Psychology 3895E 001

Social Science in the Community

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

 

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

LONDON               CANADA

Department of Psychology

2022 – 2023

 

Psych3895E Section 001

SOCIAL SCIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY

Caveat:

  • The course is centred around community-based projects. Because community work is inherently unpredictable, flexibility is key. Accordingly, it may be necessary to change some elements of this project (and by extension, syllabus). If made, these alterations (which may include additional/revised readings) will not substantially alter the nature, timing and weighting of the assignments, and students will be given as much advance notice as possible.

 

1.0  CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

 

Course Description: In this project-based course, social science students, working in interdisciplinary teams, apply their scholarship to help community agencies address their self-identified needs, developing transferable skills in the process.

Antirequisite: Not applicable

Prerequisite(s): Registration in 3rd or 4th year of a module in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Registration is by special permission only and must be obtained from the course instructor the Spring/Summer before the course begins in the Fall term.

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record.

This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

Extra Information:   3 seminar hours, 4-5 hours on community placement/project. (This course has a service-learning component).

Course Weight:  1.0

 

2.0 COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor/email:     Dr. Leora Swartzman   lswartzm@uwo.ca

Office and Phone Number:     312E Westminster Hall, 519-661-2111 ext. 84654

Office hours:      By appointment

TA:      There is no course TA

Class times:      Tuesdays 1:30-4:30.

Delivery:      Synchronous.  In person. If, due to COVID-19, we need to meet virtually, we will do so. Students are expected to attend the in-person classes in person.

Location:      

Fall term:  Room WH (Westminster Hall) 20-F

Winter term . In light of our joint sessions with students in TS220G (Performance Beyond Theatre; Instructor: Dr. Kim Solga) classes will be alternate between WH20F and FNB (FIMS-Nursing Bldg) 2210.

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Accessible Eduation at aew@uwo.ca or 519-661-2147.

3.0   TEXTBOOK

Jason, L.A., Glantsman, O., O’Brien, J.F., & Ramian, K.N. (2019) Introduction to Community Psychology: Becoming an Agent of Change. Rebus Press (online; Free: Creative Commons)  https://press.rebus.community/introductiontocommunitypsychology/

Assigned readings will consist of select chapters from the textbook as well as scholarly articles. All material will be uploaded to Perusall.** (See section 6.1)  To access the material, create a Perusall account (at Perusall.com) and enter the course code, which is available on the home page of the course OWL site. You can also access the material through in the “Course Readings” section of “Resources” on the course OWL site.  But to earn participation grades, you need to annotate (comment on) the readings via Perusall.  

 

4.0   COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES

Social Science in the Community is a professional development course where students, working in interdisciplinary teams, develop transferable skills by applying their scholarship to help community agencies address their identified needs. Course seminars will provide students with the foundational knowledge (e.g., about community engagement, advocacy, knowledge exchange) to work effectively with community partners and maximize their collaborative impact. 

In 2022/23, this course has the added feature of providing students to opportunity to work closely with students in Performance Beyond Theatre (TS2202G; Instructor: Dr. Kim Solga) in the Winter term. Through the process of cross-disciplinary learning and collaborating, students in both courses will synthesize and apply the tools and theories from the fields of psychology and applied theatre and performance to promote social justice with and within the London Community.

Projects(s)

In 2022-23, the central theme is homelessness and its root cause- the lack of affordable housing. Within that theme, there will be three projects. Students, working in cross-disciplinary groups and in close consultation with community partners, will focus on one of the three sub-projects:

  • Strategies to minimize the risk and consequences of opioid overdose among Londoners without stable housing.
  • Addressing the lack of affordable housing in London.
  • Addressing anti-homeless architecture in London’s public spaces and the broader regulation of public space in the city.

In the Fall term:

Readings/learning activities in the Fall semester (i.e., before we join with the TS2202G students in Winter term) will fall within three broad categories of topics, which may include but are not limited to:

Working in the Community:

  • Foundations of community engagement
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Social inequalities and power relations
  • Community mobilization and advocacy

Applied Research

  • Knowledge exchange and mobilization
  • Fundamentals of Evaluation

 

In Introduction to Applied Theatre and Performance  

  • An overview of the modalities/methods
  • Storytelling: As a data collection and knowledge translation tool.

