RA1 - Welcome to the History & Systems class. We would like you to spend a little time orienting yourself with the class blog site. Please read the course description on the 'Home Page.' Go to the 'Blog' and check out the types of assignments you will be doing over the semester. Look over the 'Syllabus' pages and make sure you understand what we will be doing this semester as it relates to the syllabus (Class schedule, Course Requirements, & Grading rubrics).
You should already have a temporary blog username and password for you to use, if not please email Dr. MacLin to get yours (or to have him resend yours - otto.maclin@uni.edu). You will receive an email later in the week showing you how to get a permanent username and password.
Now click on the comment link (above), sign in and leave a comment. If you are using a temporary username make sure to put your intials at the top of your entry. In particular please state in your comment that that you basically went through the website, home page, syllabus, online book. That you understand the class schedule & course requirements and that you read through all sections of the syllabus.
Based on your experience reading through the website, please let us know if you have any questions, if there is anything you don't understand or if you experienced any problems.
Thanks!
--Dr. M
AB
I've taken Behavior Modification with Dr. MacLin previously and really enjoyed it, especially the hybrid part. I really gives you the time to learn the material that you find interesting and talk about it. The site seems very very similar to the site I became familiar with last year. I have no concerns with the site at this time other than my ability to gain my "blog voice" back from last year, which I'm sure I will be able to do within the first few weeks of this course. After reading over some of the assignments I really think this course is going to be great but force me to critically think more than I have in the past. I am greatly looking forward to that. The questions that are asked seem basic at first but when thought about, they really open up a lot of deeper things in psychology that could be really opened up.
AD
Last semester I took Behavior Modification with Dr. MacLin. At first I was a little bit nervous about taking a hybrid class because I had not taken one before. Also, I was worried about my answers being "wrong" and the whole world being able to see! I had no problems with that at all!! I enjoyed his class very much and I hope I enjoy this one just as much! I love history and learning what cause the events to happen! Combining history and psychology just makes it that much better! I feel that with this history class I will be able to obtain more of what I am learning because I will have to use the information and build on it. The fact that there are no tests in this class makes it a lot less stressful so I feel that I can actually enjoy the class!
HI
I'm really excited about this class because I've never taken a hybrid course before. I really enjoy online classes because I like learning on my own as well as at my own level. Furthermore, I really enjoy hearing what others have to say about a topic in discussion blogs, as it helps me form my own opinions. History is something that I've always been interested in, so I'm sure it will be interesting to learn how psychology ties in with that.
It also sounds like Dr. MacLin's teaching style will be a good fit for me this semester. Although I am not a teacher, I feel his views on teaching would be quite similar to mine if I were one! I've found in the past that doing assignments rather than studying for a test helps me learn a lot more material quickly, so I'm really happy about the fact that there are no tests! However, I feel that I will have to work hard to achieve a good grade--which doesn't bother me! I'm excited to be able to challenge myself!
CC
I would just like to start saying that I'm utterly paranoid that I'm not the only person in the class with these initials. Anyway, I, too, am very excited for this course. I've never been in a "hybrid" class before, and am used to either traditional-lecture styles or discussion styles. While class discussions are wonderful (and also student-led), they take the whole class in the same direction. Overall, discussion-heavy classes are underused, even at a university setting, and have plenty of perks--emphasizing the thoughts and ideas of the students, practicing respectful discourse, and how to graciously "win" arguments, "lose" arguments and, most importantly, "agree to disagree" -- but there's still something missing. If the whole class is swayed in the same direction, they will be primed to think similarly in the future. And we NEED people with different outlooks, backgrounds, interests, etc. to critique our work. Such is the beauty of science. Allowing the students to further explore their personal interests within the parameters of this subject, while remaining open minded and ready to challenge those views for class discussions, seems like the perfect compromise. Time will tell =)
JK
I had Bmod last semester and am glad to have another hybrid class. I enjoyed last semester because it gave me a chance to discuss things I found interesting with the class. It also pushed me to increase my psychological vocabulary so I am more educated with the terms that are associated with Bmod. I am looking forward to doing the same things with History and Systems. I think this will be an interesting class. I like the way the website is setup. It is easy to find things and easy to post. I also like how you can see other peoples posts. It helps if you have questions or are not sure about something discussed in the chapters. I am not usually too interested with history but I am hoping that the history of psychology will be more interesting because it discusses such important steps psychologists have taken throughout the time the subject has been around. I am looking forward to this class and the information that comes with it.
