Psychology 2040A 650 SU24
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.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
Summer Distance 2024
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.
Antirequisites: Psychology 2410A/B, Psychology 2480E, and the former Psychology 2044
Prerequisites: n/a
3 lecture hours; 0.5 course
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Graeme Haynes
Office Hours: Mon., 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. (on-line via Zoom), or by appointment
Email: ghaynes@uwo.ca
Delivery Method: On-line (asynchronous)
This is a fully online course that will use Western University’s learning platform, Brightspace, and other educational resources based on the needs of the course. As such, all students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements. This class is designed to be asynchronous, meaning we will not have a regular, mandatory time when the entire class must be online. However, there may be some synchronous activities that you will sign up for based on your own schedule, including office hour appointments with the professor.
Email is the best way to contact me, and if you are unavailable during my office hours, we can arrange for a Zoom meeting at an alternate time.
When sending me an email, please make sure to use proper email etiquette (e.g., start with a greeting), and include the following information: your name, the course you are in (I’m teaching several different courses this semester), and your question.
Sample email:
Hi Prof. Haynes,
This is [insert name here] from your Psychology 2040a class. After reading the lecture slides on [insert topic here], I was wondering if you could explain [insert concept here] in greater detail?
Sincerely,
[Name]
If you adhere to these guidelines, I promise to reply to all emails within 24 hours.
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 contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca or 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Kail, R.V., & Barnfield, A. M. C. (2021). Children and Their Development, 5th Canadian ed. New York: Pearson.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The goals of this course are to provide students with:
- Knowledge of the vocabulary, research findings, theories, methods, and concepts in developmental psychology;
- An understanding of the developmental processes from conception through childhood;
- Awareness of the problems and advances in the study of child development;
- The ability to think critically about issues in developmental psychology;
4.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge. Can describe the process of human development from conception through childhood and identify a wide range of factors that can promote and/or curtail human development.
|
Assigned readings and supplementary slideshows |
Exams |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies. Can summarize their knowledge of psychological theories, empirical findings, and research methods involved in Developmental Psychology. |
Assigned readings and supplementary slideshows |
Exams |
|
Application of Knowledge. Understand how findings from developmental research can be applied in everyday settings to promote positive development.
|
Assigned readings and supplementary slideshows |
Exams |
|
Communication Skills. Can discuss knowledge, ideas, and their critical insights about Developmental Psychology.
|
Participating in online discussion forums
|
Online discussion forums |
5.0 EVALUATION
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives.
- Exams (30%, 30%, and 30%)
All exams will take place synchronously on-line, and will be proctored remotely with Proctortrack. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca
Exams are closed-book, and it is expected that all students will complete the exams independently with no communication between classmates. The use of programs that translate from English to another language are not permitted. You will have 120 minutes to complete the exams from start to finish (plus additional time for students who have documented accommodations which allow for extra time). The exams will be linear, meaning you will not be able to return to earlier questions. Once you start, you cannot stop or pause. You will access this exam and submit your answers through the Proctortrack tab on our Brightspace site.
Each exam is non-cumulative, and will consist of multiple choice and true / false questions. For each exam, you are responsible for material assigned in the textbook, as well as material covered in supplementary online lectures.
The first midterm exam, covering material from Chapter 1-5, will take place on Thursday, May 30th, from 7:00 – 9:00 P.M.
The second midterm exam, covering material from Chapter 6-9, will take place on Saturday, June 22nd, from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
The final examination, covering material from Chapter 10-14, will take place during the August exam period (July 29 – Aug. 1, specific time TBA).
- Discussion Forums (10%)
Five of the weekly lessons will have a discussion question, which you will access on Brightspace via the Assignments tab. You will be required to submit a post of a minimum of 200 words by Sunday at 11:59 P.M. of the week in which a discussion occurs (there is no maximum, but try to be concise in your posts). The rubric below is meant to act as a general guideline, illustrating expectations for both the quantity and quality of participation. If, at any point in the term, you have questions about how you are doing in terms of your participation, please feel free to ask the professor via email. Each discussion is worth 2% of your final course grade (2% x 5 discussions). Late discussions will not be graded.
