DEP 2004H 0511
Human Development Across the Lifespan Honors
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Building 58A, Room 106
Spring 2012
Instructor: Erica Jordan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Psychological & Behavioral Sciences
E-mail: ejordan@uwf.edu PLEASE title the subject of all e-mails “Lifespan Honors.” During
weekends and university holidays, I may not be accessible via e-mail so responses may be delayed.
Web Site: www.uwf.edu/ejordan
Office: Building 41, Room 206
Office Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, & Wednesdays, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. You may also make an
appointment if these times are inconvenient for you.
Office Phone: (850) 474-2689 (You can reach me on this line during office hours. I do NOT recommend
leaving a message on this line. It is best to e-mail me for the fastest response.)
School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences (SPBS) Phone: (850) 474-2363
Graduate Assistant (In-Class Assignments): James Goodson
E-mail: jjg21@students.uwf.edu
Graduate Assistant (Exams): Tara Raulston
E-mail: tlr18@students.uwf.edu
PLEASE title the subject of all e-mails “Lifespan Honors.” During weekends and university holidays,
James and Tara may not be accessible via e-mail so responses may be delayed.
SPBS Course Description: Survey of major themes and recent findings in the area of human
development across the life span. Emphasis will be on the major transitions from fetal development
through death in the physical, cognitive, and emotional domains. The impact of ethnic, gender, and
cultural factors on development will be examined. (General Studies Course: SS/BEH)
Course Overview: In this course you will obtain a breadth of knowledge about key theories, concepts,
and terminology in the field of human development. Particular emphasis will be on the processes by
which humans change throughout life from the prenatal period until old age. We will be concerned with
the evidence of these changes in the "real world." Consequently, we will consider illustrations from the
news media, entertainment media, and our own personal lives to assist us in understanding key concepts
in human development. While at times we might share our own perspectives and personal opinions, we
will be particularly concerned with understanding the scientific findings in the field of human development.
It is particularly important that you obtain the textbook for this course and keep up with your assigned
readings. This is a survey course that covers a multitude of topics and key terms. It is not possible for us
to repeat everything that is in your textbook during class lectures and discussions. There is some
material that you will be solely responsible for reading. The lectures and class discussions will be most
helpful to you if you have read the assigned chapters prior to attending class.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Identify major themes in the field of human development.
2. Differentiate key lifespan theories, concepts, and terms within diverse cultures.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific method, research designs, and selected classic research
studies in the field of human development.
4. Identify major physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur throughout the lifespan.
5. Think critically about major themes in the field of human development and apply themes to
experiences outside of the classroom.
Evaluation: Student learning outcomes will be evaluated with exams and in-class assignments.
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Required Materials:
 Textbook: Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2007). Human Development: A Life-Span View, 5th
Edition.
 Additional required supplementary materials will be available online.
 Access to a personal or public computer so that you may regularly check for e-mail from the
professor and check for course blog updates
 Notebook paper to take notes in class and complete in-class assignments
Disability Resources: The Student Disability Resource Center SDRC at the University of West Florida
supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or
design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as time limited exams, inaccessible web
content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, please notify the instructor or the SDRC as
soon as possible. You may contact the SDRC office by e-mail at sdrc@uwf.edu or by phone at (850) 4742387. Appropriate academic accommodations will be determined based on the documented needs of the
individual. Please contact this office as soon as possible. "Retroactive accommodations" cannot be
made meaning that I cannot change a less than desirable grade once it has been earned.
Attendance Policy: You are expected to attend all class sessions in their entirety. Formal attendance
will not be taken. However, in-class assignments will be randomly given during the class period. These
assignments may only be completed on that date and that time during the class period. If you are not
present, they are not available for makeup and points will be deducted from your final grade in the course.
If you are late to class or leave early and miss an assignment, the assignment is not available for
makeup. In rare cases of documented university excused absences that are submitted to the instructor,
the assignment will simply be “thrown out” such that it cannot help or hurt your grade.
University Policy on Academic Conduct: Academic honesty and integrity are major components of
education at UWF. Our values do not condone any behavior that takes away from that academic honesty
and integrity. In concordance with those values, no cheating of any kind will be tolerated in this course for
any exam or assignment. Cheating may take the form of sharing answers on an exam or individual
assignment, turning in work that was completed from a previous course as a graded assignment in this
course, referring to outside materials (such as written material, a book, a recording, a cell phone, etc.)
during examinations and quizzes, and claiming someone else’s thoughts or words as your own in a
written assignment (also known as plagiarism).
