3.7 Course Overviews: "P"
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PHILOSOPHY (PHIL)
Basic Critical Thinking
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course is a preparatory course in critical thinking which stresses reading and writing skills. It teaches an active, critical approach to a student’s own written work.
The course is presented in two parts: Part A focuses on comprehension tools and skills, and Part B focuses on the development of critical capacities in application to both reading and writing.
Critical Thinking
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
Critical Thinking is designed to improve a student’s ability
to analyse and evaluate the kinds of arguments and assertions commonly met with in everyday life. It also helps students improve their own arguments and presentations by showing them how to draw sound conclusions from available evidence, and how to construct well-reasoned cases to support these conclusions. Although the course focuses on the informal logic of everyday language, it includes some training in elementary formal logic. A student is taught how to apply fundamental rules and standards of logical reasoning to the sorts of arguments encountered in newspapers, magazines and other media, and university-level textbooks in most fields.
Critical Thinking is intended as a foundation course for students embarking on a program of study at the bachelor’s level whether in Humanities, Social Science, the physical Sciences, or Administration. It will also benefit students resuming university studies after a lengthy period
in the home or workforce.
From Socrates to Sartre
6 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Audio Component
This course provides an introduction to philosophy through a study of some of the world’s most influential thinkers: Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Hume, Hegel, Marx, and Sartre. These thinkers address the kinds of questions about the universe and our place in it that people have asked for the last 2,000 years and more: What exists? What can we know? What is the best way to lead our lives? What is the best kind of state to live in? Can we hope for immortality?
The course emphasizes developing both an acquaintance with the main outlines of the history of Western philosophy, and the ability to think critically and independently about philosophical ideas. Practice in the activity of philosophizing helps a student make better decisions about which opinions are worth holding. PHIL 261 is suitable for students with no previous knowledge of the subject.
Precluded course: PHIL 261 cannot be taken for credit if credit has been obtained for PHIL 251.
Special instructional features: a series of recorded lectures.
Professional Ethics
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
The main objective of PHIL 333 is to acquaint students with the special moral questions and issues that arise for practitioners of professions. Students will develop their ability to recognize moral aspects of professional practice,
to analyse concepts and issues in professional ethics, and to develop and defend their own positions on a variety of issues.
The course is organized around issues common to many professions, such as privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, and professional-client relations. A number of professions are examined including medicine, nursing, teaching, journalism, and counselling. The course will be
of interest both to students in professional programs and to anyone who is interested in the role of professionals in society.
Ethics, Science, Technology, and the Environment
3 - Humanities
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
This course provides an introduction to the special ethical problems and issues associated with science, scientific research, applied science, and technology. For example, should research be conducted on animals, and if so, under what conditions? What special moral qualities should scientists and technical people bring to their work? What effects do practices in science and technology have on the environment, and what are the responsibilities of scientists and technical people in this area? Students will develop their ability to recognize moral aspects of scientific and technical practices, to analyse ethical concepts and issues in science and technology, and to develop and defend their own positions on a variety of issues.
Why should students study ethical issues in science and technology? One reason is that several recent scientific developments such as cloning and genetic engineering of plants and animals have raised pressing ethical issues. Many universities and research funding agencies have determined that science and technology majors should increase their awareness of the ethical issues they are likely to face in their careers and have made courses such as this one mandatory. As well, many members of the public wish to increase their understanding of current debates about ethical issues in biotechnology and other areas of science that will affect their lives and well-being.
PHYSICS (PHYS)
Introductory Physics I
3 - Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Home Lab
or
Independent Lab
This is a junior, non-calculus course that provides a general overview of mechanics as an introduction to the quantitative study of physics. The course is divided into seven units and covers kinematics of linear motion, motion in two dimensions, Newton’s Laws of Motion, rotational motion, gravitation, the work-energy theorem and law of conservation of energy, and conservation of linear and angular momenta.
Special instructional features: This course has a compulsory laboratory component that is conducted primarily using materials available on loan from Athabasca University. The student will be required to submit laboratory reports for evaluation and may need to purchase small household items for use in the experiments. Students require access to a computer with printer (available at Athabasca University and its learning centres) to complete the labs.
Note: The laboratory portion of this science course may be taken independently for reduced credit. A paced lab component may also be available subject to a minimum number of enrolments. Consult the course coordinator for more information. See page 17 for lab descriptions.
Precluded course: PHYS 200 and PHYS 201 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PHYS 274.
Introductory Physics II
3 - Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Home Lab
or
Independent Lab
This is a junior, non-calculus course that examines topics in mechanics, thermodynamics, and electrical theory. The course is divided into six units and covers equilibrium, harmonic motion, heat and temperature, kinetic theory of heat, thermodynamics, electrostatics, and circuit theory.
