PSB 4002: Introductory Bio-Psychology

Florida International University Fall B 2019

Professor Eliza Nelson

elnelson@fiu.edu

Course Description and Purpose

Introductory Bio-Psychology is a course introducing students to the biological basis of behavior. The course is organized into three units: (1) neural foundations, (2) sensory systems and homeostasis, and (3) complex behavior. Topics include neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, sleep, stress, memory, and brain asymmetry.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, will be able to do the following:

1. Describe and explain how the nervous system works
2. Critically discuss the reciprocal relationship between biology and psychology
3. Explain typical and atypical brain-behavior relationships

Course Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Proctored Exam Policy

This course requires a proctored final exam. There is an additional cost for this component of the course that is due when you take the final. Please visit the Honorlock Instructions page for important information.

Required Textbook

The Mind's Machine: Foundations of Brain and Behavior, Third Edition

Expectations of this Course

The course is fully online  where all of the instructional materials and activities are delivered through Canvas. Please maintain a courteous and professional manner even though you might never meet your professor or your classmates in person. Time spent on this online course is no different from time you would expect to spend in a typical face-to-face course. Although the course is accelerated on the mini "B" term, the content is no different than a full-semester course. Beginning Week 2, assignments are due every Wednesday and Sunday by 11:59 pm.  The deadlines in this course may not be the same as your other online courses. Please pay careful attention to the syllabus. 

As a student in this course, you are expected to do the following: 

• Be responsible for their own learning
• Log in to the course at least three times per week
• Follow the course calendar
• Interact online with instructor/s and peers
• Respond to emails within two business days
• Read assigned chapters in the textbook and take notes
• Review instructor-provided course material including lectures and videos
• Submit assignments and quizzes by the due date

As the instructor, I will do the following: 

• Log in to the course at least three times per week
• Respond to emails within one business day
• Grade assignments within two business days of the due date
• Be available  by appointment for course questions and concerns

Course Communication

Email Policy

A professional email is very different from a text message you would send to a friend. Please address your email “Dear Professor Nelson”. Include the name of the course, your PID, and the reason for the message in the body of the email. Sign your full name at the bottom. Select an informative subject line that contains the name of the course and summarizes what you are emailing about (do not leave the subject line blank). Many questions can be answered by the syllabus. Dr. Nelson and any teaching assistant staff reserve the right not to respond to unprofessional emails. In this course, the response time for an email is 1 business day. Messages received over the weekend may not receive a response until the following Monday.

Office Hours Policy

You can make an appointment for a face-to-face meeting or a phone meeting at any time. Office hours can be used for questions unrelated to class, such as advice on job applications or how to apply to medical/graduate/professional school. If you are struggling with the material, please contact Dr. Nelson ASAP (elnelson@fiu.edu). If a significant personal or medical problem arises, do not wait to contact Dr. Nelson to make appropriate arrangements. Do not wait until it’s too late to get help! 

Graded Activities 

Course Agreement Bonus

Start the course on a good note by completing the Course Agreement by 11:59 pm on October 29th. Completion of this requirement by the due date will earn you 5 points. If you added the course late, please email Dr. Nelson directly (elnelson@fiu.edu) to extend the bonus window. Keep in mind that you must complete Module 0 to unlock the rest of the modules, even if you miss the deadline for the bonus.

Assignments

For detailed instructions, please review the Important Information About Assignments page. Assignments are a mix of exercises. Grading criteria are provided with each assignment.  Assignments use discussion forums. Keep in mind that your discussion forum postings will be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post. It is better to submit partial work than take a 0 on an assignment. Remember, no late assignments will be graded unless you have talked to Dr. Nelson and obtained permission to submit after the deadline. If you submit late work without pre-approval, you will receive an automatic 0. 

Quizzes

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the Practice Quiz from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes. Please review the Important Information About Quizzes page. Quizzes in this course are designed to be a mix of lower order questions testing knowledge and comprehension as well as higher order questions testing application and analysis. It is better to submit partial work (i.e., only multiple choice) than take a 0 on a quiz. No late quizzes will be graded unless you have talked to Dr. Nelson and obtained permission to submit after the deadline. If you submit late work without pre-approval, you will receive an automatic 0. 

