PSY 265 complete course with syllabus best guidance for students

psy_265_course_syllabus x

PSY 265 course with syllabus best guidance for students

Axia College

Course Syllabus – PSY 265

Please print a copy of this syllabus for handy reference.

Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this syllabus is considered to be the ruling document.

Course Information:
· Please print a copy of this syllabus for handy reference.
· Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this syllabus is considered the ruling document.

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION:

COURSE NUMBER: AAGI0JHCL9
COURSE TITLE: PSY/265: Psychology of Human Sexuality
COURSE START DATE: 8/3/09
COURSE END DATE: 10/4/09
REQUIRED READING: Students are required to read all materials available at the Course Materials site for this course on http://ecampus.phoenix.edu.

Facilitator Information:
Dawn Silverman
dawnsilv@email.phoenix.edu (University of Phoenix)
dawnlmhc@gmail.com (Personal)
561-601-1398 (EST)

Facilitator Availability:
Should you need to contact me, I prefer that you post me your question in your Individual Forum. I will do my best to answer your question within 24 hours of you posting it. Please be aware that I do not answer phone calls unless you have requested a phone appointment. Also, if you choose to call me (rather than post your question) and receive my voicemail, please feel free to leave your message; however, make sure to check your Individual Forum as I typically do not call back students and will just post my reply within 24 hours in that forum. Finally, remember that you can post all class-related (not personal) questions under the General Questions thread in the main forum.
For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online Learning System (OLS), please send a message to my personal email address.

General Course Description
See Course Description in the Course Materials for this course.

Course Objectives
See Course Objectives in the Course Materials for this course.

The Online Weekly Schedule
Online weeks begin on Monday and end on Sunday.
Day 1 – Monday
Day 2 – Tuesday
Day 3 – Wednesday
Day 4 – Thursday
Day 5 – Friday
Day 6 – Saturday
Day 7 – Sunday

Where to Go to Class – Your Course Forums:

Main: This is the main forum for the class and is where discussion is conducted during the scheduled online class weeks. Everyone registered for this class section has read-and-write access to the Main forum.

Chat-Room: This is a read-and-write access forum. It is designed as a place to discuss issues not directly related to the course content with the understanding that the University of Phoenix Student Code of Conduct applies to all posts to all forums, including the Chat Room forum.

Course-Materials: This is a read-only forum, which means all members of the class can read messages in the forum but cannot post in the forum. This is where the instructor will post the course syllabus and materials.

Individual Forum: Each student will see one forum with his or her name on it. This is a private forum, shared by the student and the instructor. Classmates do not have access to another student’s Individual forum. The Individual forum is where each student will post individual assignments and where the instructor will post feedback and grades. Students can also ask questions in the Individual forum. However, general questions about assignments should be posted in the Main forum, since other students may benefit by that exchange.

CLASS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

For class policies, please see the “Policies” link on the left side of the classroom. Faculty and student/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within that link. University policies are subject to change so please be sure to read them at the beginning of each class as it may have changed since your last class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities it is important you read the policies governing your current class modality.

Attendance
Please see the attendance policies included in the first message posted in the Main forum.

Participation
1. Participation is very important online. You will be expected to participate 3 days a week in several different discussions and to contribute 2 substantive participation messages on each of those 3 days. This is a required part of your grade. Participation consists of notes you send above and beyond graded assignments. This generally means the messages you send as replies to messages from your classmates and me.

2. Please note that both quantity and quality are important considerations when it comes to participation. For example, a message which says simply, “I agree,” does not constitute participation, because it does not add anything of substance to the discussion.

3. In order to earn full participation points, you must add something of substance to the discussion 3 out of 7 days per week—this would consist of new ideas, your perspectives, pointed follow-up questions, etc. You will find it is much easier to keep up with an Online class when you are logging in and participating regularly.
4. Only posts in the Main classroom forum during READ and DISCUSS weeks will count towards your class participation score.

Participation and Discussion Question Grading
Discussion question responses will NOT count towards the class participation requirement.

Weekly Summaries
Weekly summaries will not be required in this course.

