AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 1 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Introduction p.3 The Psychology Team p.4 Course Expectations p.5 - 6, 8 – 9 Course Incentive p.7 Course Structure p.10-12 How I will be assessed? p.12 Psychology Careers p.13 Famous Psychologists p.14 Resources p.15 - 16 Are you an independent learner? p.17 - 19 Simple Plan for the Year p. 20 2 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 We offer the Edexcel specification at Chichester College. This specification highlights the scientific perspective within Psychology. There is a key emphasis on data, inferential statistics and research methodology. This course provides you with the opportunity to develop a range of useful skills. These skills will help you in other subjects as well as in future jobs / University. AS Psychology introduces you to the range of research methods psychologists use to find out about human nature. You will then apply those methods to different topics such as memory, obedience and prejudice. You will develop your analytical skills to be able to apply your understanding of How Science Works to real aspects of human behaviour. You are a universe, a collection of worlds within worlds. Your brain is possibly the most complicated device in existence. Through its action you are capable of art, music, science, philosophy, love, hatred, and charity. You are the most challenging riddle ever written, a mystery even to yourself at times. Your thoughts, emotions, and actions—and those of your family and friends—are the most fascinating subject I can imagine. I chose to study psychology because everything of interest and importance in the world is ultimately related to human behaviour. Psychology can show you much about human behaviour, so you will better understand yourself and others. Your guide awaits you. I hope you enjoy the journey. ---Dennis Coon 3 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Tomas Yates 01243 786321 ext.2292 [email protected] Helen Neary 01243 786321 ext.2023 [email protected] The social sciences office is A341 at the top of the stairs in A block opposite the elevator. Please action the below within the first week so you don’t miss out!: Send friend request www.facebook.com/chichesterpsych and you will then be invited to the group. This is for AS Psychology students only, with tips, exam advice, reminders, news and all things AS Edexcel Psychology! Send follow request on twitter @chi_psych for tips, news, info and all things psychology 4 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 For each lesson you should bring: Pens and paper to make notes, your topic workbook, your core text book, bottled water to hydrate your brain (no soft drinks and hot drinks please), and a positive attitude to learning and participating in class! At home you will need to have a lever arch folder with dividers inside to separate topics and help organise hand-outs, and keep relevant things together such as your weekly tests so it makes it easier to revise from! Psychology is a science. It is not a subject that can be easily taught to children so this may be your first time of studying the subject!. There is an expectation that you, as the learner, will attend all classes, wherever possible, and act like adults at all times. Your learning time is precious, use it wisely! Talking of time: you will receive four and a half hours of structured teaching each week. You will need to match that with four and a half hours of your own time. If you are not prepared to invest that time you will not succeed. I’m sorry to be blunt, but that is the truth! You will be expected to read in your own time as well as write up your notes, write essays, carry out psychological experiments and complete minor research projects. 5 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Psychology is not an easy subject to study: nothing is easy at A level. You will need to be prepared to read about topics in your core text book before you meet them in the classroom. This enables each learner to take part fully in each lesson, with a basic knowledge of the topic before the detailed teaching begins. It’s much easier to take in what’s being taught when you already have some idea of what the subject is! You will be set weekly homework that you record in your homework planners found in the front of your workbooks. All homework must be completed. Part of this homework will be the weekly flipped learning booklets. Flipped learning is like ‘guided research’ where the booklet gives some information and links to the specification and asks questions that you need to try and research and find the answers to. This encourages you to read up on the topic prior to the lesson and this then allows us to then strengthen this understanding and focus on the more stretching parts of the topic with greater focus on exam questions whilst a teacher is present. This avoids the more difficult parts being completed as homework after the lesson. Students have found this challenging but invaluable helping to speed up their learning process. Students can use their textbooks to help but also have a wealth of information available on Chionline, including further reading, activities, videos etc. This is one of the many strategies used to ensure success in A Level Psychology at Chichester College! 