Course Syllabus

Fall 2026 | PSY-2010-VO05S - Child Development

Tutorial Class

Faculty

Elizabeth Brown
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

In this course, students will explore child development from conception through preadolescence. The course emphasizes physical, emotional, social, cognitive, behavioral, and communication development of the child. Topics include developmental theories, research, applications, and assessment tools.

Essential Objectives

1. Discuss theories and research on child development from conception to preadolescence, how they have evolved over time, and how they influence our understanding of children and their development.
2. Describe the physical, emotional, social, cognitive, behavioral, and communication milestones of children from the pre-natal period through preadolescence.
3. Discuss how culture, race, socioeconomic status, generational trauma, and other factors can influence when and how children demonstrate developmental milestones.
4. Identify and effectively use tools for developmental screening and assessment, including those relevant to temperament, learning style, and all developmental domains.
5. Evaluate assessment tools for bias and discuss the ways in which assessing children without adequate context of their circumstances can create or reinforce social inequalities.
6. Understand the multiple influences on early development, including biological, genetic, environmental, cultural, familial, and adverse childhood experiences and recognize the lasting impacts these influences can have on a child, the family unit, and the larger community.
7. Describe the elements of safe, healthy, supportive, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed environments for children from birth through preadolescence.
8. Demonstrate proficiency in understanding the scientific method and in interpreting and evaluating statistical and other quantitative data as it is applied to human behavior in an ethical manner.

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 uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Fall 2026 textbook details will be available on 2026-05-18. 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-2010-VO05S 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.

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.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a valuable tool to support your learning, but it should be used to enhance your work, not complete it for you. Many assignments in this course are reflective in nature and are designed to help you demonstrate your understanding of course concepts, make meaningful connections to the material, and express your own thoughts, ideas, and perspectives.

While AI can be helpful for brainstorming, organizing ideas, or proofreading, it cannot replace your personal reflections or demonstrate your individual learning. I want to hear your voice, your understanding of the content, and your critical thinking. Responses generated primarily by AI are often too general and do not provide evidence of your comprehension or engagement with the course material.

If you use AI at any stage of your work, you must acknowledge and appropriately cite its use in your assignment.

If I have reason to believe that an assignment was generated primarily by AI rather than a reflection of your own work, I may ask you to revise and resubmit the assignment using your own words and perspective. My goal is to support your learning and ensure that your work accurately represents your knowledge and growth throughout the course.

If you have questions about the appropriate use of AI for a particular assignment, please don't hesitate to ask. I am happy to help clarify expectations.

Methods

For this course we will be using the following methods of teaching:

• Textbook readings and reflection
• TedTalks/video and reflection
• Text and/or video questions to be answered
• Other reading articles relevant to the content
• Weekly Zoom Lectures
• Weekly Zoom Group Work
• Weekly Assignments
• Mid-Semester Research Topic Paper
• Child Development Project

Evaluation Criteria

In an effort to provide a balanced learning experience in this course, I will offer the class a variety of ways to demonstrate what you have learned.

Activity	Percentage
Participation	20%
Weekly Assignments	40%
Mid-Semester Research Topic Paper	15%
Child Development Project (Final)	25%

Participation

Your participation grade is based on your engagement in class and with your assignments. Please see the participation policy for more information about how this is assessed. Participation grades will be provided by week 7 and then by the final week of the course.

Weekly Assignments

Weekly assignments are individual assignments designed to demonstrate your thoughts, insights, questions, and reflections on the course content we are exploring together. As you complete each assignment, you want to be sure you are demonstrating your understanding of the concepts covered while making meaningful connections to the course materials. You will be asked to cite at least one source in APA format (from course content or from an outside source).

Mid-Semester Research Topic Paper

The mid-semester research topic paper will be an essay on a topic of your choice (based on offerings from the instructor or prior approval). The paper will provide your instructor with a comprehensive overview of the topic, the reasons you chose to focus on the topic, and how you will use the information you have learned to guide yourself along your professional journey.

The Child Development Project

You will have 4-5 options to choose from for your child development project, including but not limited to a handbook for professionals working with children, a presentation on an overview of child development, and a resource guide for families of children focusing on the development of their child. There will be a list provided to students of options OR students can propose a project to the instructor for approval. Students should plan for the project to take at least 3 weeks to complete including submission of draft 1, draft 2 and the final draft.

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

Participation and Attendance Expectations:

Active participation in any course is important, but in an online course, it is imperative and it allows you to share what you are learning, ask questions, expand your knowledge/understanding of the content, and connect with your classmates through discussion and regular engagement.

Participation in this course is important as it counts for 20% of your total grade.

• This class meets Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00 pm. Students are expected to arrive on time (ideally in the waiting room no less than 5 mins prior to 6:00 pm). We will begin promptly at 6:00 pm.

• Students are expected to be active participants in discussions, pair and shares, small group activities, and during class. This means that you should have your camera on at all times and respond regularly to prompts and questions from your instructor and/or peers.

• If you are having technical difficulties, please notify the instructor before class so that they are aware of how you will be able to participate. Repeated technical difficulties MUST be resolved as participation is critical to your success in this course.

• The best hybrid courses are the ones where all members of the group are active participants. The information and insight you provide to your instructor and peers is invaluable to everyone's learning. The more we engage, the more we will all benefit from being a part of this semester together!

Attendance

For this course, we follow the Attendance Policy for CCV- that is linked HERE. Please be sure to read the policy carefully to ensure you have a clear understanding of the expectations for attendance for this course.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Missing and Late Work Policy:

Missing and Late Work policies are in place to help students manage their time appropriately for both the pace and complexities of the course and to give students appropriate recognition for completing their assignments on time (in turn maximizing their engagement in the course).

Please plan accordingly to ensure that all assignments are turned in on time. Below, please see the late policy for this course:

Assignments:

• All Weekly Assignments are due no later than 11:59 pm on the Monday before the start of the new week.I will provide a 1-day grace period for weekly assignments. So, after Tuesday at 11:59 pm, you will receive a 10% deduction per day (up to two days) after the due date. After Thursday at 11:59 pm, you will not receive credit for the assignment.

• Each semester there is a re-do/make-up option where youcan either make up an assignment you did not complete or turn in, or resubmit a weekly assignment you received reduced points on due to the assignment being late, or an assignment you would like to revise and resubmit for a higher grade(up to two weekly assignments from the semester). The re-do/make-up option is offered towards the end of the semester.

Other Assignments

• Due dates will be assigned to all other assignments. Typically, students will be required to turn in their assignment the Monday before the new week starts by or before 11:59 pm. Sometimes due dates will be different based on when the assignment is provided and how long it may take to complete.

Extensions

On or (ideally before) the end of the due date day (before 11:59 pm), a student can contact me to request an extension. The extension must be in writing and must include the following:

• Extenuating circumstance for why you are unable to complete the assignment on time.
• Plan for the future to avoid (if possible) assignments being turned in late
• Proposed plan for getting the assignment completed (including timeline)

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
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.