Office
hours:
M-F
9:30-10:20
or by appointment. My office is McClain 229. Phone is x4643.
Contact me using e-mail (fshaffer@truman.edu) allowing 24 hours for a reply. Visit
my web site at
www2.truman.edu/shaffer/start2001.htm.
Texts:
Myers and Hansen Experimental
psychology (5th) and web notes.
Teaching philosophy: I respect you and expect you to succeed. This class emphasizes critical thinking, subject mastery, and identifying real-world connections. The group format provides opportunities for you to help each other learn, and spares you from listening to me lecture for 50 minutes.
Group format: Meet with your group members before each exam to help complete your exam terms list. Your group can help you master course content and win an award for success during our five exam review sessions called “Clash of the Groups.”
Assigned questions: Each chapter's web notes contain assigned questions for members of your group. If you are the first person in group 1, you will be responsible for question 1a. Decide as a group how you will share the questions when there are fewer or more questions than the number of group members.
Your role: When class starts, I will call on each group to answer its assigned questions. This is your chance to present your written answer. If you are not prepared, don’t present that day.
Your responsibilities: This is a demanding class. Download each chapter's web notes, read the assigned chapter before class, type out answers to your assigned questions, and participate in class.
Prepare for daily quizzes:
read the entire chapter before each quiz.
Printing in this classroom: Make sure you have sufficient funds in
your account to print out your exam essay answers. Do not print during
lecture since it disrupts class.
Bring to class:
Myers and Hansen, your typed answer to an assigned question, and web notes.
How to start class:
- log on to your desktop
computer, activate the Netscape browser, select the courseinfo site from
the course web site, and log on so you are ready to take a quiz at the end of the period - select the day's PowerPoint lecture from the U drive (SS/Shaffer/PSYC266)
- discuss your answers with group members
How to end class:
- log off your desktop computer
-
decide who will answer
the next class period’s questions
Courseinfo:
I've designed interactive practice exams to prepare you for each unit exam.
You can access them from our class Courseinfo site.
CDs:
I will be pleased to burn a CD-R or CD-RW for you with exam review
flashcards. Provide me with a blank CD in a case with your name on it.
U-drive:
The PowerPoint lectures and exam review flashcards
are available on the Truman network on the U-drive if you don’t have a
personal computer.
Web notes:
The web notes provide assigned questions and are designed to help you study.
Click on Chapter Questions from the PSYC 266 Menu and then select the
chapter you want from the Chapter Questions menu.
Final exam: You may take your final exam with a partner. I will announce pairings based on your average exam score at the start of the final. After conferring, each member may enter his or her own answer using Courseinfo.
Grading scale: A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69.
Grade components: 27 quizzes (5), 4 exams (55), and
comprehensive final (75), and 3 SPSS labs (2). The four unit exams will
consist of 50 multiple-choice questions and a 5-point essay. The final exam
will consist of 75 multiple-choice questions.
Missed exams: I will
drop one of your four exams if you provide a medical receipt. I will
not re-administer a missed exam.
Missed quizzes:
I will automatically drop your two lowest quizzes. This covers
emergencies, incarceration, plagues, and university-sponsored activities
without the hassle of phone calls or written excuses.
Computer testing: All quizzes and exams will be administered in class over our networked computers using Courseinfo. This will give you immediate feedback on your performance.
Grade posting: You may check your grades our course web site. You will use your Social Security number and a unique password I create for you. Your course grade is based on raw points.
Grade verification: I encourage you to discuss your exams, essay scoring, and quizzes with me within a week of their administration. Due to time constraints, I will not discuss them after that. The last time to correct grade book entries, including extra-credit, is May 7.
Late to class: Students more than five minutes late may forfeit credit for the day’s quiz since this disrupts class.
Dishonesty: cheating on any academic work will result in a semester F. Taking exams or quizzes outside of class will be considered cheating except when authorized by the instructor.
Exam
review:
I will provide optional review sessions for each of four unit exams and
final the day before each test. There will be 40 questions for each Clash of
the Groups. The group that wins the most points during the semester will
receive an award. You must participate in 3 of 5 clashes to be eligible.
Maximum credit: You may earn a maximum 8 points including participation and research. If you exceed this total, you will still receive only 8 points.
Class
participation:
You may
earn 4 points by turning in a typed answer to one of each day’s assigned
questions found in each chapter’s web notes. These are due at the end of
class and I will return them to you.
Research: You may
earn 1 point per 30 minutes of research participation from studies that
recruit from our class.
No credit will be
allowed for studies that recruit from outside of class, including those
posted on the sign-up board in the Psych Complex.
Read the chapter
and web notes before coming to class:
- prepare
for the unit exams using the exam terms (on the web site) as a
blueprint - test
your preparation using the practice exams found on Courseinfo
- I advised Lambda Chi Alpha from 1995-1999 and was initiated Fall 1995
- I believe that George R.
Martin's "A Game of Thrones" is one of the finest
works of fantasy published in the last two decades - I'm a full professor with a doctorate in Psychology
- I’m certified in the specialty of Biofeedback and chair AAPB’s Education Committee
- I had a full head of hair in high school
- I taught self-defense in college and graduate school
- I'm single and lead a pack of
three male German shepherds, Cody,
Calvin, and Hobbes, and a female hybrid wolf-malamute, Storm - my favorite beers are Fosters, Guinness, and Schlenkerla
- my favorite wine is Black Opal Shiraz
- favorite alternative groups: Counting Crow, REM, and Toad the Wet Sprocket
- favorite heavy metal groups: AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Metallica
- I’m preparing PowerPoint review slides for an upcoming Biological Psychology text