Courses to be assessed in the 1997-99 cycle:

1) PSY 201/202, Introductory Psychology
Credits: PSY 201 - 4 credits; PSY 202 - 3 credits
Description: Survey of major content areas in psychology. Topics include research methodology, learning, memory, cognition, biological psychology, sensation, perception, motivation, emotion, development, personality, psychopathology and social psychology.
Degree Designations: SS

Breadth of knowledge (content) outcomes:
1) Understand the basic concepts of experimental and correlational methods
2) Understanding the basic procedures for classical and operant conditioning.
3) Develop basic understanding of the major theoretical perspectives in psychology (cognitive, behavioral, biological, psychodynamic, and humanistic) and how these perspectives approach personality, psychological dysfunction, and psychotherapy.

Assigned proficiencies:
Clear and logical thinking:
1) Analyze, synthesize, evaluate and interpret information and ideas.
Effective communication:
2) Read and listen with comprehension and critical perception.
3) Recognize fallacies and inconsistencies.
4) Develop a large and varied vocabulary.

Assessment Methods:
1) Students will demonstrate their understanding of the basic concepts of experimental and correlational methods by doing one or more of the following:
      a) recognizing the definitions of the terms and applications of the concepts in a multiple choice format (Proficiencies 1,2,4);
      b) generating examples that illustrate the concepts (Proficiencies 1,4); and/or,
      c) analyzing exemplars of studies for flaws in their methodology (Proficiencies 1,2,3).

2) Students will demonstrate their understanding of the basic procedures for classical and operant conditioning by doing one or more of the following:
      a) identifying and recognizing components of classical and operant conditioning in examples from research and everyday life (Proficiencies 1,2,4);
      b) generating examples of key components of the procedures, e.g., negative reinforcement (Proficiencies 1,4); and/or
      c) contrasting classical and operant conditioning as well as their key components, e.g., punishment and extinction (Proficiencies 1,4);.

3) Students will demonstrate their understanding of the major theoretical perspectives in psychology and how these perspectives approach personality, psychological dysfunction, and psychotherapy by doing one or more of the following:
      a) linking the major perspectives to correct key beliefs, methods, and terminology (Proficiencies 1,2,4);
      b) contrasting the approaches of two or more perspectives to a particular problem (Proficiencies 1,4); and/or,
      c) describing how a particular perspective would approach a specific problem (Proficiencies 1, 4).

2) PSY 360, Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence
Credits: 3 credits
Description: A survey of human development theories and research. Topics include the biological, cognitive, emotional and social development of the individual from the prenatal period through adolescence.
Degree Designation: SS

Breadth of knowledge (content) outcomes:
1) Understand the quasi-experimental research designs used by developmental psychologists (e.g., cross-sectional, longitudinal, sequential).
2) Understand the major theories of development, including theories of social, cognitive, and language development.
3) Understand the nature/nurture controversy and how it applies to different types of development.

Assigned proficiencies:
Clear and logical thinking:
1) Analyze, synthesize, evaluate and interpret information and ideas.
2) Distinguish knowledge, values, beliefs, and opinions.
3) Evaluate situations of social responsibility.
Effective communication:
4) Read and listen with comprehension and critical perception.
5) Develop a large and varied vocabulary.

Assessment Methods:
1) Students will demonstrate their understanding of the research designs used by developmental psychologists by doing one or more of the following:
      a) identifying the research design of studies studied in the course (Proficiencies 1, 4, 5);
      b) generating examples of each research design (Proficiencies 1,5); and/or,
      c) comparing and contrasting the strengths and limitations of the research designs (Proficiencies 1,4,5)

2) Students will demonstrate their understanding of the major theories of development, including theories of social, cognitive, and language development by doing one or more of the following:
     a) identifying the positions of major theories of development on key issues such as the determinants of behavior (nature vs. nurture), the nature of the child (active vs. passive), and the course of development (gradual vs. stages) (Proficiencies 1,4,5);
      b) generating examples from everyday life to illustrate concepts from major theories of development, e.g., Erikson's stages of psychosocial development (Proficiencies 1,4,5);
      c) comparing and contrasting the positions of competing theoretical perspectives, e.g., Piaget vs. and information processing on cognitive development (Proficiencies 1,4,5).

3) Students will demonstrate their understanding of the nature/nurture controversy and how it applies to different types of development by doing one or more of the following:
      a) recognizing interpretations for developmental outcomes that emphasize biological vs. environmental factors (Proficiencies 1,4,5);
      b) contrasting the explanations the two approaches would use to account for a particular aspect of development, e.g., language development (Proficiencies 1,4,5); and/or,
      c) generating examples to illustrate the interaction between biological and environmental factors on a particular aspect of development (Proficiencies 1,4,5).

4) Students will demonstrate their ability to distinguish knowledge, values, beliefs, and opinions (Proficiency 2) and to evaluate situations of social responsibility (Proficiency 3) by doing one or more of the following:
     a) summarizing the results of the psychological research that has been applied to a social problem relating to child development, e.g., child abuse, child day care, parenting style, divorce; and/or
      b) applying the psychological research to develop recommendations relating to a particular social problem, e.g., how to select a good child day care center.