A Success StorY
Daniel McConnell
Instructor
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
COURSE NAME: Developmental Psychology • CREDIT HOURS: 3
COURSE FORMAT: Online; Hybrid • MYVIRTUALCHILD USER SINCE: 2009
“MyVirtualChild is a stimulating and interactive activity that helps engage students.”
COURSE INFORMATION
I teach two sections per semester. The online section has
125 students; the hybrid section has 455 students.
n This is a required course for psychology students, nursing
students, and education students.
n Students taking this course are mostly traditional students,
freshmen and sophomores; most are not psychology majors.
n
is handled online via the discussion forum in my Learning
Management System.
MYVIRTUALCHILD BENEFITS MyVirtualChild is a stimulat-
ing and interactive activity that helps engage students. This is
especially important because I teach in two modalities where
student engagement can be compromised (e.g., very large lectures and fully online courses).
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will:
“Students enjoy using MyVirtualChild and report that it is beneficial for
n Reflect on how they have
understanding, a fun activity, and also educational about parenting and
changed since earliest memories
child-rearing.”
n Observe the behavior of others
—Instructor Daniel McConnell
in a scientific way
n Analyze complex theories to
understand what they predict about developmental changes
The interactive nature and the degree to which users get
n Understand how research is used to support or reject theories
caught up in the outcomes is highly immersive. Psychology
can be a pretty abstract topic, dealing with many constructs.
ASSESSMENT
MyVirtualChild, as a simulation, helps students visualize and
n Exams: 65%
experience these abstract topics.
n Chapter Quizzes: 22.5%
Students enjoy using MyVirtualChild and report that it is
n MyVirtualChild: 12.5%
beneficial for understanding, a fun activity, and also educational
MYVIRTUALCHILD IMPLEMENTATION I give assignments for
about parenting and child-rearing. Many have commented that
students to “age” their virtual child at specific times, corit ought to be required of anyone planning to be a parent in
responding to the ages we are covering in class (following a
real life.
chronological approach to the lifespan). These assignments
CONCLUSION My recommendation to new instructor-users
are posted as “gradeable” discussion topics in my Learning
is to assign MyVirtualChild in a way that fosters engagement,
Management System, and students reply to my post with
whether this involves discussion topics, blogs, or some other
requested information, which can include highlights from
means. I intend to further explore the possibility of having stutheir child’s life, as well as answers to the open-ended
dents blog about their virtual children.
questions included in the program. The entire assignment
www.pearsonhighered.com/mylabmastering • For a product tour or to find out more, please visit www.myvirtualchild.com