Prerequisite: PHYS 200 or equivalent.
Special instructional features: This course has a compulsory laboratory component that is conducted primarily using material available on loan from Athabasca University. The student will be required to submit laboratory reports for evaluation and may need to purchase small household items for use in the experiments. Students require access to a computer with printer (available at Athabasca University and its learning centres) to complete the labs.
Note: The laboratory portion of this science course may be taken independently for reduced credit. A paced lab component may also be available subject to a minimum number of enrolments. Consult the course coordinator for more information. See page 17 for lab descriptions.
Precluded course: PHYS 200 and PHYS 201 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PHYS 274.
Introductory Physics III
3 - Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This is a three-credit noncalculus second physics course at the first year university level. Topics include magnetic fields, electromagnetic waves, geometric and physical optics, and atomic physics including introductory quantum concepts. The course is divided into six units. It is designed so that six credits of first-year physics may be obtained by combining PHYS 200 and PHYS 202, however, some familiarity with harmonic motion and electricity (covered in PHYS 201 and included in the textbook of PHYS 202) would be helpful to students in
this course.
Prerequisite: PHYS 200 or equivalent.
Special instructional features: This course has a compulsory laboratory component that is conducted primarily using material available on loan from Athabasca University. The student will be required to submit laboratory reports for evaluation and may need to purchase small household items for use in the experiments. Students require access to a computer with printer (available at Athabasca University and its learning centres) to complete the labs.
Note: The laboratory portion of this science course may be taken independently for reduced credit. Consult the course coordinator for more information. See page 17 for lab descriptions.
Introductory Physics
6 - Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
+
Home Lab
This is a junior, non-calculus course that provides a general overview of physics as a description and explanation of the physical world. The course is divided into thirteen units and covers kinematics of linear motion, motion in two dimensions, Newton’s Laws of Motion, rotational motion, gravitation, work-energy theorem and law of conservation of energy, conservation of linear and angular momenta, study of equilibrium, simple harmonic motion, heat and temperature, kinetic theory of heat, thermodynamics, electrostatics, and circuit theory.
Note: Permission of the professor is required before registering.
Special instructional features: This course has a compulsory laboratory component that is conducted primarily using material available on loan from Athabasca University. The student will be required to submit laboratory reports for evaluation and may need to purchase small household items for use in the experiments. Access to a computer with printer (available at Athabasca University and its learning centres) will facilitate completion of labs. The contents of PHYS 274 is duplicated in PHYS 200 and PHYS 201, two, 3-credit courses.
Precluded course: PHYS 274 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PHYS 200 and PHYS 201.
Note: The laboratory portion of this science course may be taken independently for reduced credit. Consult the course coordinator for more information. See page 17 for lab descriptions.
POLITICAL ECONOMY (POEC)
Globalization and World Politics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This is a three-credit, introductory-level course that is designed to introduce students to the theoretical and practical issues associated with world politics and the impact of “globalization.” It is key for any university student wanting an introductory course aimed at making sense of globalization and its implications for local, national and international relations. It should be of particular interest to students of politics, economics and cultural studies.
Globalization is sometimes characterized as ‘the concept’ at the end of the twentieth century and for the third millennium. Alternately, it is seen as “nothing new,” the “buzzword” of the late twenty-first century and as “globaloney.” Most analyses suggest globalization entail complex processes of political, economic, and cultural changes. Moreover, it is occurring in a historical moment in which communication technologies are “shrinking” the globe and bringing heterogeneous peoples and geopolitical spaces closer together.
This course systematically explores the phenomena known as globalization and some of the ways it is transforming political, economic and cultural relations on a worldwide or global scale. Important issues examined in the course include global structures, processes and issues; environmentalism and sustainable development; transnational actors, companies and migrations; nationalism and identity; culture and religion; and human rights.
Introduction to Political Economy
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
What is the relationship between politics and economics? How has the relationship changed over time? What is the ideal relationship between politics and economics, states and markets, democracy and capitalism?
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and questions of political economy by reading the works of major political and economic thinkers. It surveys the market system from its foundation in the thought of Aristotle to its nineteenth century and twentieth century exponents and critics, including Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes.
This course encourages students to cultivate a greater appreciation of the relationship between politics and economics, and how the integration of the two has produced the distinctive tradition of political economy. It explains the interdependency of political and ideological issues of power and the allocation of resources with economic problems such as unemployment, poverty, and inflation. This course should appeal to all students who want one basic course on the fundamental questions concerning the relationship between politics and economics.
Canada and the Global Political Economy
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Globalization poses serious challenges to the modern state form. This course examines the Canadian state in the global political economy. It examines the push by states to compete in the new global economy by increasing their share of exports worldwide. Today, one of the most common “buzzwords” in the contemporary Canadian political lexicon is “global competitiveness.” What does is mean for Canada to become more competitive? Are there different ways to compete? What should be the role of the Canadian government in the quest for global competitiveness? Is free trade the answer?
