Psyc 890 002 or Psyc 591 001
DBS Professional Seminar
Course Syllabus - Fall 2005
Dr. Adam Winsler
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Instructor: Adam Winsler, Ph.D. Office: 2023 David King Hall
Phone: (703)
993-1881 Office
Hours: Mon, Wed
Email: awinsler@gmu.edu Winsler URL: http://classweb.gmu.edu/awinsler
Course Schedule MW
Credit Hours: 2
Course Description & Goals
The overarching goals for this course are to (a) develop the practical knowledge, skills, and attitudes most needed for DBS graduate students to maximize their Ph.D. or MA program experience here, (b) facilitate the professional/career development of graduate students, (c) help prepare students for academic and non-academic job searching post graduate school, (d) provide an opportunity for graduate students to organize and direct the DBS brown-bag colloquia speaker series, (e) to improve students’ interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, and (e) provide a supportive cohort/group for facilitating each other's progress throughout graduate school and beyond.
Required
Main text (at
bookstore)
Darly, J.M., Zanna, M.P., & Roediger, H.L. (2004). The compleat
academic: A career guide (2nd Edition).
American Psychological Association (2001). Publication
manual (5th Ed.).
Other
articles/handouts - Made available in advance somehow.
Smith,
D. (2003a). Five principles for research ethics. APA Monitor, 34, (1), 56-60. http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan03/principles.html
Smith,
D. (2003b). What you need to know about the new code. APA Monitor, 34, (1), 62-65. Available online at
GMU OSP Research with Animals Website http://www.gmu.edu/pubs/osp/animal.html
GMU OSP Human Subjects Website http://www.gmu.edu/pubs/osp/humansubjects.html
Fine, M.A., & Kurdek,
Kenny,
P. (1992). A handbook
of public speaking for scientists and engineers.
Oetting,
E.R. (1992). Ten fatal mistakes in grant writing. In A.E. Kazdin (Ed.). Methodological issues and strategies in clinical research (pp.
739-748).
Roedinger,
R. (2004). Vita voyeur. In The Observer:
Course Requirements/Assignments/Activities
1)
In-Class Participation. This is a small graduate seminar course that
requires active discussion and contribution from each member of the class. The
course will be enhanced greatly if we can all benefit from each individual student's
ideas, questions, suggestions, and expertise.
2)
On-line Discussion. We will be using WebCT to facilitate our discussion
both inside and outside of class this semester. Students are encouraged to post
whatever questions, answers, tips, issues, problems, suggestions, whatever, as
often as they like throughout the semester. In addition to this voluntary usage
of this resource, however, students are required to contribute at least 10
substantive (not just “What’s up?”) and timely (related to the topic of the
week) entries/posts to the discussion throughout the semester. The earlier the
post comes in the (course) week, the better chance we will have for responses
and discussion before and during class -- so please post these as soon after
the previous class as possible.
The
course website is located at: http://webct41.gmu.edu You will log into this with your own individual MyWebCT
account, and from there access the Psyc 890/591 WebCT page. To do this, simply
enter the URL above in any browser, log in with your mason username and with
your password being 2-digit month and 2-digit day of birth. Then change your
password to something you like/will remember by going to password settings.
Please have this done by Wednesday Aug 31.
3)
4)
Course Project
– Resource guide for new students –
It is the tradition of this course for the students to revise the New Student
Resource Guide that we give out to new DBS doctoral students each year. Each
student will pick one or two of the topics from the guide and be responsible
for updating the information in those sections. Students can turn in their
electronic and paper materials earlier to Dr. Winsler, but they are required to
do so by Dec. 5 in class.
5)
Homeworks/Assignments - The
following small assignments/activities will also occur:
a.
Literature
Searching Assignment. Students will
conduct a thorough literature search on a topic of their choice using
PsychInfo, Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), and one other electronic
database of their choice. Student will turn in a summary of their results using
a variety of different search terms, showing which terms and combination of
terms yielded which results (number of raw hits and final # of screened good
references), and a listing of the final screened full references (in APA style)
found to be relevant to their topic. (Due Mon Sept 19th)
b.
CV. Students will turn in an updated version of their CV
for comments/suggestions. (Due Mon Oct 3rd)
c.
Ethics
Scenario. Students will turn in a
brief (1-2 page) scenario in which some kind of ethical
question/problem/dilemma is present in a context of relevance to a student,
professor, researcher, or professional/applied psychologist. The problem should
clearly lead to a question about what a person should do in that situation and
spell out a few options. The answer (what the person should actually do) is not
needed. (Due Tues Oct 11th)
d.
Paper for
Review/Critique. Students will find
an already existing paper that they have written on something (preferably a
genre close to something a graduate student or faculty member might write) to
turn in to me to give to another classmate for that student to blindly review
and provide a friendly, supportive critique (written comments in a separate
document and mark-ups on the document itself). Then students will revise their
paper on the basis of the comments given and turn in the revised paper to the
instructor. (Paper due Mon Oct 17th, Review/Critique due Mon Oct 24th, Revised paper due Mon Oct 31).
e.
