, 11 pm)

Wk 13

April 6

Group  presentations

 

Debrief and final reflections

 

None

Group presentation of project (7.5%) (Upload to Assignments before class)

 

Final report and deliverable (25%). April 8, 11 pm.  Late penalty will apply after April 15, 11 pm.  

 

(P)Student evaluation of peer contribution to project. To be submitted as soon as final report and deliverable have been handed in. 

 

(P) Supervisor evaluation of student work and project.  To be submitted as soon as final report and deliverable have been handed in. 

 

 

 

Classes end April 8th.

2% penalty per day assignment is late

 

 

8.0       Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

 

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

 

 

9.0  STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

 

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

10.0        POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE

 

When examinations and tests cannot be given in person (e.g., in courses coded as Distance Studies; in the event of a lockdown order), they may be conducted using either a monitoring platform such as Zoom or a remote proctoring service, such as Proctorio. If Zoom is used for exam invigilation, you will be required to keep your camera on for the entire session, hold up your student card for identification purposes, and share your screen with the invigilator if asked to do so at any time during the exam. The exam session using Zoom will not be recorded.*

If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. The instructor will alert you to the use of this software as close as possible to the start of the term, however, in the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf

 

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us  

 

11.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

 

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  • For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

 

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

12.0 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes

 

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.

 

13.0        STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

 

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

14.0 OTHER INFORMATION

 

Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca 

 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

 

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

 

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct

- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations

- Policy on Attendance

- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines

- Policy for Assignments

- Short Absences

- Extended Absences

- Documentation

- Academic Concerns

- 2021-2022 Calendar References

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf

Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.