POEC 393 written by leading Canadian political economist Professor Daniel Drache, gives students the analytical tools to make sense of these questions. It will examine the rise of globalization and the new institutional arrangements it has initiated both in North America and worldwide. In the process it will examine a number of debates about the best ways to “compete” in the global political economy. Students will be asked to analyse these broad issues and formulate policy-related initiatives for Canadian cases.
Global Development Strategies
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course will allow students to study in-depth strategies of development in the “Third World” or South since 1945. First, the course introduces students to traditional Western theories of development and various indigenous critiques. Second, it examines the main regions constitutive of the South, including Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and the Middle East; Southeast Asia, and North and South Korea.
POEC 395 offers two additional opportunities to students of global development. The first is a unit on India and China, two countries that undoubtedly will be global leaders in the twenty-first century. The second opportunity allows students to examine strategies of development in a state (Soviet) Russia whose fortunes have declined since the late-1980s, as well as strategies of development in its former “satellite states.” Thus, the penultimate unit on global development strategies includes an examination of “emergent democracies” in Eastern Europe, post-Soviet Russia and Central Asia. Finally, the course wraps up with a critical retrospective on development in an era of globalization.
Prerequisites: POEC 302, POLI 341, ECON 376, GLST 307, GLST 308, GLST 377 or permission of the course instructor.
International Political Economy: Power, Production, and Global Order
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
In this newly emergent global era, political and economic power relations at the international, national, and local levels are all undergoing change. This course explores global power relations and economic change by examining the dynamic interaction of states, social classes, and the international political economy.
This course engages some of the pressing political and economic issues of late modernity. These issues include: the global debt and growing disparities between North and South; the changing roles of women in the new international division of labour and transnational production processes; debates about the decline of the U.S. and rise in power of Germany and Japan, as well as regional economic blocs; the role of “newly emergent countries” particularly in S.E. Asia and Latin America; and Canada’s place in the rapidly changing world.
Directed Study in Political Economy
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course allows students to pursue a topic of special interest in more detail than permitted within the standard Political Economy curriculum. The course is primarily intended for students who are in the latter stages of
a four-year program. In exceptional circumstances, other students may also be permitted to take this course with permission of the professor.
Students registering in this course are required to conduct an independent empirical or conceptual research project. At the outset, students will select a topic and write a set of project objectives in consultation with their tutor. Students will then engage in activities to attain the objectives. Finally, students will submit the results of their work with a statement detailing how they accomplished the objectives. Students taking this course are expected to demonstrate the ability to work independently and should not expect significant help from their tutor except for approval and evaluation of the accomplishment of the objectives.
POLITICAL SCIENCE (POLI)
World Politics Online
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Paced Study
+
Internet Component
This course examines major trends and issues in world politics such as international tensions, migration, ethnic conflicts, human rights, gender issues, and sustainable development. The course is offered by means of the Internet in collaboration with the Political Science Department at The University of Calgary. Students will be assisted in participating in electronic tutorials and simulations and will learn how to conduct research by means of an extensive ‘‘virtual library’’ created especially for this course.
Since a key objective of the course is to have students develop skills for this new form of course delivery, students should have access to a computer and the World Wide Web. Contact the Information Centre for the current status of the course.
Introduction to Political Science I: Concepts, Structures, and Institutions
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
This course provides an introduction to basic concepts, structures, and institutions in Canada, the United States, and Great Britain. It introduces topics such as power, legitimacy, and authority; sovereignty, states, and nations; liberal democracy - feminist, radical, and Aboriginal approaches to the study of political systems; representation and legislatures; leaders and executive bodies; and public administration and the judiciary.
Introduction to Political Science II: Political Processes and Political Behaviour
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
POLI 278 continues the introduction to the basic questions and concerns of political science. This course proceeds to an analysis of political processes and political behaviour in the political systems of Canada, the United States and Great Britain. There is growing public dissatisfaction with the performance of democracy in all three countries. The course explores how citizens learn to participate in the political process. Topics covered include political parties, elections and electoral systems, interest groups, and social movements such as the environmental, feminist, and civil rights movements.
Precluded course: POLI 278 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for POLI 214.
Political Ideologies
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course is a broad survey of the major political ideologies of modern times situated within the context of their historical development. The course first examines the nineteenth- century ideologies of capitalism, liberalism, and democracy followed by anti-liberal and anti-capitalist ideologies - conservatism, anarchism, utopian and scientific marxism,
and nationalism. The age of mass twentieth-century ideologies of contemporary liberal democracy, social democracy, Marxist-Leninism, fascism, and national socialism are then examined along with major ideologies and discourses from
the Third World. Finally, the course considers contemporary ideological currents, the search for community, postmaterialism, postmodernism, and the new social movements - feminism and environmentalism.
