Last modified: March 2009

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Educational Psychology is a course designed to introduce psychological principles as they apply to teaching and learning. It is open to all students who have taken PSYC 2500: Fundamentals of Psychology (or its equivalent). Read the syllabus to get an overview of the course.

The on-line section of this course differs slightly from the classroom-based in that there are no class meetings and most course activities are done via the Internet. [Note: the four exams will be taken in the Psychology Department; an exact schedule has yet to be determined, but students can expect to take an exam during the 2nd, 4th, and 6th weeks, plus the final exam.] However, the prerequisites for the course, the major objectives and course grading policies are the same. Additionally, whereas a classroom-based class requires a minimum level of class attendance and participation, the web-based course requires participation via technology. During the 2009 summer semester, one-hour audio conferences will be conducted via Wimba/BlackboardVista (to be called BlazeView, formerly WebCT) on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm. Attendance at these audio conferences is equivalent to attending class and is mandatory.

The minimum requirements for participation in the course are:

1. A computer and access to the Internet (at least 56K; high-speed connection is preferred)
2. A Blackboard-compatible browser.
3. The plug-ins necessary to run Power Point presentations (PowerPoint Viewer is available for those who don't have Power Point) and Real Audio Basic presentations and the downloads necessary to run Yahoo Messenger. Yahoo Messenger will be used to communicate if the VSU server is disrupted.
4. An ability to access the Internet, download files, use e-mail (including the ability to send attachments), and other basic computer/Internet skills
5. The self-discipline necessary to operate in upper-division undergraduate-level course without a lot of supervision.

• Take a quiz on your readiness to take an online course developed by the University System of Georgia.

First Steps:

1. After you have registered for the course, contact me at whuitt@valdosta.edu and give me your email address so that you can be added to the course list.
2. Read the course syllabus.
3. Purchase the required text at the bookstore.
4. Make sure you know how to access the supplemental web-based course materials. [Go to my homepage at http://teach.valdosta.edu/whuitt/; select "Course Listings", "PSYC 3130", and "Course Materials". 
5. Download the Power Point Viewer (if you don’t have Microsoft Power Point on your computer), Real Audio, and Yahoo Messenger, if not already done. Register for a Yahoo ID and let me know via email what it is. My Yahoo ID is "billhuitt". You should add me as one of your "friends" so that you will know when I am logged on and I can contact you in case of difficulties with the VSU server.
6. Purchase a microphone or headset with mic for use in the audio chat sessions. These can be purchased at Walmart, Target, Office Max, Office Depot, etc.
7. Look over the course objectives.
8. Look over "The Core Rules of Netiquette" by Virginia Shea.
9. Logon to BlazeView (the link is on the left hand side of the page when you select PSYC 3110 on the Educational Psychology Interactive homepage). Your ID is the first part of your VSU email address (e.g., "whuitt" taken from  whuitt@valdosta.edu) and your password is your birthdate in mmddyy format. Your first activity is to read the instructions for making Blackboard postings and make a posting introducing yourself so that I know you have logged-on properly. If you do not know your password or if you want to change your password go to http://www.valdosta.edu/webct/password.shtml. (Note: this may not work properly before the beginning of the semester because it has to be set up by the technology folks.)

If you don't know your VSU account name, follow these steps:

1. Go to the VSU Home Page and click on the Registration and Advising (Banner) entry. 
2. Log into Banner just as you did to register for classes using your Social Security Number and Birthdate [mmddyy format]. 
3.Follow the menu entries (Personal Information, Email Address) to access your GRITS username and a temporary password. 
4.Click on the "change your password" on that form and select a secure password you won't forget. 

Time Involvement:

A normal 3-hour undergraduate course meets for 3 hours per week with an expectation of 2 to 3 hours of additional work per hour of class time. The total time involvement for the web-based course is therefore 9 to 12 hours per week. [Note: During the summer semester two academic weeks are covered in each calendar week. Therefore, the expected time commitment for the summer semester is approximately 18 to 24 hours per week.]

Most of the work for the course will be done asynchronously. That is, I will post assignments and questions on the web and you will respond to them. When I am at my computer I will logon to Yahoo Messenger; you can contact me at any time you see I am logged on or you can leave me a message.  You can also send an email if you have a personal question or make a post on Blazeview is you have a general question. I will provide instructions on using a chat room in the Blazeview bulletin board. Students will also engage in weekly audio chat sessions (two per week during the summer) using a program titled Wimba on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30-6:30pm.

Successful Study Habits:

The course consists of a series of modules that address specific course objectives. There are a series of steps that students have found helpful as they learn to master the course material:

1. Read the objective and determine the specific content or skill to be learned. Go to Blazeview for that week to read some clarifying questions about the objective.
2. If you think you already know know something about the objective make a few notes from your own knowledge. For example, one of the terms you need to be able to define is "education." Take one minute (but no more) to make a few notes about your definition of education.
3. Write down a few key words about information that you might need to learn.
4. If available, view the Power Point presentation for the objective. Actively compare what you are reading to your initial notes and questions.
5. Read any web-based materials for the objective. Again, actively compare what you are reading to your initial notes and questions.
6. Read the text pages and any additional required material. Again, actively compare what you are reading to your initial notes and questions.
7. Prepare an outline for an essay you would write on the objective making sure to cover all the points in the objective and the help statement. A well-written essay will include an introduction that provides an overview for your answer, a body that addresses the issues of the essay, and a summary paragraph that ties everything together.
8. Attend the audio chat with the instructor about the week's readings. You should be prepared with specific questions you want answered.
9. Review this material prior to your taking an exam.

Does this sound like a form of SQ4R? If you are familiar with this study method, you should recognize the steps. Some students have formed the habit of simply reading the required materials and then repeating back what they have memorized. The exams and other assignments that you will do in this class, however, will be graded, in part, on your ability to analyze and evaluate information and give examples and applications in an educational setting. In some cases, especially on the 3^rd or 4^th exam, you may also be required to synthesize information and provide original solutions to problems faced by educators.

I am looking forward to working with you this semester. It is important to get off to a good start; procrastination can be an ulcer-producing activity in an online course. Just prior to the beginning of the semester I will make a post on Blazeview that provides additional instructions on what to do next.

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