Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | PSY-1050-VO10S - Human Growth & Development

Synchronous Class

Synchronous courses are delivered through a combination of online and regularly-scheduled Zoom sessions. In synchronous classes, students must attend Zoom sessions and actively engage with each other and faculty in course activities and discussions.

Faculty

Deborah Curtis
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Kate Hughes

General Education Requirements

VSCS Social Sciences

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is a survey of human growth and development throughout the life cycle including physical, cognitive, linguistic, ethical, and psychosocial dimensions.

Essential Objectives

1. Compare and contrast two major theories of developmental psychology.
2. Identify and discuss issues in human growth and development arising from differences in gender, race, and socioeconomic status.
3. Select one theory and discuss the major aspects of each stage of growth according to physical, cognitive, language, and social dimensions.
4. Explain how both environmental and genetic factors influence growth and development.
5. Apply the main concepts and principles of one developmental theory to the development of an individual.
6. Describe the process of empirical and ethical research (both cross-sectional and longitudinal) as it is commonly practiced and applied in the field of developmental psychology, including how that research informs contemporary issues.
7. Distinguish between fact and opinion, recognize unstated assumptions, and evaluate arguments according to the quality of supporting evidence in the literature.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2024 textbook details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

PSY-1050-VO10S Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

a. Weekly discussion forum participation

b. Assigned readings from the texts and supplementary materials.

c. View additional media such as TED talks and relevant videos

d. Weekly reflection and other written assignments.

e. Two (2) written research papers: midterm and final

f. Three (3) quizzes

Evaluation Criteria

The requirements for completing the course include:

1. Completion of reading assignments in the text and other materials.

2. Class participation in weekly ZOOM classes along with the discussion forums and at least 2 replies weekly

3. Completion of written assignments.

4. Class attendance and participation. Online attendance and active participation is an essential component of this class. All missed classes must have prior notice. Three or more missed classes will likely result in a failing grade.

The work required by the course is designed to assess the level of mastery of the different objectives in different ways. The criteria for evaluation fall into three main domains:

1. class participation through ZOOM and the discussion forums gives the student opportunities to demonstrate mastery of the course content through discussion, in-depth analysis of the content and verbal expression of ideas about the material. Participation is judged on criteria of attendance in ZOOM classes and discussion forums, preparation (being up to date on assignments), active participation in discussions (expressing ideas, questioning, showing interest, listening to others, relevant comments, integrating ideas from different sources).

2. Reflections and other assignments allow the student to articulate how the course content and objectives are impacting one's skills and knowledge.

3. Independent research papers are designed to reflect the student's ability to critically discuss and evaluate a body of knowledge in the field of Human Growth and Development and to apply concepts to new information. Papers will be scored on a point system which will reflect the quality of the research, the appropriateness of the application of the concepts and the ability to express independent ideas through writing.

Students should expect to spend 9 - 12 hours per week on reading, posting to the discussions, and assignments for this course.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Human Growth and Development explores normal development from conception through death. We will look at physical, intellectual, social, and emotional changes across the life cycle. We will try to explain why development happens. We will examine the major influences on development and the relationships among the several aspects of development.

My intent in this combination ZOOM/online course is that you will construct a detailed, complex, and useful understanding of what human development is, how it happens, why it happens, and what shapes it. We will describe the typical stages of development, focusing on three major domains of development: physical, cognitive, and social/emotional. The text provides a variety of examples for each domain in each stage, drawn from important research in the broad field of human development. The book explains the ways research is done in the field and the issues researchers and practitioners encounter as they try to understand the processes of development and sometimes to intervene in development or to enhance it. Through class and Canvas work, we will explore all of these topics and more. Students should expect to spend 9 - 12 hours per week on this class work.

This class is interactive, that is, students will be involved in small and large group discussions through ZOOM. If you are not in ‘class’, you cannot participate. If you miss three or more ZOOM classes, it will result in a failing grade. Points will be deducted for each class missed. 10 points for the first class missed 20 points for the second class missed, and 30 points deducted for the third class ZOOM missed. This totals 60 points, which means an 'F'. Attendance through the discussion forum counts as attendance as well as participation. There is a rubric for discussion forums grading.

The discussion forum is a significant element of the semester. A discussion forum gives students and me the opportunity to discuss issues, reflect on ideas, and generally communicate with each other. The expectation is to submit the initial post by midnight each Friday and reply to at least two other people by the following Sunday on or beforemidnight. Failure to post or reply will have a significant impact on your grade. See rubric for more details. Do not wait until the last moment to post to the replies, that doesn't give others a chance to reply to you.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Discussion forum: Students will post to the discussion forums at least 3 (three) times weekly

The initial post is due by midnight each Friday and thereplies are due on or before each Sunday night although earlier is preferred.This is different from some instructors.

It will be important to view the due dates for responding and contributing to the discussion forums to be sure you are posting and replying on time throughout the semester.Don't rely solely on the calendar for due dates,as the date will be listed as Wednesday and students need to post before then. Canvas doesn't allow for 2 separate due dates for discussion forums

Late Posting for discussions

• If the initial posting is late, the grade is a 7.5.
• For replies not submitted, the grade is a deduction of 1 point for each of the 2 required reply.

If there is no post or replies, the grade for that week is a zero (0)

Reflection/reaction paper and other assignments:

There are regular reflections/assignments. The topics will be posted during each unit.

• Late reflections/other assignments will automatically have 2.5 points deducted which means a starting grade of 7.5 with points deducted from there. The highest grade students can receive, if a paper is late, is a 7.5
• Additional points deducted may reduce the grade further
• Reflections and other assignments with a grade of 6.0 can be resubmitted for a maximum of 2 additional points. The resubmitted reflection must be submitted in one week from the original due date. No assignments will be accepted after the second week.

Midterm and Final paper - If the midterm and final papers and projects are submitted late, it will result in an 0 unlessyou have contacted me at least 48 hours before the paper or project is due and we have made a plan for an extension. Do not ask for an extension on the day an assignment is due. If a paper is not submitted at all,the grade will be a ‘0’and will significantly impact the overall grade.

Experiential Learning Expectations

Hours: 1-5

The final paper/project is a form of experiential learning. Each student will interview a member of the community on a topic in which the community member has knowledge and expertise. The paper will consist of a combination of the interview information and research supporting the topic of the interview. My hope is that students gain knowledge of the topic and learn from the community member's knowledge. Students should expect to spend 1 - 5 hours completing this CSL. The hours DO NOT include writing the paper.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity