WaldenUniversity

COMPLETE ONLINE SYLLABUS

PSYC 6393/PSYC 8393: MS Psychology Capstone

Student Support and Calendar Information

It is highly recommended that you print the following items for your reference so that you have all key information available to you off-line:

• This Syllabus
• Term Calendar
• Instructor and Student Support Info

Credits

5 credit hours

Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number and type of assignments that enable students to achieve the course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter credit equals about 28 hours of total student work. This time requirement represents an approximate average for undergraduate work and the minimum expectations for graduate work. The number and kind of activities estimated to fulfill time requirements will vary by degree level and student learning style, and by student familiarity with the delivery method and course content.

Course Description

Students are provided with the opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills acquired throughout their program into a practical project designed to promote positive social change in a capstone project. During this course, students work on a capstone project in which they complete a major integrative paper on a topic related to their specialization, incorporating theoretical and practical knowledge as well as social scientific research skills acquired throughout the program. The instructor may approve other capstone projects presented by students.

Learning Objectives Stated in Terms of Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Conduct a literature review related to the issue or problem in the workplace/community/world related to the MS in Psychology specialization
• Use critical thinking skills in reviewing research articles
• Use critical thinking skills in conceptualizing and writing a literature review
• Write a literature review that is logical, organized, clear, and understandable
• Complete a critical analysis of an issue or problem in the workplace/community/world related to the MS in Psychology specialization
• Propose a resolution/solution for an issue or problem in the workplace/community/world related to the MS in Psychology specialization
• Analyze implications for social change

Required Text(s) and Other Materials

Please visit the university bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included.

Course Text: Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2018). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Note: If the print edition of this book is referenced here, electronic versions also may be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If an electronic version is listed, no print version is available.

Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each week.

Journal Articles
The articles listed below are available online through the Walden Library databases. If you have difficulty locating the articles, please contact your Instructor or the Walden Library help desk for assistance.

Week 4:

• Torraco, R. J. (2005, September). Writing integrative literature reviews: Guidelines and examples. Human Resource
  Development Review,4(3), 356-367.

Other Required Readings

• "Capstone Project: PSYC 6393" (PowerPoint)
  This file is available in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.
  "Writing a Capstone: Things You Should Know"
  This article is available in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.
• "APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct."
  Download the PDF at http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx.
• American Psychology-Law Society. "Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists."
  Download the most recent PDF at http://www.ap-ls.org/aboutpsychlaw/SpecialtyGuidelines.php.

Course Media: (Laureate-produced media and other selected media elements are streamed in the classroom via the media player):

• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2006). Research design. Baltimore: Author.

Web Sites

• American Psychological Association
  http://www.apa.org/topics/index.aspx
• American Psychology-Law Society
  http://www.ap-ls.org/research/TopicLinks.php
• Resources for Scholarly Writing
  http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/Scholarly-Writing.htm
• Walden Writing Center
  http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/

Adobe Reader: You will need Adobe Reader to access the online journal articles and the APA Code of Conduct. Click here to download the latest version of Adobe Reader.

Course Assignments

Online Discussion
The exchange of ideas between colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of graduate-level learning and is a requisite activity in this course.

Requirements: You are expected to participate at least 2 separate days a week in the weekly Discussion area. Discussion topics/questions are provided in the Discussion area under each weekly button. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students' postings. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week's readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, and/or ideas expressed in other class members' postings. Where appropriate, you should use references to support your position. Each week (except for Weeks 3, 4, 7, and 9) has at least one Discussion question. The Discussion questions require a response to one other student's posting; it should be no more than 2 paragraphs long.

If there is one Discussion question for the week, postings are due by Day 4, and responses are due by Day 6. If there are two Discussion questions for the week, postings to Discussion 1 are due by Day 3, and responses are due by Day 5; postings to Discussion 2 are due by Day 4, and responses are due by Day 7. It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting.

Discussions will be graded according to the Discussion Rubric, which can be found in Course Information on the left navigation bar.

Application Assignments
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 each have an Application Assignment. They will be evaluated according to the Application Rubric, located in Course Information on the left navigation bar.