Any instance of academic misconduct (such as cheating, sharing answers, pre-preparing your own
answers and referring to them during quizzes and examinations, allowing someone else to view or hear
answers to a graded assignment, plagiarism, etc.) will result in an automatic “0” on the assignment as the
minimum penalty and will be reported to the university administration at UWF. After the incident has been
filed with the university administration, it will be dealt with to the fullest extent according to the university’s
policy on Academic Misconduct which can be found at
(http://uwf.edu/academics/policies/misconduct.cfm). Consequences may include, but are not limited to,
withdrawal from the course, failing the course, suspension, or expulsion from the university.
You are advised to take special care to preserve your own academic integrity and your reputation for
academic integrity. Do not jeopardize either by engaging in or tolerating any form of academic
misconduct, and take care to ensure that you are not engaging in any activity that might be misperceived
as academic misconduct. Each student is encouraged to access the plagiarism tutorial offered by the
library (http://library.uwf.edu/Research/OnlineTutorials/Plagiarism/) so that they may obtain a complete
understanding of what constitutes plagiarism. This tutorial provides an excellent overview of proper
citation and quotation of the work of others, as well as examples of proper and improper citations and
quotations, and strategies to avoid plagiarism.
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Resources for Success in the Course:
1. UWF Student Handbook: The Student Handbook is available in the Division of Student Affairs
(http://uwf.edu/studentaffairs/) and contains information vital to success in the academic environment,
with a listing of resources and policies that affect you as a student. You are advised to obtain and read
the handbook with special emphasis on the sections involving academic conduct and classroom behavior.
2. CAS Student Resources: The College of Arts and Sciences Student Resources page
(http://uwf.edu/cas/resources/) contains a comprehensive list of the services available on campus to
support your success as a student. It includes a list of computer labs, tutoring services, and other
resources.
3. Teachers First Toolbox Study Guides and Strategies: The Study Guides and Strategies website
(http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=9842) has a huge store of resources for students to
support development of study skills, note-taking skills, taking tests, preparing for tests, writing skills,
learning strategies, research skills, project management, and more.
Academic Responsibility: What you learn and the grade you earn in this class are your responsibility.
Please refer to the university policy on class attendance in the UWF Catalog (http://uwf.edu/catalog/).
Attendance at class is your responsibility, but you are expected to attend each class. You will also be
expected to refrain from any behavior that disrupts or interferes with the class, and to refrain from any
behavior or expression that might be deemed offensive by a member of the class. To assure an
atmosphere conducive to learning that maintains the dignity of and respect for all parties involved,
students will be expected to adhere to the university statement on expectations for academic conduct and
classroom behavior, as published in the Student Code of Conduct, posted by the Office of Student Rights
and Responsibilities (http://uwf.edu/osrr/). You are also expected to be prepared before each class
period, having completed any assigned readings, exam preparations, or assignments so that you can
meaningfully contribute to the class discussions and succeed on activities and examinations. In addition,
you will be responsible for outside material not found in your required textbook. You will be expected to
access these additional resources using the course blog and by taking notes in class. Each student is
expected to access the course blog and his or her UWF student e-mail account on a regular basis to
check for messages, updates, and changes made by the instructor.
Course Website and eLearning: This is not an online course. However, materials will be regularly
posted on the course website. Students are expected to access the site at www.uwf.edu/ejordan/ on a
regular basis. After you reach the homepage, click on the link “Lifespan” then "Course Blog" for class
updates and materials. The course syllabus, the tentative schedule for the class, schedule updates,
grading rubrics, exam study guides, detailed information about required assignments, and links to online
material required in the course but not found in the textbook will all be posted on this website. You may
need to refresh your web browser in order to view the updated material on the website.
Your grades will be posted on eLearning after your assignments have been graded. You can access the
eLearning site by using your campus username and password to login to Argus. Please note that
eLearning has regularly scheduled maintenance times throughout the semester. During this time,
eLearning will not be accessible to students at all.
Course Withdrawal: The deadline for withdrawing from a course with an automatic grade of "W" is
Friday, March 16, 2012. This date is tentatively set by the university, so check the UWF website to
be sure that it has not changed. After the posted date it is extremely difficult to obtain approval for
withdrawal from a course. Students should review the university policy on course withdrawal. Withdrawal
from a course after the posted deadline requires approval of the student’s academic advisor, course
instructor, department chairperson, and the Academic Appeals committee. Requests for late withdrawals
may be approved by the Academic Appeals committee (http://uwf.edu/registrar/withdrawal.cfm), the
instructor, and the department chairperson only under unusual circumstances, which must be
documented, such as a death in the immediate family, serious illness of the student or an immediate
family member, or call to military service or National Guard duty. Requests without documentation will not
be accepted or approved. Requests for a late withdrawal simply for not succeeding in the course do not
meet the criteria and will not be approved.