Oral
Presentation with Feedback. Student
will prepare a formal (visual aids, handout etc…) 10 minute presentation to the
rest of the class on some sort of research topic (can be a project they have
worked on or a summary of someone else’s study). Students must bring in a VHS
blank videotape for their presentation to be recorded on and returned to the
student for self-review. Students will
provide sensitive written feedback to each other. Students will informally
summarize and give to the instructor the main lessons learned from this
activity (things they need to work when presenting etc…) (Nov 21 and Nov 28)
Grades for this course will
be on a satisfactory/no credit basis. In order to receive a satisfactory pass,
students will need to complete requirements above and any homework assignments
that may be assigned. Last day to add the course is
Sept. 13th. Last day to drop the course is Sept. 30th.
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
It is the policy of the
University and this instructor to make reasonable accommodations for qualified
individuals with disabilities. Students who may have special needs because of a
physical or learning disability are encouraged to contact the Disability
Resource Center ASAP (222 Student Union I) 993-2474 http://www.gmu.edu/student/drc/ All academic accommodations must be arranged through that
office. Such requests will be accommodated within the reasonable
constraints of fairness and timeliness with regard to the instructor and the
other students enrolled in the course.
The Honor Code
Students in this course are
expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the GMU Honor Code.
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/unilife/honorcode.html
Tentative Course Outline
|
Date |
Topic(s) |
Reading/Assignment |
|
Monday Aug 29 |
• Introductions |
|
|
|
Surviving, no, Thriving in - General Advice, Tricks, & Tips |
• WebCT Account Set Up • Bring Grad Student
Guide (Green
book) |
|
Mon. Sept 5 |
LABOR DAY – NO CLASS |
|
|
Wed Sept. 7 |
Planning
Session for Colloquia Series New and
Returning Students |
|
|
Mon Sept 12 |
Literature and Measure Searching: |
|
|
Wed Sept. 14 |
Robert
Pasnak, Ph.D. Dept of Psychology,
“A
cognitive intervention for kindergartners” |
|
|
Mon Sept 19 |
Internet/Technology/Software Resources for Graduate Students |
Darley et al. ( Literature Search
Assignment
Due |
|
Wed Sept. 21 |
Karl
Pribram, Ph.D. Dept. of
Psychology, “Descartes after
all: A cognitive neuroscience appraisal” |
|
|
Mon Sept 26 |
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) and
Resumés • CV Building – Things you
can do now |
Darley et al. ( Roedinger (2004) |
|
Wed Sept. 28 |
|
|
|
Mon Oct. 3 |
• Interpersonal
Communication • Impression/Reputation
Management • Networking, • Professional Organizations |
CV
Due
|
|
Wed Oct. 5 |
Sandy Sanford
Director.
Office of Research Subject Protections “Preparing
for Institutional Review Board (IRB) Submission” (Human and
Animal Subjects) |
|
Tues
Oct 11
|
Ethical Issues for
Researchers and Applied Psychologists |
• 7 Ethics Codes/Articles/Sites • Darley et al. ( |
|
Wed Oct. 12 |
|
|
|
Mon Oct 17 |
Paper for Review Due
|
|
|
Wed Oct. 19 |
Robert
Smith, Ph.D. Dept of Psychology,
“Adolescent brain development: Modification by abused and
prescription drugs” |
|
|
Mon Oct 24 |
• Getting Funding for
Student Research/Travel • Writing Grant Proposals |
• Darley et al. (Ch’s 8, 9) • Oetting (1992) Review/Critique Due
|
|
Wed Oct. 26 |
Susanne
Denham, Ph.D. Dept of Psychology,
“Preschool
emotion knowledge and regulation: Contributions to social competence and
implications for school readiness” |
|
|
Mon Oct 31 |
Publishing, and Presenting
at Conferences: Everything you always wanted to know |
|
|
Wed Nov. 2 |
TBA
|
|
|
Mon Nov. 7 |
• TA’ing and Teaching
Tips/Issues • Tips for Oral Presentations |
Darley et al. ( Kenny (1992) |
|
Wed Nov. 9 |
Rachel
Barr, Ph.D. Dept. of
Psychology, “Infants and media”
|
|
|
Mon Nov. 14 |
• Graduate Program Progress - Program of Study, Annual Evaluations - Advising/Mentoring Issues -
Internships/Practica/Thesis |
|
|
Wed Nov. 16 |
Benjamin
Walker, Ph,D. Dept of
Psychology, “Modeling
autism behavioral deficits in the laboratory rat” |
|
|
Mon Nov. 21 |
Student Oral Presentations |
Oral Presentation & Feedback to students |
|
Wed Nov. 23 |
NO CLASS –
THANKSGIVING BREAK |
|
|
Mon Nov. 28 |
Student Oral Presentations |
Oral Presentation & |
|
Wed Nov. 30 |
Josef
Rauschecker, Ph.D. Dept. of
Physiology and Biophysics “Processing streams for 'what' and 'where' in the auditory
cortex” |
|
|
Mon Dec. 5 |
• Now What? - Career
Options & Paths |
Darley et al. (Ch’s 2,3,4) Materials Due
for New Student Resource Guide |
|
Wed Dec. 7 |
|
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G# ___________________________________________
Program/Year __________________________________________
(i.e., MA, 1st year)
Phone Number(s) ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Primary Email Address ___________________________________________
GMU (Mason) Username ___________________________________________
(i.e., awinsler)