CM
After looking through this website I am comfortable with it. This is my third hybrid class and I am looking forward to this one because I feel like doing blogs is second nature now. I have looked through the syllabus and already have a plan for how to go about this semester. I will do it exactly like I did last year with the plan to get the blogs done at least one day in advance so that if something comes up I still have a one day buffer to get the blogs done.
I am most excited about this class because I love to learn about history but I hate being tested on it. I don’t have good memorization skills, but I enjoy learning about what happened, who was involved, and overall why things happened the way they did. I am hoping that I will be able to use the behavior modification class to my advantage coming into history and systems because I feel like the behavior modification class can be helpful when analyzing history.
I really like who you reinforce your students by giving them points for showing up to class and I also agree with the other policies that you have like late assignments. I agree with that policy because of the fact that you basically give us 8 hours past the due time to get our blogs in. So we really don’t have an excuse not to turn them in unless there is a problem with the website.
I am looking forward to this class and learning more about what happened in psychology’s history.
ZG
I have to say that at first I wasn't too excited to take this class. History has always been very boring. This class looks to break that streak. I love discussion based classes and it seems that this class will be lead that way. I'm very interested to see how the "learn what you want to learn" works, I think it's a wonderful idea.
I've never done a "hybrid" class. It seems logical to use internet since almost everyone has it at their disposal though I am a little anxious to see how it will work for me.
I'm most excited for the discussion portion of this class. I love hearing what others have to say, it helps me form my own ideas and realize that I may or may not be correct. I just love it! I'm very excited to see how this class works and hope that others feel the same way.
EE
I have taken two hybrid classes prior to this one and each time, at the start of class, I am very anxious about all the indivividual work and computer time, for I am a very scheduled person. Today, that held true but after looking through the course website I feel a lot more confident about being able to manage this course. After familairzing myself with the "blog" page along with the course schedule, I realize that the assignments are actually quite easy to follow. Every Tuesday we will have a reading blog to complete and every Thursday we will have a topical blog. I like the way this is set up because it allows us to get a good, base knowledge for the week's subject from the text while still giving us the freedom and opporunity to pull from it what we find interesting, via the topical blog.
Under the "home" tab I read the course description and I really liked the word "holistic." History is usually my least favorite area in school but I think nowadays the material that we learn in class is very tailored to our time era. This class will let us know how psychology once was and how it continutes to development. It could, and hopefully it does, open my eyes to new, or old, areas of research.
After reading the "course grading" attachment, I thought Dr. MacLin's style of teaching and grading is very fair. The 0-10 (9) scale I agreed to be very reasonable for this class. Even further, I like how we are expected to improve over the semester which will result in stricter grading but still the same point scale.
As far as the hybrid class goes, once I get used to it, I love it! I love being able to complete the blogs pretty much on my own time, along as they are done by the due dates. Once we get into the hang of it, I am sure the blogs will become, fun, actually. I am very excited for this class!
TT
When I first signed up for this course I really did not have any idea what it would be like, but after listening to Dr. MacLin speak about it today, and after reading through the blog/syllabus I can admit that I am quite excited. I can already tell that this will be a class I will not be looking at the clock every minute. I took a few online courses over the summer and I liked them because it gave me the opportunity to push myself and be more independent. However, I think I will like the hybrid a bit more because it will give a little more guidance and I like that I will actually know my professor if I ever have any concerns.
At first when I read through the list of assignments I was a little overwhelmed, but not having class on Tuesdays will be a great opportunity to catch up on homework that is due. Also pertaining to the assignments I like how we aren't limited to a specific topic most of the time and we will be able to research to our own likings. I think this strategy will be much more effective in having me learn the most information possible.
J.B.
I have never taken a hybrid course before so I am really looking forward to experiencing what it is like. I like how the assignments are clearly expressed. I also like the fact that we have previous assignments of other students to refer to. Sometimes in online courses it can be a little unclear on what exactly is supposed to be done. This page does a great job in clarifying these things. The week by week schedule will be easy for me to remember where we are. I also think that it is nice that we do not have a midnight deadline. Sometimes I have to wait till the late evening to do my homework. This class seems like it will be easy to stay on task if you just do the work. I look forward to the challenge of taking a different type of class.
HR
I took Behavior Modifications last semester and had a great experience and learned so much through the hybrid class. Although the material for this class sounds and looks a lot different, I hope the blogs on Thursdays help bring an excitement to the history part of the class.
I really like the mix of being in class and discussing what we read and doing "real world" things online, it really makes learning and remembering the material a lot easier.