Expectations for Discussion Question Responses
1. Discussion question responses should be at least 200-300 words. For discussion question responses in the Main forum, please post responses to the threads provided. To respond, highlight the appropriate thread, click on Reply, type your response, change the subject line to reflect your response and send. Please do not start a new thread for the weekly discussion questions in the Main forum.

2. Unlike your formal written assignments, I do not require that your discussion question responses adhere to specific formatting requirements. However, please make sure to proofread carefully. Grammar and spelling errors may impact the grading. Also, if your post includes referenced material, you MUST provide a full citation to the source.

3. I expect your discussion question responses to reflect critical thought. Whenever possible, please try to relate the course content to real-world applications from your work experience.

Attachments
Please do not use attachments in the Main forum. Post DQ responses and weekly summaries (if required) in the body of OLS messages. Please post formal assignments in your Individual forum as attachments–Microsoft Word documents or PowerPoint slides.

If you have any questions about any of the information contained in this syllabus, or about any other aspect of this class, please do not hesitate to ask!

Feedback
Each week, I will provide grades or scores and comments on assignments within 7 days of when they were submitted. Weekly Feedback forms will be provided within 7 days after the week ends. I will post all feedback in your Individual forum.

Grading Formula (which may be different from your other courses)

Grade

PercentRange

95% – 100%

A-

90% – 94%

B+

87 % – 89%

84% – 86%

B-

80% – 83%

C+

77% – 79%

74% – 76%

C –

70% – 73%

D+

67% – 69%

64% – 66%

D-

60% – 63%

0% – 59%

NOTE: Partial percentages with be rounded to the nearest full percentage, e.g. 83.4% = 83%, which leads to a grade of B-; 83.5% = 84%, which leads to a grade of B.

Required Texts
1. Rathus, S.A., Nevid, J.S., and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (6th ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
2. Axia College’s Writing Style Handbook, available online at https://axiaecampus.phoenix.edu/Writing_Style_Handbook_AxiaUOP
3. Electronic Resources

Point Values for Course Assignments

Week One: Human Sexuality

CheckPoint: Sexuality and Value Systems

CheckPoint: Critical Thinking and Sexual Decision Making

Assignment: The Sperm and the Egg

Week Two: Sexual Arousal and Sexual Response Cycles

Discussion Questions

Participation

CheckPoint: The Sexual Response Cycle Questions

Week Three: Sexual Dysfunctions and Gender Identity

CheckPoint: Sexual Dysfunction

Assignment: Gender Identity

100

Week Four: Love and Relationships

Discussion Questions

Participation

CheckPoint: Styles of Love

Week Five: Relationships and Homosexuality

CheckPoint: Sexual Techniques

Assignment: Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality

100

Week Six: Contraception, Abortion, and Adult Lifestyles

Discussion Questions

Participation

CheckPoint: Methods of Contraception

Week Seven: Sexuality at Different Life Stages

CheckPoint: Childhood Development and Sexual Behavior

Assignment: Sexuality at Different Life Stages

100

Week Eight: Paraphilias and Sexual Abuse

Discussion Questions

Participation

CheckPoint: The Effects of Sexual Abuse

Week Nine: Human Sexuality in the Modern World

Capstone CheckPoint

Final Project: Personal Response on Sexual Identity

250

Point Totals

1,000

Week 1 Assignments
1. Read objectives and welcome.
· Read instructor’s bio, and post your own bio.
· Due Date: Day 1 [post to the Chat Room forum]

2. Read Appendix A regarding the final project requirements.

3. Read Ch. 1 (pp. 1-11), 3 (pp. 60-84), and 4 (pp. 106-120 and 127-135) in Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity

4. Read the Electronic Reserve Readings, located on the student web page, for this week. Note that you only need to read the section of the article covering fertilization.

5. CheckPoint: Sexuality and Value Systems

· Due Date: Day 3 [post to the Individual forum]

· Answer the following: Which value system or systems discussed in the text do you most relate to? Explain your answer.

6. CheckPoint: Critical Thinking and Sexual Decision Making

· Due Date: Day 4 [post to the Individual forum]

· Answer the following: How do you use the principles of critical thinking in making sexual decisions? Give an example from your own life in which you would use critical thinking to make a decision about sex.

