Syllabus - PSY3521 Adolescent Psychology Online

Instructor: Cathy D. Schoonover

Home Address: 5458 Lincoln Highway Rd., Charleston, IL 61920

Office: 1051 Physical Science Bldg.

Office Phone: 217-581-6612

Home Phone: 217-345-0376

Cell Phone: 217-299-1046

E-mail: cdschoonover@eiu.edu

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

Textbook: Santrock, J.W. (2005). Adolescence (llth ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill.

Additionally, you will need to access the following book:

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, by Canfield, Hansen, and Kirberger

There are a couple of options on this:

A. The book is available electronically through EIU's Booth Library. To access it:

1. From the library main page, click on "Books, videos, and more."

2. Near the bottom of the page, click on "E-books."

3. Click on "net Library Collection."

4. Enter your Library ID number (see Library info provided if you need help)

5. Type in "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul," click on "Title," then "Search."

6. There you will see 2 versions of the book, Volume 1 and Volume 2. You can use either version for this course.

7. Click on "View this book" and it will take you to the entire contents of the book.

8. Be aware that there is a limit on how many people can access the book at once. All my sections of Adolescent Psychology, including on-campus, use this book, so there may be times you won't be able to get in.

B. You can also buy the book if you prefer the ability to browse the stories and the ease of paper reading. It is generally widely available (around $10 at Wal-Mart). You can use any version of the TEENAGE soul book (there are several versions available, including one called "Tough Stuff.") It does make a great gift for any teenager you may know, so after you finish, you can give it away!

Grading:

This course will consist of 4 modules, each containing several assignments.

Each of these assignments have varying point values, with scoring based on predetermined rubrics. The modules will be individually released on a schedule corresponding with course material and will contain detailed instructions for each assignment therein. All assignment due dates will be posted on the course calendar. Point values are listed with each assignment. In addition to the specified 490 points, there will be up to a 10 point participation grade awarded based on your level of participation, bringing the total points of the course to 500.

Important: The grading scale for this course is as follows:    

93-100% = A	465 - 500 points
86-92% = B	430 - 464 points
79-85% = C	395 - 429 points
72-78% = D	360 - 394 points
below 72% = F	below 360 points

Module Overviews:

Module 1: Background, Biological, & Cognitive Development

Readings: Textbook Chapters 1, 3, & 4, and others as specified

Assignments:

Introductions - 8 Nouns (5 points)

Perceptions - (25 points)

Discussion Questions (DQs) and Responses (10 points each DQ)

Chicken Soup 1 (10 points)

Chapter Study Quizzes (30 points)

Module 2: Identity, Gender, Sexuality, & Moral Development

Readings: Textbook Chapters 5, 6, 7, & 8, and others as specified.

Assignments:

DQs/Responses (10 points each DQ)

Research Article Review 1 (30 points)

Moral Development Exercise (30 points)

Chicken Soup 2 (10 points)

Chapter Study Quizzes (40 points)

Module 3: Contexts: Families, Peers, & Adolescent Problems

Readings: Textbook Chapters 9, 10, & 14, and others as specified

Assignments:

DQs/Responses (10 points each DQ)

Research Article Review 2 (30 points)

Adolescent Problems Topic Review (30 points)

Chicken Soup (10 points)

Chapter Study Quizzes (30 points)

Module 4: Contexts: Schools, Culture, Work, & Health

Readings: Textbook Chapters 11, 12, 13, & 15, and others as specified

Assignments:

DQs/Responses (10 points each DQ)

Course Reflection Letter (20 points)

Chicken Soup (10 points)

Chapter Study Quizzes (40 points)

Portfolio (60 points)

Discussion Question Rubric:

10 Points: 

Initial answer is posted by due date so others can respond

All parts of question are addressed or answered
A question is posed for other students to answer

Answer is clear and understandable

Clear reasoning is given

As appropriate, answer includes a reference to a reading from reading list or

other source

Answer includes personal references (opinions, reactions, experiences,

observations, etc.)