Discussion rubric:
|
Activity |
Unsatisfactory |
Satisfactory |
Points |
|
Discussion Post |
The post displays little or no understanding of the course material; the post paraphrases what someone else has already posted and contributes nothing new. |
The post displays excellent understanding of the course material, connects the course material to personal experiences, current events in the media, other literature (and in the case of media or literature, provides references, web links, etc.) |
__ / 1 |
|
Quality of writing, netiquette, and proof- reading
|
The post is unorganized or contains inappropriate content or is filled with spelling errors, poor sentence structure, etc. |
The post is very well written. The post is clear, concise, comments are easy to read and understand, free of grammatical or spelling errors. |
__ / 1 |
5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK
Make-Up Exams: Exams 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 (in the case that exams are on-line), and religious holidays, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, obituary, accident report) which you must present to a counsellor from your home faculty’s academic counseling office. 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. Students with approved absences for any exam must write a makeup exam, which will be scheduled by your professor.
***Please refer to Section 10.0 for the full policy regarding approved absences and academic consideration.***
Discussion Forums: Students who are unable to submit a discussion forum post by the due dates specified in this syllabus must contact their professor explaining the circumstances. It is at the discretion of the professor to decide whether the due date will be extended and/or a late penalty will apply.
Department Grading Policies:
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they 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
Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.
To ensure fairness, please be aware that final grades in this course are based exclusively on students’ performance on the three exams and five discussion forums. Exams may not be rewritten, nor will the exams or discussion forums be reweighted in calculating final grades. Grades will not be adjusted on the basis of need or a subjective evaluation of effort, and students will not be able to improve their marks by completing additional assignments.
6.0 ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Material covered |
Value |
|
|
Midterm #1 |
Thurs. May 30th, 7:00 – 9:00 P.M. |
Chapters 1-5* |
30% |
|
Midterm #2 |
Sat. June 22nd, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. |
Chapters 6-9* |
30% |
|
Final exams |
July 29 – Aug. 1 (Time TBA) |
Chapters 10-14* |
30% |
|
Discussion questions |
Due May 19, May 26, June 16, July 7, July 21 (all at 11:59 PM Eastern Time) |
|
10% |
*and all related supplementary material
- CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Week of |
Topic |
Read |
|
May 6 |
Introduction: Science of Child Development
|
Chapter 1 |
|
May 13 |
Genetic Bases of Child Development;
Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn |
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 |
|
May 20 |
Growth & Health
Perceptual & Motor Development |
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 |
|
May 27 |
Study for midterm |
|
|
Thurs. May 30 7:00 – 9:00 P.M. |
Midterm #1 |
Chapter 1-5 |
|
June 3 |
Theories of Cognitive Development |
Chapter 6 |
|
June 10 |
Cognitive Processes; Intelligence |
Chapter 7 (7.1 & 7.2 only) Chapter 8
|
|
June 17 |
Language & Communication
|
Chapter 9 |
|
Sat. June 22 10:00 AM – 12:00 P.M. |
Midterm #2 |
Chapter 6-9 |
|
June 24 |
Emotional Development
|
Chapter 10 |
|
July 1 |
Understanding Self & Others
|
Chapter 11 |
|
July 8 |
Moral Understanding & Behaviour
|
Chapter 12
|
|
July 15 |
Gender & Development
|
Chapter 13 |
|
July 22 |
Social Influences
|
Chapter 14 |
|
July 29 – Aug. 1 |
FINAL EXAM |
Chapter 10-14 |
8.0 Academic Integrity
Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.
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.
Statement on Use of Electronic Devices
Exams may only be written using a single electronic device with a functioning webcam, which must remain on at all times. You should not have any other electronic devices within sight aside from the one on which you are taking the exam. While writing the exams, you are not permitted to access any course material on the device you’re using to write the exam, or on any other electronic device or printed source. The use of programs which translate exam content from English to another language is not permitted.
Use of AI
The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.
Multiple Choice Exams
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.
Exam Proctoring Software
Tests and examinations for online courses may be conducted using a remote proctoring service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote
Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.
9.0 Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education
View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.
Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.
If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information. Email: aew@uwo.ca Phone: 519 661-2147
10.0 Absence & Academic Consideration
View Western’s policy on academic consideration for medical illnesses this link
Find your academic counsellor here: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain academic considerations. Students must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.
Medical Absences
Submit a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for Academic Consideration.
Nonmedical Absences
Submit appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Religious Consideration
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.
11.0 Other Information
- Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
- Student Development Services: sdc.uwo.ca
- Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
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.
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 in writing 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.
12.0 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.