Canadian Government and Politics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Video Component
Canadian Government and Politics introduces students to the structures and processes of the Canadian political system, especially how the Canadian government makes political decisions. The course is divided into
four sections:
- The impact of the United States upon Canadian politics and the effects of regional, ethnic, class, and gender differences on the Canadian political system.
- Constitutional renewal and sovereignty for Quebec.
- Electoral politics - Canadian elections and political parties, including the rise of third parties such as Reform, are discussed.
- Government - examines the role and structures of parliament, cabinet, and the bureaucracy.
Precluded course: POLI 309 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for POLI 260.
Delivery mode: A telecourse version of this course is broadcast on ACCESS, The Education Station throughout Alberta.
Aboriginal Politics and Governments
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
This course outlines Aboriginal governing traditions, the evolution of Aboriginal politics and changes in Aboriginal governance systems as well as current trends and issues associated with Aboriginal governments. Particular attention is paid to the Indian Act, treaty making, and land claims agreements. Examined as well are issues related to Aboriginal governments and intergovernmental relations such as Aboriginal governments in urban settings, Aboriginal governments and Aboriginal women, Aboriginal governments and justice, the problems of financing Aboriginal self-governments, and the relations of Aboriginal governments with federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
Canadian Environmental Policy and Politics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
The course emphasizes the impact of value choices upon Canadian environmental policy and politics, e.g., the trade-off in values between clear air and water and economic development. The course considers in some detail how the environmental policy process works in Canada and students should gain familiarity with Canadian environmental organizations and governmental structures, the interpretation of environmental legislation by the courts, and the historic development of, and changes associated with, the environmental movement in Canada and North America as a whole. The course has six sections:
- Environmental values: An introduction to environmental values, ecological values, and sustainability values
- Environmental institutions: Green Parties and the environment, environmental administration and bureaucracy in Canada, environmental law and the courts
- Environmental policy tools: Environmental regulation and environmental mediation, market-based environmental tools, environmental assessment
- Case studies in environmental policy: Pulp mills in Alberta and cod fish in Newfoundland; recycling and municipal solid waste decision making in Ontario
- Policy linkages: Urban form and environmental protection; environment, economy, and employment
- Perspectives on environmental politics: Radical environmentalism and deep ecology; environmentalism, left, right, and centrist.
International and Global Politics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union transformed international politics and intensified the debate about “global politics.” This course is about transformations in international and global politics. It examines the changing role of states in the new international context, particularly the relationship of states to multinational corporations, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The course also examines the increasing significance of other forces at play in the global context such as gender, class, “race,” and ethnicity.
This course engages these diverse actors on the world stage by exploring military and strategic politics, as well as international trade and the debt crisis. Fundamentally, this course challenges students to recognize how global politics are a part of their everyday lives and the ways in which their actions are embedded in global processes.
Comparative Politics I: In the Industrial and Postindustrial Countries
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
The course has two primary objectives: 1) to introduce students to the importance and basic methods of comparison in politics; and 2) to impart a substantial amount of information about the actual institutions, political culture and ideology, political processes, and political participants in the industrial / postindustrial countries including Russia, Germany, Japan, England, and the United States. The course also focuses on the forces transforming modern states, the changing global political economy, the growing importance of international institutions and multinational corporations, and the growing interdependence of states. The course concludes with an examination of the struggle for Aboriginal peoples in developed states to achieve self-determination.
Comparative Politics: In Developing/Industrializing Countries
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Comparative Politics is one of the major fields in the study of politics. Its engagement of world politics is distinguished both by its content, which pays close attention to regions and to specific country studies, as well as by its comparative methodology. POLI 341 is designed to introduce students of world politics to countries characterized variously as developing, industrializing, Third World and the South. The course covers four regions: Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. It conducts detailed examinations of five countries: China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, and Egypt. It concludes with an examination of the struggle for self-determination by the world’s indigenous peoples.
This course equips students with knowledge and skills important for understanding the globalizing world. Particular attention is paid to the legacy of imperialism and colonialism for developing countries and internal colonialism for indigenous peoples. Important global issues examined include: the dominance of a few rich countries (e.g., the G-7); the growing gap between rich and poor countries and within countries; the debt crisis and its impact on political, economic and social development; the relevance of ethnicity to world politics and, increasingly, the rise of ethnic and religious conflict.
Note: POLI 340 and POLI 341 are independent courses and can be taken in any order.
Women in Canadian Politics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course examines women’s participation in Canadian political life. The course is organized in two sections. Section I explores women’s roles in ‘‘official politics,’’ as aspiring and practising decision makers in elected and appointed office. Section II focuses on the political work that women do outside of what is traditionally considered to be the political arena - the grassroots and community-based realm of ‘‘unofficial politics.’’
