Introduction to Psychobiology – PSYC A250

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID:  PSYC A250
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook, used by Melissa Ferguson at Orange Coast College, was designed for community college undergraduates taking Introduction to Psychobiology. It provides cost-free, immediate access to required course readings. The textbook was developed to reduce costs for students while maintaining the breadth and depth of material necessary for success. Most students access it via a Canvas shell linked directly to the classroom.

Course Title and Number:  Introduction to Psychobiology – PSYC A250
Brief Description of course highlights:  This course explores the biology of behavior. The first half covers the cells, structure, function, and development of the nervous system. The second half applies this foundation to examine the biology of behaviors such as movement and movement disorders, learning and plasticity, stress and emotions, sleep, sexual behavior, and mental disorders. The course is taught both fully online (asynchronous) and face-to-face.

Student population: The student population includes psychology majors and students from various other disciplines. Introduction to Psychobiology is required for the AA-T in Psychology and also fulfills a general education requirement in biological sciences. Students typically enter the course with a basic understanding of psychology from the prerequisite, Introduction to Psychology.  . 

Learning or student outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Critically evaluate theoretical perspectives, research and application in psychology.  

Key challenges faced and how resolved: The main challenge in developing this open text was combining the diverse sources needed. Initially, I considered publishing it in Pressbooks, but paying to create a free resource felt counterintuitive. Instead, adapting, remixing, revising, and writing directly in Canvas proved effective, allowing me to incorporate open sources in various formats seamlessly.

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process
Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. I noticed that many students were not purchasing the textbook due to its high cost, which often led to them not reading it. I believe that reading the textbook is essential for gaining a deeper understanding of the material covered in lectures. To address this issue, I sought a way to reduce costs for students. By adopting. remixing, and revising an OER textbook, I ensured that all students have access to the text from the very first day of class.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? To develop my open textbook, I carefully reviewed my syllabus, lectures, and previously used textbook to identify the key topics that needed to be covered. I began by exploring recommended OER resources for psychobiology and neuroscience to determine which sections could be integrated into the text. This process guided me to additional open-source materials from which I could pull relevant chapters to complete the content.

Sharing Best Practices:  I recommend meeting with a librarian early in the process. Initially, I took it upon myself to find and compile all the open sources I used to create this open textbook. However, after consulting with a librarian midway and toward the end of the project, I realized that their expertise could have made my search for sources much more efficient and effective.

Describe any key challenges you experienced, how they were resolved  and lessons learned. While searching for open sources to include in this textbook, I found that OER materials authored by neuroscientists were often too complex or detailed for my students. Conversely, those written by psychologists tended to omit critical details. As a result, I spent significant time revising the selected open sources and writing original modules to ensure the material was appropriately tailored to my students’ needs. 

Instructor Name:  Melissa Ferguson, PhD
I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Orange Coast College. I hold a BA and MA in Psychology from San Diego State University and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California. My research interests have encompassed topics ranging from early development to plasticity and aging.
Please provide a link to your university page.
https://sites.google.com/occ.cccd.edu/prof-melissa-ferguson/bio

Please describe the courses you teach (Course number, name and any description) At Orange Coast College, I currently teach courses including Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Psychobiology, and Introduction to Experimental Methods. Previously, I have also taught Critical Thinking in Psychology, Lifespan Development, Drugs and Behavior, and Statistics for Behavioral Sciences.

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  At the community college level, students come from a wide range of academic and personal backgrounds. This diversity presents challenges in the classroom, not only in retaining and passing students but also in helping them connect with the material. My experiences as a student, researcher, and teacher equip me to address these challenges effectively.

I enhance the course material by integrating examples from current literature and my own research, while also employing a variety of active and cooperative learning techniques. These approaches aim to expand students' knowledge and provide them with a concrete understanding of the subject matter. My goal is to present information in multiple formats—visual, auditory, and hands-on—to accommodate different learning styles and preferences.  Additionally, my background in both psychology and biology gives me a unique perspective. This allows me to explain complex biological concepts in relatable terms for those without a scientific background and to highlight the biological influences on psychology. I use this interdisciplinary understanding to bridge gaps in comprehension and make the material more accessible to all students.  I believe that learning is a lifelong process. I strive to be the best teacher I can be, continually refining my approach and passing along my enthusiasm for psychology to my students.

OER/Low cost Title: Introduction to Biological Psychology
Brief Description:  This resource is a collection of chapters from various multi-disciplinary Open Educational Resources (OERs) spanning topics such as anatomy and physiology, neuroscience, and psychology. These texts were adapted, remixed, and revised by Melissa Ferguson, with original content added when suitable open-source materials were unavailable. Each module includes learning objectives and key takeaways, either sourced from the original text or created to enhance the learning experience.
Author:  Melissa Ferguson, PhD
Student access:  Canvas LMS.
Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook.  Students are saving $75 (rent ebook) to $300 (hardcopy)
License: The textbook is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-noncommercial-share alike 4.0 international license, except where noted.