Course Syllabus

Fall 2025 | PSY-1050-VT01 - Human Growth & Development

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Kate Greenen
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Philip Crossman

General Education Requirements

Social Science

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

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.

AI is not permissible in journal entries.

AI is permissible to look up information re: developmental theories and statistics, as long as the student verifies the sources used by AI independently.

Methods

This is a foundational Psychology class being taken by students going into a multitude of careers and fields. As such, this class aims to offer you a comprehensive look at why and how we study human growth and development, and why and how those careers and fields benefit from this knowledge. The first part of the syllabus focused on defining terms, understanding how we study human growth and development, and studying its history. The rest is organized by theory - as we learn each one, we will look at the typical development of each life stage according to that theory while continually placing them into context of the many factors that can affect human growth and development, as well as how culture and environment shapes our milestones and expectations.

1. This is a participation heavy class, with both whole class and small group discussions. You will also be keeping a weekly journal with assigned prompts.

2. There is no textbook but presentations/articles/multimedia resources/etc will be posted for each week.

3. There will be short weekly quizzes on the material.

4. Your final project will be a paper using a template person - yourself or someone interviewed - and will cover the following:

1. Chart their growth and development using 2 of the 7 theories learned
2. Explore how their socioeconomic status, culture, trauma, health ( pre and post natal care, nutrition, hormones, genetics), race/ethnicity, gender, and psychological factors might have impacted their growth and developement
3. Generate research proposal due to this case study in the following areas: biology/medical, psychology/sociology, education, and public policy.

Evaluation Criteria

Attendance and participation: 25%

Weekly journal prompts: 25%

Class assignments, both reading quizzes and assessments: 25%

Final Project: 25%

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

Students are expected to participate in the larger classroom discussions as well as the smaller break out groups. This is 25% of your grade and will help make the learning experience more dynamic and engaging for everyone and help me make the class as focused on your learning goals as possible! There are rules of conduct for participating that we will go over in the first class, so expectations are clear. I welcome opinion and lively debate as long as it is done respectfully and with the goal of mutual understanding. This class is welcoming of all identities and respect for those identities is expected. Human Growth and Development discussions may naturally go into topics that can be distressing or private for many, please be mindful of your own limits for self disclosure and know that you are never to be pressured to share beyond your comfort level about your personal life.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Journal assignments from the previous week are due at the start of the next class.

Any quizzes from the previous week are due at the start of the next class.

It will be possible to miss 1 quiz and 1 journal assignment deadline with no penalty, subsequent late assignments can be made up for half credit in the following week.

Experiential Learning Expectations

Hours: 1-5

The final project will be either a personal or an interviewed subject for a developmental history and analysis. This is to apply the theories used with a real, complex identity to help extrapolate the information into your own life.

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.