Psychology 2040B-650 (online)
Child Development
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
A survey of theory and research in developmental psychology including learning, cognition, perception, personality and social development in infancy and childhood.
Antirequisites: Psychology 2410A/B, Psychology 2480E, and the former Psychology 2044
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Sarah Smits-Bandstra, Ph.D., SLP Reg. CASLPO
Office and Phone Number: 647-407-4154 (no office)
Office Hours: Online (skype, facetime, email or OWL discussion board) or by phone
Email: smitsbandstra@gmail.com
Teaching Assistant: Jennifer Lynch
Office: SSC 8432
Office Hours: On appointment
Email: jlynch32@uwo.ca
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
Technological Support Services:
- By Phone: 519 661-3800 or Ext. 83800
- In Person: Support Services Building - our drop in counter is on the main floor right inside the front doors
- By JIRA: Create a JIRA ticket (you will need to login you’re your regular UWO username and password) at https://jira.uwo.ca/secure/CreateIssue.jspa?pid=10920&issuetype=6
- By Webform (if your password does not work to create a JIRA ticket) uwo.ca
- Ask ITS uwo.ca - get immediate answers to some of our more common inquiries
SDC’s Learning Skills Services: Rm 4100 WSS, www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning
LS counsellors are ready to help you improve your learning skills. They offer presentations on strategies for improving time management, multiple-choice exam preparation/writing, textbook reading, and more. Peer support is offered throughout the Fall/Winter terms in the drop-in PAL Centre, and Individual Counselling is available year round.
Connecting with the Course Instructor:
- When you email me, you can expect a response within 2 business days (Not Sat, Sun and holidays).
- I plan to grade the exams, discussion posts and assignments within ten days of when the assignment is completed to leave you with time to incorporate instructor feedback into your next assignment. You will be expected to carefully review feedback and apply suggestions for improvement. Feedback is given to support your success and develop your skills.
- You can post any questions you have on the online forum “I Have a Question…”. If is it urgent, or personal, email me instead at smitsbandstra@gmail.com.
I will do my very best to meet the above deadlines for feedback unless I have exceptional circumstances (in which case, you will receive notification of when to expect a response).
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Berk, L. E. (2013). Child Development. 9th edition. Pearson.
ISBN-10: 0205149766 or ISBN-13: 978-0205149766
This textbook is essential for success. You will need this edition to follow along with the online lectures, exams and complete the class discussions. This text was chosen because it is a comprehensive overview of childhood development
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is a survey of theory and research in developmental psychology including learning, cognition, perception, personality and social development in infancy and childhood.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
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Table of Learning Outcomes |
Activities Supporting Learning Outcomes |
Assessment Information |
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1. Describe three historical theories of developmental psychology. |
Powerpoint Lectures Video Lectures Written Discussion |
Multiple choice exams Graded class discussion |
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2. Explain the scientific method as it applies to developmental psychology. |
Powerpoint Lectures Video Lectures Written Discussion |
Multiple choice exams Graded class discussion |
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3. Describe milestones of childhood development that occur in infancy, childhood and adolescence. |
Powerpoint Lectures Video Lectures Written Discussion |
Multiple choice exams Graded class discussion |
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4. Compare and contrast development in biological, cognitive and socioemotional areas. |
Powerpoint Lectures Video Lectures Written Discussion |
Multiple choice exams Graded class discussion |
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5. Evaluate how child development is influenced by a number of contextual factors, including families, peers, communities and cultures. |
Powerpoint Lectures Video Lectures Written Discussion |
Multiple choice exams Graded class discussion |
5.0 EVALUATION
Activities you must complete to be successful in this course:
Syllabus Quiz (0.5% of final grade), You are required to review the syllabus so you know what to do if you need support, an extension, or if you are sick or absent. Late submissions will be given zero.
Class Introduction and replies to classmates (0.5% of final grade). Late submissions will be given zero.
Class Discussions (3 worth 3% each or 9% of final grade), Discussions will require analysis and evaluation of content presented in the readings and lectures to help you process and learn the material in a meaningful way. Late discussions will be given zero. All assignments are due on Monday at 11:59 pm.
Midterm 1 (15%) Midterm 2 (35%) Final Exam (40%), Exams will consist of 90 multiple choice questions. Self-reported absence can only be used for Midterm 1.
Exam 1 will cover chapters 1, 2 & 3 and supplementary material from unit 1.
Exam 2 will cover chapters 4, 6, & 7 and supplementary material from unit 2.
Exam 3 be cumulative from the beginning of the course.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Exam #1 (Chapters 1-3), Saturday January 25, Room TBA
Exam #2 (Chapters 4, 6, & 7), Saturday Feb 29, Room TBA
Exam #3 (Cumulative) During final exam period (April 6-26), Room TBA
All three exams are written on campus, or at a proctored distance site
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
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Week |
Topic and Reading |
Due |
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Unit 1: Jan 6 |
“Chapter 1: History, Theory and Applied Directions” |
Syllabus Scavenger Hunt (Due Jan 20 at 11:59 pm) |
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Unit 1: Jan 13 |
“Chapter 2: Research Strategies” |
Class Introductions due Jan 20 at 11:59 pm) |
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Unit 1: Jan 20 |
"Chapter 3: Biological Foundations: Prenatal Development, and Birth " |
Study guide for Exam One (do not hand in) |
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Unit 1: Jan 25 |
Unit One Exam |
Saturday Jan 25, 2-4 pm |
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Unit 2: Jan 27 |
"Chapter 4: Infancy: Early Learning, Motor Skills, and Perceptual Capacities " |
Class Discussion One: Group A due Jan 27 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 2: 5-Feb 3 |
"Chapter 6 (up to page 249): Piagetian, Core Knowledge, and Vygotskyian Perspectives" |
Class Discussion One: Group B due Feb 3 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 2: Feb 10 |
"Chapter 6 (249 to end): Piagetian, Core Knowledge, and Vygotskyian Perspectives" |
Class Discussion One: Group C due Feb 10 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 2: Feb 17 |
Spring Break |
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Unit 2: Feb 24 |
“Chapter 7: Information Processing Perspective” |
Study Guide for Exam Two (do not hand in) Class Discussion Two: Group A due Feb 24 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 2: Feb 29 |
Unit Two Exam |
Saturday Feb 29, 2-4 pm |
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Unit 3: March 2 |
“Chapter 9 beginning to page 372: Language Development” |
Class Discussion Two: Group B due Mar 2 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 3: March 9 |
“Chapter 9 Page 372 to end: Language Development” |
Class Discussion Two: Group C due March 9 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 3: March 16 |
“Chapter 10: Emotional Development” |
Class Discussion Three: Group A due March 16 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 3: March 23 |
“Chapter 11: Self and Social Understanding” |
Class Discussion Three: Group B due March 23 at 11:59 pm |
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Unit 3: March 30 |
“Chapter 14: The Family” |
Class Discussion Three: Group C due Mar 30 at 11:59 pm Extra Credit due Mar 30 at midnight Study Guide for Exam Three (do not hand in) |
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April 6-26, 2020 (TBA) |
Unit Three (Final) Exam |
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8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2019-2020 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