Cumulative Final Exam

There is a cumulative proctored final in this course. You will be recorded, and Dr. Nelson will be able to see/hear your test session upon review. Please read the Important Information About Quizzes page. There are also separate pages with Honorlock Instructions and Honorlock FAQs. It is your responsibility to ensure you are compliant with the proctored exam policies. Do not wait until the last minute to arrange to take your final. A word of caution: even "A" students in past semesters score in the "B" or "C" range on this exam. The exam is not curved. Please consider doing the extra credit. 

Grade Reporting Policy

This course uses the Panther Success Network. Progress Reports are issued to at-risk students after Module 2. Dr. Nelson may also send you a personal email if you are struggling in the course. It is your best interest to respond to these efforts to help you through the course. FIU does not allow an A+. Psychology majors are required to earn a C or higher (i.e., at least 522 points in this course). Standard rounding to the nearest percentage is used to determine final letter grades. Requests for exceptions to the grading policy will not be honored. Extra credit is available in this course. All extra credit is due by 11:59 pm on December 13, 2019. Please note that this date is a Friday. 

Please note that the Total column in Canvas may not accurately reflect your performance until the course is complete. You can contact Dr. Nelson anytime for your standing. 

Course Policies

What happens if I miss an assignment?

Make-up work is only permitted for excused absences with dated documentation. An excused absence includes, but is not limited to:

• doctor’s visit (for yourself or immediate relatives)
• pet emergency
• athletic events
• FIU-related scholarly events (e.g., conference)
• death in the family
• religious observances
• car accident

Examples of unexcused absences:

• forgetfulness 
• weather
• traffic
• parking
• vacation

As soon as you are able to, contact Dr. Nelson directly by email (elnelson@fiu.edu). Work-related excuses will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Approved work-related excuses are one-time absences, not regular occurrences.  Do not take this class if it conflicts with your work schedule. Do not wait until the end of the semester to discuss an ongoing situation with your professor. If you have an issue completing work due to technical problems, email Dr. Nelson immediately. Please note that the deadline for all work is 11:59 pm. It is your responsibility to plan accordingly. It is possible to work ahead in the modules.  All authorized make-up work must be submitted by 11:59 pm on December 13, 2019. 

How does extra work in this course?

Dr. Nelson posted a set of articles with corresponding questions in Module S | Extra Credit.

There is one extra credit article per module. Your task is to read the article, and answer the assigned questions. Answers are credited as 1 point each. The minimum acceptable response is 3 sentences per question. Your work will be returned if your responses are too short. The deadline to submit revised extra credit is 11:59 pm on December 13, 2019. There is no other way to improve your grade in this course. Do not ask. 

How to Submit Extra Credit:

Attachments are not permitted. Work offline in a word processing program and then copy and paste your work into the text box provided. Your work will not be graded if you do not use the following format:

Module Number

Question 1

• Response 1

Question 2

• Response 2

Question 3

• Response 3

Extra Credit Due Date:

Work can be turned in at any point during the semester. The deadline is 11:59 pm on December 13, 2019. No late extra credit will be accepted for any reason. It is easy to fall behind when an optional assignment is not due until the last day of the course. The recommendation from prior students who have taken this course is to do the extra credit as you work through each module -- do not wait until the last minute and attempt to do it all at once. 

Important Information

Before starting this course, please review the following pages:

• Policies
• Netiquette
• Technical Requirements and Skills
• Accessibility and Accommodation
• Academic Misconduct Statement

FIU Panther Care and CAPS Services

If you are looking for help for yourself or a fellow classmate, Panthers Care encourages you to express any concerns you may come across as it relates to any personal behavior concerns or worries, for the classmate’s well-being or yours. You are encouraged to share your concerns with FIU’s Panthers Care website.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free and confidential help for anxiety, depression, stress, and other concerns that life brings. Learn more about CAPS.  Professional counselors are available for same-day appointments. Don’t wait to call 305-348-2277 to set up a time to talk or visit the online self-help portal.

Staying Safe and Healthy

In collaboration with the Health, Safety, and Welfare Committee of the FIU Faculty Senate and the Healthy Panthers Council, the Provost encourages each faculty and student to take a proactive role in their safety, personal health, and well-being.

Through viewing the "Staying Safe and Healthy" video series, you will learn:

• How to respond to an active shooter situation
• Care of an unconscious person
• Care of the bleeding person
• Panther’s Care Initiative
• How to enhance your personal health and wellbeing 

These 3-5 minute videos and related resources can be found for:

• On Campus Students in the Student Starter Kit in Canvas
• 2.0 Fully Online Students in Panther Den in Canvas

Statement on Civility 

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

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact LMS Help Support Services.