PSB3002 | Fall "B" 2023 Introductory Bio-Psychology

 Accelerated Class

Accelerated classes require more work in a shorter amount of time. All of the content of the traditional 16-week semester is compressed into just 7 weeks. Completing the course requires self-motivation as well as excellent time management. It's important to see how the workload fits into your life before the key dates below. Try out assignments in the first week of the course!

Key Dates:

• Oct 23: Add/Drop
• Nov 13: Last Day to Drop with DR grade

 Professor Information

Dr. Eliza Nelson
Associate Professor of Psychology
elnelson@fiu.edu
She/Her/Hers (Why I share)

Guaranteed Reply: 24 hours

 Coffee Hours

Drop in for virtual coffee hours with Dr. Nelson on Tuesdays from 2:00 - 4:00 pm using the link go.fiu.edu/coffeehours (Links to an external site.). You don't need to have a question about class to join. You can ask about how to apply for a job, how to get into graduate school, meet her dog Berrin (she/her/hers), or just chat. Dr. Nelson also parents three children. All family members are welcome on zoom. If the coffee hours time doesn't work, you can request a one-on-one virtual meeting with Dr. Nelson.

 Course Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

 Course Description

A study of the more important psychobiologic correlates of behavior in basic psychological phenomena. Translation: this course is all about linking the brain to behavior!

 Course Objectives

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

1. Recall key terms and concepts in biopsychology.
2. Interpret facts and main ideas in biopsychology. 
3. Apply facts and concepts to solve problems in biopsychology.
4. Develop real life connections in biopsychology.  

 Course Awards

 Onboarding Requirement

There is an onboarding module in this course that must be completed to unlock the course content. You must view all the pages. Submitting the extra credit assignment is optional. Extra credit is due at the start of the course because Dr. Nelson wants to ensure that all students feel that they belong in biopsychology and get off to a good start in their gradebook. The assignment is a case study on diversity and inclusion in STEM. 

 Participation in this Course

There is a fee to participate in this course if you opt-out of Panther Book Pack (PBP).

The Canvas course tool Yellowdig is required to participate in this course. There is no cost to you if you select Panther Book Pack (PBP). Yellowdig is included in PBP and you will be automatically enrolled. Students who opt-out of PBP can purchase an access code for Yellowdig separately from the campus bookstore. The fee for Yellowdig a la carte is assessed per course per term. 

What is Yellowdig? Yellowdig is the online conversation platform for this course. You receive points for participating in Yellowdig conversations, and the points you receive in Yellowdig factor into your final grade. Each week, you can earn up to 1350 points. To get an "A" in Yellowdig, you must have at least 7000 points by the end of the course. If you reach the weekly max by the end of each week, you are guaranteed to get an "A" in Yellowdig. You cannot earn all the points in a single week.

**Note:  You can get credit for new Posts, commenting on another user's Post, receiving comments, receiving reactions, receiving Accolades, and more. Details are posted in the assignment on Canvas. 

 Readings in this Course

Readings in this course are from the required textbook The Mind's Machine: Foundations of Brain and Behavior, Fourth Edition (Authors: Watson & Breedlove, Publication Date: 2021, ISBN: 9781605359731). Purchase or rent the e-book so that you can get started on assignments right away. Each module corresponds to one chapter in the textbook. Reading only works if you retain the information. Structure your notes using the lecture available in the modules. I recommend that you start off each module by taking notes in your own words as you read the chapter before starting the corresponding assignments.

 Lectures in this Course

Lectures are available in a fully-accessible PowerPoint, and can be downloaded in alternative formats. I recommend writing notes by hand in your own voice. Reading/Listening to slides is not the same as sitting in a face-to-face lecture. Budget more time than you think you need to work through the material before starting the assignments. 

**Note: The e-book has additional study resources.

 Assignments in this Course

Each module has three assignments: (1) a knowledge check quiz that you can retake as many times as you want; (2) a case study that will push you to go beyond the textbook and solve or analyze a real-world problem; and (3) a newslink journal that asks you to find and evaluate a layperson article on a topic related to the module. Each week assignments are due on one week day and one weekend day. However, you can work ahead (or catch up) on assignments until the corresponding unit exam. All assignments have a rubric that is available to students to review before starting the work.

**Note: It is better to earn partial credit on assignments than to take a "0".

 Exams in This Course

Exams in this course are open-book and non-cumulative. No special browser or proctoring software is required. Each exam is available for 48 hours (1 weekend day and 1 week day). Once started, you have 4 hours to complete it. The majority of questions will be multiple choice. These questions will be similar to the knowledge check quizzes, and weighted equally across the modules on the exam. Some questions on each exam will be short answer. These questions are based on the case studies. There is no curve or extra credit on exams. Students will be able to see their score when grades are posted but will not be able to review their exams. To go over your exam performance, request a one-on-one meeting with Dr. Nelson.

**Note: No study guide is given since exams are open-book.

 Understanding Your Grade in this Course

Grades are earned, not negotiated, in this course. To pass this course with a "C", you must earn at least 417 points across five types of graded activities:

1. Yellowdig Participation (1 total; 60 possible points; 10% grade)
2. Knowledge Check Quizzes (10 total x 6 points each; 60 possible points; 10% grade)
3. Case Studies (10 total x 12 points each; 120 possible points; 20% grade)
4. NewsLink Journals (10 total x 6 points each; 60 possible points; 10% grade)
5. Non-Cumulative Exams (3 total x 100 points each; 300 possible points; 50% grade)

**Note: There is one extra credit assignment worth up to 12 points that is due at the start of the course in the onboarding module. 

 Grading Scheme in this Course

The following grading standards will be used in this class:

 Policies in this Course

Preferred Name Policy

 Important Information

Before starting this course, please review the following pages:

• Policies
• NetiquetteLinks to an external site.
• Technical Requirements and Skills
• Academic Misconduct Statement
  • All FIU faculty must report academic misconduct to Student Conduct and Academic IntegrityLinks to an external site.. Students can also report academic misconduct to this office. It will be up to this office, not the individual who reported it, to determine student responsibility and possible sanctions for academic misconduct.  Everyone is responsible for understanding what academic misconduct is and the process for how it is handled at FIU.
• Accessibility and Accommodation
  • This course includes some instructional materials that are not accessible when utilizing assistive technology. Should you require accommodations, please reach out to me via email (elnelson@fiu.edu) as soon as possible.

Commitment to Intersectionality

I would like to acknowledge that we are all individuals with multiple sociocultural identities that intersect and shape our worldview through the lens of privilege and oppression. My commitment to you as your instructor is to minimize systemic forces of oppression within the classroom such as ableism, classism, racism, sexism, transphobia, and heterosexism in efforts to create a safe learning environment for all of us. I ask that you also join me in this commitment to foster respect for one another, enhance solidarity, and build community. 

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that our university is located on the ancestral homelands of sovereign Native nations, including the Tequesta, the Calusa, and today, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. We pay our respects to the traditional custodians, the Elders past and present, by fully recognizing Indigenous sovereignty as well as the historical and contemporary relationship between Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands. It is within our responsibility as an academic institution to uphold knowledge about the history of our institution with the original stewards of this land that we live, learn, and work on. We encourage our University community to read and learn about ways to support our local Indigenous communities in their efforts to preserve Seminole and Miccosukee land and water rights, cultural practices, and the conservation of the environment.

Consistent with our University's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, FIU is working towards creating an academic environment that is inclusive of Indigenous students, faculty, and staff who have often been rendered invisible due to structural discriminatory practices. At FIU, we hold ourselves accountable to serving local, regional and worldwide Indigenous communities through academic policy-oriented research, education, partnerships, community service, as well as enrollment initiatives to overcome the effects of Indigenous exclusion and erasure in our own academic institution. It is our hope that acknowledging the land helps us to better understand that harm has been done and address the legacies of violence in our communities in order to create a pathway to true healing.

This statement is provided as part of FIU’s Global Indigenous Forum, for more information visit the Global Indigenous Forum website at indigenous.fiu.edu. 

Statement on Civility

 Course Schedule

**Note: Italics denotes optional bonus activity.

Brain art photo by Joachim Böttger.

Course Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time (EST). Due dates are according to this time zone.

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact the FIU Canvas Help Center .