Course Syllabus
BBH 146
Introduction to Health and Human Sexuality
Contents
- • Instructor
- • Course Description
- • Objectives
- • Materials
- • Library Services
- • Assignments
- • Grading
- • Additional Links & Resources
Instructor
- Instructor: To Be Determined
- Email: To Be Determined
- Phone: (814) XXX-XXXX
Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change. Instructors will notify students of any changes and students will be responsible for abiding them. Even if you print this syllabus, please check the online version, especially the course summary (schedule), often.
Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with foundational knowledge of human sexuality, with an emphasis on sexual health issues. The course aims to empower students to 1) make positive decisions about sexual health practices and relationships, and 2) evaluate sexual health information over the lifespan. Fundamental concepts in human sexuality will be presented, including: the myriad of influences that shape our sexuality, with particular emphasis on gender development, sexual orientations, health issues of the sexual female and male body, enhancements, and inhibitors to sexual response, and enhancing sexual relationships. Specific sexual health issues will also be examined, including: unintended pregnancy, contraceptive methods, sexual assault, sexually transmitted infections, HIV disease, and safer-sex strategies. This course strives to provide an engaging, inclusive and student-centered learning environment. Discussion forums, writing assignments, quizzes, and an interactive final project provide students opportunities to engage in critical thinking, practice communication and decision-making skills, and synthesize knowledge across a range of sexual health domains.
- Number of credits: 3
Objectives
Course Goals
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Critique the meanings of sex/sexuality and the terms that represent these meanings.
- Accurately interpret and synthesize data about sexual attitudes and behaviors.
- Analyze personal, as well as others’, assumptions, feelings, and beliefs about sexuality.
- Implement effective communication skills regarding sexual topics.
- Apply sexual health concepts to personal choices and behaviors.
- Demonstrate respect for the diversity of thoughts, feelings, and values expressed through sexuality.
- Evaluate the impact of diverse contexts including gender, orientation, race/ethnicity, & other factors on sexual health experiences and outcomes.
- Demonstrate continuing curiosity about the concepts and issues explored in this course.
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify variations and diversity in sexual attitudes and expression.
- Critique sexual messages prevalent in society (e.g. in the media).
- Identify factors contributing to gender development.
- Describe the impact of gender roles on sexual expression and sexual health.
- Describe sexual and reproductive anatomy and physiology.
- Demonstrate knowledge of sexual health concerns, including causal factors, treatments, and prevention strategies.
- Describe factors that enhance and inhibit sexual responding.
- Demonstrate knowledge about the prevalence, causes, and consequences of sexual difficulties and give examples of treatment approaches.
- Distinguish between myths and facts regarding the range of sexual orientations.
- Demonstrate knowledge about the prevalence, causes, and consequences of sexual health issues, including unintended pregnancy, sexual assault, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV disease.
- Apply decision-making skills to contraceptive choices if needed.
- Appraise personal sexual health risks and utilize safer-sex strategies if needed.
- Integrate sexuality within the context of relationships.
- Examine personal attitudes and values regarding sexuality issues and their impact upon behavior.
- Demonstrate comfort, confidence, and skill in communicating about human sexuality.
Materials
The following textbook is required:
- Crooks, R., & Baur, K., Widman, L. (2020). Our sexuality (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-0357360750
Library Services
Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries offers you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library. The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.
Assignments
Basic information about each assignment group is provided in this section. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information in the Modules tab.
Activities and assignments will vary by unit, but may include:
- Online course content
- Assigned readings from the textbook, websites, and other sources
- Online discussion forums
- Assignments
- Quizzes
- A multi-part Final Project focused on activism, outreach, or service
Grading and Feedback Timeline
You can typically expect meaningful feedback on all written assignments within SEVEN days of their due date, however, this timeline may vary. Your instructor will provide you with updates, if needed, regarding the feedback timeframe.
| Type of Assignment | Points | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 330 | 35% |
| Discussions | 225 | 25% |
| Quizzes | 75 | 15% |
| Final Project | 120 | 25% |
| Course Total | 750 | 100% |
Syllabus and Orientation Quiz
This quiz does not count toward the final course grade.
A brief quiz will require you to answer a few key questions about the syllabus and orientation, and acknowledge that you have read and understood the course requirements and policies. You will have 3 chances to score 80% (8 out of 10 points), and you will NOT be able to access additional course content after the first lesson until it is completed. Refer to the Course Calendar for due dates.
Notes:
- Course content after the first lesson in this course will NOT be visible to you until you complete and receive a 80% on the quiz.
- Your work will automatically be saved as you complete the quiz. If you experience technical difficulties, contact the Help Desk and the instructor immediately.
- We do NOT recommend taking quizzes using the Canvas mobile app; use the web version of Canvas.
Assignments
Value: 11 x 30 PTS, 330 PTS total
There are several assignments required throughout the course. Instructions for these are included in the assignment description. Precise grading criteria and expectations are included in the assignment-specific rubric within the course.
Discussions
Value: 9 x 25 PTS, 225 PTS total; Discussions Weighting Group
There are several discussion forums required throughout the course. Instructions for these are included in the discussion description and participation requirements.
See the Course Calendar for topics and deadlines. These discussions will allow you to think about and express your opinions on various course topics. You will also be able to interact with your classmates and generate an exchange of ideas rather than just one-way communication from student to instructor. Productive and active participation is required. The discussions will be guided through a series of questions or instructions, but the intent is for all students to contribute with substantive knowledge gained through the course lessons and readings, through research on the internet, and through life experiences thus far.
Initial posts are expected to be posted by Thursday of the discussion week, and replies to classmates must be posted by Sunday.
