Heavy emphasis on "deep learning" and "critical thinking" (not quite of the nursing program type). All learning is measured by writings -- journals, essays, online debates -- whose topics are incredibly broad. No exams, no need for memorizing/learning anything about the history of psych, or the names of different theories, etc. Due to it all being essays, grading is terribly subjective.
So far I've not found anyone who's ever heard of such a setup for an intro Psych course. Some Psych majors have said that format existed for their upper level courses.
At first I thought it is actually a great way to organize a course. I'm big on practical knowledge and applied knowledge so such a format is rather in line with my own beliefs. However I'm thinking my instructor and I aren't on the same wavelength (what I swear he wants in an answer isn't right, even though supposedly there isn't any right/wrong answer in this stuff?) and that's going to make passing this course....challenging to impossible.
In addition to my probability of flunking, I'm very concerned that if I continue with this course and somehow pass, I won't have the foundation required for my Developmental Psych course through a different community college (where I'll be transferring to). I'm considering dropping while I still can; though I hate the idea of that because I'm not the quitting type.
So.....has anyone experienced this format with their Psych course? Did you actually learn better that way? How was your course set up?
My Human Growth and Development course was somewhat like this. We had weekly "discussions" in which we had to research a topic then write about it, we then had to read and respond to two other classmates responses. It was very subjective too. But, we also had quizes and tests that covered the book so it was a mix of the black-and-white and the subjective. At any rate, you know yourself. Don't second guess--if you are afraid of your grade in the class, I would drop simply because GPA seems to be such a hot commodity in getting into nursing school. I hope you are able to make the best decision for yourself--best wishes!
collegebound
128 Posts
My Human Growth and Development course was somewhat like this. We had weekly "discussions" in which we had to research a topic then write about it, we then had to read and respond to two other classmates responses. It was very subjective too. But, we also had quizes and tests that covered the book so it was a mix of the black-and-white and the subjective. At any rate, you know yourself. Don't second guess--if you are afraid of your grade in the class, I would drop simply because GPA seems to be such a hot commodity in getting into nursing school. I hope you are able to make the best decision for yourself--best wishes!