Course Syllabus

 

PSYC 101 – Introduction to Psychology 

Fall 2026 • Delayed Start • Hybrid 
Sussex County Community College @ Delaware Valley High School
Instructor: Diana Bixby, Ph.D. 

Course at a Glance 

Course	PSYC 101-01 Introduction to Psychology
Session	Fall 2026 Delayed Start: September 28–December 23, 2026
In-Person Meeting	Tuesdays, 6:00–7:40 PM
Format	Hybrid: weekly in-person experience plus structured online instruction
Textbook	OpenStax Psychology 2e (free OER)
Office Hours	By appointment  Call or text (570) 832-0974

 

REQUIRED TEXT

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. Psychology 2e. OpenStax. The textbook is an open educational resource and is available at no cost.                                        

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is an introduction to the science of human behavior and mental processes.  Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the nervous system and behavior, learning, perception, development, motivation, personality, attitude formation and prejudice, psychopathology and psychotherapy.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED

1. The nature-nurture interaction (may include mind-body connection, diversity, and social construction of reality).
2. The fundamentals of social science research (may include varied research methodologies).
3. The active construction of reality (may include sensation, perception, altered states of consciousness, and sociocultural influences).
4. The basics of lifespan development (may include cognitive, physical, moral, social and personality development).
5. The fundamentals of learning (may include classical, operant , and observational/cognitive learning paradigms).
6. The understanding of the unique qualities of being human (may include personality theory, psychological health, psychological disorders, psychotherapy, mind-body connections, and selected aspects of evolutionary theory).

 COURSE COMPETENCIES/LEARNING OUTCOMES:

In a manner deemed appropriate by the instructor, students should demonstrate the ability to:

1. Discuss key concepts as they are manifested in the major fields and theoretical perspectives of psychology. (GE 5, 6, 7; PG2, 3)
2. Apply psychological principles to everyday life by critically evaluating information from a variety of sources. (GE 3, 5, 9; PG 1, 2, 3)
3. Describe sociocultural influences on mental processes, behaviors, and social interactions. (GE 5, 6, 8, 9;  PG 2, 3)

 

How This Hybrid Course Works

This course is designed around a simple weekly rhythm. Students prepare with concise readings/videos, experience psychology through interactive class activities, apply concepts through a short hybrid activity and online discussion posts, and check understanding through quizzes and other assessments. The goal is meaningful engagement with psychology—not unnecessary busywork.

Prepare	Experience	Apply	Check
OpenStax reading, brief videos, PowerPoints	Tuesday demonstrations, labs, cases, simulations & discussion	Psychology IRL / structured hybrid activity/discussion posts	In-person quizzes, project checkpoints & synthesis

 

Attendance, Participation,& Late Work:

Because the in-person portion of this hybrid course emphasizes demonstrations, experiments, cases, and collaborative learning, regular attendance is important. Students should communicate with the instructor as soon as possible when an emergency affects attendance or coursework. Assignments should be completed by the posted deadline. Reasonable arrangements may be considered for documented medical, family, or other significant circumstances when communication occurs promptly.  If you are struggling with an assignment, you must reach out PRIOR to it being due.

Assessment & Learning Activities 

The course uses four existing resource quizzes, Psychology IRL/hybrid application activities and discussion posts, interactive class experiences, and a final Famous Psychology Study Analysis project. Quiz questions are aligned to the assigned OpenStax chapters. 

The four resource quizzes are: 

• Quiz #1: Chapters 1–3 

• Quiz #2: Chapters 4–6 

• Quiz #3: Chapters 7–9 

• Quiz #4: Chapters 10–15 

Quizzes will be completed independently in Canvas during the scheduled in-person class meeting. Students should bring a device capable of accessing Canvas. Because the resource quizzes are brief, approximately 15–20 minutes of the class meeting will normally be reserved for each quiz. 

There will be a final test which will encompass material learned over the semester.  The final will be worth 10% of your grade.

Proposed Grading Framework 

 

Category	Weight
Four In-Person Quizzes	40%
Psychology IRL / Hybrid Activities	30%
In-Class Labs, Activities & Participation	5%
Famous Psychology Study Analysis	15%
Final	10%

 

CRITICAL THINKING:

This course incorporates critical thinking throughout the curriculum. The rationale behind this is that critical thinking is a topic that requires practice in addition to theory.  The discussion assignments in this course are intentionally designed to assist students to interpret information, consider the influence of context, pose logical arguments, examine existing knowledge, and develop new ideas. 

 

Discussion Boards & Class Attendance

Students are expected to log into the Canvas system and respond to the postings placed there by the professor before the due date designated on the calendar.  Students are expected to participate in the discussion boards by posting their original responses to the professor’s posts, as well as to posts made by their peers. 

Scholarly writing across all disciplines is one of our goals at SCCC. With that in mind, Discussion Board topics are posted on Canvas. Topics will relate to the material in our textbook, and will require some real-life application of your knowledge. Your writing should be of a scholarly nature: eliminate use of slang language, back up your answers (where appropriate) with research from your textbook, the Internet, or other readings, and respond to your classmates in an inquisitive manner that will further the discussion. Please use your textbook as well as other sources. Make sure your post is substantive. (Substantive: Having a firm basis in reality and therefore important, meaningful, or considerable.)  Discussion posts will have directions weekly. Responses should be made by Friday of the current week.  You must respond to at least one other person as well.  These responses should be at least four sentences. These responses should be made before the next class. 

QUIZZES/EXAMINATIONS: 

All quizzes are taken through the Canvas system.  All quizzes are to be taken during class on the due date indicated on the calendar.  All quizzes are to be completed independently by each student.

