Course Requirements

There will be a total of 310 points possible in the course based on the following assignments.

1. Lead Class Discussion (25 points): You will be responsible for pairing up and co-leading a class discussion during the class period of your choice.  You will be required to read beyond the assigned readings for the class topic you will lead (at least two extra empirical articles). As the discussion leaders you and your partner will come up with discussion questions or other activities that will generate critical thinking about the readings and that will present what you learned in your extra readings. 
2. Essays (20 points each, 160 points total): Eight essay questions (two at a time) will be assigned throughout the semester to assess your ability to integrate concepts from our readings and class discussions. These take-home essay questions are for you to answer without the help of classmates, but you are expected to use information from your readings (which should be cited properly). Essay questions will be posted on the course web site at least one week prior to their due date.
3. Research Proposal (100 points): You are to write a research proposal on a topic of interest from the class list below.  This proposal should include a literature review and methodology section, and should be written in APA style.  The length of the proposal is not as important as the quality.  Papers should be clear and concise, and be 10-15 pages.  You will write a short (no more than a paragraph) description of the topic of your proposal that will be due to me on Thursday, February 21, 2008. The final proposal is due Tuesday, April 15, 2008.
4. Presentation (25 points):  You are to present your research proposal to the class.  Your presentation will be no longer than 15 minutes. Your presentation will be worth (13% of your grade).
5. Class Participation: This is a class where discussion is necessary, and all students readings and class material. If it becomes apparent that students are not keeping up with the readings and other class material, participation may be assessed by a short in-class quiz.