Odessa College - Child Psychology

Child Psych at Odessa College has been a traditional classroom course for several years (I have taught it since 1992). This Internet course was begun in the Fall of 2000 and has been an exciting experience.

The Odessa College Webmaster has written a Frequently Asked Questions information page for Odessa College Internet courses. You can find answers to your questions about the technical requirements for taking an Internet course on that page. If you have other questions regarding the web pages for this course, you may contact the webmaster. Specific questions about this Internet course need to be directed to Carla Wells.

To the left you will see a link for Online Psychology Resources. This web site has extremely helpful information about the Internet in addition to some excellent Psychology resources. It includes an 11-page Internet Primer, Glossary, Computer Hardware Guides, Search Engines, Web Sites Related to Psychology, etc. Check this link out right away.

As you read the Syllabus and the Lab Pack, you will see that you are required to do ten (10) hours of observation of a child at the Odessa College Children's Center (located in the north end of Sedate Hall, a building east of the Odessa College Sports Center), or another approved preschool if you live too far out of this area.

It is very important that you attend one of the Child Psych Internet course orientations if at all possible. These will include a tour of the Odessa College Children’s Center. See the current schedule of classes for orientation dates and times. If you cannot attend one of these sessions, please notify me ASAP and we can make Plan B.

There are two orientation classes/lab tours scheduled. Please plan to attend one of these. Attendance is required. It will help both you and me get the semester off to a smoother start. These include a tour of the Odessa College Children's Center, which you need to take even if you receive approval to do your lab someplace else.

We will use the full two hours, so plan to be here a few minutes early and stay until the conclusion of the tour.

Even if you absolutely can’t come to an orientation, it is very important that you attend one of the Odessa College Children's Center lab tours unless you live out of the region. You will find out how to choose a subject to observe, where to go, procedures to follow, etc. Please make plans to join one of the tours that are scheduled for the various classes that I teach. Please approach me and identify yourself as one of the Internet course students when you come for a tour.

Before you come for a tour, it is mandatory that you read the Lab Pack: Child Observation/Case Study. This explains what you will be looking for when you observe and will help you understand what you are seeing on the tour.

Tests will be primarily over the text, CHILDREN (8^th ed.) by Santrock. Study guides are found under Text Study Guide & Test Prep.

You will also need to plan to come to the Odessa College Testing Center for the four tests that will be scheduled during the semester. Test dates are as follows:

Test 1	M,T,W,Th,F Feb 13-17	Chapters 1 - 4
Test 2	M,T,W,Th,F Mar 6-10	Chapters 5 - 9
Test 3	M,T,W,Th,F April 3-7	Chapters 10 - 13
Test 4 (Final)	M,T,W,Th,F May 1-5	Chapters 14 - 17

Note that your finals week is the week BEFORE regular on-campus class finals.

The Testing Center is located on the second floor of the Student Union Building (SUB) and can be reached from double glass doors located on the west side of the building, or from the second floor where the Registrar, Counseling and Financial Aid areas are located. Bring a photo ID (Odessa College ID or driver's license), a green Scantron sheet (for sale at the Testing Center for 15 cents), and two #2 pencils. You cannot take notes, books, papers, purses, backpacks, cell phones, or anything else into the testing area. Leave those things at home or in your car because they do not have a secure place for you to use there.

The TESTING CENTER PHONE NUMBER is 432-335-6620. Call if you have questions about their hours or policies.

Monday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

YOU MUST BE THERE READY TO TAKE YOUR TEST MORE THAN ONE HOUR BEFORE THEY CLOSE. I recommend you allow yourself at least an hour and a half to make sure you have time to do your best work.

If you positively cannot take the test on the scheduled days because of an emergency, you must contact me as soon as you know there is a problem and I will arrange for you to take the test as quickly as possible. Since you have 5 days to test, you are expected to test during that time. You will not be allowed to take the test on a different day unless the Testing Center staff have paperwork from me, so be sure to communicate with me. Plan to take the test early in the week so that if you have life complications, you'll still have time to take it later and you won't run out of time.

If you live too far away to take your tests at Odessa College, it is important that you locate someone in one of your local public schools who is willing to administer my tests to you in their school building. (Most students spend 30 to 60 minutes on these multiple choice tests.) This can be a vice principal, counselor, or librarian, who agrees to do you this favor. As soon as possible you need to e-mail me this person's name, title, name of the school, mailing address, and telephone number including area code. I will then contact the official designated person by phone, then mail your test to him or her. You will provide the monitor with money for postage ( ABOUT $5-$6 for the semester) and a large envelope (approximately 9" x 12") addressed as follows:

Carla Wells
Psychology Department
Odessa College
201 West University
Odessa, Texas 79764

I will mail all four tests to your test monitors at the beginning of the semester. You will set up an appointment with the monitor and take the test in time for them to mail it to me no later than the Friday at the end of test week so that I will receive it no later than the following Monday (preferably earlier). The test monitor will mail your Scantron sheet to me after each test. They will mail all four test booklets and your 4th scantron sheet to me after you take your final exam. The same restrictions apply as to students using the Odessa College Testing Center.

All lab hours must be completed, totaled, and the lab sheet signed by 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 7. You will keep your lab notes and turn them in with your case study.

CASE STUDY and all handwritten lab notes are DUE Tuesday, April 11, no later than 9:00 p.m., in my office. If you mail them to me, I must receive them in the OC post office no later than April 11, so plan to mail it by April 7.