 

Grade to Point Value

NUMERICAL SCALE	LETTER
95-100	A
90-94	A-
87-89	B+
84-86	B
80-83	B-
75-79	C+
70-74	C
65-69	D
Below 65	F

 

 DISABILITIES ASSISTANCE:

Students who require accommodations in order to pursue their higher education goals need to make an appointment with the adviser to the Disabilities Assistance Program (973-300-2153). The DAP office is located in the Learning Center. It is the student’s responsibility to provide current and comprehensive documentation, which would warrant such accommodation. The need to provide documentation applies to both academic and facilities accommodations.

 

RESPECT, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND ONLINE ETIQUETTE:

Psychology includes topics involving mental health, culture, relationships, development, stress, substance use, and other personal issues. Students are expected to engage respectfully with differing experiences and perspectives.

Course activities will not require students to disclose private mental-health or personal information. Case examples may be fictionalized when appropriate to support learning and privacy. Class discussions via posts may sometimes contain personal concerns and self-disclosures.  These discussions will, at all times, be conducted within an atmosphere of mutual respect and confidentiality by all class members. If I feel that a student is violating this trust, I reserve the right to dismiss the student from class.

Conversations that do not pertain to class material during a lecture or class discussion are unacceptable. If a student engages in conversation unrelated to course material and I find that conversation disruptive, the student will be dismissed from the course and will receive a zero for class participation that day

 

Academic Integrity & Quiz Expectations 

Students are expected to complete their own work and follow SCCC academic-integrity expectations. Quizzes are administered in person through Canvas. Unless specifically authorized, outside resources, collaboration, and assistance from other people or digital tools are not permitted during quizzes. 

 

Famous Psychology Study Analysis 

For the final project, students will investigate a well-known psychology study and explain its research question, method, findings, major psychological concepts, limitations, ethical considerations, and real-world significance. Students should distinguish what the evidence actually showed from popular retellings or misconceptions about the study.

 

SMOKE AND TOBACCO FREE CAMPUS POLICY:

Sussex County Community College and Delaware Valley School District focus on providing a healthier, cleaner environment for students, employees and visitors. Eight other community colleges in New Jersey also have a complete ban of smoking and tobacco on their campuses. While smoking has been off limits inside buildings, the campus grounds are also smoke free including the parking areas. This policy applies to employees and students as well as visitors, vendors and contractors.

 

Fall 2026 Master Course Calendar 

Date	Chapters / Focus	Tuesday Experience	Hybrid / Psychology IRL	Assessment	Standards
Sep 29	Ch 1 Psychology + Research Preview	Psychology Mythbusters + psychologist perspectives	Psychology in the Wild	—	1, 2
Oct 6	Ch 2 Research	Can You Prove It? Research Design + Class IRB	Evaluate a psychology claim	—	2
Oct 13	Ch 3 Biopsychology	Brain in Real Life + nervous-system cases	Biopsychology application	Quiz #1: Ch 1–3	1, 2
Oct 20	Ch 4 Consciousness + Ch 5 Sensation & Perception	Can You Trust Your Brain? Perception Lab	Much of Ch 4 online: sleep & consciousness investigation	—	3
Oct 27	Ch 6 Learning	Conditioning Lab: Train Your Professor + Learning Detective	Learning in everyday life	—	5
Nov 3	Ch 7 Thinking + Ch 8 Memory	Cognitive Traps + Memory Lab	Memory Makeover	Quiz #2: Ch 4–6	3, 6
Nov 10	Ch 9 Lifespan Development	Life in Fast Forward + Parenting Style Challenge	Development case application	—	1, 4
Nov 17	Ch 10 Motivation + Ch 11 Personality	Why Do We Do What We Do? + Personality Lab	Motivation/personality application	Quiz #3: Ch 7–9 + project checkpoint	1, 6
Nov 24	Ch 13 I/O Psychology	FULLY ONLINE: Psychology at Work Virtual Lab	Workplace selection, teams, bias & human factors	Online application	1, 6
Dec 1	Ch 12 Social Psychology	Power of the Situation: conformity, attribution, persuasion & helping	Social Psychology IRL	—	1, 6
Dec 8	Ch 14 Stress + begin Ch 15 Disorders	Stress Lab + Beyond the Label case work	Biopsychosocial case application	Quiz #4 preparation	1, 6
Dec 15	Ch 15 Disorders + Ch 16 Treatment	Beyond the Label + treatment bridge	Treatment application / review	Quiz #4: Ch 10–15	1, 6
Dec 22	Ch 16 Therapy + Course Synthesis	Which Treatment—and Why? + Psychology Study Showcase	Final synthesis	Final / Reflection	1, 6

 

IMPORTANT DATES FOR SCCC:

Academic Calendar

September 28	Classes Begin; Late Registration begins
October 1	Last day to late register or add a class
October 7	Last day to drop a class with a 100% refund (tuition & fees). There are no partial refunds after this date.
October 7	Last day to change to an audit
October 8 to October 13 (11:59 pm)	Tenth Day Enrollment Entered Online (Faculty Only)
October 12	College Closed
November 25 (5:00 pm) to November 29	Thanksgiving Holiday – College Closed
December 10	Last day to withdraw from Delayed Start with a “W”
December 2	Final day of Late Start Session

• Syllabus Flexibility Statement
  • This syllabus is intended to serve as a guide for our course.  The schedule, assignments, activates, and due dates  may be adjusted based on the pace and needs of the class, campus closures, unforeseen circumstances, or opportunities that enhance our learning  Any changes will be communicated clearly and with as much advance notice as possible.  Students are responsible for checking Canvas and course announcements regularly for updates.