Course Syllabus

Fall 2025 | PSY-1050-VO05 - Human Growth & Development

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Melissa Evans
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 computer recommendations Support page.

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 is a low cost ($50 or less) textbook or resource class. ***

PSY-1050-VO05 Link to Textbooks/Resources Information 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.

Evaluation Criteria

·

Discussion Board Participation
As stated previously, the Discussion forum is a very significant component of online work. It is the heart
of online learning. As such, you should carefully review the following requirements in order to do well in
this component this semester.
During the 7 days (Tuesday till Monday midnight) that you have to participate on the discussion board,
the grade you receive will be based on your active participation and completion of all aspects of the
discussion forum question(s) posed by the instructor. Specifics regarding this weekly assignment are as
follows;
• Post your response to the discussion question posed by your instructor no later
than Friday at 11:59pm of that discussion week. Any first postings that are later
then Friday will be given an automatic 0.
• Respond to a minimum of two other students' postings by Saturday at 11:59pm.
• Respond to any follow-up questions the instructor poses directly to you by
Sunday at 11:59pm.
• Important: With a view toward creating a stimulating dialogue between
students throughout the week, you will be required to post your responses on
two different days of the week with your initial post being posted before
midnight Friday
Overall your discussion board postings will be worth 150 points of your final
grade

Discussion Board Grading
A Work: ( A = 93-100%, A- = 90-92.99%)
• Discussion question is carefully and systematically answered.
• Responses to other student ideas and questions are substantive.
• Questions posed clearly relate to the ideas being discussed and researched.
• Responses and questions illustrate the student has a thorough understanding of
the subject matter as evidenced through appropriate use of subject specific
vocabulary and key concepts, and the ability to relate the subject matter to
his/her own experiences and /or other areas of knowledge.

B Work: (B+ = 87%-88,99 , B = 83-86.99%, B- = 80-82.99%)
• All major pieces of the discussion question are carefully and systematically
answered.
• Responses to other student ideas and questions are included, but may be
limited in nature.
• Questions posed peripherally relate to the ideas being discussed and
researched.
• Responses and questions illustrate the student understands the subject matter
as evidenced through appropriate use of subject specific vocabulary and key
concepts; limited ability to relate subject matter to their own experiences
and/or other areas of knowledge.

C Work: (C+ = 77-79.99%, C = 73-76.99%, C- = 70-72.99%)
• Student responds to most elements of the discussion assignment.
• Responses to other student ideas and questions are included, but may be
limited in nature and may not relate directly to the specific ideas and questions
posed.
• Questions posed do not relate to the ideas being discussed and researched.
• Response illustrates basic understanding of subject matter.

Spelling and grammar errors impede the student's ability to communicate the
main points of his/her argument.
• Responses and questions are not submitted on time, according to deadlines
outlined in the syllabus/assignments listing.

D Work: (D+ 67-69.99 D 60-66.99
• Student responds to some elements of the discussion assignment.
• Responses to other student ideas and questions are not included or questions
to others students are not posed.
• Response illustrates limited understanding of subject matter.
• Spelling and grammar errors make it difficult for the student to communicate
the main points of his/her argument.
• Responses and questions are not submitted on time, according to deadlines
outlined in the syllabus/assignments listing.

F Work: (59.99% or less)
• Student does not respond to the components of the discussion assignment.
• Responses to other student ideas and questions are not included and questions
to others students are not posed.
• Response does not illustrate an understanding of the subject matter.
• No research or use of primary and secondary sources.
• Spelling and grammar errors make it impossible for the student to communicate
the main points of his/her argument.

Virtual Child
You will have a semester long writing project, documenting the growth and development of your
“virtual child”. Your virtual child is an imaginary child that you will give birth to and raise, and describe
development, events, and achievements and challenges right through death. I will guide you through
this Virtual Child project with weekly graded assignments that are due throughout the semester. Don’t
forget to give your child a name! These assignments are each worth 20 points a piece.

Research Papers
You will be required to submit a research paper in this class due at week 11. The research paper will
involve independent research of primary sources. The grading rubric, APA aids and basic guidelines for
writing the research paper will be posted. The research papers is worth 50 points of your final grade.

Quizzes
Beginning with session two you will complete multiple choice quizzes covering the material in the
reading assignment from the text. By clicking on the Quiz on the weekly menu you will see the quiz
heading which when opened makes available the multiple-choice questions.

The quizzes are not timed, however you need to complete the quiz in one sitting. You cannot start it and
come back later to finish it. It is automatically corrected with the score given you. You will be given
the correct answer if you have a wrong answer along with the page number in your text where you will
find the correct answer. These quizzes will comprise 110 points of your semester grade.

Study Plan
Beginning of each module you will have an area called study plan. This is where you begin your reading
assignments in order to complete the discussion and quiz for each week. Each study plan is worth five
points. The first week doesn’t have a study plan but a section labeled assignment which is a consent
form. There are 11 study plans. Each are worth 10 points. Make sure to complete rhe self checks and readiness checks. You must complete the Readiness Check and all topic Self Checks to earn 100% on your study plan points.

Grade Layouts:
• Discussions: 15 @10points each equals 150 points
• Form from Professor- 5 points.
• Research Paper equals 50 points
• Virtual Child: 9@20 points each equals 180 points
• Quizzes: 11@20 points each equals 220 points
• Study points: 11@10 points each equals 110 points
• Class Points Total=715 points

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

The Discussion forum is a very significant component of online work. It is the heart of online learning. As such, you should carefully review the following requirements in order to do well in this component this semester.

During the7 days (Tuesday to Monday midnight) that you have to participate on the discussion board, the grade you receive will be based on your active participation and completion of all aspects of the discussion forum question(s) posed by the instructor. Specifics regarding this weekly assignment are as follows;

• Post your response to the discussion question posed by your instructor no later than Thursday at 11:59pm of that discussion week. Any first postings that are later then Thursday will be given an automatic 0.

• Pose a question to the class that relates directly to the topic being covered that week.

• Respond toa minimum of two other students' postings by Saturday at 11:59pm.

• Respond to any follow-up questions the instructor poses directly to you by Sunday at 11:59pm.

• Important: With a view toward creating a stimulating dialogue between students throughout the week, you will be required to post your responses on two different days of the week with your initial post being posted before midnight Thursday.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late Work

All work must be submitted by the posted deadline. To receive credit for late work prior arrangements must be made with the instructor. Please note, even if an extension is granted, expect your work to drop at least a letter grade as the penalty for late submission.

Attendance Policy:

Attendance at classes are essential components of a student's success in college and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. Please be aware that missing more than three classes will result in a non-satisfactory grade. For this online course it means not being present on the Discussion Board for that week.

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

Apply Now for this semester.