7. Assignment: The Sperm and the Egg

· Due Date: Day 7 [post to the Individual forum]

· Describe the life of a sperm and the life of an egg from start to finish in a 700- to 1,050-word story based on this week’s reading and formatted according to APA guidelines (Make sure grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling are correct). Cover the following points in your story:

         Trace the movements of the sperm and the egg from their development to fertilization.

         Describe the function of each of the male and female internal and external sex organs in relation to the sperm and the egg.

         Describe the role of the sex organs in fertilization.

         Be creative. Consider giving the sperm and egg personalities as you describe their traveling adventures.

Week 2 Assignments

1.      Read Ch. 5, 6 pp. 175-201, & 15 in Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity.

2.      View
Conquering Performance Anxiety video. To view the video from University Library:

         Click Choose Databases by Subject from the Library Resources menu.

         Click on Health and Wellness.

         Click on Health and Wellness Resource Center under the Article Databases – Specialized heading.

         Choose Sexual Health under the Multimedia Library menu.

         Click Sexual Health Basics in the gray box labeled Choose a Subcategory.

         Click on the video
Conquering Performance Anxiety
.

3.      Discussion Question 1

        Due Date: Day 2 [Main forum]

        Post your response to the following: Consider that you are having an informative discussion with your adolescent child about sex. Your goal is to explain to your child that sexual arousal is a normal sensation attributed to the brain, neurochemicals, and sex hormones all working together. Describe, in language that a teen would understand, how the brain, neurochemicals, and sex hormones work together during sexual arousal.

        Consider, as you respond to your classmates’ posts, that the adolescent has questions about how the brain, neurochemicals and sex hormones are affecting him or her at this point in life.

4. Discussion Question 2

        Due Date: Day 4 [Main forum]

        Post your response to the following: Consider a couple that has been married for over ten years and is experiencing a lack of romance and sexual interest in one another. What might be some of the causes of the decrease in sexual interest? Do you think the lack of sexual interest might stem from mental causes, physical causes, or both? How might this couple use their senses to enhance and increase their sexual relationship? In your participation, choose responses described by others in class and state whether you agree or disagree with their answers and to what extent. Explain why.

5. CheckPoint: The Sexual Response Cycle

        Resource: Appendix B

        Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

· Complete the table in appendix B with the four phases of the sexual response cycle developed by Masters and Johnson.

· Write a brief description in your own words of the male experience and a brief description of the female experience for each phase.

· Include the changes in sexual anatomy of males and females during the different stages.

        Post Appendix B as an attachment.
Week 3 Assignments
1.      CheckPoint: Sexual Dysfunction

        Due Date: Day 4 [Individual forum]

        Summarize the effects of one type of sexual dysfunction that can affect both men and women. What are some factors that may cause this type of dysfunction? What treatments may help individuals who experience this type of dysfunction?

2.      Assignment: Gender Identity

        Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

        For this assignment, you will create a Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation about the determining factors of gender identification and gender roles. Include the following in your presentation:

   State the factors that determine gender identity.

   Explain how a person’s masculine and feminine traits can be described using the continuum of masculinity-femininity.

   Describe three factors in your own life that have helped determine your gender identity.

   Discuss the masculine and feminine traits that you attribute to yourself using the continuum of masculinity-femininity.

        Create a 7- to 10-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Do not use speaker notes. Make sure to include elegant fonts and visual aids/graphics.
        Post as an attachment.
Week 4 Assignments
1.      Read Ch. 7-10 in Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity.

2.      Discussion Question 1

         Due Date: Day 2 [Main forum]

 Post your response to the following: Read the scenario and answer the questions following it. Jill and Joe have been in a relationship for four months. Their time together mostly revolves around sports and enjoying time with friends. They are very much attracted to each other and have had an active sex life from the first month of their relationship.

Recently, Jill has been facing some difficulties at work as well as financial hardships. She has begun to notice that when she talks about her problems, Joe becomes frustrated. Joe tells her not to worry too much and offers suggestions for solving the problem. He still enjoys being intimate with her and being in social settings together, but it has become harder for Jill to enjoy these experiences.

         Refer to the section covering communication skills that begins on p. 250 of your text. What are some communication techniques that both Jill and Joe can implement to improve their relationship?