Prerequisite: none. Students with an introductory course in women’s studies or in Canadian government and politics may find the material easier to master.
Introduction to Canadian Political Economy
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course examines the reciprocal relationship between politics and economics, wealth and power in Canada. Topics covered include Canada’s industrial development, and the impact of globalization and free trade on Canada. Special emphasis is put on regional disparities, Alberta’s role in Canada’s political economy, the controversy of forest development, the Klein Revolution, the 1990’s battle over deficits, cutbacks and their impact, women and the welfare state, and the impact of economic development upon Canada’s Native peoples.
Prerequisite: none. Students who have taken a course in Canadian history, political science, economics, or sociology may find the material easier to master.
Precluded course: POLI 383 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for LBST 383.
Canadian Federalism
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
POLI 390 examines the origins and historical development of Canadian federalism in the light of repeated demands for constitutional renewal. The course will cover the following topics: Canadian federalism and its origins, demands by provincial governments for increased powers and sovereignty for Quebec, and prospects for a renewal of Confederation.
Prerequisite: none. An introductory political science course or one other course in Canadian government and politics is recommended.
PSYCHOLOGY (PSYC)
An Introduction to Child Development
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
This course studies the basic concepts and mechanisms inherent in the process of human development from conception to adolescence. The course examines the biological, intellectual, social, emotional, and moral aspects of development through a stage - development framework. The major emphasis of the course is on normal growth and development. Basic issues are approached through the psychoanalytic, cognitive, social, behavioural, and humanistic theoretical models. Students considering an introductory psychology course for general transfer should take PSYC 289 and PSYC 290. Online components are optional.
Precluded courses: PSYC 228 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 257 and PSYC 323.
Note: A telecourse on child development is broadcast on ACCESS, The Education Station in Alberta.
Psychology as a Natural Science
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
PSYC 289 introduces the broad areas of biological bases of behaviour, sensation and perception, learning, and memory. Specific topics covered include the brain, sleep, drugs, variations in consciousness, touch, taste, smell, hearing, seeing, attention, visual perception, emotion, Pavlovian conditioning, operant conditioning, memory, and hypnosis. Online components are optional.
Precluded course: PSYC 289 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 206.
General Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
General Psychology provides an introduction to behavioural areas of study such as maturation and development, personality, and social relationships. Specific topics covered include intelligence and psychological testing, motivation and emotion, human development, personality, stress and health, psychological disorders, psychotherapy, and social behaviour. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. Students are urged to take PSYC 289 to prepare for this course.
Precluded course: PSYC 290 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 206.
Developmental Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Video Component
or
Internet Component
The course examines the biological,cognitive, and social aspects of psychological development, with special emphasis on infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. Students taking the classroom version at GPRC should previously have taken PY 1040 and PY 1050.
Precluded course: PSYC 323 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 228.
Delivery modes: A telecourse version is offered in collaboration with ACCESS, The Education Station in Alberta and the Western Universities Telecourse Consortium. Videotapes of the television programs are also available through Athabasca University Library.
Introduction to Applied Social Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
This course examines the psychological basis of social problems and the application of this knowledge in solving problems in the real world. The course has three parts. Part 1 introduces the scope and meaning of applied social psychology including contributions by Kurt Lewin. The differences between social psychology and applied social psychology are clarified. Part 2 examines the areas of family violence, teenage problems, alcoholism, and job stress and burnout. For each area the course looks at the current state of affairs, what we know about cause, psychological interventions being used, and the overall contribution of psychology to society in these areas. Part 3 provides an opportunity to use the knowledge from the first two parts of the course to develop a proposal for effecting social change in an area of relevance to the learner. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. It is strongly recommended that students have credit in one of the following courses: PSYC 228, PSYC 289, or PSYC 290.
Psychology of Aesthetics
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
PSYC 342 introduces the theory, research, and methodology of the psychology of the visual arts, music, and literature. Throughout the course, four major questions are considered from a psychological perspective: What motivates the artist to create? What motivates us to contemplate art? What behavioural processes are involved in artistic creation? What skills are necessary to understand a work of art?
Initially, psychological theory and research that apply to all the arts are considered, followed by a more detailed consideration of topics and problems specific to each area. Students study each field to some degree, then select one and focus on the development of artistic creation and appreciation in children. Students also complete a project in which they apply principles learned in the course to the analysis of the life of an artist, musician, composer, or writer. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. A 200-level psychology course is recommended.
