• Credit: This course meets a Segment II GE requirement. It is also required for psychology majors. If psychology majors have already completed a course titled either "General Psychology," or "Introductory Psychology," at another institution, then that meets the prerequisite requirement for the major. All the areas of psychology are covered here -- experimental, developmental, social, personality, clinical, physiological, statistics, motivation, perception, etc. Successful completion of this course should prepare one for most upper division courses in psychology.

• Mastery Level Course: Students in this course work independently, on their own, completing at least one unit per week. All the materials are on line, and consist of self paced materials from Independent Learning Systems, prepared by a group of psychologists (K. Speeth as editor) to encourage mastery level learning. There are no lectures. The only required attendance is to take the comprehensive final on campus. To maintain enrollment in the course, however, one must show weekly progress by showing mastery on electronic tests according to the dates on the outline. Students will show mastery (90% right) on the first attempt of each of the 13 units. The electronic unit tests are on ILearn. Additional testing for mastery are available by contacting the instructor via email within one week after the electronic test is due. There may be a delay in the scoring. In the meantime, proceed to the next unit. When all 13 units are mastered, take a final comprehensive exam (the course grade). Weekly contact with instructor is required (e.g. through completing electronic tests). See syllabus for further details.

• Getting started You may start the course early. The text material, lecture notes, practice exams, and electronic unit tests are all on the internet. Except for the final exam, all work may be done on the web or through email.

• Meetings: There is no required orientation. The only required meeting is on-campus comprehensive exam, as soon as you have finished. Help will be available all semester through email (mayer@sfsu.edu) or coming in to EP 306(or calling 338-1020) during office hours.

• Required SFSU email accounts: A SFSU email account will be required and may be obtained through the New Account page of the Computer Services Center on the web. If you wish to use your own private account (e.g. AOL), you must establish a link to that account which the university provides on your account page.
  --It is the students responsibility, however, to check mail sent to your SFSU account. Non-SFSU accounts create frequent problems because of "quotas filled," "fees not paid," etc.
  --Location and hours of campus computer labs can be obtained from the Computer Labs page on the web.

• Exams on campus : The final comprehensive exam must be taken on campus in the instructor's office Wednesday afternoons by appointment. It may be taken as soon as all 13 units are mastered, but not later than the announced syllabus deadline dates. Three different forms of the final are available. The grade in the course is the highest grade on any one or more of the three forms taken. Plan to try a form of the final early. Additional time will not be provided for illness, rain, work, missed buses, etc.

Dr. Mayer's home page.

Psych 200 Home Page

August 6, 2007