Soft Skills

  • Communicating with Effective partnerships and teamwork
  • Project Management
  • Active Listening Skills
  • Professionalism and professional ethics.

 

In the Winter term:

Through their co-learning activities and collaborative work with peers in psychology and applied theatre and performance, we expect students to come away from the course:

  • More curious about and open about alternative perspectives and viewpoints, both inside the university and across different faculties, and across our different communities outside the university.
  • More interconnected with the community of London and the community of their fellow students.
  • Increased capacity to communicate clearly (orally and in writing) to a wide audience.
  • More comfortable with discomfort. That is, more prone to self-examine and more willing to extend oneself, one’s knowledge and one’s vulnerability into a ‘brave space’ (a shared space of difference.
  • With a stronger sense of That is, the confidence in their ability to: 1. work independently and 2. apply the tools, methods and theories of their disciplines, as well as their aptitudes and passions, to make a real difference in the world.

 

Learning Outcomes table on following page.

 

 

 

 

By the end of this course, the successful student will: 

 

Learning Outcome

 

Learning Activities

How Assessed 

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Depth & Breadth of Knowledge

Describe and apply main concepts and principles of community psychology

Reading

Class discussion

Guest lectures

Community project  

Perusall annotations

Contribution to class discussions

Group reports

Group presentations

Individual literature review and annotated bibliography. 

Describe and analyze individual well-being from an ecological perspective.

Reading

Class discussion

Guest lectures

Community project 

Perusall annotations

Contribution to class discussions

Group reports

Group presentations

Abilities

2. Knowledge and Application of Methodologies

Locate and critically evaluate scholarly research that pertains to a real-world problem in community psychology.

Community project

Classroom activity

Contribution to class activity

Group reports

Group presentations

Individual literature review and annotated bibliography

3. Application of Knowledge

Apply community psychology principles to the understanding of everyday problems.

Community-based project  

Classroom activities

Field trips

Guest lectures

Perusall annotations

Contribution to class discussion

Group reports

Group presentations

Annotated bibliography

4. Communication Skills

Communicate orally and in writing in language accessible to a non-expert population.

Community project

Classroom activities

Class Presentation

Contribution to class activity

Class presentations.

 

5. Autonomy and Professional Capacity

Manage a project from start to end by using planning, coordination of efforts, prioritizing, time management and organizational strategies.

Community project

As assessed by instructor and, if appropriate, community supervisor  

Peer evaluation of contribution to project  

 

Attributes

 

6. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge Practice reflective thinking to connect CEL experience with course content and personal values.

Community project

Critical reflection 

Class discussions 

Contribution to class discussions

Final report and presentation

Critical reflection

7. Autonomy and Professional Capacity Recognize and develop own sense of commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility.

Community project

Critical Reflection

Class Discussions Class Activities

Instructor ratings of critical reflection.

Final report and presentation  

 

 

 

 

4.1 COURSE STRUCTURE

Learning will occur largely through project-related work and independent reading, assigned reading and material presented in class. Mastery of the material be assessed by students’ annotations on the readings, and their contribution to class discussions and activities. 

In class: Much of class time in the first two thirds of the Fall semester (before reading week) is aimed at deepening students’ understanding of the material and ability to apply it.  Most class time towards the end of the Fall term (after reading week) will be dedicated to student presentations and student-led discussions, where they describe their community setting, their responsibilities in that setting, what they have learned to date and the scope of the project they are to deliver at the end of the winter term. 

In the Winter term the first hour of every class will be spent working on group projects with psychology classmates, in consultation with the Instructor. The second two hours will be spent co-learning and collaborating with the TS2202G students.

Outside of class: Because much of the foundational knowledge is to be acquired before Reading Week (and before students get fully immersed in their projects), the instructor-assigned reading load will be heavy until mid-late November; be prepared to spend 6 hours a week on those. After Fall Reading Week and through the Winter term, the readings will drop off considerably. Throughout the course, but particularly after the Fall reading week and the entire Winter term, students will apply the knowledge and skills acquired to date (i.e., engage in the practice of community-engaged scholarship) through their work on the community partner projects.  Students can expect to spend an average of 5-6 hours per week on the community project they are conducting for the community partner. 

 

 

Section 5.0 (EVALUATION) starts on the following page. 