I also find it entertaining that the blogs were changed from being out of 10 to 9 because it's easier to type. This just shows, in my opinion, the personality of Dr. MacLin that makes the class fun to go to.
The other thing I'm excited for and enjoyed from last semester is having no tests. Because there are no tests I know I can put more effort into my blogs.
BG
I have taken many of the Maclin classes. I really enjoy the hybrid part of the class. I am comfortable with the blogs and I know there is always room for improvement when writing the blogs and finding my "blog voice". I have no concers or questions about the site and how to navigate it. All the hybrid class sites are similar. They just ask different questions. I am excited for this class and I can tell the people in my class will be a fun group to learn with.
TL
This is my first hybrid course that I have taken here at UNI. I'm also taking Careers in Psychology this semester, and that also is a hybrid course. From what Dr. Maclin talked about in class today, I can tell that I will like the course. I like the fact that you get to blog about what was important in the chapter, and not just a bunch of questions that the professor requires someone to answer. Being a shy person I hope to participate as much as I can in class. Other than that, I'm looking forward to this class and the challenge of learning more about the History and Systems of Psychology.
JG
I have never taken a class with Dr. Maclin before, nor have I taken a hybrid course here at UNI. I have heard nothing but great things from people who have taken classes with Dr. Maclin in the past, and so I am very interested and excited to participate in a course that is so much different from what I am used to doing. I will enjoy being able to focus on what actually interests me.Hopefully that ability will allow me to actually learn valuable information in a required course, as opposed to cramming information into my head in order to just get through it. I also like how Dr. Maclin is "tricking us" into learning the things that we aren't interested in, and how his quirky personality will make the class that much more enjoyable.
KG
Last year I took Motivation and Emotion with Dr. MacLin and like this class it was a hybrid one. I didn't know it was a hybrid class or what the freak it was, but after I found out what a hybrid class consisted of and entailed, I got a little nervous. I’m not the greatest at expressing thoughts into words, let alone every-other-day over something I just read or watched. Over time I got use to writing a little more and started to get the hang of it and enjoyed the class greatly. Having been roughly a year now I hope to be able to get back in the groove of writing sufficient blogs. After looking over the course syllabus I’m not too sure I’d call myself a strong reader and writer for the expected skills, but I’ll try my best. As for attendance and participation it all sounds good and not a problem for me, if you want to call on me or pick on me, either one, go for it. The grading looks like any other grading scale and the questions asked seem reasonable and fair. I can’t wait to start blogging again and look forward to the class.
ET
I've taken Behavior Modification with Dr. Maclin and I've also taken Psych and Law with the other Dr. Maclin and both hybrid classes were enjoyable. This class will be more interesting to me than some other classes because it lets me choose what's interesting and doesn't punish me for not liking a subject. With this type of class I am excited to learn about the history of psychology because I have liked all of my other history classes I've taken and this will be a new spin on that. Since I've already taken a hybrid class with this web site layout it will be easier to navigate the pages to do my blog assignments and figure out what I need to do. The only concern I still have with this class is I realize participating is a necessity in Dr. Maclin's classes. I'm not the most talkative person but I know it's a necessity so I'll just have to try my best to contribute to the class discussion. Other than that this class should be very enjoyable.
AK
I knew I had to take this class for my major but when I heard about Dr. MacLin's hybrid style of the class and I had to take it. I've never taken a class like this and I am really excited. It is refreshing to have a switch up in the type of class. I've heard nothing but good things about Dr. MacLin. The website is simpler that I was anticipating. The syllabus was short and easy to read. The schedule was plain and simple. I am excited to find my "blog voice." I haven't really done much blogging before so I'm not sure how good I am going to be. I am looking forward to be able to focus more on topics that interest me. That seems like a great way to learn and I hope that it works for me. I am ready for a non typical history class.
RB
I can honestly say that this will be my first hybrid course that I have ever taken. At first I felt slightly nervous when signing up for a psychology class to fill my requirement, as I am more of a history oriented person. But I am glad that I was ab le to get into this class, which incorporates both history and psychology. As for the online part of this class, I have never really being introduced to, nor have been forced to do any blogs before. Thus, this is all new to me. I am glad, though, that everything is outlined and explained in detail. This will make it much easier for me if I ever run into any troubles while trying to complete an online assignment. I look forward to participating in this class. It promises to be an enjoyable learning experience. With this class being a combination of both online and in-person discussions, it should prove to be a new way to learn history.
