2040A-650

Psychology 2040A-650

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 2044, 2410A/B, 2480E, Health Sciences 2700A/B and the former 3700A/B

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if this course has an antirequisite that you have previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in this one.

0.5 course


2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor:  Sarah Smits-Bandstra, Ph.D., Reg. CASLPO

Office and Phone Number: 647-407-4154 (no office)

Office Hours: Online (skype, email or OWL discussion board) or by phone Fridays 9 am – 2:30 pm (or by appointment).

Email: smitsbandstra@gmail.com


If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you.  Please visit:  http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.

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 Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

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

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 it 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


   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

By the end of this course, the successful student should be able to:

 

  1. Describe three historical theories of developmental psychology.
  2. Explain the scientific method as it applies to developmental psychology.
  3. Describe milestones of childhood development that occur in infancy, childhood and adolescence.
  4. Compare and contrast development in biological, cognitive and socioemotional areas.
  5. Evaluate how child development is influenced by a number of contextual factors, including families, peers, communities and cultures.

5.0     EVALUATION

Your grade will be determined via 3 non-cumulative, equally weighted, multiple choice exams (25% x 3 = 75%). In addition, you will be required to regularly participate in class discussion posts and responses (4% x 6 = 24%).  Finally, you will complete a syllabus review quiz worth 1% of your final grade (total 100%).

Exam 1 will cover chapters 1-3 and supplementary material from unit 1.


Exam 2 will cover chapters 4, 6-8 and supplementary material from unit 2.


Exam 3 will cover chapters 9, 10, 11 & 14 and supplementary material from unit 3.


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 the University of Western Ontario 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

Syllabus Scavenger Hunt: (1% of your final grade). You are required to review the syllabus so you know what to do if you need support, an extension, if you are sick or absent, and where to concentrate your energy and time to get the best learning outcome.

Exams: Three exams (25% each or a total of 75% of your final grade).  They will consist of multiple choice.  Each exam will test the material covered in the preceding unit in the textbook and lectures. Exams are non-cumulative however concepts in later lectures build on those that we learned in the early classes.  Not everything in the lecture will be in the readings, and not everything in the readings will be discussed in the lectures. But assume that all of it will be on the exam.

Class Discussion:  Six class discussions (4% each or a total of 24% of your final grade).  You will be required to post your personal reflections on course material and reply to other students.



6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

Exam #1 (Chapters 1-3): Saturday May 27th, 2-4 p.m.

Exam #2 (Chapters 4, 6, 7, 8) Saturday June 24th, 2-4 p.m.

Exam #3 (Chapters 9, 10, 11 & 14) During final exam period (July 31-August 1st ).

Make-ups for missed exams are handled by the Academic Counsellor’s office, not by the professor.  They are provided only in cases of illness on the day of the exam, or for compassionate reasons.  No make-up exams without proper documentation).

Website: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/about_us/appointments.html 

Email ssaco@uwo.ca or call 519.661.2011 to schedule an appointment with an Academic Counsellor.  Please include your student number and the reason for the appointment. 


7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

All Supplementary lecture material will be delivered through OWL. On each Monday of each week of the term, class materials and class discussions will be posted on our class website. You are expected to read the assigned reading each week, to login to Owl each week for supplementary materials, and each week to respond to posted questions and or post your own questions. Discussions will start on the Monday for the topic (i.e. starting Monday, May 8th, you will be reading and discussing chapter 1). That topic will close on Sunday at midnight. You are expected to keep up, week by week, with the class material. You are expected to keep your posts professional.

Connecting with the Course Instructor:

  • When you email me, you can expect a response within 2 business days (Sat, Sun and holidays do not count).  I will do my best to respond immediately on Fridays between 9 AM and 230 PM.
  • I plan to grade the exams within 6 business days.  I plan to respond to discussion posts within 6 business days to leave you with time to incorporate instructor feedback into your next post. 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 use the “Self-Review” questions to prepare for each exam. Please feel free to ask me questions about what the correct answers for the Self-Review questions should be.  Be sure to complete your Self-Review early so you have time to ask questions or do research for your exams.  It is not realistic to expect an email response from me one hour before an exam. 
  • You can post any questions you have on the online forum “I Have a Question…”. If is it urgent, email me instead.
  • 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).

WEEK                            TOPIC AND READING                                                                           EXAMS

May 8     Unit 1   Chapter 1: History, Theory and Applied Directions   Syllabus Scavenger Hunt

                                                                                                    (Cue May 15 at midnight)

May 15               Chapter 2: Research Strategies                             Post 1 (due May 15 at

                                                                                                   midnight

May 22               Chapter 3: Biological Foundations: Prenatal                                                       Saturday May 27

                            Development and Birth

 

May 29   Unit 2    Chapter 4: Infancy: Early Learning Motor Skills      Post 2 (Due May 29 at

                            and Perceptual Capacities

Jun 5                  Chapter 6 (up to page 249): Piagetian, Core,

                            Knowledge, and Vygotskyian Perspectives

Jun 12                Chapter 6 (page 249 to end): Piagetian, Core,        Post 3 (Due Jun 12 at

                            Knowledge, and Vygotskyian Perspectives

Jun 19                Chapter 7: Information Processing Perspective                                                   Saturday June 24

                  

Jun 26    Unit 3    Chapter 9: Language Development                        Post 4 (due Jun 26 at

Jul 3                   Chapter 10: Emotional Development

Jul 10                 Chapter 11: Self and Social Understanding             Post 5 (Due Jul 10 at

                                                                                                   midnight

Jul 17                 Chapter 14): The Family

Jul 24                 Review, Study Guide and Practice Questions          Post 6 (Due Jul 24 at                TBA

                                                                                                   midnight)

                                                                                                   Extra Credit

                                                                                                   (Due Friday Jul 28 at midnight)

 

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

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://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2017/pg954.html 

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


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
- 2017 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.