Issues and Strategies in Counselling Women
6 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Audio Component
This course provides students with an opportunity to examine their own attitudes and beliefs about women and the problems women experience, to compare traditional approaches with alternative approaches to counselling women, to gain information about the nature of psychological distress commonly experienced by women, to develop an awareness
of the social and cultural bases of problems commonly experienced by women, to examine some specific problems that women bring to counselling, and to learn about some strategies for helping women deal with distress and problems. This course alone will not qualify students as counsellors.
The course examines issues and strategies in counselling women on a theoretical level. It is suitable for people who intend to take further education in counselling or for students who are already engaged in counselling but feel they require further understanding of the topics dealt with in the course. This course is enhanced by the use of a computer. Students can complete quizzes and send in their assignments online. Not all course components, however, may be completed online.
Prerequisite: none. It is strongly recommended that students have credit for an introductory psychology or counselling course.
Special instructional features: Students should have access to an audiocassette player.
Adolescent Development
3 - Social Sciences
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Internet Component
Adolescent Development examines the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of adolescents in the contexts of family, peers, school, work, and culture. Major theories, methods of studying development, and contemporary adolescent issues and concerns (e.g., sexuality and suicide) are discussed. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. A 200-level psychology course is recommended.
Cognitive Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
Cognitive Psychology introduces students to research and theory in human cognition. Topics covered include a historical review of developments that led to the emergence of cognitive psychology, the sensory registers, selective attention, working memory, memory improvement techniques, long-term memory, imagery, psycholinguistics, language comprehension, problem solving, reasoning, conceptual thinking, and categorization. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289 or PSYC 290.
Precluded course: PSYC 355 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 455.
Introduction to Personality Theories and Issues
3 - Social Sciences
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
This course surveys the field of personality from a scientific perspective. It examines four general approaches to understanding personality, namely, the psychoanalytic, the dispositional, the environmental, and the representational. The course looks at each approach, its strengths and its limitations. This is a senior-level psychology course, and it is expected that learners will have library research skills and essay-writing competence at this level. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. PSYC 289 and PSYC 290 are strongly recommended.
Social Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
Social Psychology helps students develop insights into a science-oriented study of social relations. While the course provides a solid survey of the whole field, it also highlights centres of current action, such as social cognition and the application of social psychology, and relates them to fields such as law and health. Some of the issues addressed in the course include the following:
- Does exposure to pornography, especially pornography containing scenes of violence, cause individuals to adopt callous attitudes toward members of the opposite sex?
- What makes people fall in and out of love?
- Why is it easier to remember facts and information about some people more than others?
- Does being in a good mood increase our willingness to help others?
Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. A 200-level psychology course is recommended.
The Psychology of Adult Development
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
This course explores psychological developments, changes, and adjustments during adulthood and aging. A lifespan developmental perspective is used to integrate theory and research. The course examines a broad range of life changes and events following adolescence. Topics covered include life events and transitions, biological processes, social processes, young adulthood, middle age, old age, death and dying, and research methods. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. A 200-level psychology course is recommended.
Precluded course: PSYC 381 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 363.
Learning
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
Learning introduces students to the principles of learning and how those principles can be used to modify human behaviour. The course emphasizes the application of
learning theories and principles to solve behavioural problems as they exist in oneself, one’s family, schools, the workplace, and in larger social, economic, and political groups. Topics include reinforcement, extinction, punishment, schedules
of reinforcement, stimulus discrimination, prompting and fading, stimulus-response chaining, generalization, modelling, rule-governed behaviour, problem solving, cognitive therapy, feedback, Pavlovian conditioning, concept learning, general-case instruction, and stimulus equivalence. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. An introductory psychology course is recommended.
An Introduction to Learning Disabilities
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
This course introduces the field of learning disabilities and focuses mainly on understanding phenomena of learning disabilities from several viewpoints and theoretical perspectives. While dealing with the recognition and remediation of learning disabilities, the course emphasizes understanding the basic issues and is not intended to be ‘‘hands-on.’’ Topics range from legislation pertaining to learning disabilities to providing services to individuals with learning disabilities. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. An introductory psychology or a junior social science course is recommended.
Special instructional features: Optional videotapes are available from Athabasca University Library. Students must have access to a VCR.
Teaching and Managing the Child with Learning Difficulties
6 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
This course emphasizes practical remedial approaches, specific teaching and management suggestions, special materials development, and various curriculum modifications to meet the needs of children with learning difficulties. The course is eclectic in its theoretical approach. However, it is neither an introduction to the area of learning difficulties nor a review and analysis of recent research in the field. Rather, it is concerned with the translation of theory into action. A variety of practical approaches from several theories will be used to help children with learning difficulties.