3.      Discussion Question 2

         Due Date: Day 4 [Main forum]

         Post your response to the following: What are three components of attractiveness? Which of the three is most important to you? Why did you choose this factor?

         Consider, as you respond to your classmates’ posts, how their responses have had an effect on your views about attractiveness.

4.      CheckPoint: Styles of Love

         Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

         Review the styles of love covered in the text beginning on p. 219.

         Compose two scenarios, each depicting a different style of love between two people. How are these two styles of love similar? How are they different?

         Tell which style or styles of love have been prevalent in your life. Provide examples.
Week 5 Assignments
1.      CheckPoint: Sexual Techniques

         Due Date: Day 4 [Individual forum]

         Answer the following questions.

      What sexual techniques are discussed in the chapter readings?

      What are the roles and connections between kissing, touching and foreplay?

      What are some of the different viewpoints and levels of acceptance regarding masturbation?

2.      Assignment: Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality

         Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

         Fill out the following chart (this chart CANNOT be found under class materials)

How do you think historical and scientific perspectives on homosexuality may have shaped the way gay individuals perceive themselves? According to:

The historical perspective

The cross-cultural and cross-species perspective

Biological and psychological perspectives

Explain the process of “coming out” and adjusting as a gay individual.

Discuss the lifestyle differences between gay males and lesbians.

Bell and Weinberg (1978) found that about 75% of couples they studied could be classified according to one of five lifestyles. Please list and discuss these 5 lifestyles.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Answer: how have historical and scientific perspectives reflected on your sexual orientation?

         Post your chart as an attachment.
Week 6 Assignments
1.      Read Ch. 12-14 in Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity.

2.      Discussion Question 1

         Due Date: Day 2 [Main forum]

         Post your response to the following: Imagine you are talking to a friend who is having a hard time considering the abortion of an unwanted pregnancy. What are the various emotions your friend may experience before and after an abortion?

         Ask questions, when responding to your classmates’ posts that highlight some of the concerns the young woman might have about her decision.

         Conduct a Web search to find a site that may be of help to your friend if she does proceed with an abortion. Why do you think the site you chose may be particularly helpful to her? (Make sure to provide APA citation of this site).

3.      Discussion Question 2

         Due Date: Day 4 [Main forum]

         Post your response to the following: Choose two of the following three questions about lifestyles to answer. Reference trends related to the lifestyles in your answers. What are healthy versus unhealthy reasons to marry? What are healthy versus unhealthy reasons to cohabitate? What are healthy versus unhealthy reasons to stay single?

         Respond to a classmate who chose the lifestyle that you did not discuss. State why you agree or do not agree with his or her analysis of that lifestyle.

4.      CheckPoint: Methods of Contraception

         Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

         Read the scenarios and answer the questions that follow.

      Tina and Dan are considering various birth control methods. They are a newly-married couple who practiced abstinence before marriage and plan on starting their family within a year.

         Choose possible methods of contraception for the couple and discuss the advantages and disadvantages they would need to consider at this point in their lives.

      Linda is a young single woman with an active dating life. She chooses to be intimate only with long-term committed partners. She is wary of the risks associated with sexually transmitted infections and has decided that she does not want to be a single parent.

         Choose possible methods of contraception for Linda and discuss the advantages and disadvantages she should consider at this point in her life.

         Describe the male partner’s role in choosing birth control in both of these scenarios.

Week 7 Assignments

1.      CheckPoint: Childhood Development and Sexual Behavior

         Due Date: Day 4 [Individual forum]

         Post your answers to the following: Many parents do not have a background in childhood development and may not recognize that there are normal childhood sexual behaviors. In 200 to 300 words, review sexual behaviors associated with the stages of childhood development. Include in your discussion examples of behavior related to the following stages of development: infancy, early childhood, preadolescence, and adolescence.

2.      Assignment: Sexuality at Different Life Stages

               Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

               You are considered an expert in your field and your supervisor has asked you to speak at an upcoming symposium addressing the main points that a therapist might cover in a counseling session to help each individual for each scenario listed below.

