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Michael J. Cohen, Ed.D.
Lead Faculty
Greenwich University Applied Ecopsychology

ECO 603: EXPLORATORY READINGS IN APPLIED

ECOPSYCHOLOGY/INTEGRATED ECOLOGY (3 credits)

Michael J. Cohen, Ed.D.
Director, Project NatureConnect
P. O. Box 1605
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA
Tel: (360) 378-6313
Email: nature@pacificrim.net
Website: www.ecopsych.com

COURSE DESCRIPTION

While they are teaching and researching sensory ecology, students
will seek, read and critique methods and materials from their own library
research. Students carefully explore the literature and prepare an
annotated bibliography. As the principal course assignment, participants
will prepare a scholarly paper of at least 15 typewritten double-spaced
pages discussing problems and solutions to important issues and practice of
Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated Ecology.

PREREQUISITES
Students must complete ORT 500/600 and be taking, or have completed, ECO 501 or its equivalent.

COURSE TOPICS
*interlibrary and Internet literature search
*foundational readings
*understanding effective writing style
*effectively draw upon the knowledge of other scholars
*structuring a quality manuscript

-Optional Topics
*Reconnecting with natural senses
*Psychology of nature negatives
*Psychological origins of our separation from nature

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This directed readings course is intended to empower the participants to:
*become acquainted with a core of books that help define and empower sensory ecology.
*effectively search the literature in preparation for learning establishing and teaching ecopsychology
*analyze, summarize the research literature
*present findings from reading and that support academic arguments for applying ecopsycholgy

BRIEF NEED STATEMENT
Instructional programs for mid-career adults are effective, many times,
only to the extent that the participants can individualize their studies
for immediate application within the professional environment. General
programs of study must make provisions for students to undertake highly
advanced inspections of the scholarly literature to allow an individualized
and specialized preparation. Participants, motivated to explore aspects of
the subject matter in greater detail, should be encouraged and guided in
this pursuit. It is essential that the study of sensory ecology
maximize the relevance of advanced studies to the demands and expectations of the community, business, corporate, governmental, and professional arenas within which the students live and work. Defining strategies which relate learning more closely to actual demands and expectations of life and work and what educators call "reality" permit more effective preparation of the participants for the real challenges they will face in the professional arena. Students who learn in this manner are advantaged
within the marketplace and highly desired by employers.

Effective investigation of higher level theories, principles, and practices
is an essential elements in the development of the successful professional
practitioner in every field of endeavor. Rigorous programs of advanced
level reading have lead many to achieve higher ideals with the
competencies, wisdom, values, and motivations necessary to stand out
effectively within their professions and thereby make meaningful
contributions to the betterment of the human condition.

COURSE AUDIENCE
Open as an elective to all graduate and undergraduate students with the
permission of the instructor.

FACULTY-STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS

-Telephone Contacts
The student will initiate an initial telephone conference with the
instructor within one week of enrollment to clarify a plan of action for
the course. This initial contact will help familiarize the student and
instructor with one another, and permit the transmission of clear
expectations for completion of course requirements. Periodic telephone
interaction , as required, at student's expense, should be continued for
the duration of the course.

-Email Communications
Frequent email communications between student and instructor should be
initiated and continued for the duration of the course.

-Alternative Communications
Students may send communications and materials via postal service, as
appropriate. Chat room sessions, when available, can be held on a weekly
basis.

COURSE DELIVERY STYLE
Students conduct a broad based and exhaustive search for literature in areas that supportively relate to applied ecopsychology and pursue foundational readings under the direction of the instructor. The readings provide a cross-sectional review of a historical and cross-cultural writing in applied ecopsychology. The participants prepare journal notations concerning the salient points from the literature accompanied by poignant, single sentence "quotable" summaries of these points that they create, and an annotated bibliography of the readings. The participant creates an academic paper which, using the summaries, contains a highly effective scholarly presentation with an academic argument that reflects upon the nature connected psychology in a creative manner. The paper must adhere to an acceptable manual of writing style.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

-Required Textbook
There is no required textbook for this course, however, a general
bibliography will be available from the instructor related to applied ecopsychology. An extensive library and Internet literature search is to be conducted under the guidance of the instructor through which the students will select appropriate reading materials and create quotations in support of applied ecopsychology and their course paper.