6 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 You Got Caught Being A Star In Psychology we want you to strive to be your best so that when you receive your results in August you can be happy and move on to the next stage of your future path. We know that it can be hard sometimes to keep pushing yourself and there are a lot of pressures! So the ‘You Got Caught Being A Star’ Incentive programme is just a small way we want to say well done and reward you for going that extra mile. We may issue you a YGC card for extra effort, for a significant improvement in achievement, for helping your peers by sharing good practice for example….. there are a number of reasons why you might receive one, although they won’t be given out lightly – so do something good for your or your peers’ learning! At the end of the year a draw will be made to see who wins the top prize, it only takes one to win but the more you get the better chance you have! 7 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Homework contract I know I am expected to do or be aware of the following things: I know I am to do at least 4.5 hrs of psychology homework a week. This includes what is set and if finished before the 4.5hrs I continue with the ‘ongoing homework’ found on the homework planner (which is in my work book and on Chionline). I know it is my responsibility to know what my homework is, when it is set and when it is due. I will write the set and due dates in my homework planner in my workbook to help me keep track. I know if I am absent from the lesson, I know there is homework so it is my responsibility to find out before returning what it was and to complete it. I know my homework may be flipped which means I will print out the workbook from Chionline, and complete before the lesson. I know I may not understand everything but the point is I try to find out as much as possible. This will maximize my potential in the lesson, as my learning can be taken further within the lesson rather than covering the basics within the lesson! I know if I do not complete my homework I may not be allowed in the lesson. I may be sent to Achievement plus to complete it and at the same time miss the valuable information from the lesson. I know if the work is not completed in Achievement plus/don’t go there then I may be recorded as absent which can have detrimental consequences for me. I know the following are not good enough excuses as there are alternative options that would still allow me to complete the homework (this list is not exhaustive): Being absent from the lesson Not understanding the content Not being able to get on Chionline Not being able to find it on Chionline Printer issues etc My job getting in the way Not knowing homework was compulsory! 8 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 I know that I will have homework set every week. Mostly on the first lesson of the week, to be completed for the same time the following week. There may be extra homework, which I am responsible for keeping track of. I know if there is any genuine reason why homework will not be completed, I must communicate this promptly and appropriately to my teacher. I know that my AS grade will be significantly lower if I do not complete all my homework properly and if I continually don’t hand in homework my place on the course will be in jeopardy! I have read and fully understood the above. I am aware of my responsibilities regarding homework and the penalties I may face if I do not comply. What if I am struggling with homework? In the first instance speak to your teacher as soon as you realize you are struggling so that a plan can be put in place and agreed mutually. If it becomes an ongoing issue then speak to your personal tutors or your teachers, there are various options available such as peer mentors, homework club or Achievement plus. Not completing homework is not an option. Look for this symbol on Chionline: 9 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 You will be expected to learn how to learn. That sounds silly, but you will be offered new and effective ways of taking notes and revising. Indeed, revision takes place throughout the year, not just in a mad rush two weeks before the exam! The academic year will comprise units: Unit 1: Social Psychology (obedience and prejudice) and Cognitive Psychology (memory and forgetting). This will be examined in June and is 1 hour and 20 minutes. In the exam, Research Methods questions are embedded into the other two topics. The exam comprises a section of multiple choice questions, a mixture of short-answer questions and a section of extend writing. You will be required to answer these questions in two ways; firstly by using your knowledge of the topic (which we call AO1) and secondly by how you can evaluate the theory or research being discussed (which we call AO2) The research methods questions will attract what we call AO3 marks. Unit 2: This unit is designed to introduce three approaches in psychology; the Psychodynamic Approach, the Biological Approach and the Learning 10 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Approach. This unit aims to develop your understanding of psychological issues of development, individual difference and biology through the study of these approaches. The unit is very similar to unit 1 but the exam is 1 hour and 40 minutes. This unit will also be examined in June. 11 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 12 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Psychology is all about understanding why people do what they do and some careers use this understanding in a more business related fashion, such as advertising and other media based professions. Useful work experience if you were thinking about a career using this subject could include: There are some careers that can lead on from studying psychology, which require work experience for university entry, these include social work and nursing and if you are thinking of going into teaching, work