Lifespan, Growth, and Development Course Syllabus for PSYCH 2314-01 with LARRY D. THOMAS, PH.D. INSTRUCTOR: BRENHAM OFFICE: Mail: TELEPHONE: E-MAIL: OFFICE HOURS:

Dr. Larry Thomas 204 Arts & Science 902 College Ave.; Box 9501 Brenham TX 77833 979-830-4246 [email protected] Students may make appointments or arrange telephone conferences 7 am to 8 am Monday – Thursday 1 pm to 2 pm Monday – Thursday Please provide advanced notice so I can be available or inform of prior commitments.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course presents a study of the interaction of physical, psychological, and social factors and their impact on human development and behavior from conception to death. Topics covered in the course are as follows: basic concepts of life span development; theories of development; cultural impacts on development; prenatal development and birth; physical, cognitive, and social development across the life-span; and death, dying and bereavement. Prerequisite: PSYC 2301 Credit: Three semester hours. COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Text:

Explain the causes of major age-related changes that individuals experience in the biological, cognitive, and social domains. Apply major psychological theories to changes which occur over the lifespan. Differentiate various research methods used to explain lifespan development. Analyze the use of appropriate research methods to explore questions of developmental change. Evaluate various theories of physical, cognitive or social development. Identify developmental norms and the factors which contribute to normative development. Apply specific developmental theories to real-life situations. Compare and contrast how group differences (ex. cultural, economic, social) impact development. Identify leading contributors to the various domains of developmental psychology. Discuss how genetic and environmental factors impact lifespan development. Life-Span: Human Development Sixth Edition by Carol K. Sigelman & Elizabeth A. Rider

THE PLAN: All assigned textbook assignments, biography, and journal articles are expected to be read and done on schedule by the student prior to class. Class lectures and discussion will focus on selected topics – some of which are covered in the required text, others of which are not. Such topics are chosen for a number of reasons. Some were chosen because the required text does not cover them to the extent your instructor wishes, and some because the phenomena are somewhat difficult to understand, and some due to students special interest in them in the past. For exam purposes, students are responsible for all materials utilized in class: textbook material, lectures, films, videotapes, special handouts, demonstrations, etc. GRADES & CRITERIA FOR GRADES Grade Type: Whole Letter Grade (A/B/C/D/F) Calculation of Grade Chapter Exams

30%

Percent

Comprehensive Final Exam

25%

Class Discussions & Activities

15%

Assignment Detail Completion of Online Chapter Tests, one for each chapter assigned. Completion of Comprehensive Exam. Participate in the class discussions and complete class activities.

Due Dates As scheduled on e-Campus Calendar and must be completed by the Sunday following their assignment. Due by assigned date on calendar. As asssigned

Biography of Developmental Psychologist McNamara Reports

15%

3 to 5 page paper

15%

These are 1-page reports regarding research articles you will read for five chapters.

Must be completed prior to Spring Break. Due as assigned in class.

Major Exams (Classroom Assignment): Major exams will be completed in the classroom and will cover several chapters. They will be scheduled by your instructor and you will need a scantron for each exam. There will be three major exams in the year and each exam will be worth 10% of your grade for a total of 30% of the final grade in the class. Criteria for grading will be correct answer to questions as determined by the textbook, notes and instructor. Comprehensive Final Exam (Classroom Assignment): The Final Exam is comprehensive exam and covers material in each of the previous chapters. You should review each of the Chapter Summaries and Chapter Outlines in preparation for the final exam. The Final Exam will be taken online like each of the chapter exams. The final grade is worth 25% of your final grade. Criteria for grading will be correct answer to questions as determined by the textbook, notes and instructor. Class Participation and Discussions: Participating in classroom discussions and completing class assignments in on time is important. Students should come to class having read the assignment prior to the class instruction and thus be prepared to discuss the topics covered in the lecture. Students can be expected to be called on during class about the content of the chapter during the lecture so come to class prepared. Classroom assignments will also be used during the semester and students are expected to complete these during class and turn them in prior to the end of class. Discussions and Class Assignments combined are worth 15% of your final grade. Criteria for grading will include timely submission, use of terms and concepts introduced in chapter and ability of student to express ideas in a concise, clear and competent manner. Not attending class or coming in late, turning in late assignments or taking make-up exams will all result in deductions from this grade. Biography of a Developmental Psychologist: Biography must be submitted in Microsoft Word format and be no less than 3 full pages of writing and no more than 5 pages. The font must be Times Roman, a font size of 10pt and all margins must be set at 1”. The psychologist must be mentioned in your textbook. The paper will discuss their personal history, professional training, professional contribution to psychology and a final section which discusses your personal reaction to their contribution. Biography of a Developmental Psychologist is worth 15% of your total grade. Criteria for grading will include the inclusion of all headings identified above, the use of at least 5 resources clearly identified (not textbook, encyclopedia or general web source (webepedia.com, answer.com etc.), and the ability of the student to write in a concise, clear and competent manner. Research Reports: http://www.blinn.edu/socialscience/LDThomas/McNamara.doc This course requires the completion of five McNamara Reports during the semester. Reports must address the content covered in the chapter and will be due on Friday. Each report will respond be in the McNamara Report format. Note that your report may not address all aspects of the question but must reflect a point you can back up with data from the article you can graph and discuss. To download the format, click on the desired format below and save it to your computer for used during the semester. You will edit the form to enter your desired information. McNamara report designs have a graph or chart data in one quadrant, outline of important information in another quadrant and narrative in the bottom half of the page. You should not exceed 10-point type in this assignment. You will have to construct graphs and charts in Microsoft Excel or Word and post these in Microsoft Word documents so if you do not know how to do this you need to visit with me or someone at the computer labs and learn how. Criteria for grading will include your ability to communicate in the format provided and write in a concise, clear and competent manner. Using the computer to complete assignments is a core requirement of this class. Reports are due as assigned in class. Reports are worth 15% of your final grade. ATTENDANCE: Attendance is mandatory for successful completion of this class. Knowledge of material from the textbook and other material given in class will be tested. Dialectical class discussion is expected from every student. Students not in attendance cannot discuss assigned material! Your attendance will be recorded as per Blinn College policy. Lack of attendance in classes could affect your federal financial aid. Please be advised, according to Blinn Policy there are only 4 excused absences from class: official Blinn activity, official ISD activity, military service, and religious holy days declared at the beginning of the semester in writing to instructors. Blinn College believes that class attendance is essential for student success; therefore, students are required to promptly