-Recommended Bibliography
Students may select from the following general bibliographic materials, and the bibliographies they contain, as appropriate. See www.amazon.com for publication details and availability.

*Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukoff
*The Monkey Wrench Gang, Edward Abby
*Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions, Richard Erdoes
*Voice of the Desert, Joseph Wood Krutch
*The Soul Unearthed, Cass Adams,
*My Name is Chellis, Chellis Glenndinning,
*Ecopsychology, Theodore Roszac
*The Web of Life, John Storer
^Gazelle Boy, Jean Claude Armen
*Dream of the Earth, Thomas Berry
*Earth in Mind, David Orr
*Wilderness and the American Mind, Roderick Nash
*The Quiet Crisis, Stewart Udall
*Wisdom of the Body, Walter B. Connon
*Ishi in Two Worlds, Theodora Kroeber
*Education of Little Tree, Forest Carter
*Magical Child, Joseph Chilton Pierce
*Ishmael, Daniel Quinn
*Summerhill, A.S. Neill
*The Web of Life, Fritjov Capra
*The Spell of the Sensuous, David Abram
*The Battle in Seattle, Janet Thomas

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

-Assignment #1: Collaborative Communication with Instructor
Initiate telephone contact with the instructor to clarify the plan of
action for the course and initiate collaborative email communications.
Maintain email contact with the instructor for the duration of the course.
Initiate and continue journal notations concerning all communications with
the instructor.

-Assignment #2: Literature Review.
Under the direction and guidance of the instructor, conduct a library and
Internet search and previous student search for scholarly literature
specifically related to sensory (webstring) ecology. By design, this should include foundational writings that have informed the authors of the works under investigation. Review the literature and assess its effectiveness as a tool for teaching of sensory ecology and academic argument. Make journal
notations concerning all readings.

-Assignment #3: Annotated Bibliography
Prepare an exhaustive annotated bibliography that identifies the many ways
the literature informs practice, clarifying the contributions of the written
works to the scholarly discourse. Prepare these annotations in accordance
with acceptable means of annotation and submit these as requested by the
instructor in a formal written presentation.

-Assignment #4: Scholarly Paper from Literature Review

Within the requirements for a course final paper found at http://www.ecopsych.com/eco500paper.html prepare a paper containing a scholarly discussion of your findings from reviewing the literature. Gather insight into the differences between theory (from the readings) and practice (from ongoing course observations). Identify and clarify these incongruities. The paper should be approximately 15 double-spaced typewritten pages and include referencing of the literature and observations.

SUPPLEMENTAL LEARNING RESOURCES

-Internet Resources
*Guide to Internet Research
http://users.southeast.net/~drgwen/index.html
*Gateway to Academic Resources on Internet
<http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/gw/>
*Research Guide on Internet
http://www.lib.odu.edu/start/index.html

-Textbooks
*Specialty Books
5833 Industrial Drive
Athens, OH 45701
(800) 466-1365
(614) 594-2274
Fax (614) 593-3045.
Email: order@specialty-books.com
http://www.specialty-books.com

*Amazon Books
549 South Dawson
P.O. Box 81410
Seattle, WA 98108-1310
(800) 201-7575
(206) 694-2992.
Fax (206) 694-2950.
Email: orders@amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com
Books can be ordered directly from the Web site.

INDIVIDUALIZATION OF STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS
The primary purpose of this course is to provide opportunities for students
to carefully inspect the full reaches of sensory ecology literature. This course allows the student to select a topic for reading, identify the appropriate literature, prepare a thesis for the central focus of the course and undertake the structuring of a
scholarly paper.

COURSE EVALUATION
The instructor will evaluate the completeness and effectiveness of the
student's written materials, including the annotated bibliography, and the
scholarly paper.

