Computers in Psychology Fall, 2000
 

COURSE MEETS: 3:30-4:20 Tuesdays in Science 209,

the Psychology Research Lab (PRL)
 
 

OFFICE HOURS: 11:00-12:00 MWF in Science 205, or by appointment

(call 907-4805 or 945-6051 or email chill@whittier.edu)
 
 

COURSE GOAL: The goal of the course is to become familiar with

computer software useful in psychology and other fields.
 
 

TEXT BOOK: (none)
 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

a. Class participation is essential since the course will be conducted as a workshop and it meets only once a week. Be sure to sign the attendance sheet before leaving class.

b. Assignments will be started in class and then finished out of class as needed. Projects assigned one week will be due the following week, except psychology software demonstrations by students which will span three weeks.

Project printouts will be handed in when they are due; they will also be saved to disk. The disk will be handed in at the end of the course to ensure that credit is given for all assignments that were completed.

Printouts cost 10 cents per page; please pay the Ego (lab assistant) on duty.

c. Exams will not be given. Learning will be demonstrated in class assignments.
 
 

GRADING POLICIES:

Each day's attendance will count 10 points. Each assignment will count up to 10 points. Late assignments will receive reduced credit. Grades will be based on the total points earned.
 

COURSE SCHEDULE:

1. Sept. 12 Topic: Word Processing

Software: Microsoft Word

Assignment: Format a disk. Create a file with your name, address, phone number, email address, and a

paragraph about what you hope to learn in the

course. Save the file to disk, and print it.
 
 

2. Sept. 19 Topic: Email

Software: Telnet, Pine, Webmail

Assignment: Enter three classmates into your email address book.

Send an email to them. Print the email message.
 
 

3. Sept. 26 Topic: World Wide Web

Software: Netscape

Assignment: Use a multiple-search engine to explore a

topic in psychology. Find 10 useful web sites and Bookmark them. Save the Bookmark file to disk,

and print it.
 
 

4. Oct.3 Topic: On-line Library searches

` Services: Waldo, Melvyl, SearchBank, Firstsearch

Assignment: Find 10 references for a topic in psychology.

Save the reference list to disk, and print it.
 
 

5. Oct. 10 Topic: Scanning Pictures

Software: Photoshop

Assignment: Scan a photograph.

Save the file to disk, and print it.
 
 

6. Oct. 17 Topic: Creating Web pages

Software: Netscape, Internet Assistant, Fetch

Assignment: Edit your Bookmark file to create a web page.

Create a personal web page with your name, other personal information, scanned photograph,

and a link to your page of Bookmarks.

Save your web pages to disk, and print them.
 
 

7. Oct. 24 Topic: Spreadsheets

Software: Excel

Assignment: Enter the name, address, phone, and email address

of three classmates into a spreadsheet. Sort by

last name. Save the file to disk, and print it.
 
 

8. Oct. 31 Topic: Data analysis

Software: SPSS

Assignment: Output a page title with your name.

Select two variables in the CONC.DATA file, and

calculate frequencies, crosstabs, and correlations.

Save the Output file to disk, and print it.
 
 

9. Nov. 7 Topic: Creating slide presentations

Software: Powerpoint

Assignment: Prepare a Powerpoint presentation

containing at least six slides. Include a

scanned photograph in one of the slides.

Save the presentation to disk, and print it.
 
 

10. Nov. 14 Topic: Slide presentations by students

Software: Powerpoint

Assignment: Sign up for a psychology software package.

Explore the software. Write a one-page

description; save and print it. Prepare

to give a 5-minute demo of the software.
 
 

11. Nov. 21 Topic: Software demonstrations by students

Software: Psychology software packages on disk:

Clinical Neuropsychology

Illusions Pack

Neurological Illness

Psychological Problems

Psychology on a Disk

SuperLab
 
 

12. Nov. 28 Topic: Software demonstrations by students

Software: MacLaboratory modules on a CD:

Behavioral Neuroscience

Experimental Methods

Sensation & Perception

Cognitive Sciences

Learning & Conditioning

Personality & Social
 

13. Dec. 5 Topic: Software demonstrations by students

Software: Psychology software packages on CDs:

Exploring Psych Disorders

Explorations in Health & Psychology

The Graphic Brain

The Integrator

The Active Learner demo

Exploring Perception

Assignment: Hand in a disk containing all assignments.

Complete a course evaluation form.