Frequently Asked Questions
Psychology 303 Child and Adolescent Development
Getting to Know Each Other
Who are you?
My name is Dr. DeDe Wohlfarth. You can call me “Dr. DeDe” or just “DeDe”. I know Wohlfarth
is a difficult last name to spell (and pronounce!) . You pronounce it like WOOL (from a sheep)
and FART + H (“Fart” with the letter “H” added). Visualize a sheep passing gas and you’ve got
it. 
Yeah, but really who are you?
Please check out my teaching philosophy on my moodle profile. In short, I believe in supporting
and challenging students so you can learn things that are relevant to your life. I love to teach
and have been teaching at Spalding for almost 15 years.
What do you know about on line-teaching?
Not enough, but I am voraciously reading, learning, and practicing to figure out make this a
great on-line learning experience. This is my first completely on-line class, and I am nervous
about it because I want it to go well for you.
Who else is in this class?
About 24 other students. Some of you are AAP students and some are traditional undergraduate
students. We have a mix of social work, psychology, education, occupational therapy, and
other majors in this class.
Timing and Pace of Course
Will this class have any synchronous requirements?
No, it will not. You can learn anytime you like, 24-7. We will never meet face-to-face as a class
nor will we have certain times when you must be on line to participate in class discussions.
Will you send me reminders for upcoming assignments?
I can’t promise that I will, but I will try to do so. You have the responsibility to complete
assignments and turn them in on time even if I forget to send you a reminder.
What if I am late with an assignment?
Email me and let me know that you are late as soon as you know you will be late. You will lose
points on the assignment, but late is better than never. The syllabus spells this out in more
detail.
What do I need to be successful in this class?
1. You need be willing to THINK and to LEARN and to do so by PARTICIPATING!
2. You need to read the textbook.
3. You need to take advantage of the on-line resources that are available both with our
textbook (McGraw Hill Connect) and through moodle.
4. You need to demonstrate good critical thinking skills and mastery of the material on
quizzes, papers, and discussions.
How often should I check moodle?
At least once a day during the week and at least once during the weekend. More than this is
fine, too. You can live on moodle if you like. It’s the new facebook. 
How long will it take you to respond to me via email?
24 to 72 hours. If you ask a quick or critical question regarding the course, it will be closer to 24
hours. Longer questions may take me longer to answer as they require more thought.
How long will it take you to grade assignments?
You will have your grade within 48 hours on all assignments.
How can I check my progress in this class?
You should always be able to find this out on moodle, so you know exactly where you stand.
How often will you be on moodle?
At least one time a day during the week and at least once during the weekends. Honestly, I will
check moodle more often than this. You will find that I am a lark and not an owl. I go to bed
about 8:30pm and am up by 4:30am. Don’t panic if you email me after 8pm and I do not respond
right away. I am asleep.
Also, you should know that I have a “dumb” phone, not a smart one. I can only check moodle at
my work computer, home computer, and laptop (when I have wi-fi access). I will not be as
speedy in communication as many of you are with smart phones. If anyone wants to donate
money for me to buy a smart phone or ipad, I will gladly accept it. 
Handling the Unexpected
Will the course ever deviate from our usual structure?
No. I should be around all 6 weeks doing what I am supposed to be doing. I don’t plan to travel
or experiment with living without electricity these six weeks.
How will you announce unexpected changes from the syllabus?
Good question. I will post it on moodle announcements.
Who is the emergency contact in case an emergency happens?
Let’s pretend that something happens to me, like I have a medical emergency or my house burns
down. I will post on moodle that I am having a crisis and to give me a day or two to post a backup plan. If I can’t get back to teaching after 48-72 hours, I will have a colleague who is
competent in both the subject matter and on-line teaching to cover for me. The bottom line:
any unexpected crisis on my behalf will not compromise your learning.
What should I do if my computer breaks?
You should make back-up plan NOW to access another computer with internet access. You
will need it.
What is your back-up plan for the course if technology fails?
If moodle gets fussy, I will keep in touch with you via email and sending you links. We could
even do a “reply all” email for a discussion. Although it is not ideal, we will make it work.