Discussion Assignment Listing on Calendar:
The initial posting and response will both take place within the discussion assignment area, but will each have a separate due date. For example, on the course calendar:
- Initial Postings: the initial posting for the Class Interactions Discussion will be listed as L01 Class Interactions Discussion Initial Reply.
- Responding to Peers: responding to peers for the Interactions Discussion will be listed as L01 Interactions Discussion.
This will be the same format that will be used throughout the course for all discussions.
Please view the Discussion Guidelines and Policies information within the Student Resources module for pointers and policies for interacting within class discussions. All discussion forums will be available on the course site within the Modules tab.
Refer to the Discussion Forum Rubric for grading expectations. You can view this within each Discussion Forum assignment.
Note: If you are using a mobile device, you may not be able to view the rubric from within the discussion forum.
Quizzes
Value: 5 x 15 PTS, 75 PTS total (There will be a total of 6 quizzes. The lowest quiz score will be dropped. The final Quiz grade will be based on the 5 highest quiz scores.). Please note that the Academic Integrity Training Assignment is REQUIRED and will NOT be able to be dropped.; Quizzes Weighting Group
There will be 6 quizzes over the course of the semester. Quizzes are based on the course readings, lectures, and instructional videos covered within the corresponding lesson and consist of multiple-choice, true/false, matching, and short-answer questions.
You will have one chance to take each quiz. Each quiz is timed (either 20-35 minutes) and your answers will be submitted automatically when time expires. Once you start the quiz, the time will continue to run until the time allotted has expired or you have submitted the quiz. The clock cannot be stopped once you have started. The quizzes will be available for the entire week in which they are due. Refer to the Course Calendar for due dates. The lowest quiz score will be dropped from the final grade, therefore, no make-ups or late submissions will be permitted.
Note: Your work will automatically be saved as you complete the quiz. If you experience technical difficulties, contact the Help Desk and your instructor immediately.
Note: We do NOT recommend taking quizzes using the Canvas mobile app; use the web version of Canvas.
You will be able to view answers to the questions one day after the due date. The answers will be available for viewing for two days.
Academic Integrity Training Assignment
In order to proceed in the course, you must demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of academic integrity standards and expectations at The Pennsylvania State University and make a commitment to upholding academic integrity standards in your work in this course.
To do so, at the beginning of the course, you are required to obtain the Penn State Academic Integrity Training Assignment. Additional information is provided in the Academic Integrity module.
Final Project
Value: 120 PTS total
The Final Project for this course requires students to complete an activism, outreach, or service project related to the course content. Defections and examples of what is meant by activism, outreach, and service are included in the Final Project Description. The Final Project will include three (3) graded parts, including
- an idea assignment (20 points),
- a formal proposal with project outline and timeframe (40 points), and
- a final written paper describing the completed activism, outreach, or service project (60 points).
Please note that your instructor may ask you to provide additional supporting materials as documentation of your project. Precise grading criteria and expectations are included in the corresponding Final Project rubrics within the course.
Submitting Your Own Work
Please note that using artificial intelligence (AI) programs to write all or portions of any assignment for this class will be considered an academic integrity violation. The instructor reserves the right to check submitted work for the likelihood that it was crafted using AI.
Due Dates
All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar, unless noted otherwise. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide Links to an external site..
Late Work and Make-Up Policy
- To Do List: Some assignments may not appear in the To Do list under the Home tab. Use the Calendar or Syllabus to ensure that you are fully aware of assignment due dates. Please check the instructions in the assignment or discussion or to ensure that you are fully aware of due dates.
- Late Assignments and Initial Discussion Posts: Two points will be deducted for every 24 hours past the original submission deadline, up to 14 points or 7 days. No assignments or discussion posts will be accepted for credit more than 7 days after the submission deadline except in cases of serious extenuating circumstances approved in advance by the instructor. Documentation may be required. Deductions for lateness on reply discussion posts are indicated in the discussion rubric.
- Make-Up Work:
- No credit will be awarded for discussion posts made after the lesson week ends unless permission has been granted ahead of time. No credit will be awarded for assignments submitted more than 1 week after the original deadline unless permission has been granted. There will be no make-up opportunities for quizzes, except in cases of emergencies (i.e. natural disasters and weather emergencies, hospitalization).
- Students with an excused absence (e.g. hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, or military service) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.
- Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g. upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
- Notes on Technical Problems: If you encounter technical problems and cannot submit an assignment in Canvas, please immediately email the instructor the assignment. Once the email has been sent, go back and try to fix the problem. All work must be submitted in Canvas in order to receive credit.
Grading
Final grades will be assigned based on the following grading scheme. There will be NO final grade rounding (per BBH departmental policy). There will be NO special opportunities for grade enhancement unless such opportunities are provided to all students.
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 100% to 94% |
| A- | <94% to 90% |
| B+ | <90% to 87% |
| B | <87% to 84% |
| B- | <84% to 80% |
| C+ | <80% to 77% |
| C | <77% to 70% |
| D | <70% to 60% |
| F | <60% to 0% |
Additional Links and Resources
Review information related to technical requirements, Penn State policies, and student resources.
- Technical Requirements
- This document provides guidance on the technology and software required to successfully complete this online course. Students should familiarize themselves with the various technologies used to enhance learning and participation in this course.
- University Policies
- This document includes university policies about copyright, nondiscrimination and equity, disability accommodations, military accommodations, counseling, artificial intelligence, and academic integrity.
- Digital Learning Tools
- This document provides an overview of the common technology tools used at Penn State and includes helpful guides, tutorials, and videos to get started.
- Student Health, Well-Being, Career, and Financial Resources
- This document provides helpful student health and well-being resources including links and contact information for crisis, general health, disability services, sexual misconduct, college and career services, and campus life.
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Course Summary:
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