Grading

All submitted work must be accompanied by your signature below a statement that states your compliance with the Wheaton Honor Code, as required by faculty legislation. Violations will not be tolerated. In the past, I have found plagiarism to be a particular problem in this class. We will talk about what constitutes plagiarism in class and you can look here for a handout that describes this Honor Code violation in detail. Materials submitted that are deemed to be plagiaristic will receive a score of zero. Additional violations will result in a grade of "F" for the course. If you have any doubts about what you are writing and whether or not it constitutes plagiarism, please feel free to consult me before you turn in that work. A first offense will be not be graded. A second offense will result in a zero for that assignment. A third offense will result in an "F" for the entire course. Remember: If in doubt, check it out --with me BEFORE you turn it in.

Your grade will be comprised of a combination of lab summaries, a lab report, quizzes, two exams, and other types of writing. Points are distributed over these evaluation forms as follows:

Remember that this used to be a writing-intensive course, designed to help you practice developing a professional voice in your discipline. Even though there is no longer a writing-intensive requirement, the course retains a lot of that old legacy. To that end, we will do lots and LOTS of writing in here!

Some of that writing will take the form of short 1-2 page summaries of labs that we do on Mondays. For each of these summaries, you should complete the Summary Template that you will find under the Course Documents button of the class Blackboard website. Consider these summaries to be practice and "baby" versions of a full-blown research report.

Summaries are due in class at the start of lab on the date indicated on the syllabus, unless otherwise indicated by the instructor in class. Late summaries will not be accepted--NO EXCEPTIONS. You have the option not to submit two of the 10 possible summaries. Use this option wisely and well. If you pass on writing one summary in order to go skiing one weekend, you might be in trouble later in the semester when the flu prevents you from completing another summary on time.

Summaries may not be revised and resubmitted.

Full Lab Reports

Thus it behooves you to complete all of the summaries with care, so that it is easier for you to expand on one later.

To make the most of this report, you may decide that you want to collect additional data, or tweak the methods we used in a slightly different way. That is perfectly fine, provided we still have the animals and it is not difficult to collect additional data. You will certainly have to do some reading in order to write a suitable introduction and discussion section for your report.

Full lab reports may be revised and resubmitted as many times as you like, up to the last date indicated on the syllabus. A rewritten lab report when resubmitted MUST be accompanied by the original draft(s). This is to ensure that I do not penalize you on a later draft for something that I did not note on an earlier draft.

For some projects, you may work as a part of a group. Thus, your research report may include data collected by the group. Each student, however, may chose to turn in either a group-authored report, or an individually-authored report. The grade on group-written papers will be shared by all the members of the group.

All writing in this course must be double-spaced, typed, and in proper APA format. Documents turned in to me that are not double-spaced and typed will be returned to you unread and ungraded.

General help with writing (in the form of a humorous list of things NOT to do) can be found here. Specifics in terms of the format required for all full lab report submissions can be found here.

Your professional writing documents can be revised and resubmitted as often as you like up to the last day indicated on the syllabus.

These exams will be comprised of a combination of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, short, and long-answer essay questions.

Exams are due by 10:30am in class on the date indicated on the syllabus, unless otherwise indicated by the instructor in class. Late exams will not be accepted--NO EXCEPTIONS. Absolutely no make-ups will be given. If you know in advance that you will be unable to attend class on the day that an exam is due, PLEASE let me know. Other arrangements can be made.

Exam questions will cover material from the readings, from any additional required reading or guest lectures, from films and videotapes seen in class, and from lecture material. There will be some lecture material that will not be available in the readings, and similarly, I will not review all of the reading material in class. None-the-less you will be held responsible for all information presented, no matter what the format. Please note that there is no comprehensive final exam in this course.

Exams are open-note and open-book. You may consult me at any time as you work on the exams. You may also opt to work on the exams with classmates. However, if you do so, be sure to indicate the names of your collaborators on your exam, so none of you are penalized for plagiarism. Also, keep in mind that each person must STILL write his or her OWN answers to exam questions; no collaborative writing is allowed.

Periodically throughout the semester you will be given the option to do an additional short homework. The homework may ask you to attend a lecture on campus and answer a question about what you heard, or to do some research and write up a brief report on what you discover. The research for each of these homeworks should take no more than an afternoon to complete, and must be presented in the form of a short report (no more than one page.) These are not mandatory projects. They are optional only, to be used as a way to broaden your knowledge and obtain extra credit. These assignments will be worth a varying number points, and will be graded as to their thoughtfulness and accuracy.

