PSYC 103: Critical Thinking in Psychology
Cerritos College
Spring 2026 Syllabus
January 12- March 13 (9 weeks)
Section #32937
Embedded Files
Please begin our course by:
proceeding to the 45-second video
clicking through this website
logging onto Canvas to our course
Welcome, Critical Thinkers!
Welcome, Critical Thinkers!
Greetings From Your Instructor
Greetings From Your Instructor
I'm Dr. Griffin and I will be your online captain for Psychology 103. Welcome to our class.
My PhD is in a field of educational psychology called Learning Sciences: I study how people learn. I’m here to create a community of inquiry and playful curiosity as we peek behind the curtain of the mind's inner laboratory. It is said that with great power comes great responsibility. My teaching style will illustrate to you that with great responsibility comes great power.
I'll see you online!
You are welcome to call me Dr. Griffin or "Doc"
"A wise man can play the part of a clown,
"A wise man can play the part of a clown,
but a clown can't play the part of a wise man."
but a clown can't play the part of a wise man."
-Malcolm X
-Malcolm X
So How Does This Course Work?
So How Does This Course Work?
The Essentials
The Essentials
This is a fully online 9-week course
We have no regularly scheduled meeting times (we will not meet weekly in Zoom). All of your work will be completed asynchronously (on your own time) in Canvas
This is not a self-paced course. You will learn in a community with your classmates and me. We are in this together.
The course is organized into 4 units and each week will always open on a Monday morning
Assignments have a submission window of Wednesday-Sunday at 11:59pm
If you sense that it's going to be difficult to meet the week's due dates, let me know and we will work out a different plan. I am always just a message away and I want to support your learning. Deal? :)
If you're on a computer right now, pick up your phone and scan this QR code to go to this site. Then bookmark it on your home screen for quick, easy access.
How to Be A Critical Learner
How to Be A Critical Learner
Schedule 20 minutes each Monday to log in, take note of due dates, and plan your week. This 20 minutes will save you hours of frustration later on in the week.
Design your own classroom and dedicate a space for school work in your house/room. The more you create a separate space for work and relaxation, the more your brain will catch on to your productivity routine.
Type and submit your assignments before the due date. Technology somehow knows when you're in a time crunch and likes to mess with your devices.
Allow 8-10 hours per week to complete all lessons and assignments.
I'll give you plenty more tips when we get started on the first day of the semester.
Students Have Told Me...
Students Have Told Me...
"This assignment showed me how important it is to look at problems from multiple angles,
as one perspective rarely tells the full story."
How to Get Your Questions Answered
How to Get Your Questions Answered
How to Reach Me
How to Reach Me
Canvas Inbox (Preferred)
E-mail: wgriffin@cerritos.edu
I typically respond to messages Monday-Friday within 24 hours and on weekends within 48 hours.
Student Hours
Student Hours
Specific Tuesdays & Wednesdays of the month
11:30am-12:30pm
Office: Zoom meeting online
Student Hours are time set aside for you. So please drop by to ask questions, discuss assignments, or say hi. If you want to meet outside of my scheduled student hours, contact me on Canvas Inbox and we'll set up a day & time that works for both of us.
My Hopes and Vision for the Course
My Hopes and Vision for the Course
I envision this course as a supportive and inclusive learning community where we can share experiences, engage critically with relevant texts, ask big questions, and discuss our thoughts and ideas. This will be a highly interactive class that relies on your thoughtful contributions. There will be readings, media clips, a self-compassion project, creative assignments, and experiential and reflective learning experiences.
Beyond that, I hope that this course will be a starting point for you to deepen your awareness and critical consciousness about issues of equity, prejudices, and social justice. I hope to provide you with skills and inspire your commitment to deconstruct oppression and work towards social change. We can be part of the solution, not the problem.
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Everyone is welcome here. Everyone can learn and do well in this class. I have done my best to remove the guesswork from your learning and make it memorable for you. I will invite you to share your own histories and experiences with psychology and build up on that knowledge.
In this class, all of us will share about our lives (including me). Through this sharing, we will build trust with one another and learn from our differences. This is a brave space. We are not here to be perfect, we are here to be human: make mistakes and learn from them.
How to Get Into Our Course
How to Get Into Our Course
How to Sign In
To access our course, you will sign into your Canvas portal. The course is open now so go ahead and check it out. I'll see ya there!
How to Get Help with Canvas
If you have trouble signing in or experience technical issues with Canvas, click the button below for support resources.
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