and regularly attend all their classes. Each class meeting builds the foundation for subsequent class meetings. Without full participation and regular class attendance, students shall find themselves at a severe disadvantage for achieving success in college. Class participation constitutes at least ten percent of the final course grade for this course. In consultation with the division chair, I have determined how participation shall be determined in this class. I will require students to regularly attend class and will keep a record of attendance from the first day of class and/or the first day the student’s name appears on the roster through the final examinations. If a student has one week’s worth of unexcused absences during the semester, he/she may be sent an e-mail by the College requiring the student to contact the instructor and schedule a conference immediately to discuss his/her attendance issues. Should the student accumulate two weeks of unexcused absences, they may be administratively withdrawn from class. You should not just stop coming to class and expect your instructor to drop you for this policy. If your name appears on the official role because you failed to drop the course, regardless of your attendance, you will get a grade in the course regardless of this policy. WITHDRAWAL (DROP) FROM CLASS: It is the student’s responsibility to correctly and officially withdraw from class regardless of the circumstances. Withdrawal (drop) from class must be done in writing, filed with the Office of Admissions and Records. Your instructor may drop you from this class due to excessive absences. If you have absences that meet the excused absence policy of Blinn you must contact him promptly on notification for the administration of your absences. This policy is intended to help you stay in school and do well and should not be used as a method of dropping the course by the student. Official attendance drops are an administrative decision in regards to Blinn College policy once attendance has been reported as being insufficient. CIVILITY STATEMENT: Members of the Blinn College community, which includes faculty, staff, and students, are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Blinn College holds all members accountable for their actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to behave in a manner that recognizes personal respect and demonstrates concern for the personal dignity, rights, and freedoms of every member of the College community, including respect for College property and the physical and intellectual property of others. In psychology classes, controversial issues are often analyzed and discussed. Opinions are welcomed and encouraged. Rigorous, critical, honest examinations of issues are thought provoking and facilitate the learning process. No one, however, has the right to challenge another’s dignity! All students are expected to remain courteous and sensitive to others thoughts and feelings while expressing their personal views. There will be no tolerance of expressions of hate or use of obscene, vulgar, or slang words to describe sexual orientation, different religious beliefs, ethnic groups, etc. If you are unable to do this, be quiet and allow discussion among those who can! Civility Notification Statement: If a student is asked to leave the classroom because of uncivil behavior, the student may not return to that class until he or she arranges a conference with the instructor; it is the student’s responsibility to arrange for this conference. ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY: All the functions of all personal electronic devices designed for communication and/or entertainment (cell phones, pagers, beepers, iPods, and similar devices) must be turned off and kept out of sight in all Blinn College classrooms and associated laboratories. Any noncompliance with this policy will be addressed in accordance with the Blinn College civility policy. Additionally, any communication understood by the instructor to be in the nature of cheating will have consequences in accordance with this Blinn College policy section regarding academic dishonesty. ADA STATEMENT: Blinn College would like to help students with disabilities achieve their highest potential in college. In order to receive accommodations on exams or assignments, proper documentation must first be provided to the Office of Disability Services, located in Room 104 on the 1st floor of the New Administration Building. You must then self-identify and conference with me during my posted office hours to begin receiving accommodations in the class. SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY It is the responsibility of instructors to maintain scholastic integrity at Blinn College by refusing to tolerate any form of scholastic dishonesty. If there is compelling evidence that a student is involved in cheating or plagiarism, the instructor should assume responsibility and address the infraction. Likewise, any student accused of scholastic dishonesty is entitled to due process as outlined in the Blinn College Scholastic Dishonesty Policy, found in the Blinn College Student Handbook. A student receiving an “F” in the course because of scholastic dishonesty may not withdrawal from that course. MAKEUP EXAMINATIONS A student who misses a major of final examination may ask the instructor for permission to make up the examination. If a student is absent while officially representing Blinn College or an Independent School District, practicing “a religious holy day” or attending military service requirements will be permitted to make up examinations. The major examination must be made up within two weeks after their return to class or at the discretion of the instructor. Final examinations must be made up within a reasonable time defined by the Admissions and Records office. If a student cannot complete the final examination in that time frame, an Incomplete (I) may be considered (consult further the Incomplete Policy of Blinn College). Short tests, class assignments and class participation may not be made up unless with exceptions only granted at discretion of instructor.