 

5.0   EVALUATION

 

Component- Individual Work

 

% of Grade

Due Date/Time Frame

Individual Review paper (1000-1500) words on a topic relevant to project (10%) and associated annotated bibliography (5%). Earlier and final draft of paper to be submitted, both with Writer’s Diet Report. 5% will be deducted if earlier draft is not submitted and if the final draft is not ‘leaner’ (as per the Writer’s Diet report) than the earlier draft.

15%

November 22

 Participation: Fall and Winter (10% Fall term, 5% Winter term). Includes contribution to class discussions and in-class exercises/activities, Perusall** notations, completion of non-graded assignments/tasks (e.g., response to surveys or pre-class queries from instructor or peers, group agreements, project-management chart.)  50% of the participation grade in the Fall term (i.e., 5% of the final grade) will be based on Perusall annotations.

15%

(10% Fall term. 5% Winter term)

 

Throughout year

Critical Reflection. There are a range of options. For example:  1. A reflection using the DEAL (Describe, Examine, Articulate Learning) framework. 2. A written reflection how this course has changed you (e.g., ‘Advice to my Sept. 2021 self) 3. A brief video to help recruit the ‘right kind’ of student for the course. 4. The letter of reference that you hope that I would write for you.

5%

April 3

Student’s contribution to project-related work and professionalism, over the year, as determined Project group members and (if appropriate) community partners.  This may affect individual student’s grade on final report.

Note: Students receive interim (formative) feedback from peers and (if appropriate) supervisors) at the end of the Fall term and mid-February. 

Evaluation of contribution to project. May affect individual grade on final report.

Once group final reports, posters and deliverable have been submitted.

Total: Proportion of Grade based on Individual work

35%

 

 

Component: Group  Work

% of Grade

Due Date/Time Frame

Oral presentation of project progress report

7.5%

 Nov. 29

Written Project progress report

10%

Dec. 8

Draft of poster

5%

March 21

Final version of poster

5%

March 28

Oral presentation of final project

7.5%

March 28

Final report, including deliverable(s). As noted above, individual student’s grade may be adjusted upwards or downwards based on peer (and, if applicable, community partners’) evaluation of student’s contribution to the project.

25%

April 10

Assignment/work in partnership with TS students - TBD

5%

TBD

Total: Proportion of final grade based on group work

65%

 

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in Section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

70%       1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%       2100-2999-level courses

75%       3000-level courses

80%       4000-level courses

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf)

 

A+   90-100          One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level

A      80-89            Superior work that is clearly above average

B      70-79            Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory

C      60-69            Competent work, meeting requirements

D      50-59            Fair work, minimally acceptable

F       below 50     Fail

 

Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.

 

Please note:

  • Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
  • This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.

 

5.1   POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK

 

  • You will receive a ‘0’ for any assignments/coursework not submitted.
  • Missing coursework will not be reweighted.
  • There will be a late penalty of 2% per each day (or part thereof) the work is submitted post-due date. If the work is not submitted by 30 days after the due date, you will receive a 0% on the assignment.
  • You will not receive participation credit for Perusall annotations ** (See section 6.1) submitted after the deadlines.

 

6.0.   ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

 

See Section 5.0 (Evaluation)

 

There will no tests or quizzes. I will assess your mastery of and engagement with the assigned readings via Perusall** (Perusall.com) a social learning platform where students collaborate in the learning process by sharing questions, comments, and observations on the readings. Your participation grade will be partly based on the quality of your annotations on the readings in Perusall.  Because of this, I don’t feel it necessary to formally test you on the readings. To earn participation marks, you must submit your Perusall notations no later than 24 hours before the class for which they are assigned.

 


 

6.1   **ABOUT PERUSALL

(Based on material from Perusall.com)

Perusall helps students learn by collaboratively annotating the readings and communicating with their classmates. Collaboration gets you help whenever you need it, makes learning more fun, enables you to help others (which research shows is also a great way for you to learn), and helps the instructor and students make better use of class time by facilitating a deeper discussion of the material and associated insights.

If you have a question or information to share about a passage in the readings, highlight the text and type in a comment as an annotation. You can also respond to a classmate’s annotation in threads (Facebook style) in real time or upvote questions you find helpful. Good annotations contribute to the class by stimulating discussion, explaining your thought processes, helping others, and drawing attention to good points. If a particular classmate’s point is relevant, you can explicitly ‘mention’ them and they will be immediately notified, even if not presently signed on.

