Course Syllabus

Summer 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

Patty Davenport
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. ***

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Summer 2025 textbook/book details will be available on 2024-12-06. 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-VO05 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

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.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Integrated: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges the use of AI is an essential skill in today's world. By using genAI for specific purposes, students become equipped with relevant skills and tools necessary to thrive in a technology-driven society. Emphasizing the mastery of generative AI should empower you to harness its potential, enhancing your problem-solving abilities and preparing you for future challenges and opportunities. Be aware, however, that any time generative AI is used at any point in the assignment without attribution it may be considered a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

• Discussion forums
• Mini-lecture
• Small group activities, including activities and simulations
• Reflection writing and writing assignments
• Midterm and Final exams
• Project-based assignments
• Multimedia
• Electronic research

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS:
In this class you will be evaluated on the following: Basic Academic Skills, Participation, Application of Knowledge, and Interpersonal/Professional Presentation.

• Class Discussions/Participation – Students are expected to participate actively in the weekly class discussion and to contribute meaningfully, as communication plays a vital role in the field of psychology and human services. Three discussion posts are required each week. One initial discussion response to the posted question/topic is due by midnight on Thursdays each week. Two responses to peer’s initial posts are due by midnight on Sunday's each week. It is expected that these responses will contribute to the over week’s discussion, add new information, and/or reflect upon the information provided by the other learner(s). Initial discussion posts should be 1-2 paragraphs in length, a minimum of 300 words. Your responses to your peers should add to the discussion and build upon learning. They should be a short paragraph for full credit (150 word minimum). Partial credit will be awarded for minimal content found in responses. All students will find their areas of strength as a communicator, whether it be through discussion forums, one-on-one conversation, or through written text. Therefore, we will be involved in a variety of activities that will enhance each student’s ability to articulately express his or her thoughts.
• As this course does not have a required textbook (outside of the memoir), students will be asked to read assigned readings each week. The majority of these will be provided directly through the courseroom, with others being available online (in either video/text format). The week’s discussion topics will require students to reflect on material covered in the reading or ask students to dive a bit deeper into the related topic. Late or absent discussion posts will reflect in a grade penalty.
• Quizzes – Various quizzes will be incorporated into weekly modules. Students are expected to prepare for and complete these quizzes within the indicated weeks. Quiz access will close following the completion of the week and questions will consist of true/false and multiple choice questions, with occasional fill-ins.
• Weekly Assignments – The majority of modules throughout the course contain assignments, some involving research and written responses/reflections, and others that are project-based. All assignments are due by midnight on Sundays of that week. All written assignments should be in APA format, utilizing in-text citations and a reference page, and will be graded directly using the rubric provided.
• Storybook – Students will create a storybook for a toddler or a preschooler. This will need to have illustrations and/or drawings that correspond with the words of the story. Stories must be submitted in a .pdf format. They can be completed on a word document, another program, or created by hand and scanned, etc. and then saved as a .pdf for submission.
• Developmental Autobiography: Each week students will add one or two pages/sections to an autobiography, using the material from that week's chapters in the text and one's own reflections, memory, etc. The object of this autobiography is to help students learn about their own developmental process so they can generalize this understanding and directly apply the theories we learn to real life. An optional assignment modification is available to any student who does not want to focus on their own life and development (no questions asked). In this case, the student will complete this course project based around an imaginary individual (covering their life beginning at birth and describing development, achievements, challenges, etc.). Any student desiring to do the modified project must contact, and get approval from, the course professor.
• Midterm & Final Exam – A midterm and final exam will be given in the middle and at the conclusion of the semester. These comprehensive exams will cover all of the content covered up to that point in the course. The final exam will consist of content covered during the second half of the course. Both exams will be made up of a true/false portion, a multiple choice portion and a written (fill-in) portion.

Evaluation Criteria

Weekly Assignments 20%

Quizzes 10%

Developmental Autobiography 15%

Storybook 10%

Midterm Exam 10%

Final Exam 10%

Participation/Discussion Posts 25%

• Extra Credit (2 points) – Any student with on-time completion of all discussion posts and responses will receive an extra two points (to be added to final grade).

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

ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION:It is expected that students will actively participate each week throughout the course. This is substantiated through online communication, primarily in the discussion forums. You are required to post three times in the discussion forum each week. The initial post, in response to the discussion question/topic is due by midnight on Thursdays. Two responses (to two different peers) is due by midnight on Sundays.

More than two weeks of participation absences will negatively impact a student’s ability to complete the requirements of the class successfully and will likely result in a meeting with the instructor and academic advisor.

ASSUMPTIONS/EXPECTATIONS:It is assumed that students chose to enroll in this course of their own free will and because they want to learn more about the exciting psychology-related field. Therefore, it is expected that students will treat each other and the instructor with respect and dignity, will actively listen, participate meaningfully, and with information of relevance to the discussions.

Students will also be expected to advocate for their needs if problems arise (i.e., scheduling an appointment with the instructor to discuss the issue).

Missing & Late Work Policy

Missing work results in a 0% for that assignment/discussion. Late work is accepted and is graded based off of the corresponding rubric (resulting in point deduction).

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.