LW
Participating in a hybrid class will also be a first for me. I find the website to be easy to navigate and it seems to have all of the information that I need to learn about the history of psychology. I really enjoy the opportunity to read posts from my classmates and the previous classes. In the classroom, everyone has opinions and ideas, but not everyone has the will or the opportunity to express those thoughts. This forum offers us the ability to read everyone's ideas.
I have had other internet courses so I am not completely new to posting my work, but I think the hybrid format will work even better for me. It will be much easier for me to create posts based on class lectures and readings, and this format will be more interactive than a strictly online course. I especially like the idea of being able to post ideas about chapter studies and the ideas that I get from each chapter. Hopefully, that will make the readings more meaningful for me. I also believe that by challenging me to blog about my least favorite readings will cause me to have to focus more on those readings in order to critique them.
I am one who loves to read about history, even though I am not that keen on memorizing names and dates. I am happy to see so many students who have been through Dr. Maclin's other hybrid class and still seem comfortable enough to sign up for this one. I also like to read everyone else's world views and see how they compare to my own. I think that I will get a lot more than history out of this class.
J.N.
I have looked through the website and everything seems straightforward. Last year when I took another hybrid class I was a little apprehensive at first, but then got the hang of it and found it quite enjoyable. I have a feeling that this is going to be a great semester!
CT
I have taken a hybrid class before from the other Dr. Maclin. The hardest part for me is remembering to do the blog entries. Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night and realize that one was due before midnight the previous night. I am going to be working on this, but as you can see, I am not off to a great start. I might have to set a reminder on my phone.
I do not have a hard time navigating the website and I have experience blogging previously. I look forward to having discussions on the blog about the topics we read about and discussing the ways these topics relate to our lives currently, as well as the future implications of what we are learning.
I am pleased that this class does not focus primarily on names and dates, because I have a hard time focusing on those. I am more of a big picture person, so while I can easily grab the main gist of things, the little details tend to escape me.
I look forward to learning about the history of Psychology and further developing my skills as a blogger and a student.
BR
I have read through the syllabus and the blogs and home page and I understand whats expected for this semester. This is my second hybrid class, and I'm excited to be in this class because I think it will be interesting and I like that the class is more about what we choose to learn and how involved we choose to be.
H.S.
After reading through the blog and course documents I was relieved with how similar it will be to Dr. Kim Maclin's classes. I really enjoyed her classes and felt like I learned so much more with the autonomy style for class. I also enjoy that you can read previous student's blogs and learn from other perspectives as well. This topic does not scream exciting but I feel like this semester will be interesting and will help develop me further as a psychology student.
CL
I took Behavior Modification last semester with Dr.Maclin and in my opinion it is one of the best psych courses offered. I understand how the hybrid class operates,simply because I already took one of his classes. I already know I'm going to really enjoy this course because of the teaching style.I'm not a fan of history but I love psychology, so I feel that it is going to be of great help to know the historical facts behind psychology.
JS
I have never had a Hybrid class before but I'm excited to see what they're like. I read the syllabus and course requirements and played around with the site a little bit and am pretty confident I will be able to navigate my way through it.
C.H.
I have taken behavior modifications and motivation and emotions prior to this class, and after taking this style of class I wish all my classes could be taught like this. For me the structure and style benefits me well because I can do things at my own pace (it’s nice to have class once a week because it fits well with my work schedule) and for once I actually feel like I’m learning and remembering information; instead of learning to pass a test and then never think about it again.
From reading the syllabus and prior assignments other students had completed I know this class is going to be challenging for me, but in a good way. Some of the questions presented seem pretty basic and simple when you first read them, but I know that’s just a cover up and I know that in the long run these assignments are going to open up an entire different mind frame on a given topic.
AG
This will be my first semester taking a hybrid class, and I am currently enrolled in both this one and Motivation and Emotion. I have read through the syllabus and explored this site a little bit. I am very interested in this new type of class and excited for them. I think this will be a really good way for me to learn and keep the information given.
I have gone through the website and am very familiar with the layout of hybrid classes. I understand the syllabus as well as what is expected from me as a student. I am looking forward to this semester!
AC
Besides my own technical difficulties, I am excited to be in this class and have the opportunity to learn more about the history of psychology. I find history to be fascinating, even though I have a hard time retaining some of the information. I am new at blogging and am looking forward in learning how hopefully with everyone's guidance, patience, and understanding. Hearing how positive everyone's comments have been about this hybrid course has helped in lowering my stress level! It has always been hard for me to put my thoughts into words, but I am ready to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself.