Psychology 2040A 650
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
Summer Distance May 3 – July 23, 2021
Psychology 2040A Section 650
Child Development
- CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
A survey of theory and research in developmental psychology including learning, cognition, perception, personality, and social development in infancy and childhood.
Antirequisite: 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. 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.
Prerequisite: Not applicable.
3 lecture hours
Course Weight: 0.5
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Vanessa Sinclair
Office and Phone Number: SSC 9242
Office Hours: By appointment via Zoom only
Email: vsincla2@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Asynchronous via OWL
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ 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.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Kail, R.V., & Barnfield, A. M. C. (2018). Children and Their Development, 4th Canadian ed. New York: Pearson.
The textbook is required. Online lecture content provided via OWL will summarize and complement the textbook but is not a substitute for the textbook. Content that is exclusive to the textbook may be evaluated (i.e., in tests/exams).
The text is available at the university bookstore and elsewhere. Students can order through the university book store’s website, and the books will be shipped to them. This is the link for the eBook version that students can also purchase through the book store’s website: https://bookstore.uwo.ca/textbook-search?campus=UWO&term=N2021&courses%5B0%5D=650_UW/PSY2040A
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objective of this course is to introduce students to the theoretical, methodological, and empirical foundations of developmental psychology as it pertains to child development.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge and Awareness of Limits of Knowledge - Identify and distinguish concepts and research methods pertaining to psychological development. |
Readings, online lecture content |
Tests, discussion posts |
|
Application of Knowledge and Communication Skills - Apply your knowledge of research in child development and developmental psychology theories; communicate this knowledge to others. |
Readings, online lecture content, discussions |
Tests, discussion posts |
5.0 EVALUATION
|
Assessment component |
% of final mark |
|
Discussion post 1 |
5% |
|
Total |
100% |
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 to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-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
Final grades in this class reflect student achievement. Per Department policy, grades that are
close to the next grade level (e.g., 79%, 89%) will not be rounded up. The nature of these assessments will not be changed, nor will they be reweighted in calculating final grades. I will not adjust grades based on subjective need or a subjective evaluation of effort, and I will not offer additional (‘bonus’) assignments.
5.1 Tests and exams
There will be three tests in this course, with the last test (the final exam) occurring during the summer semester exam period (July 26-29). These tests will contain material covered in the textbook as well as material covered in the online lecture content.
As this is an online course, and due to the current pandemic situation, the tests will be written online. You will not be required to use ProctorTrack or similar software. While the tests are not proctored, and you will have open access to your notes and textbooks, it is expected that all students complete the tests independently, with no communication with classmates. Penalties for academic offences are described in Section 8.0 of this outline. Note that the evaluations are linear, meaning you cannot return to questions you have already answered. Despite the open-book format, I highly recommend that you study well in advance of the tests to ensure you can adequately answer all questions within the allotted timeframe.
The tests will consist of multiple choice and/or true/false questions. Test 1 will cover weeks 1, 2, and 3; Test 2 will cover weeks 4, 5, 6, and 7; and the final exam will be cumulative, with a greater emphasis on weeks 8 through 12. Tests 1 and 2 will be comparatively shorter (approximately 75-80 questions) than your final exam (approximately 95-100 questions). You will have a 24-hour time window within which to take each evaluation. Once you have begun the evaluation, you will have 90 minutes (for Test 1 and 2) or 120 minutes (for the final exam) to complete it (plus any additional time for students with documented accommodations). Once this time has elapsed, your work will be submitted automatically. It is highly recommended that you check your internet connection before beginning the evaluation. The final exam will be scheduled during the final exam period (July 26-29) and will follow the same format (asynchronous exam with 24 hours to complete).
You will access and submit your tests through the Tests & Quizzes tab on the OWL course website. Section 6.0 and 7.0 list the dates when each test will be held, and Section 7.0 outlines the topics covered in each test.
Tests must be written on the scheduled dates, unless you have a legitimate excuse recognized by the university administration. Valid reasons include medical or compassionate reasons, internet access issues, and religious holidays, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, which will be verified by the Office of the Dean). You may use the Self-Reported Absence System (SRAS) for a maximum of two short-term absences affecting course components worth 30% or less of the overall course grade. A student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a 0 for the exam. Make-up exam dates will be scheduled at your instructor’s discretion.