Capstone Project (Due Week 10)
For the Capstone Project in this course, you will be asked to analyze a contemporary issue through the interpretation of multiple perspectives in the field of psychology. By applying the critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills you have learned this term, you will create an integrative presentation of the research on a particular topic/issue/construct of interest. Your Capstone Project builds on the assignments you complete and demonstrates what you have learned in the course, and throughout the MS in Psychology program. The Learning Resources in the course and the Discussions and Application Assignments all will assist you in completing the Capstone Project.

• Week 1 Application: You will create a time line for completing your Capstone Project.
• Week 2 Application: You will submit a description of the topic you have selected for your Capstone Project.
• Week 3 Application: You will submit a problem statement for the problem/issue that you have chosen for your Capstone Project.
• Week 4 Application: You will find 10–12 research resources related to your problem statement and critically analyze one of them.
• Week 5 Application: You will submit a brief synthesis of four resources you selected related to the topic that you identified for your Capstone Project.
• Week 6 Application: You will briefly describe the problem/issue and the problem statement you developed related to your Capstone Project.
• Week 7 Application: You will identify several causes and effects of the identified problem/issue.
• Week 9 Application: You will submit a critical analysis of one resolution to the problem that you have identified with its advantages and disadvantages.
• Week 10: You will incorporate all of your Application Assignments from Weeks 1–9 into an integrative paper that constitutes your Capstone Project. You then will submit the Capstone Project.

The Capstone Project will be evaluated according to the Final Project Rubric which is located under Course Information.

Information on scholarly writing may be found through the following sources:

• American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
• Walden Writing Center
  http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/
• Resources for Scholarly Writing
  http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/Scholarly-Writing.htm

Also read the section, "Policies on Academic Honesty," from the "Academic Integrity" area, located on the left navigation bar.

Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade

You need at least 80% in the final grade to achieve a grade of S for the course:

Assignment	Total Points	Percentage
Participation in weekly Discussions (7 @ 20 points)	140	26%
Application Assignments (8 @ 25 points)	200	37%
Final Capstone Project	200	37%
Total:	540	100%

Grading Scale for Final Grade
During the course, you will be graded each week based on your Discussion posts and Application Assignments. At the end of the quarter, you will receive a grade based on your Discussion posts, Application Assignments, and the Capstone Project. Grades are on an S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) scale. Please refer to the Grading Rubrics in the Course Information area on the left navigation bar for a complete breakdown and set of criteria for evaluation.

S = 80-100%
U = Below 80%

Feedback Schedule
The Instructor will log on to the course Discussion areas 3–5 days a week to evaluate and respond to class Discussions. Unless there is a specific question, your Instructor will not respond to every posting from each student. However, the expectation is that the Instructor will respond individually to at least two-thirds of the students each week. The Instructor will read every posting and expects all students to read every posting, including the Instructor's postings and classmates' postings. Frequently, the Instructor will choose to respond to a particular posting because that posting covers important issues.

The Instructor will respond to any specific course-related questions or concerns within 48 hours of receiving them in an e-mail or in a course posting. Questions related to the course and assignments should be posted in the Contact the Instructor area on the left navigation bar so that all class members may benefit from the Instructor's response.

Application Assignments will be returned by Day 5 of the following week, allowing you to incorporate feedback into the assignments for subsequent weeks.

If needed, you may e-mail the Instructor to set up a time for a telephone conference at any time during the course. You are responsible for routinely checking the Announcements for any changes to the aforementioned feedback schedule.

Course Procedures

You are expected to read the entire Syllabus and all materials listed under the Resources, Discussion, and Application buttons for each week. Additionally, some weeks have a media segment on the course DVD that you are expected to view. Complete all assignments by the specified due date. It is in your best interest to complete work for the current week and to not "jump ahead" to future weeks.

Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments

All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on the day assigned (which is 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET)). The time stamp in the classroom will reflect Eastern Time (ET), regardless of your time zone. As long as your submission time stamp is not later than 1:59 a.m. ET, you have submitted on time.

Submitting Course Postings to the Weekly Discussion Areas
Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week. Do not e-mail postings to the Instructor. For all initial Discussion postings, make sure that the first sentence of your posting reads "Main Question Post." For your responses to others' response postings, make sure that the first sentence of your response reads "Response." These actions will ensure easily identifiable subject lines for your postings and responses.

Submitting Application Assignments
Application Assignments are submitted named according to the week in which the Application is submitted. Directions for naming each Application Assignment are included in each week's Application area. Please be sure that all written Application Assignments are saved and submitted as a .doc or .rtf file.

