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Prerequisite

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

In this course, you will explore the subject of psychology.  The course is divided into four units of instruction:

  • Unit 1: Foundations of Psychology, includes Modules 1–4.

  • Unit 2: Theories of Learning and Cognition, includes Modules 5–8.

  • Unit 3: Human Development and Identity Formation, includes Modules 9–12.

  • Unit 4: Abnormal Behaviors, Disorders, and Treatments, includes Modules 13–16.

As students complete the course assignments, they will increase their knowledge, improve 21st-century skills, and develop an attribute.

Knowledge: Psychology

In this course, knowledge refers to the subject matter of psychology students will learn while completing the readings, practices, quizzes, and assignments. The content knowledge of this course is Psychology. You will learn about the research and scientific process in the field of psychology. You will also learn about the systems in the brain and how they work. This course will cover theories of learning and cognition, human growth and development including personalities, and will conclude with knowledge about abnormal behaviors, disorders, and treatments. 

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to do the following:

  • Define psychology. Gain an awareness of its historical background and recognize the various approaches to psychology.

  • Apply the science of psychology to your daily life.

  • Identify how human behavior relates to the physiological aspects of the human body.

  • Describe the learning process and your cognitive processes.

  • Identify symptoms of and understand possible treatments for common psychological disorders. 

  • Note: A Psychology class does not qualify anyone to diagnose or treat disorders. The ability to diagnose and treat disorders comes from many years of advanced education and training. 

21st-Century Skill: Communication- Communicate Using Writing

As students complete this course's assignments, they will gain skills in Communicate Using Writing. This skill is part of communication.

Attribute: Integrity

Integrity is the attribute of this course. There are various examples drawn from real-life examples and things to think about to help students think of ways to increase their personal integrity.

Course Materials

No additional materials are required for this course.

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Assignments

There are several assignments in this course. Students may have choices within these assignments. If assignments are to be submitted in the module, these submissions will be listed on the Module Overview page. There is a lot of thinking and processing required by students to personalize this course and get the most out of it. Most of the assignments require students to think through what they are reading or learning and fill in graphic organizers or submit written responses about the content. There are skill assignments which are focused on the skill of communicating using writing. There are three regular assignments that are not specifically skill assignments, but require students to think about and apply concepts taught in the course. 

Several writing assignments allow students to choose how communicate using writing in a variety of formats: visual, pictures, PowerPoint or Loom presentations, written essays, discussions, etc. Students will have the opportunity to submit assignments in a variety of ways. There are always choices to make in the assignments. Students will write short paragraphs, and learn how to write a multi-genre project and this will be due in Module 16. 

Every module has three lessons. The purpose of these lessons is to help students manage their time better. 

Content Guides

There are content guides in this course that will be submitted at the end of each UNIT (submitted in modules 4,8,12, and 16). The purpose of these guides is to scaffold students as they read the pages and apply the principles taught. The notes will help prepare them to be successful with their assignments and written papers. The content guides are really important for students to complete because they facilitate transfer and application of concepts taught. These content guides are also ways to meet important course standards and will prepare students for module quizzes, the midcourse exam, and the final exam. 

MidCourse Quiz

This computer-graded quiz will cover the material up to the mid-course quiz. The questions on the midcourse quiz will be similar in format to the questions on the final exam. The Content Guides will help students to be successful on the midcourse exam. 

Quizzes

Every module has a short quiz at the end. The quiz covers the important concepts taught in the module. The quizzes are computer-graded. Students will be successful if they complete their Content Guides, complete all interactives on pages, and are able to think of ways to apply principles in each module. These quizzes will be great preparation and practice for the midcourse exam and the final exam. All quizzes are open book, open notes. Only the Final Exam is a proctored exam and no notes will be allowed. 

Final Exam

Students must pass the final exam to earn credit for the course; they may retake it once, for a fee, upon request. 

Grading

Your grade in this course will be based on these assignments and exams:

Assignment or Exam Grading Percent of Total Grade
Skill Assignments (Focus: Communication-Communicate Using Writing)

 

Teacher-graded

 

 25%
Written Assignments  Teacher-Graded 10%
Content Guides (4 Units) Teacher-graded Complete/incomplete 30%
Quizzes Computer-graded 20%
Midcourse Quiz + Final Exam Computer-graded 15%

* You must pass the final exam with at least a 60% to earn credit for the course.

Grade Scale

Your letter grade is calculated according to these percentages.

A 93% - 100%
A- 90% - 92%
B+ 87% – 89%
B 83% - 86%
B- 80% - 82%
C+ 77% - 79%
C 73% - 76%
C- 70% - 72%
D+ 67% - 69%
D 63% - 66%
D- 60% - 62%
F (fail) 0% - 59%

Getting Help

Please use the help menu in this course to contact Academy of America or your instructor. You can find information about tutoring available to Academy of America students on the Tutoring website.

The Resources page offers a wide variety of services to support you:

  • Academic success skills coaching such as time management, study skills, test preparation, motivation, and more.

  • Course-specific support that includes live tutoring and on-demand resources.

Come find out how we can help you achieve your goals.

Course Policies

For information about how long you have to complete the course, resubmitting assignments, retaking exams, and other questions, please see Academy of America’s Policies.

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