Research shows that the following behaviors on Perusall predict higher end-of-semester grades and long-term mastery of the subject. I may use some or all to determine your formal score.

  • Contributing thoughtful questions and comments to the class discussion, spread throughout the entire reading
  • Starting the reading early
  • Breaking the reading into chunks (instead of trying to do it all at once)
  • Reading all the way to the end of the assigned reading
  • Posing thoughtful questions and comments that elicit responses from classmates
  • Answering questions from others
  • Upvoting thoughtful questions and helpful answers

 

Section 7.0 (CLASS SCHEDULE) starts on the following page.

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE

 

 

Topics/Activities

Readings. Some readings might change or be added.  

Milestones/Assignments

(If the due date is not the same date as the class, it is noted)

(P): Counts towards participation grade. 

FALL 2022

Wk 1

Sept. 13

1:30-4:30

Overview of course

Discussion of course outline.

Getting to know each other

Establishing the class as a community of mutual learning, respect and as a brave space.

Discussion of Transferable Skills.

Core Constructs/ Theories and Values in Community Psychology

 

 

(P) Come to class prepared to answer questions posed in advance by Instructor

 

 

Wk 2

Sept. 20

1:30-2:30: Meet with Dr. Dr. Kim Solga and  Stephanie Dennie (Dr. Solga’s Graduate Fellow) and learn about the  nature of the collaboration with TS students in the Winter term.

 

2:30-4:30: Meet with Community partners  

 

Ch. 1 Intro. to Community Psychology

Ch.5 Theories

Ch. 8 Respect for Diversity

Ch. 9 Oppression and Power

McIntosh (1989) White Privilege. Unpacking the Invisible Backpack

 

(P) Complete CEL “Foundations of Community Engagment” (Part 1) module. Instructions on WOL site. (Upload screen capture/certificate to assignments )  https://completestudent.ca/login/

Sept. 22, 5 pm

 

 

(P) Student convey project preferences to instructor via Quiz, Sept. 24, 5 pm)

Wk 3

Sept. 27

Core constructs, cont’d

Research Methods 

 

 

Ch. 6 Research Methods

Ch. 15 Community organizing, partnerships and coalitions

Ch. 18. Social and political change  

 

(P) Come to class prepared to answer questions posed in advance by Instructor

 

(P) Complete My Life Experiences and Worldview survey (Sept. , Sept. 20)

(P) Submit Student Experiential Learning Agreement (Sept. 27)

 

Wk 4

Oct. 4

 

Group Work  

Research Ethics  

Professionalism

Active Listening

 

In conjunction with students in 3315E (Psychology: Addictions and Theory)

Oakley (2002). Hitchhikers and Couch Potatoes. 

 

(P) Personal reflection on the Hitchhikers and Couch Potatoes Article (Via Assignments, due noon, Sept, 27)

(P) Complete brief Qualtrics survey about Hitchhikers and Couch Potatoes after the Sept. 28th class. Due Sept. 30th at noon.  

(P) Professionalism tips. Via Assignments, due noon, Sept. 27   

 

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE, cont’d 

 

Topics/

Activities

Readings

Milestones/Assignments

Wk 5

Oct. 11

Homelessness and Harm Reduction

Two guest speakers

With Dr. Hinson’s class

Readings TBD

 

Wk 6

Oct. 18

1:30-3:30Knowledge Translation; Extracting key elements of a research article;

3:30-4:30: Group work and consultation with Instructor  on scope of project and targets of individual lit. reviews

Ch. 14. Public policy

Ch. 18 Dissemination and Implementation

Thrift and Sugarman (2019). What is social justice? Implications for psychology.

 

(P) TCPS-2-Core (Course on Research Ethics)  Certificate  of completion uploaded to  Assignments on OWL Oct. 20, 5 pm

(https://tcps2core.ca/ 

Wk 7

Oct. 25

 

1:30-2:30

Group work and consultation with instructor on scope of project and potential focus of individual literature reviews

 

2:30-4:30:

Applied Theatre modalities and the parallels between Applied Theatre and Participatory Action Research

(Dr. Solga will lead the discussion)

Applied theatre and participatory action research

Readings TBD

(P) Come to class prepared to discuss parallels and differences between Applied Theatre and Participatory Action Research.

