Classroom Expectations related to COVID-19

The goal is to create an environment for learning that will also keep everyone as safe as possible. Therefore, in order to attend class meetings, I expect all students to abide by all behaviors indicated in A Tartan’s Responsibility, including any timely updates based on the current conditions. In particular, I expect students to wear a facial covering throughout class when there is a requirement in effect on campus (the requirement is in effect at the start of the Fall 2021 semester). Finally, please let me know if you need to miss class because of sickness or quarantine so that we can find a way to accomodate you.

Participation

Learning a new “language” (in this case, R) and the other skills in this course require hands-on involvement, and you will get the most out this class if you actively engage in the material. Students are therefore expected to complete readings and participate in class. Lecture slides will be posted after class each day, but reading these slides is only a partial substitute for class attendance.

Laptops

You will need to bring a laptop to class for Monday quizzes and Friday labs. If this is a problem, please let me know. To facilitate learning for everyone, the expectation is that laptops will not be not be used in lecture outside of quizzes.

Late Work

Late work policy for the assignments, midterm, and final:

• next day: lose 25% of total possible points
• later than next day: lose all points

Late work policy for the final project: 10% off for each day late.

Take Care of Yourself

The pandemic has introduced a lot of stress and uncertainty for everyone over the last year and a half. Make sure to take care of yourself this semester. Move regularly, eat well, and reach out to your support system or me if you need to. We can all benefit from support in times of stress, and that is especially true this semester.

As a student, you may experience a range of challenges that can interfere with learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, substance use, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events (like a global pandemic!) may diminish your academic performance and/or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. It is important to take care of yourself by seeking help, just as you would for any physical health issue CMU services are available, and treatment does work. You can learn more about confidential mental health services available on campus at: http://www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Support is always available (24/7) from Counseling and Psychological Services: 412-268-2922.

If you are worried about affording food or feeling insecure about food, there are resources on campus who can help. Email the CMU Food Pantry Coordinator to schedule an appointment or call 412-268-8704 (SLICE office).

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and have an accommodations letter from the Disability Resources office, I encourage you to discuss your accommodations and needs with me as early in the semester as possible. I will work with you to ensure that accommodations are provided as appropriate. If you suspect that you may have a disability and would benefit from accommodations but are not yet registered with the Office of Disability Resources, I encourage you to contact them at access@andrew.cmu.edu.

Respect in the Classroom

It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In addition, if any of our class meetings conflict with your religious events, please let me know so that we can make arrangements for you.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Cheating and plagiarism are defined in the CMU Student Handbook, and include (1) submitting work that is not your own for assignments or exams; (2) copying ideas, words, or graphics from a published or unpublished source without appropriate citation; (3) submitting or using falsified data; and (4) submitting the same work for credit in two courses without prior consent of both instructors. Any student who is found cheating or plagiarizing on any work for this course will receive a failing grade for that work. Further action may be taken if necessary, including a report to the dean.

Attendance and Participation

Attendance and participation (e.g., asking and answering questions) in lecture and lab are expected. To account for this, a portion of your final grade is based on your active participation. Your active participation in lecture and lab can earn you up to 25 points in your final grade.

Weekly Quizzes

Most Mondays there will be a short 5 minute quiz at the beginning of class. These quizzes will cover the material from the previous two lectures (Monday and Wednesday lectures from the previous week). The goal of these quizzes is to give both you and I a sense of your understanding of the material. This will help to figure out what material we need to spend more time on. The classes with quizzes are marked on the course schedule. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped.

Assignments

There will be eight assignments throughout the semester. The goal of these assignments is to give you hands-on experience with the skills that are introduced in lecture and in lab. You are welcomed, and encouraged, to work with each other on the problems. But, you must turn in your own work. Your lowest assignment score will be dropped.

Midterm Exam

There will be a take-home midterm exam that will assess your conceptual understanding of the topics covered in the first part of the semester through short answer responses and R code. It will be similar in spirit to Assignments 1-5, but will cover more material and you will be expected to complete the exam completely on your own.

Final project

The final project will be an original meta-analysis on a topic in cognitive, developmental or social psychology. You are encouraged to work on the project in groups of 3-5; however, each student must complete their own final write-up. Scope and topics of the meta-analysis will be decided in consultation with me.

There is no final exam. This project is your final exam.

Assignment Grades