Syllabus: LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (Psyc330-B73)
Summer I 2009 (Hybrid)
F2F meetings = 5/18/09, 5/10/09, 5/11/09; 8-10:50am; Ruffner 315
Instructor:
Dr. Stephanie Buchert
Office: Longwood University, Ruffner 301
Phone: (434) 395-2348
E-mail: bucherts@longwood.edu
Website: www.longwood.edu/staff/bucherts
Virtual Office Hours via BB: MTWR 10 - 10:45am
Required Resources:
--text: Boyd, D., & Bee, H. (2007). Lifespan Development (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and
Bacon.
--daily access to a reliable computer and internet
--daily use of Blackboard
--daily checking of your Longwood University e-mail address
--access to Microsoft PowerPoint and Word
Course Description:
Principles and research covering the lifespan development of human abilities and
behavior. Topics include developmental research methodologies, variables influencing
development, basic processes in development; and physical, motor, perceptual, cognitive,
linguistic, motivational, emotional, social, and personality development. Prerequisite:
PSYC 101 or permission of instructor. 3 credits.
*For psychology majors, this course does not satisfy your developmental requirement. It
is an elective.
1
Course Objectives:
Through satisfactory performance one exam, 19 online quizzes, a group oral presentation,
and online discussion, students will demonstrate competence in:
1.
knowledge of the major developmental psychological theories
2.
understanding of human development, from conception to death
3.
thinking critically about controversial issues in developmental psychology
4.
contributing to thoughtful discussions about developmental issues
5.
presenting information about developmental issues
Mechanics of the Course:
1. Participation
Students are expected to log in to Blackboard at least once per class day (days are
indicated on schedule). Logins should involve active, appropriate participation in
the course, as designated by the syllabus and course schedule. Attendance will be
assessed by active, appropriate, and timely participation in assignments.
Students will check their Longwood University e-mail accounts at least once per
class day.
Computer issues happen. Have a backup contingency plan in place, as this is not
an excuse for incomplete work.
You are responsible for all materials, for all assignments due, and for any
Blackboard announcements/emails received regarding the course.
2. Communication
Communication with your instructor and your fellow students will largely occur
via Blackboard.
Your instructor will provide feedback to assignments and to communications
within 24 hours of the due dates (for assignments) or within 24 hours of reception
of your communication.
Be sure to read the communication policies for all Longwood online courses at
www.longwood.edu/online
2
3. Online Policies
You are responsible for knowing the Longwood online policies. On the left side
of the screen the menu lists links to “Student Responsibilities” and “Student
Support”. Be sure to review ALL of the student responsibilities before beginning
this course. Sign the assurance statement that you have done so.
Longwood Technical Support will provide you information about how to resolve
technical issues if they should arise. The Help Desk solves technical problems.
The instructor solves academic problems.
Students must maintain current system software and virus definition updates.
User Support Services (434.395.4357) can assist in this matter. Free anti-virus
software is available for downloading. If your anti-virus software is not up-todate, YOU MUST download the free anti-virus software!
4. “Netiquette” and Common Courtesy
Rude or immature behavior will produce unpleasant results. The most serious
consequence for this type of behavior may be either removal from the course or
Judicial Board charges. This type of undesirable behavior may include, but is not
limited to:
“Flaming,” or purposely being rude to someone via internet.
“Lurking,” or reading other people’s posts without ever participating yourself.
Making uninformed or unprepared comments via the discussion boards, email,
etc.
Unprofessional behavior in general.
Appropriate student-student and student-professor communications will include
professional greetings and signatures.
5. Academic Integrity
In accordance with Longwood University policy, any form of cheating or other
abuse of the academic process will not be tolerated. Violations of the Honor
Code will be dealt with severely.
3
Assignments:
1. Exam
There will be one exam during the course. It will serve as a final exam that wraps
up the course material. The exam will consist of a majority of multiple choice
questions, with the occasional fill-in-the-blank, matching, short answer, or veryshort-essay questions. Any material covered for the course, including text,
lectures, presentations, discussion, homework, and outside readings, is fair game
for the test. The exam is not “open book” in any way.
The exam will be taken during the F2F meeting on Thursday, June 11. It will
begin promptly at 8am. Although you technically have until 10:50am to finish the
exam, you will most likely not need this much time. All exams will be taken up
once the first on-time person has completed his/her exam. (i.e., Latecomers only
have until the last on-time person finishes.)
The exam will be worth 100 points. Not taking the exam will result in a grade of
F for the course.