(P) Upload Certificate of Completion of the three CEL Foundations of Community Engagement Modules (Parts !, 2 and 3) to Assignments

 

(P) Sign up (using OWL sign-up feature) for individual and group meetings with Instructor by 5 pm Oct. 27 )

Wk 8

Nov. 1

NO CLASS . Reading week

 

 

Wk 9

Nov.8

 

NO CLASS  

Instructor meets individually with students, then groups between Nov. 7-11-

 

(P) Submit group agreement/contract

   AND

(P) CEL’s Group/Community Partner Agreement to OWL by noon, Oct. 29th.

Students will come to individual meeting with Instructor with a (rough/preliminary) idea of their area of specialty for the project and a relevant research article.

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE, cont’d 

 

Topics/

Activities

Readings

Milestones/Assignments

Wk 10

Nov. 15

Groups work on projects

TBD

NA

Wk 11

Nov. 22

 

Group work on projects

 

 

(P) Each group uploads project management chart by noon, Nov. 9th

 

 

Wk 12

Nov. 29

Group work on projects

 

 

(P)Submit draft ppt of progress report

Nov. 28, 5 pm

Wk 13

Dec. 6

1:30-3:30

Presentation of progress reports

3:30-4:30

Debrief and discuss project-related work for Winter term.

 

Individual review paper (10%) and annotated bibliography (5%) Due by 5 pm, Nov. 23rd

 

Presentation of two progress reports  

None

Group presentation of progress reports (7.5%)

Wk 13. Dec. 7

 Part 1: Presentation of two progress reports  (1:30-3:30)

 

Part 2.

Debrief and discuss project-related work for Winter term.

None

Group presentations of progress reports  (7.5%)

Written progress reports due (10%)

(Late penalty does not apply until noon, Dec. 14)

 

 

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE cont’d. WINTER 2022-

 In general, the first hours of class in the Winter term is set aside for 3895E student groups to work on their projects, in consultation with the instructor. The last two hours (2:30-4:30) of class is set aside for collective learning (and work) with the Theatre Students. The class will be in WH20F and FNB 2210 on alternating weeks.

 

TOPICS/

ACTIVITIES

Background Readings/viewings

 

Milestone/Assignments

Student work will be predominantly project-related

Wk 1

Jan. 10

TBD

TBD

TBD

Wk 2

Jan .17

 TBD

TBD

 

 TBD

Wk 3

Jan. 2

 TBD

TBD

 

 TBD

Wk 4

Jan. 31

 TBD

TBD

 TBD

Wk 6

Feb. 14

TBD

TBD

TBD

Wk 7

Feb. 21

No class . Reading week.

 

 

Wk 8

Feb. 28

 TBD

None

(P) Submit (2nd) interim evaluation of peers (Feb. 27, 5 pm)

Wk 9

 Mar. 7

TBD

None

TBD

Wk 10

Mar. 14

TBD

None

TBD

Wk 11

Mar. 21

TBD

None

Draft of poster (5%) (March 20, 5 pm)

Final draft of  poster (5%)  (March 27th, 5 pm)

Wk 12

Mar. 28

Presentations of Psych3895E projects to community partners (1:30-4:30)

(No meeting with TS2202G students)

None

Group presentation of project (7.5 %)

Critical reflection, via Assignments (5%). (April 3, 5  pm)

Wk  13

April 4

1:30-2:30: Wrap-up and final reflections, Psych 3895E

2:30-4:30: TS2202G performances and Psych3895E posters

 

None

Final report and deliverable, via Assignments (25%)  April 8., 11 pm. Late penalty applies after April 17th, 5  pm)

(P) Student evaluation of peer contribution to project. To be submitted as soon as final report and deliverable have been handed in. 

Classes end April 10th h 2% penalty per day assignment is late.    

 

 

 

 

 

8.0          Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

 

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

 

 

9.0          STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

 

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

10.0        POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE

 

If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. In the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf

 

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us  

 

11.0        POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

 

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  2. For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation.

 

https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

 

Students seeking academic consideration:

    • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
    • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

12.0        Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes

 

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.

 

13.0        STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

 

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

14.0        OTHER INFORMATION

 

Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca 

 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

 

Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf

Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.