Two responses posted to other students' answers by due date

8-9 Points: 

All parts of questions are addressed or answered

Answer is clear and understandable

Some reasoning is given

A question is posed for other students to answer

A reading is referenced and a personal reference made

Or:

Answer is posted after due date (one point off for each day late)

Or:

Only one response to other students' answers by due date

6-7 Points:

Something is not answered  or

Response is not clear or

No question is posed for other students

A reading or personal reference is missing or

No responses to other students' answers by due date

4-5 Points : 

At least 2 items from previous criteria are missing

1-3 Points:

Question is not answered but responses to others are posted OR

Answer does not make sense and no reasoning is given

0 Points:

Question is not answered and no responses are posted by end of module

Important Info, Helpful Hints and Requests

1. Due Dates:
Regarding what time of the day assignments are due on the due date: I consider midnight on the due date the limit, but if you stay up late to finish your assignment and turn it in at 2 a.m., I will flex you that!

Also, remember that you make your own time-line. Just because the due date for an assignment is on a particular day, you can certainly turn it in any time before that day, depending on what works best with your schedule. I like to make weekend due dates because working people often have more opportunity to do their work on weekends.

Regarding the portfolio due date, it is important to realize that the portfolio can be completed in segments, so you SHOULD be working on it as we go along. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT wait until the last minute to do your portfolio, because you won't have time to complete it. And I absolutely will not accept ANY late portfolios. You have the entire semester to work on it, so no excuses!

2. Posting :
I ask that you put your name in the subject line when you post your DQ answers. It really helps me out when grading. Additionally, I would like to remind everyone to be sure and type out their question before their answer so everyone can see what we are talking about.

3. Attachments :
I would like to request that if you post ANYTHING as an attachment, please be sure to put your name on the attached document. In general, if you can avoid attachments for the Discussion Question answers it makes them more reader-friendly. If you prefer to type up your answer on a document, you can copy and paste it into the message window. In fact I HIGHLY recommend doing this so you won't accidentally lose your work (it happens all too often). It just saves everyone time and trouble not to have to open attachments, thus making it more likely that everyone will read your posting.

For some longer assignments you will probably want to use attachments, and that is fine. I can read documents in Microsoft Word, but I'm not sure if everyone can, so it is advisable to save them in Rich Text Format and post them that way. If anyone does not know how to do this, let me know and I will step you through it. Also, I seem to have trouble with anything created in Office 2007, but I'm working on that.

IMPORTANT: Make SURE that if you think you attached an assignment to a message (esp. the portfolio) you go back and check to make sure it is actually attached. You would not believe how many times attachment errors have occurred.

4. Readings:
Since there are no lectures, your textbook will be your main source of info for this course, thus you will be expected to read it. You are always welcome to seek additional related information from other sources when doing your DQs or assignments though. Just be sure to reference any outside sources you may use. It won't be necessary to reference the text - we will assume that as the main source.

Portfolio Instructions:

As a course project, you will be creating a portfolio (sort of a digital scrapbook) illustrating the impact of media and culture on adolescents. Students will assemble either a PowerPoint presentation or a document containing all required elements as listed. For this project you may use any form of creativity you wish, but keep in mind that you will need intellectual substance in your writings. Examples from previous students will be provided. Most students find this a fun project but time consuming, so don't wait until the last minute to begin your portfolio!

For this project you will focus on how the media presents information to teens and about teens. You can choose an overall theme for your project if you wish (such as teen sexuality, teen drug use, teen sex, eating disorders, etc.) or you can use a variety of information. The format of your project can be either a PowerPoint presentation, an electronic Word document. It is always good to have some visual appeal to your project even if you do it in document form – you can add pictures, clip art, and color as you wish. Find your creative side! You will be turning in your portfolio as an attachment to a post in the appropriately designated discussion forum so that your classmates can view them. There are 8 required elements, as follows:

1. Introduction – This will introduce and explain your project and its purpose. It will provide an overview of the effects of media on adolescents. You will include a table of contents for your portfolio here as well as a title page with your name, the name of the course, and a brief biography of yourself. 

2. Movie Review – You will need to watch and review a movie (yes, you may do more than one if you wish) that is about adolescents or is aimed toward adolescents. You will provide the title of your movie, a brief description of the plot, and an explanation of the movie’s relevance to your project. Why did you choose it? Do you approve or disapprove of the way it presents teenagers? Be sure to give me sufficient commentary here, addressing any issues you can about how your movie relates. Include photos from the movie if possible. 