Course content is not restricted exclusively to children although this is the focus. It is concerned with effective instruction in areas of basic skills such as reading and mathematics. Topics to be covered include introduction to learning difficulties, informal screening and diagnosis, formal diagnosis, planning for remediation, general strategies, management, teaching socio-emotional behaviour, oral language, word recognition, reading comprehension, handwriting, spelling, mathematics, setting up and
managing a classroom, and the instructional role of parents. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: PSYC 389 and permission from the course professor. To speed up permission, please call the professor to discuss details of the practicum before you register. Those who wish the prerequisite to be waived should submit their reasons in writing to the course professor along with evidence of learning equivalent to PSYC 389. Teaching experience is strongly recommended.
Precluded course: PSYC 400 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 348.
Learning Through Life
Reading - 3 - Social Sciences
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This reading course is about how we learn from life’s experiences. Specifically, it examines how adult learners make meaning of their experience. It examines the transformation theory of Jack Mezirow and looks at learning through the creation of meaning schemes and through perspective transformation. One of the main themes in the course is the role of reflection in learning particularly in the validation of prior learning. Building on this reflection, the course examines the gulf between formal institutional learning and more informal learning such as personal study, work experience, hobbies, and travel.
Learners are expected to bring a variety of these informal learning experiences to the course. They are expected to be self-directed in their studies and to be knowledgeable in the use of library resources.
Prerequisite: Permission from the professor is required for admission to the course. Since this is an advanced course learners are expected to have previously completed a variety of junior- and senior-level social science courses - PSYC 381 is particularly relevant.
Note: This course is not available each year. Contact the Information Centre for registration information.
Biological Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
or
Internet Component
Biological Psychology shows how the brain and the nervous system enable and establish limits for behaviour. In its most fundamental sense, this course is concerned with the implications of our existence as human animals. It considers how biological structures and functions evolved to give us unique potentials and skills but also tie us irrevocably to nature and to other species within nature.
Various topics include the biological view of behaviour, the evolution of behaviour, and philosophical and empirical perspectives on the mind-body relationship. Nervous system anatomy, physiology, and function and methods of investigation are discussed as preparation for a detailed examination of vision, hearing, taste, olfaction, touch, pain, and movement. Sleep rhythms, activity rhythms, homeostatic motivations (especially temperature regulation, hunger, thirst, and drug addiction) and non-homeostatic processes (primarily sexual motivation) are also covered. In addition, students study two topics from the following four: the biology of learning and memory; lateralization and language; recovery from brain damage; and the biology of mood disorders, schizophrenia, and autism. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. Biology 30 or an introductory university biology course, and a course in introductory psychology or animal behaviour are recommended.
Experimental Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Internet Component
This course focuses on experimental designs and techniques used in psychological research. Topics include principles of the scientific method, group experimental research, single-subject research, ethical issues, and research reporting. Emphasis is on laboratory experience (using readily available household materials), reading and writing of research reports, and data interpretation. Students may be required to use computers in one of the learning centres or at home to complete the exercises. The course should help students become more critical research consumers, increase knowledge of those working in research-related occupations, and provide the background necessary for graduate training in psychology. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: PSYC 289 or PSYC 290. It is strongly recommended that students should also previously have taken MATH 215.
Special Projects in Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
PSYC 418 allows students to pursue a topic of special interest in more detail than permitted within the standard psychology curriculum. The course is primarily intended for students who are in the later stages of a four-year Bachelor of Arts program with a major in psychology. In exceptional circumstances, other students may also be permitted to take this course with permission of the professor.
Students registered in this course are required to conduct an independent empirical or conceptual research project. At the outset, students will select a topic and write a set of project objectives in consultation with their tutor. Students will then engage in activities to attain the objectives. Finally, students will submit the results of their work with a statement detailing how they have accomplished the objectives. Students taking this course are expected to demonstrate the ability to work independently and should not expect significant help from their tutor except for approval and evaluation of the accomplishment of the objectives.
Prerequisite: SOSC 366 and permission of a psychology professor.
Precluded course: PSYC 418 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 318.
Note: Registration in this course is restricted to students enrolled in the four-year Bachelor of Arts program with a psychology major. Students should preregister six months before the start date of this course to ensure the availability of research materials.
Psychology and the Built Environment
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Internet Component
This course examines the transactions between people and their everyday physical environment. Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours can be influenced by various aspects of our physical environment. At the same time, our physical environment can be changed as a result of our behaviours. Some theories, research, and applications pertaining to the interrelationships between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours (e.g., learning and working) and our everyday physical environments (e.g., offices, neighbourhoods, and classrooms) are covered. Topics include environmental perception and cognition, environmental stressors such as noise, spatial behaviour such as personal space and territoriality, physical settings where we live, work, and learn, and designing for more fitting environments. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none. A 200 level psychology course is recommended.