No more than about 6 points of extra credit will be given to any one person. Extra credit cannot raise your grade more than 1/3 of a step (for example, more than from a C+ to a B-), no matter how many points you earn.

I reserve the right to grade on a curve if the class distribution requires it.

Grading Your Writing: Note that in all grading, spelling, grammar, and APA formatting will count! Lab summaries may not be rewritten; however, lab reports and research proposals may be re-written and re-submitted for a higher grade. Some closing deadlines for these resubmissions can be found on the syllabus.

Writing will be evaluated using the following criteria:

A-Level Paper: displays evidence of sophisticated critical thinking and offers special insights on the topic discussed. Perhaps the most noticeable characteristic of an A-level paper is its richness--the quality of the information imparted leaves us feeling that we have learned or experienced something of true value. Its compelling content is accompanied by technical expertise, as well as by stylistic finesse; the opening section is engaging, the language is precise, the spelling and grammar are flawless, the APA style is perfect, the ideas presented are clear. All of the required work is presented, and discussed in the context of appropriate literature. An A paper leaves the reader satisfied, intrigued, and eager to reread it, for a second reading promises new insight.

B-Level Paper: is significantly above average and is noteworthy not only for its being almost free of surface errors, but for its competance in delivering information. Its content goes beyond the obvious; it is logically ordered, well-developed, and well-presented. The diction of a B paper is typically more concise than that of a C paper. A B paper shows occasional distinctiveness, finesse, and insight. On the whole, a B paper makes a memorable and pleasant reading experience, offering high quality and few distractions.

C-Level Paper: is generally competent and meets the assignment adequately. It has few mechanical errors and is reasonably well-organized. Development can be thin in places, or the informal perspectives that it offers can be superficial or commonplace. Often, readers are left with this impression because ideas are vague or general. Stylistically, a C paper has other shortcomings as well. The opening can be flat, doing little to draw the reader into the piece. The conclusion may be vague or inconclusive. It may pay lip service to the literature at best. The C paper gets the job done, but it lacks imagination and intellectual effort and hence does not invite a rereading. A C paper is an average paper.

D-Level Paper: treatment of the subject is rudimentary, or reveals confusion aobut the topic at hand. While organization is present, it is neither clear nor effective. Major sections of the paper are missing. The whole piece may give the impression of having conceived and written in haste.

F-Level Paper: is completely off track or has few redeeming qualities. It lacks discernible organization and its prose is garbled or stylistically primative. Mechanical erros are frequent and a substantial part of the required work is missing. Ideas, organization and style all fall far below what is acceptable college-level writing.

• READ EVERY DAY (Even if it is only for ten minutes!) If you do this for every course and every day--at the end of the week, you'll have read over an hour's worth of material for each class!
• TAKE NOTES ON WHAT YOU READ.
• THINK ABOUT THE QUESTIONS AT THE END OF TEXT CHAPTERS. THINK OF SOME ANSWERS TO THEM IN YOUR HEAD. YOU MAY SEE SOME OF THEM AS QUIZ OR ESSAY QUESTIONS. (HINT HINT!!)
• TURN IN YOUR WORK ON TIME!
• ACTIVELY INTEGRATE THE MATERIAL YOU READ WITH OTHER MATERIAL THAT MIGHT BE RELEVANT (I.E, OTHER AREAS OR IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY, BIOLOGY, OR OTHER DISCIPLINES).
• BE AN ACTIVE CLASS PARTICIPANT.
• MAKE ME WORK FOR YOU--IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, STOP ME AND ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.
• COME TO CLASS EVERY DAY! BE SURE THAT YOU DON'T MISS ANY QUIZZES OR LABS! (If you have to miss class be sure to call me at school or at home as soon as you can.)
• DO THE EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS
• EXTEND YOUR COMPASSION TO ALL LIVING THINGS. PUT ASIDE YOUR TROUBLES AND ALLOW YOURSELF TO WONDER AT THE WONDER OF LIFE AROUND YOU.
• RELAX AND ENJOY THE COURSE! DON'T WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT GRADES. TO BORROW A PHRASE FROM ANOTHER PROFESSOR HERE AT WHEATON, A STUDENT WHO IS WORRYING ABOUT GRADES IN A CLASS INSTEAD OF ABOUT WHAT HE OR SHE IS LEARNING IS LIKE A PERSON AT A GOURMET RESTAURANT WORRYING TOO MUCH ABOUT TABLE MANNERS. YOU CAN MISS A REALLY GOOD MEAL THAT WAY.