COURSE CALENDAR Month

Day

Lecture

August September

30th /31st 1st nd /2 6th & 7th 8th & 9th 13th& 14th 15th & 16th 20th & 21st 22nd & 23rd 27th & 28th 4th & 5th 6th & 7th 11th & 12th 13th & 14th 18th & 19th 20th & 21st 25th & 26th 27th & 28th 1st & 2nd 3rd & 4th 8th & 9th 10th & 11th 15th & 16th 22nd & 23rd 29th & 30th 1st & 2nd 6th & 7th 10th -15th

1 2 3 4 5

Book Chapter 1 2 2 3 4

6 7 8 9 10 11

5 5 6 7 8 8

12 13 14 15 16

9 10 11 12 12

17 18 19 20 21 22

13 13 14 14 15 16

October

November

December

Lecture Topic Study of Human Development Theories of Human Development Theories of Human Development (continued) Genes, Environment & Development Prenatal Development & Birth Test One (Chapters 1-4) Health Physical Development Perception Cognition Memory Information Processing Test Two (Chapters 5-8) Intelligence & Creativity Language & Education Personality Gender Roles Sexuality Test Three (Chapters 9-12) Social Cognition Moral Development Attachments Social Relationships The Family The Final Stages of Death & Dying Test Four (Chapters 13-16) Finals

DR. THOMAS’S CLASSROOM POLICIES AND RULES 1. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in severe penalties. Copying someone’s answer on a test, assignment or exercise is considered cheating and may result in an F for the course. 2.

Class participation and discussion are important parts of this course. Thoughtful questions, opinions, and remarks are encouraged. Do not confuse these with inappropriate personal conversations, remarks, gestures, and offensive language. Such behavior will not be tolerated. It interferes with the rights of other students. Disruptive students will be asked to leave the class and will be counted absent, unexcused. Repeated disruption will result in permanent removal from the class.

3.

If you find it necessary to drop the class for any reason (illness, class attendance, etc.) you are encouraged to confer with your instructor prior to taking such action.

4.

Students are expected to arrive on time. Class lecture cannot be delayed for late arriving students, nor will roll call be adjusted for late arrivals. If you are not present at role call you are absent for that class, but do feel free to attend the class. If you enter the class late please do so in a respectful manner. Students who arrive late on any exam day will not be given extra time to finish the exam unless there are strong extenuating circumstances.

5.

No food or drink may be brought to class. The wearing of hats, caps, bandanas or any other head covering, other than for religious reasons, in class is not allowed in buildings at Blinn College.

6.

Do not ask to borrow the instructor’s lecture notes or textbook. Use the online resources made available to you at the instructors website: http://www.blinn.edu/socialscience/LDThomas/general.htm and http://www.blinn.edu/socialscience/LDThomas/Slides.htm

7.

Talking is not permitted during films and/or videotapes.

8.

Come to class with adequate supplies. The instructor or other class members are not obligated to furnish them! This includes the five scantrons necessary for exams.

9.

All cell phones should be set to silent or vibrate to prevent the disruption of classes. No cell phones are allowed during exams. Key pads should be set to silent if text messaging in emergency situations. Students using computers for anything other than class work will not be allowed to use their computers in future classes. Students should never touch a phone during exams!

10. Feel free to audio tape any or all lectures and to share them and notes with other class members. This must be done quietly and in a manner not to disturb others. I strongly recommend you record reviews for tests. Photo copies of tests or removing tests from the classroom is strictly prohibited. 11. Students are expected to wear clothing that is appropriate for a learning environment. Underwear should remain covered by other clothing. Pajamas are not appropriate for class, nor house slippers. Apparel with obscene language or graphics is not allowed for public viewing at Blinn College. Students should also reframe from wearing clothing which is intended to degrade the college (i.e. Blinndergarten). 12.

Your instructor reserves the right to make additions to these class rules as deemed necessary. If so, you will be notified in class.

“If we take people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat them as if they were what they ought to be, we help them to become what they are capable of becoming.” ---GOETHE