Submitting the Capstone Project
The Capstone Project is required to be submitted in Week 10. Directions for naming and submitting this assignment are in the Week 10 Capstone Project area.

E-mailing Your Instructor

When e-mailing the Instructor, please use the following heading for your e-mail subject line: "last name+your first initial+course number" (e.g., "RideSPSYC6393") so that your Instructor will recognize and read your e-mail.

Policies on Late Assignments

Classroom Participation
In accordance with US Department of Education guidance regarding class participation, Walden University requires that all students submit their required Week 1 assignments within each course(s) during the first 7 calendar days of class. The first calendar day of class is the official start date of the course as posted on your myWalden academic page.

Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will not count toward your participation.

Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as defined above.

Students who have already taken, and successfully completed, at least one or more class(es) with Walden will be dropped ONLY from any class(es) in which they are not participating if they do not complete their assignments by the end of the 7^th day.

Students who are taking their first class with Walden, and do not complete their assignments by the end of the 7^th day, will be administratively withdrawn from the university.

If you have any questions about your assignments, or you are unable to complete your assignments, please contact your faculty member.

Weekly Course Schedule

Week 1	Introduction and Overview
Learning Resources	Text Course Text: Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2018). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 1,  "The Benefit and Manner of Asking the Right Questions" Readings "Writing a Capstone: Things You Should Know" (Word document) This reading is also available in the Resources area on the left navigation bar. "Capstone Project: PSYC 6393" (PowerPoint) This PowerPoint presentation provides details on the Capstone Project for this course. It is also available in the Resources area under Course Home. "Creating a Timeline for the Capstone Project" (Word document) This reading is available in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.
Threaded Discussion (Use the Discussion area)	Discussion:Critical Thinking Post an explanation of the importance of critical thinking and the implications of not questioning information, both in general and as they relate to the Capstone Project. Post your answers to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague's posting by Day 6 of this week. See the weekly Discussion area for details.
Application Assignment	Application: Timeline Submit a time line for the accomplishment of your Capstone Project. See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7.

Week 2	Problem/Issue I
Learning Resources	Text Course Text:  Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2018). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 2, "What Are the Issue and the Conclusion? Web Sites The sites below can aide you in finding a research topic: American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/topics/index.aspx American Psychology-Law Society http://www.ap-ls.org/research/TopicLinks.php
Threaded Discussion (Use the Discussion area)	Discussion: Refining the Problem Statement Post a description of the topic you chose for your Capstone Project and the problem you identified. Briefly explain why you selected the topic. Post your answers to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague's posting by Day 6 of this week. See the weekly Discussion area for details. Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.
Application Assignment	Application (1–2 pages): Problem/Issue Selection Submit a description of the topic you have selected for your Capstone Project. Include a description of the problem/issue related to your topic and justify your selection. See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7. Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

Week 3	Problem/Issue II
Learning Resources	Reading Problem Statement Description and Examples (Word document) This document may be found in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.
Threaded Discussion	There is no Discussion this week.
Application Assignment	Application (1–2 pages): Problem Statement Write a problem statement for the problem/issue you have selected for your Capstone Project. See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7.

Week 4	Literature Review I
Learning Resources	Text Course Text: Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2018). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 5, "What Are the Value and Descriptive Assumptions?" Article Torraco, R. J. (2005). Writing integrative literature reviews: Guidelines and examples. Human Resource Development Review,4(3), 356–367. Use the ProQuest Central database, and search using the article's Document ID: 887946431. Web Sites Critically Analyzing Information Sources http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill26.htm Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webeval.html Evaluation Criteria: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html Writing a Psychology Literature Review (PDF) https://depts.washington.edu/psych/files/writing_center/litrev.pdf Peer Reviewed Journals http://www.lib.utexas.edu/lsl/help/modules/peer.html Media Video: Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2006). Research design: Literature reviews. Baltimore: Author.
Threaded Discussion	There is no Discussion this week.
Application Assignment	The Assignment (2–3 pages): Critical Resource Review Submit a brief synopsis of one of the resources you selected; critically analyze that resource. Also cite 10–12 resources for you literature review. Four of these resources must be peer-reviewed journal articles. See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7.