5.2 Discussion posts
Participation is an important element of this course and the assessment strategy, and discussion content could include potentially sensitive topics. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that we collaborate to maintain an atmosphere of respect. All students, as well as myself, have a role in creating this atmosphere. Your responsibility is to respond to others’ comments with respect, civility, and kindness. If a student’s behaviour is not consistent with the above, I will contact the student privately. Penalties may be applied to excessively rude or insensitive posts. If a student’s behaviour continues to be disrespectful, they may be removed from the discussion. Students removed from the discussion will not be given an opportunity to ‘make up’ the grades lost for failing to submit the discussion post.
In response to the assigned discussion question, students are required to submit one main post as well as two replies to other students. There are no strict word limits, but as an approximate estimate, your main post should be around 300-400 words. Subsequent replies do not need to be this long but should be thoughtful and advance the discussion. Discussion posts will open one week before their due date to allow time for students to write their posts and reply to others. Late posts will be subject to a penalty of
-0.5 marks per day (including Saturdays and Sundays).
Discussion posts will be graded according to the rubric below, for a total of 5 marks. Marks will also be docked for not including all required components (your main post plus two replies).
/2 marks: The main post and replies answer all components of the assigned discussion question. The posts demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topic. Posts are thoughtful and advance the discussion.
/2 marks: The post and replies are supported with material from the course and, if the student chooses, additional scholarly resources. The post and replies demonstrate that the student is making connections between material learned and their own thoughts/experiences.
/1 mark: The post and replies demonstrate high-quality writing and the student’s ideas are communicated clearly. Posts contain no spelling, grammatical, or syntactical errors.
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
|
Test 1 |
May 21, 2021 |
Covers Weeks 1-3 |
|
Discussion post 1 |
June 4, 2021 |
Topic TBA |
|
Test 2 |
June 18, 2021 |
Covers Weeks 4-7 |
|
Discussion post 2 |
July 2, 2021 |
Topic TBA |
|
Final exam |
TBA (July 26-29, 2021) |
Cumulative, emphasizing Weeks 8-12 |
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Topic |
Chapter |
Date |
|
Introduction: The Science of Child Development |
Chapter 1 |
Week 1: May 3 |
|
Biological beginnings: Genetic bases of child development, and prenatal development |
Chapters 2 & 3 |
Week 2: May 10 |
|
Physical development: Growth and health |
Chapter 4 |
Week 3: May 17 |
|
Test 1 due May 21 by 11:59PM |
||
|
Motor, sensory, and perceptual development |
Chapter 5 |
Week 4: May 24 |
|
Cognitive development 1: Theories of cognitive development |
Chapter 6 |
Week 5: May 31 |
|
Discussion Post 1 due June 4 by 11:59PM |
||
|
Cognitive development 2: Cognitive processes and intelligence |
Chapters 7 & 8 |
Week 6: June 7 |
|
Language development and communication |
Chapter 9 |
Week 7: June 14 |
|
Test 2 due June 18 by 11:59PM |
||
|
Emotional development |
Chapter 10 |
Week 8: June 21 |
|
Moral development |
Chapter 12 |
Week 9: June 28 |
|
Discussion Post 2 due July 2 by 11:59PM |
||
|
Understanding the self and others |
Chapter 11 |
Week 10: July 5 |
|
Gender and development |
Chapter 13 |
Week 11: July 12 |
|
Social influences |
Chapter 14 |
Week 12: July 19 |
|
Final exam date TBA (during exam period; July 26-29) |
||
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence 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 offences. 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 will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES
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
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 must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It 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
Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.
10.0 CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR RETURN TO LOCKDOWN: IN-PERSON & BLENDED CLASSES
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the term that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.
11.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE
In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:
- please “arrive” to class on time
- please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
- please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
- to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
- In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
- In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
- Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:
- If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
- Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
- Self-identify when speaking.
- Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
General considerations of “netiquette”:
- Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
- Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
- Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
- Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
12.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: 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
- 2021-2022 Calendar References
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf
Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos 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 any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