experience is strongly recommended as it is such a competitive career to enter (particularly primary teaching). Looking for volunteer work in a caring profession such as helping in a care home for the elderly or helping out at your local youth club are good examples of relevant work experience but clearly if you want to take your psychology into advertising or something of that nature you would be better off getting experience in a local radio or television station, for example. Some careers in psychology are more difficult in terms of gaining specifically relevant work experience so just remember that the universities will want to see that you are hard working generally, have interests other than just your studies, and will be keen to see other activities and experiences on your application than just work experience. Check out the careers section of Chionline — there are links, videos and information on studying psychology at university and careers in psychology. You can also speak to the PAF team (Positive about futures) found at the front of college near reception. You can also ’like’ them on Facebook for regular updates on UCAS, universities, jobs and careers. 13 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 How many famous Psychologists can you name? Why not try to find out who they all are and why are they important in Psychology! 14 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 The core text book: The core text book is ‘Edexcel AS Psychology’ Christine Brain, Karren Smith, Susan Hearty and Anna Major. Pearsons ISBN 978 1 846 902611 Another worthwhile text book is ‘AS Psychology’ Edexcel by Christine Brain (see picture) as this goes into more depth and will help develop your knowledge and understanding. You won’t need to learn all the detail though so please discuss with your teachers for guidance. It is also crucial to consider a revision book of your choice, there are plenty of these to chose from but make sure you look for one that matches the latest specification (GCE A Level from 2008 onwards) and that it is for Edexcel specification. Check Induction section on Chionline for more details or speak to your teacher Copies of Past Papers are crucial for you: Use Chionline to download past exam papers, mark schemes, examiner reports as well as other helpful resources. or use the app - see page opposite. Using past papers is one of the most valuable things that you can do to ensure success on this course! In order to stretch and challenge yourself, you can access further learning resources: As you are new to Psychology some good journals to read, ‘Psychology Review’ (available in the college library) and ‘The Psychologist’. Check the library or consider a subscription! The BPS also publishes a newsletter, ‘Psych-talk’. Subscribe for free to the BPS research digest for up to date studies of use to A-Level students at http:// bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/ There are stretch and challenge activities on each page of Chionline and in your workbooks which if used will help you get the top grades! Look for the symbol opposite! 15 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 An ‘app-ortunity’ for you to learn... If you have a smart phone then you can download for free the Edexcel app where you can get past papers etc. direct to your phone. And revise on the go! There are a number of different revision websites that can be useful and you will find the links on Chionline. One key message is that you would really benefit from making revision resources from the very first week. You will be glad later on if you do that as you won’t have to waste time making when you can be learning closer to your exam and it is better ot make them whist you still understand the topic. Think about mind maps, flash cards etc. There are some useful tools available on line such as ‘Exam Zone’ which can help you make these. Chionline is your virtual learning environment which you will have access to when you enrol. This will be a crucial tool for your independent learning as it will include all the work from lessons but extra activities, information, videos, quizzes, debates and so much more! So please make sure you use it as much as possible. The more you all use it the more you will all benefit from it and help you pass your exams with flying colours!!! You will need to change your password every 90 days so don’t forget! 16 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 What is an independent learner? Independent learners are motivated to learn. They accept responsibility for their own learning and have the confidence to approach others for help if they need it. Independent learners manage their learning processes effectively. This includes • identifying what they want to learn, for example, reading the learning outcomes in the module handbook • identifying how they are going to learn, for example, individual study, working with a friend, asking for help, using the internet and/or library to look up more information. • managing time, stress and other commitments • using a wide range of learning opportunities and resources, for example, using appropriate printed and electronic sources • adapting the learning process to make use of new opportunities Independent learners are able to monitor and reflect critically on how and what they learn. Through this they develop an awareness that helps them to learn with increasing effectiveness. They also demonstrate a more questioning attitude to what they are learning. Learning is an active process and you are expected to engage in it during lessons and private study sessions. The following questionnaire will help you to identify and think about your approach to study. Please complete this questionnaire and then reflect on your findings. How can you help yourself to develop as an independent learner? Developing yourself as an independent learner The aim of this questionnaire is to help you to think about your approach to learning. When answering these questions you might like to think about a particular learning situation, e.g. learning a particular subject, or you may answer them in relation to how you generally approach learning. Everyone is unique and there is no ‘right’ approach to learning. By learning how we learn and by exploring new and different approaches to learning it is possible to become even more effective learners. We hope that this questionnaire will help stimulate your learning. 17 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Section one: Motivation 1 How interested are you in your studies? 2 How keen are you to succeed in your studies? 3 How keen are you to become a better learner? not very 1 very 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Please write any comments here Section two: Managing your learning 4 Before a class/workshop/study session, are you clear about what you hope to learn? 5 Do you plan how and when you are going to learn something? 6 Do you ask for help if you are having difficulty learning something new? 7 If you come across new study methods do you try them? Please write any comments on section Section three: Reflection 8 Do you question what you are told e.g. by tutors, in books? 9 When you have finished learning about something do you think back about how effective your learning process was? 10 Do you change the way you go about learning new things as a result of thinking about past learning situations? Please write any comments on section never rarely sometimes always 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 18 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 Interpreting the results 1. Now add up the numbers you circled in each section. For examples if you circled 3 for each of the questions in section one, then your score is 9. 2. Write the number you score in the TOTAL SCORES column. 3. Circle the numbers you scored in the adjacent row. 4. Add up your total scores and circle your FINAL SCORE in the last row. Low independence Moderate independence High independence Section one: Motivation Q1 –3 345 6789 10 11 12 Section two: Managing your learning Q4–7 4567 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Section three: Reflection Q8 – 10 345 6789 10 11 12 FINAL SCORE 10-19 20-30 31-40 TOTAL SCORES This questionnaire gives an indication of how independent you are as a learner. If you rate yourself as having low or moderate independence, you could probably benefit from working at increasing your level of ‘learner independence’. You might like to discuss this with your peers or tutor. Now you have more awareness of your level of independence, how will you enhance it further? Select at least one of the following actions and then devise one more action yourself.  I need to create a weekly learning timetable which identifies the times I can do homework, revision activities, further research.  I will buy a folder and a set of dividers for each subject in the next week  Organise my class notes in the right section of my folder after every session  Trial a new revision strategy by September 30th; either cue cards, summary sheets, mind maps, making my own power point presentations, method of loci.  My own action: 19 AS Psychology Handbook 2014—2015 AS Psychology Yearly schedule 2014-2015 (Subject to change) Week No 1 Date W/C 01/09/14 Induction and subject introductions 2 08/09/14 Introduction to Biological Approach – Key Terms 3 15/09/14 Biological Approach Practical & Stats 4 22/09/14 Biological Approach Content – Gender Development 5 29/09/14 Biological Approach Studies In Detail – Money and Raine 6 06/10/14 Biological Approach Research Methods 7 13/10/14 Biological Revision and Biological Mock Exam 8 20/10/14 Biological Key Issue Half term – 27/10/14 – 31/10/14 9 03/11/14 Introduction to Psychodynamic Approach – Key Terms 10 10/11/14 Psychodynamic Approach Content – Freud’s Theories 11 17/11/14 Psychodynamic Research methods & Stats 12 24/11/14 Psychodynamic Approach Practical 13 01/12/14 Psychodynamic Studies In Detail – Little Hans and Axline, Key Issue 14 08/12/14 Psychodynamic Revision and Psychodynamic Mock Exam 15 15/12/14 Introduction to Learning Approach – Definitions/Key Terms, Content Xmas Break 22/12/14 – 2/01/14 16 05/01/15 Learning Approach Studies In Detail – Bandura and Watson & Raynor 17 12/01/15 Learning Approach Research Methods and Practical, Stats, Key Issue 18 19/01/15 Official Mock Unit 2 Exam – Psychodynamic, Biological and Learning 19 26/01/15 Introduction to Cognitive Psychology – Concepts & Definitions 20 02/02/15 Cognitive Approach – Research Methods 21 09/02/15 Cognitive Approach Content – Memory and Forgetting Half term – 16/02/15 – 20/02/15 22 23/02/15 Cognitive Studies In Detail – G&B and C&T & Practical 23 02/03/15 Social Approach Content – Obedience and Prejudice 24 09/03/15 Social Approach Research Methods and Practical 25 16/03/15 Social Studies In Detail – Hofling and Sherif & Key Issue 26 23/03/15 Mock Unit 1 and Unit 2 Exam Easter Break 30/03/15 – 10/04/14 27 13/04/15 Revision 28 20/04/15 Revision 29 27/04/15 Revision 30 04/05/15 Revision 31 11/05/15 Unit 1 Exam – Social & Cognitive TBC 32 18/05/15 Unit 2 Exam – Psychodynamic, Biological and Learning TBC Half Term 25/05/15 – 29/05/15 33 01/06/15 Transition 34 08/06/15 Transition 35 15/06/15 Transition 36 22/06/15 Transition End of year Friday 26th June 20