Abnormal Psychology
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Video Component
or
Internet Component
PSYC 435 describes and examines human behaviours and mental phenomena that diverge widely from the normal. The course begins with a review of the historical and theoretical basis of abnormal behaviour, followed by an overview of current assessment techniques and treatment approaches. The remaining five major sections of the course cover stress and anxiety disorders (somatoform, adjustment, anxiety, and dissociative disorders); psychotic disorders (the schizophrenic, paranoid, and affective disorders as well as suicide); social and personality disorders (sexual dysfunctions, substance abuse, violence, and the personality and impulse disorders); organic and developmental disorders (including neuropsychological deficits, mental retardation, and disorders of childhood, adolescence, and old age). The course concludes with an overview of legal and ethical issues. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: none; 6 credits in introductory psychology are strongly recommended.
Precluded course: PSYC 435 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 335.
Delivery mode: A telecourse version of this course is broadcast on ACCESS, The Education Station in Alberta.
Consultation and Collaboration for Students with Special Needs
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Internet Component
PSYC 470 is a senior-level course designed to increase awareness of the framework and rationale for collaboration, the facilitating factors involved, and strategies for their implementation. The main emphasis is on understanding collaborative consultation as a process to enable people with diverse expertise to work together to generate solutions for educating students with special education needs in regular public school classrooms. Topics range from the foundations of consultation and collaboration, structural elements, dimensions of a team approach, and problem solving, to communication, management, and strategies for implementation. Online components are optional.
Managing Behaviour Problems in the Classroom
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Internet Component
PSYC 471 is a senior-level course that will assist teachers to deal with children with behaviour difficulties in the classroom. The course provides background information on assessment and intervention methodology and presents specific intervention strategies dealing with broad categories of problem behaviours such as disruptive behaviour, aggressive behaviour, school survival skills and social skills, stereotypic behaviours, attention problems, and psychiatric problems. This course also deals with issues involving the generalization of intervention effects and the role of professional educators, as well as discussing collaborative strategies for dealing with troubled and troubling behaviour. Online components are optional.
Introduction to the Process of Counselling
3 - Social Science
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
or
Paced Study
+
Video Component
or
Internet Component
This course examines counselling from three perspectives. Part 1 explores a definition of counselling through consideration of its context, necessary skills and relationships, and ethical issues. Part 2 explores how counselling is done, from the initial assessment through goal-setting and interventions to ending the process. Part 3 explores a variety of applications, including health, cross-cultural, career, school, crisis, family and group counselling, as well as consulting and counselling in the creative arts.
This is a senior-level course. It is expected that students will have library research skills and essay writing competence at the 400 level. Online components are optional.
Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that students take PSYC 289 or PSYC 290 and have credit in at least one senior-level psychology course or equivalent work experience.
Precluded course: PSYC 488 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PSYC 388.
Special instructional features: Home-lab exercises constitute an experiential component in the course and are intended to make the material personally relevant. Labs 2 and 3 are accompanied by an audiocassette that elaborates and illustrates material in the text. Students must have access to an audiocassette player.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (PADM)
Business, Society, and the Public Sector
3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course is designed for students who are likely to take only one course about the public sector. The course examines the following: the machinery of Canadian government; how business and the public sector influence each other; the main themes of business-government relations in Canada; the Canadian industrial structure; the relationship between business, the media and political parties; policy areas including business regulation, international trade, and the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement; and rethinking or reinventing government.
Prerequisite: none. The course is intended for students who have completed about 48 credits in the Bachelor of Administration degree.
Municipal Public Administration in Canada
3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course examines the structures and political processes of municipal public administration and government in Canada with a detailed examination of Alberta.
Prerequisite: none. A previous course in political science is recommended.
Note: This course places more emphasis on independent study than do most Athabasca University courses because a contact person is used rather than a tutor.
Canadian Public Finance
Reading - 3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This reading course examines the nature of the public finance system in Canada at the federal and provincial levels. This is accomplished by studying the public policy process, the demand for public services, the price of government services, budgetary systems, the structures and activities that control public finance at the federal and provincial levels, the growth of public sector expenditures, sources of government revenue, the tax structure, federal-provincial fiscal relations, fiscal policy, government borrowing, and the public debt.
Prerequisite: none. A previous course in political science or public administration is recommended.
Canadian Public Administration
3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
This course examines the institutions and processes of Canadian public administration, especially at the national level. After completing the course, the student should have an understanding of the limitations imposed on the actions of public administrators.
Prerequisite: none. A previous course in political science is recommended.
Precluded course: PADM 390 cannot be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for ADMN 390.
Public Policy
Reading - 3 - Applied Studies
- Method of Delivery:
Home Study
Public Policy examines definitions of public policy, approaches to public policy, and the public policy process.
Prerequisite: none. A previous course in political science is recommended.
In the event of a discrepancy between the informal web site version and the printed 1999-2000 Calendar, the latter alone is to be regarded as the authoritative and legally binding source.
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