      Create a 13 slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation that includes an introduction (slide 2) and a conclusion (last slide).
      You should include the first scenario on a slide (by itself). So the slide should read: Anna, an adolescent girl, is very much in love with her boyfriend who is three years older than she. He is putting a lot of pressure on her to have sex. At the same time, she is anxious about her parents’ attitude towards her boyfriend. Her mother constantly warns her about dating an older boy and assumes that he intends on taking advantage of her.
      The next 3 slides should address: how the therapist would coach Anna on the sexual decision-making process, including addressing her feelings and recommendations related to her mother’s anxiety.

 You should include the next scenario on a slide (by itself). So the slide should read: Tom and Susan are an elderly couple. Tom has been retired for several years, Susan is more recently retired. She has shown a renewed interest in sexual activity. Tom has not reciprocated Susan’s interest as he is anxious about his sexual ability at this age.
 The next 2 slides should discuss how the therapist addresses the physical and psychological changes that affect sexuality at this point in Tom and Susan’s life.

 You should include the next scenario on a slide (by itself). So the slide should read: Bill has been paralyzed from the waist down since he was a child. He is involved in a romantic relationship and wishes to be intimate with his partner but is unsure how to express his interest. Bill becomes very nervous and uncomfortable when talking about this subject.

      The next 2 slides should explain how the therapist would address Bill’s feelings and the type of information the therapist would provide Bill on sexuality and his disability.
· Post as an attachment.
· Do not use speaker notes (all information should be on slide)
· Slides should be free of errors.

Week 8 Objectives/Assignments

1.     Read Ch. 17 and 18 in Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity.

2.     Read the Electronic Reserve Readings, located on the student web page, for this week.

3.     View
Objects of Desire: The Psychology of Sexual Fetishes video. To view the video from University Library:

   Click Choose Databases by Subject from the Library Resources menu.

   Click on Health and Wellness.

   Click on Health and Wellness Resource Center under the Article Databases – Specialized heading.

   Choose Sexual Health under the Multimedia Library menu.

   Click Sexual Health Basics in the gray box labeled Choose a Subcategory.

   Click on the video
Objects of Desire: The Psychology of Sexual Fetishes
.

4.     Discussion Question 1

   Due Date: Day 2 [Main forum]

   Your instructor will divide the class into four clusters and assign each cluster a theoretical perspective on paraphilias. Look for a post containing the roster list for the discussion clusters and the thread-starter posts from the instructor. Join your designated threads to discuss the assigned theoretical perspective.

   Post your response to the following: Summarize the theoretical perspective on paraphilias assigned by your instructor. How would this theoretical perspective approach possible treatment of paraphilias?

   Respond to your classmates’ posts by stating whether you think a particular treatment would be effective. Why or why not?

5.     Discussion Question 2

   Due Date: Day 4 [Main forum]

   Post your response to the following: Identify four possible treatments for sex offenders. Answer the Critical Thinking question on p. 631.

6.     CheckPoint: The Effects of Sexual Abuse

   Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

   Envision that you are presenting to a college campus on the effects of sexual abuse.

   Outline for the students the short-term and long-term effects of rape and childhood sexual abuse in 5-7 PowerPoint® slides. Be sure to include speaker notes for your slides.

   Post your presentation as an attachment.
Week 9 Objectives/Assignments

1.     Capstone CheckPoint

· Due Date: Day 4 [Individual forum]

· Answer the following questions, in 400 to 500 total words, regarding the media’s portrayal of sexuality and adolescents.

      What are the effects of the media’s portrayal of sexuality on adolescents’ sexual lives?

      What are some negative and some positive effects of the media’s portrayal of sexuality?

      How has the media’s portrayal of sexuality affected your life?

2.     Final Project: Personal Response on Sexual Identity

· Resource: Appendix A

· Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

· Construct a 1,400- to 1,750-word personal response, formatted according to APA guidelines, analyzing the development of your own sexuality. Address the following topics in your paper:

      Relate value systems and critical thinking to your sexual decision making before and after this course.

      Describe the effect of environment and historical perspectives on your sexuality.

      Discuss the development of your gender identity.

      Analyze the effect of attraction and love in your relationships.

      Discuss another topic of this course that is interesting and useful to you. Relate this topic to your life.

         Post your personal response as an attachment.

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