Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Welcome to PSY 101 Psychology and Human Relations!

**This is an Online (No Scheduled Meetings) (fully online, asynchronous) course that doesn't meet "synchronously" (together at the same time) using Zoom or Google Meet, etc.

This is a great course for focusing on applied psychology concepts to improve work and personal interactions.  It's intended to be a practical course. We'll explore various psychological and human relations/interpersonal communication theories and concepts to understand and practice making changes to behavior.

Note: This course focuses on practicing the concepts that we're exploring in the course for skill development. You'll need to be prepared to go beyond understanding to practice the skills. Main areas of practice include paraphrasing, perception checking, 'I' statements, and non-defensive responses to criticism.

I look forward to having you in the course! :-)
Tani McBeth

Required Textbook
See the information at the “Textbooks” link on the class schedule online.

Waitlist
There are often questions about how the waitlist works and whether you're likely to get into the course from the waitlist. I can tell you that typically I'm only able to let in the top 3-5 from the waitlist, however, whether seats become available depends upon whether students who're already registered drop before it starts. Not many students tend to drop once they've registered, however, it can vary from term to term. I always let a few students in from the waitlist on the Friday prior to the term. You'll know if you've been added to the class from the waitlist when l email you once I've submitted the permission for you. 

Students must log into D2L at some point on day 1, Monday, 1.5.26, and complete the required orientation items and get started on week 1 work no later than day 3, Wednesday 1.7.25 by 11:59 PM, for Winter 2026 so that students on the waitlist can be added. Those not logging in to participate in the course or not submitting the orientation items by the deadline will be dropped as a "no show." Also, dive into the week 1 assignments as there is a lot going on to get started on a successful footing! :-)

Log into D2L Brightspace
We'll be using D2L as our online classroom.  To login, please go to: https://my.pcc.edu and click on the D2L login on the left side.  Or, log directly into D2L at https://online.pcc.edu using your MyPCC login information.

Once in D2L, click on "Content" on the top navigation bar to access the weekly learning modules, quizzes, discussions, and assignments. There you'll find the Introduction to Online Learning and Course Information modules, which include the Syllabus and Assignment schedule/Calendar to print or save for your reference! :-)

Course Organization
The main structure of this course is the following:

1. Actively read 1-2 chapters and watch relevant videos per week.  This is the foundation for our application with the discussions and homework.
2. Quiz on each chapter (not cumulative). These are multiple attempt and intended to help us practice the "spacing effect" and "testing effect" for the learning process.  Use them to self-assess your understanding from the chapters to apply with the discussions and homework. There is no midterm or final test.  
3. Respond to questions relating to the chapter/video concepts via the discussion forums. You'll be expected to contribute your own ideas as well as respond to the ideas of others in class. This acts as our interactive "classroom."  We'll be exploring perspectives and practicing skills in the discussions.
4. Homework assignments every week relating to the chapter to apply it to our lives. :-)
5. Participation is monitored by the amount of time you're logged into the course and your participation in the discussion forums. Your success in the course will depend upon how much time you devote to study and your ability to manage time. In an online course, you're in control of the learning process and you'll need to be motivated to keep up with the material and assignments. You'll get out of the course what you put in so approach the class as a serious endeavor. If you're interested in the course because you think you will not have to work hard, this course isn't for you. Online courses are structured so you may actually need to devote more time than a traditional In-person course, however, your hard work will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of psychological concepts. 
   
   All communication for this course is through our D2L classroom. This course moves along at a fairly good clip through the term. There are aspects of the course that are flexible within the deadlines, however, regular student-student and instructor-student interaction via the discussion forums is a large part of how we explore and apply the material. 
    

1. You'll need access to the following hardware/software for this course:
   Computer with reliable internet access at least several times per week. Make sure you have a backup plan for potential computer/internet issues/outages. (e.g., PCC or county library, computer lab, friend, neighbor, work, relative, etc.)
2. Word processing program (save everything as .docx or .doc) prior to submission online.  Note that you have FREE access to Microsoft Office 365 (which includes Word) through PCC! :-) Link to Microsoft Office 365
3. Webcam and microphone/headset microphone during week 1 and later in the term as well.  Make sure you have one, purchase one, or can borrow one (from PCC library or someone you know) during these time frames.

PCC library Equipment for Checkout (laptops, webcams, and headset microphones)

We'll be using Video Note in D2L at key parts of this course.

If you don't feel comfortable doing any of these tasks, please consider taking an In-person or Online (scheduled meetings) "class type" instead.