2. Quizzes
You will complete a quiz for each chapter. The link to each quiz can be found
within the appropriate chapter folder under your main Learning Units toolbar.
The quizzes each consist of 15 multiple choice questions, and are designed to help
you gauge your understanding of the material.
Quizzes will be available from 6am to midnight on the day the chapter is covered.
You will have 20 minutes to complete each quiz. If you do not complete the quiz
within the time limit, you may still finish the quiz, but a note is sent to your
instructor that you went over the time limit. You will not receive credit for any
quizzes that take you more than the allotted 20 minutes to complete. On some
days, you will cover two chapters. This means that you must then take 2 quizzes
before midnight.
You may use your textbook for the quizzes, but not any other sources
(PowerPoints, internet, etc.). The questions will be structured in a manner so that
you will not perform well if you have not read the material beforehand. Once you
have taken a quiz, do not discuss the contents with other students in the class.
Each quiz is worth 15 points, for a total of 285 points. Your lowest quiz grade
(including quizzes not taken) will be replaced with a perfect score. For each
additional 2 quizzes that you miss after the lowest grade is dropped, 5% will be
deducted from your final total point value.
4
3. Discussion Board
Your discussion board can be accessed through the main “Communication”
toolbar. After clicking on this toolbar, the board is located 3rd on the list.
For each chapter, a discussion question will be posted on the BB discussion
board. You will post a thoughtful response to the question, and later respond to at
least two other people’s posts. These questions should involve a period of
thought/planning time before you post a response. It may be helpful to type your
response in a separate Word document first, and then copy/paste your response
into the discussion board. Please check the spelling, punctuation, and grammar of
all of your posts.
Appropriate postings involve more than simple responses such as, “Yes,” “No,”
or, “I agree.” Instead, you should provide meaningful responses that elaborate on
your thought processes. Rude or inappropriate postings are not suitable for the
discussion board. Be sure to keep your comments professional. Personal attacks
will not be tolerated. It is fine to disagree with someone, but provide your reasons
for why you disagree in a constructive manner.
Each chapter’s discussion board assignment is worth 5 points, for a total of 95
points. Your lowest discussion board grade (including assignments not
completed) will be replaced with a perfect score. For each additional 2 discussion
board postings that you miss after the lowest grade is dropped, 5% will be
deducted from your final total point value.
Your participation in the discussion board will be assessed via the following
system.
5 = all 3 posts are meaningful and contribute extra ideas to the discussion
4 = all 3 posts are meaningful
3 = all 3 posts are present, but not meaningful
2 = missing one of the 3 required posts
1 = missing two of the 3 required posts
0 = no postings
Common errors include stating unsupported personal opinions as fact, providing
unmeaningful posts (i.e., “That’s a great idea.”), and failing to engage fully in the
discussion by not responding to other students’ postings.
5
4. Presentations
On the first day of class (F2F), you will sign up for a presentation topic and
receive supporting readings for your specific topic. Throughout the course, you
will work in pairs (using whichever online tools you prefer) to prepare the
presentations. The presentations will be developed via PowerPoint and will be
presented in the F2F class on Wednesday, June 10th. Each presentation will
include (at least):
Title slide
Introduction of issue slide
Pros slide
Cons slide
Take home message/current applications slide
Slide with at least 3 discussion questions
The presentations should last approximately 20-30 minutes, including discussion
time. You will be graded on delivery of information, knowledge of information,
presentation style (appropriate speaking voice, etc.), and ability to lead discussion.
On the presentation day, each group will also provide 10 copies of a one-page
summary handout for the rest of the class.
The presentation is worth 30 points. The handout is worth 10 points. Not doing
the presentation results in a grade of F for the course.
Grading:
The total possible number of points to earn for the course is 520 (exam = 100; quizzes =
285; discussion = 95; presentation = 40). Grades will be assigned according to the
following percentages:
A+ = 97-100%
A = 93-96%
A- = 90-92%
B+ = 87-89%
B = 83-86%
B- = 80-82%
C+ = 77-79%
C = 73-76%
C- = 70-72%
D+ = 67-69%
D = 63-66%
D- = 60-62%
F = 59% and below
See pages 8-9 of the syllabus if you would like to keep track of your grades for this
course.
6
Suggested Daily Work Routine:
You have similar assignments due each day. Be sure to follow along on the course
schedule and in Blackboard so that you are certain you have completed all of the
requirements for that day. I recommend that you tackle your assignments in the
following order for each chapter.