Week 5	Literature Review II
Learning Resources	Text Course Text:  Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2018). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 6, "Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?" Web Sites What Is Plagiarism? http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/293.htm Introductions and Conclusions http://www.csuohio.edu/writing-center/introductions-and-conclusions Ending the Essay: Conclusions http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Conclusions.html Resources for Scholarly Writing http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/Scholarly-Writing.htm
Threaded Discussion (Use the Discussion area)	Discussion: Integration/Synthesis Challenges Post an analysis of the challenges you encountered as you synthesized and integrated the resources for your literature review. Post your answers to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague's posting by Day 6 of this week. See the weekly Discussion area for details. Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.
Application Assignment	Application (2–4 pages): Resource Synthesis and Integration Submit a paper citing four resources you have chosen to synthesize and integrate into a narrative. (You may copy and paste the citations from the list of resources you submitted last week.) Synthesize and integrate the four resources into a coherent narrative that: Begins with an introduction Includes an integrated synthesis of the resources Relates the narrative to your problem statement See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7. Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

Week 6	Critical Analysis I
Learning Resources	Text Course Text:  Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2018). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 7, “The Worth of Personal Experience, Case Examples, Testimonials, and Statements of Authority as Evidence” Chapter 8, “How Good Is the Evidence: Personal Observation, Research Studies?
Threaded Discussion (Use the Discussion area)	Discussion: Problem/Issue Cause and Effect Post an analysis of one cause/effect of the problem/issue you selected. Include in your analysis what happened and who was affected, negatively and/or positively. Post your answers to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague's posting by Day 6 of this week. See the weekly Discussion area for details. Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.
Application Assignment	Application (2–3 pages): Critical Analysis I Briefly describe the problem/issue and the problem statement you developed. Identify the major contributors to the problem (who, what) and briefly explain how they contribute to/cause the problem. Explain at least two causes of the problem. Explain at least two effects of the problem. See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7. Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

Week 7	Critical Analysis II
Learning Resources	Text Course Text:   Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2018). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 9, "Are There Rival Causes?"
Threaded Discussion	There is no Discussion this week.
Application Assignment	Application (2-3 pages): Critical Analysis II Identify the four causes and effects you have selected to incorporate into an integrated critical analysis narrative. Write an integrated critical analysis narrative that incorporates the four causes and effects you identified. Explain your reaction to the results of your critical analysis. Could these causes have been prevented? Which one do you think was most important in leading to the problem? See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7.

Week 8	Problem Resolution I
Learning Resources	There are no Learning Resources this week.
Threaded Discussion (Use the Discussion area)	Discussion: Potential Resolutions Post two potential resolutions to the identified problem/issue and explain their advantages and disadvantages. Provide specific examples. Post your answers to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague's posting by Day 6 of this week. See the weekly Discussion area for details.
Application Assignment	There is no Application Assignment this week.

Week 9	Problem Resolution II
Learning Resources	There are no Learning Resources for this week.
Threaded Discussion	There is no Discussion this week.
Application Assignment	Application (1–2 pages): Proposed Research Submit a description of the selected resolution with its advantages and disadvantages. Also explain challenges and barriers to its implementation. See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 7.

Week 10	Capstone
Learning Resources	There are no Learning Resources for this week.
Threaded Discussion (Use the Discussion area)	Discussion: The Capstone Post a brief synopsis of your Capstone Project and a brief summary of your reflections on the Capstone Project experience. Post your answers to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague's posting by Day 6 of this week. See the weekly Discussion area for details.
Application Assignment	There is no Application Assignment this week.
Capstone Project	Submit the Capstone Project. See the Capstone Project area for submission details. Submit your Capstone Project by Day 7.

Week 11	End of the Journey
Learning Resources	There are no Learning Resources this week.
Threaded Discussion (Use the Discussion area)	Discussion: Personal and Professional Growth and Social Change Post an evaluation of the impact of your MS in Psychology program as it relates to your personal and professional growth. Be sure to indicate how this program helped your development as a social change agent. Finally, share how you will acknowledge and reward one person who has been a support to you, either during this course, in the Capstone process, and/or in the entire program. Post your answers to this Discussion by Day 4 of this week. Respond to at least one colleague's posting by Day 6 of this week. See the weekly Discussion area for details.
Application Assignment	There is no Application Assignment this week.
Course Evaluation	Complete the Course Evaluation by Day 7.