3. TV Show Review – You will need to review at least one TV show or episode of a TV show that is about adolescents or aimed toward adolescents. You will provide the title of the show, a brief description of the plot, and an explanation of the show’s relevance to your project. Again, be sure to give me sufficient commentary on how this show relates to teens and provide pictures where possible. 

4. Website Review – You will find and review at least one website that is teen-related. Provide the web address, a description of it’s contents, and your commentary. Give me your thoughts on the quality of information, the interest level, teen appeal, etc. Is this website a positive or negative influence for teens?

5. Magazine Article Review – You will find and review an article from a popular magazine that is about teens or aimed toward teens. The article can be from a print version or an electronic version of a magazine. Provide the magazine name, date of publication, the article title, the author’s name (where given), and a brief summary of the article. Again, provide your rationale for choosing this article and your opinions about the relevance, quality, appeal, and appropriateness of the article for teens. 

6. Photos – Include at least 3 photos related to any adolescent behavior, each captioned with a brief statement of relevance. These photos can be from any source or personal photos (always nice to see you and your friends!)

7. Poems and/or songs – Include at least 2 selections (either a poem and a song, or 2 songs or 2 poems) that illustrate adolescent emotions or situations. Provide the entire poem or all lyrics to your song and the author/artist. Also provide commentary for each selection, explaining why you chose it and how it relates to teens, whether it is a good or bad influence, etc. 

8. Conclusion – You will conclude your project with a reflective paragraph (or more) that summarizes your view of the media’s effects on adolescents. 

Portfolio Scoring Rubric: 

Nine Elements – 60 total points possible	Proficient –  6 to 7 points each element	Adequate – 4 to 5 points each element	Insufficient – 0 to 3 points each element
1. Introduction - 6 points	Introduces and explains project  and purpose; gives overview of the effects of media on adolescents and includes a  table of contents.  Also Includes student name, brief bio, and name of course.	Project is introduced but information is sketchy or incomplete.  Viewer or reader might be confused about what the project is.  One element is missing.	Purpose is not clearly stated and no overview is presented. More than one element is missing.
2. Movie Review - 7 points	Includes at least one movie selection with title, brief synopsis, and an explanation of relevance to purpose of project.  May include photos.	Includes one movie selection but relevance to project is questionable or not sufficiently or clearly explained.	Element is missing or no text explaining selection.
3. TV Show Review - 7 points	Includes at least one TV show selection with title, brief description, and explanation of how the show is relevant to purpose of project.  May include photos.	Includes one TV show selection but relevance to project is questionable or not sufficiently or clearly explained.	Element is missing or no text explaining selection.
4. Website Review - 7 points	Includes at least one fully referenced website (address, authors or site provider, date of retrieval) and description of contents with commentary (think like a movie reviewer).	Includes one website with either a description or some commentary.  Relevance may be questionable.  Reference is missing.	Element is missing or totally irrelevant.
5. Magazine Article Review - 7 points	Includes a brief summary of at least one fully referenced magazine article that is aimed toward teens and your comments about why you chose the article.	Includes one magazine reference but summary or comments are missing or relevance is questionable.	Element is missing or irrelevant
6. Photos - 7 points	Includes at least three photos related to any adolescent behavior (photos can be from any source or personal), each captioned with brief statement of relevance.	Includes only one or two photos, or captions are missing, or relevance questionable.	Element is missing or irrelevant
7 & 8. Poems and/or Songs - 14 points (7 points each) Note: there are several good poems in the Chicken Soup book	Includes at least one poem that illustrates an adolescent's emotion or situation along with your comments about the poem.  Author must be listed (can be original work).  OR Includes lyrics to at least one song that illustrates an adolescent's emotion or situation, or is relevant to the adolescent condition, along with your comments about the song.  Artist and songwriter must be referenced.	Poem/Song included but comments are missing or relevance is questionable.	Element is missing or irrelevant
9. Conclusion - 5 points	Summary and reflection on what you learned by doing this project and how it affected you. Put some thought into this!	Summary is present but is too brief.	Element is missing or irrelevant.