1. read assigned text
2. engage in PowerPoint, including the embedded self-check questions
3. view additional materials provided
4. participate in Discussion Board (graded)
5. take chapter quiz (graded)
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access
in this course, please let me know at the beginning of the course or when given an
assignment for which an accommodation is required. The Director of Disability Support
Services can be reached at 434.395.2391.
A Final Note:
I am ready to help you with any problems or questions that you may have pertaining to
this course. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. If you have problems
understanding the material covered or the technology used for this course, it pays to talk
to me sooner rather than later; performance can increase dramatically after clearing up
any confusions you may have.
7
Grade Log for Lifespan Developmental Psychology (Summer 2009)
Exams
Final Exam=_____________ points out of 100 (______________%)
Chapter Quizzes
Ch. 1=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 2=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 3=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 4=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 5=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 6=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 7=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 8=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 9=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 10=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 11=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 12=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 13=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 14=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 15=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 16=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 17=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 18=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
Ch. 19=_____________ points out of 15 (______________%)
COMBINED QUIZ TOTAL=_____________ points out of 285 (______________%)
Discussion Board
Ch. 1=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 2=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 3=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 4=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 5=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 6=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 7=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 8=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 9=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 10=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 11=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 12=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 13=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 14=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 15=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 16=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 17=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 18=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
Ch. 19=_____________ points out of 5 (______________%)
COMBINED DISCUSSION TOTAL=________ points out of 95 (______________%)
8
Presentation
presentation=_____________ points out of 30 (______________%)
handout=_____________ points out of 10 (______________%)
COMBINED PRESENTATION TOTAL=_____ points out of 40 (______________%)
TOTAL SCORE=_____________ points out of 520 (______________%)
9
TOPIC AND ASSIGNMENT OUTLINE
This is only a tentative guide, since material may be added or deleted during the course, as time permits. If changes are made, they will be
announced as soon as possible.
Assignments are to be completed by midnight on the day the topic has been covered.
UNIT
DATE
M, May 18
TOPIC
F2F class meeting
CHAPTER
1
Foundations
T, May 19
Theories of Development
2
W, May 20
Prenatal Development and
Birth
3
10
ASSIGNMENTS
F2F:
--introduction to one another
--introduction to course
--introduction to online tools
--lecture: Ch. 1 (Basic Concepts and Methods)
online:
--text chapter
--PowerPoint
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quiz
--Discussion Board contributions
--text chapter
--PowerPoint
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quiz
--Discussion Board contributions
--text chapter
--PowerPoint
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quiz
--Discussion Board contributions
R, May 21
Physical, Sensory, and
Perceptual Development
Infancy
M, May 25
T, May 26
W, May 27
Social and Personality
Development
R, May 28
Physical and Cognitive
Development
Social and Personality
Development
M, June 1
Physical and Cognitive
Development
Social and Personality
Development
T, June 2
Physical and Cognitive
Development
Social and Personality
Development
Early Childhood
Middle
Childhood
Adolescence
Cognitive Development
--text chapter
4
--PowerPoint
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quiz
--Discussion Board contributions
MEMORIAL DAY
--text chapter
5
--PowerPoint
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quiz
--Discussion Board contributions
--text chapter
6
--PowerPoint
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quiz
--Discussion Board contributions
7
--text chapters
--PowerPoints
--Additional Materials on BB
8
--chapter quizzes
--Discussion Board contributions
9
--text chapters
--PowerPoints
--Additional Materials on BB
10
--chapter quizzes
--Discussion Board contributions
11
--text chapters
--PowerPoints
--Additional Materials on BB
12
--chapter quizzes
--Discussion Board contributions
11
W, June 3
Physical and Cognitive
Development
Social and Personality
Development
13
Physical and Cognitive
Development
Social and Personality
Development
15
Physical and Cognitive
Development
Social and Personality
Development
17
T, June 9
Death, Dying, and
Bereavement
19
W, June 10
F2F class meeting
Early Adulthood
R, June 4
Middle
Adulthood
M, June 8
Late Adulthood
and the End of
Life
14
16
18
--text chapters
--PowerPoints
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quizzes
--Discussion Board contributions
--text chapters
--PowerPoints
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quizzes
--Discussion Board contributions
--text chapters
--PowerPoints
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quizzes
--Discussion Board contributions
--text chapter
--PowerPoint
--Additional Materials on BB
--chapter quiz
--Discussion Board contributions
--group presentations
--review for final exam
R, June 11
F2F class meeting
--final exam
12