The instructor and a student support/interact group will reflect upon the following expectations in evaluating the work of the student:

*detail of presentations
*depth and maturity of the literature review
*richness and diversity of the material presented
*clarity of references to the scholarly readings
*focus and conceptual quality
*richness and coherence in translation of academic theories and concepts
*appropriateness of applications
*quality of writing of the scholarly presentation

COURSE GRADING DETERMINANTS
The course grade will be calculated according to the following formula:

*annotated bibliography 30%
*scholarly paper 70%

COURSE COMPLETION TIMETABLE
While the student is expected to carry out and complete all assignments and
meet the expectations of the instructor within 180 days from the start
date, students are encouraged to pursue the course requirements according
to the following timetable.

Week #1: Make telephone contact with the instructor for the purpose of
establishing the plan of action and scheduling the timeline and mode of
communications for the duration of the course. Secure a recommended
bibliography from the instructor and begin to gather text and journal
literature in support of the special area of advanced reading.

Week #2: Submit by email a summarization of the agreed upon plan of action
for the course. Establish a thesis statement as the basis for the
approach to the directed reading. Gather literature and begin
readings and maintenance of journal notations (which must continue for the
duration of the project) related to all readings. Begin creation of an
annotated bibliography of the readings undertaken.

Week #6: Within the requirements for a course final paper found at http://www.ecopsych.com/eco500paper.html prepare continue to read and review the literature. Maintain journal notations related to all readings. Begin to organize your thinking related to the manuscript outline for the academic argument of the scholarly paper. Maintain frequent email communications with instructor.

Week #12: Structure a complete manuscript outline for the scholarly paper
including those sections as directed by the approved manual of style
selected to guide the preparation of the manuscript.

Week #16: Submit the annotated bibliography. Finalize the first draft of
the paper and submit an abstract of the paper for peer and faculty review, critique and recommendations related to the appropriateness of the presentation. Make the changes as merited from the peer review.

Week #20: Within the requirements for a course final paper found at http://www.ecopsych.com/eco500paper.html prepare and submit the scholarly paper.

Week #22: Receipt of effective feedback from the instructor.

SPECIAL NOTES AND INSTRUCTIONS

-Course Completion
The grade of Incomplete may be given ONLY AFTER discussion with the
instructor and only if there is an extremely good reason to give such a
grade. An Incomplete will NOT be given because a student is "behind" in
work, needs extra time, simply because s/he wants to delay the completion
of the assignments. It is important that you turn in assignments within
the parameters of the agreed timeline. However, there are often unforeseen
circumstances will may befall any of us, therefore, I will be patient with
you in the event of some personal crisis. Don't surprise me at the last
minute, call me, email me, and we will work it out.

-Thoughts about Writing.
Purchase a collegiate writing style manual. If you are unclear which is
the appropriate manual, please contact me and we can discuss this important
issue. All written work should adhere to the writing style and manuscript
preparation guidelines described in your style manual. Pay extra special
attention to the rules related to referencing and citation of the academic
literature. In all circumstances, you will be expected to acknowledge the
works of others which have informed the work you wish to submit as your
own. If you are unclear with regard to this expectation, ask before you
begin writing.

-Academic Integrity
Academic dishonest in any of its forms, including cheating, plagiarism,
misuse of the University web site, failure to comply with guidelines for
the preparation of a scholarly manuscript, and all aspects of professional
ethics, will not be tolerated. Any form of academic dishonesty is grounds
for dismissal from the program.

Students may progress through this course at a faster pace, as appropriate,
with permission of the course instructor.

FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION

Michael J. Cohen, Ed.D.
Director, Project NatureConnect
P. O. Box 1605
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA
Tel: (360) 378-6313
Email: nature@pacificrim.net
Website: www.ecopsych.com

Communications should take place during daytime working hours in the western time zone or by appointment.

Project NatureConnect
Institute of Global Education
Special NGO consultant to United Nations Economic and Social Council.
P.O. Box 1605 Friday Harbor WA 98250
(360) 378-6313
nature@pacificrim.net
www.ecopsych.com

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