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Tropical Storms: Hurricane Season extends through the month of November, which covers almost the
entire fall semester. Although nobody wants a tropical storm to make landfall locally, it is a very real
possibility that we should be properly prepared for. With an approaching storm, the university will
announce its plans for closure, due to the potential for a hurricane to impact the Pensacola area.
Decisions regarding closure of the university will be made as the track of the storm becomes more
apparent. Please pay careful attention to the UWF announcements on the university website or on
WUWF FM radio. For additional information about the university and its hurricane preparations, refer to
the information posted by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety
(http://uwf.edu/envhs/hurricane.cfm). If the university is closed, then class is cancelled. Please do not
endanger yourself by traveling to attempt to attend class when the university is closed.
Contingency Plan for Student or Instructor Illness: During the course of the semester, there is a
reasonable likelihood that a student may become ill with the flu or other infectious illness. It is important
for students to take responsible precautions to avoid getting sick, as recommended by the Centers for
Disease Control and the university. Specifically, students are encouraged to wash hands frequently and
to use hand sanitizers located in numerous sites on campus. Additionally, students are advised to avoid
passing an illness to other individuals by staying home when sick and following other recommendations of
the CDC and university to avoid spreading disease. If you must miss a quiz or an assignment because
you are ill, bring an excuse from a physician or from the student health center on campus so that no
points will be deducted from your final grade.
Student Conduct and Civility:
Students who do not abide by these guidelines and the guidelines in the university’s Code of Conduct will
be required to leave the classroom for the remainder of the class session.
 Every person in this classroom is expected to be respectful of the other students seeking to learn
in this environment. You are expected to refrain from any behavior that is disruptive to others,
that interferes with the class, or that is disrespectful toward another student or the instructor.
Please familiarize yourself with the Student Code of Conduct, posted by the Office of Judicial
Affairs (http://uwf.edu/JudicialAffairs/). Before making a comment during class, please consider
whether or not it will be deemed offensive by other students. If you believe it will be, do not make
that comment.
 Do not use cell phones, pagers, text messengers, e-mail, online chat, or any other
communication device during this class. If you must leave your cell phone or communication
device on for an emergency reason, turn off both the ringer and the vibrating alert because they
are disruptive to the other students around you and to the instructor. Only the “lamp” or lighted
feature is acceptable during class time. When you receive an emergency call, please exit
through the rear of the classroom, close the door, and receive your call outside. During exams,
all communication devices are to be placed under your desk. Exams are individual assignments
and no communication devices, other students, "cheat sheets," or "life lines" may be used.
 Individual conversations are disruptive and disrespectful to your instructor and to the other
students around you. If you need to have a conversation, please exit through the rear of the
classroom, close the door, and talk outside.
 Punctuality is highly valued in this classroom. The class will begin promptly. If you find that you
cannot be on time, enter through the rear of the classroom and take a seat as quietly as possible
so that you do not disrupt others. If you find that it is frequently impossible for you to be on time,
you might consider dropping the course and taking it when it is offered at another time.
Basic Course Requirements:
There are two components of this course that impact your grade. They are as follows:
1. Essay Examinations (60% of final grade): The evaluation of student learning outcomes in this
course will include 4 individual, essay, open-book exams. Each exam will be worth 15% of your
final grade for a total of 60% of your final grade when all exams are combined. Exams will be emailed to you at your campus e-mail address one week before the due date. Be sure that you
check your campus e-mail address. You exam will always be due via e-mail on the same date as
the regular in-class exam (by 11:59 p.m.). If it is received late, ten points per each day late will be
deducted.
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2. In-Class Assignments (20% of final grade): Students are expected to attend class, and
students will be responsible for any outside material presented during class sessions. In other
words, you will be responsible for material that cannot be found in the textbook. If you have to be
absent from class, it is highly recommended that you obtain the notes from another student.
Some material will be posted on the course website, but all of the material may not be posted.
Graded in-class assignments will be required on randomly selected dates and times and will
count toward the final grade. Assignments missed will not be available for makeup. In the case
of emergencies with official documentation or official university absences, a missed assignment
may simply be “thrown out” such that it will neither help nor hurt the student’s final grade.
3. Team Teaching Assignment (20% of final grade): One of the most effective ways to obtain a
deeper knowledge of new material is to teach it to others. Honors students will be responsible for
presenting one 25-minute lecture to the larger class. There are 4 components to this
requirement. Failure to complete any of these components will result in a reduced grade for the
assignment. They are as follows:
a. Choose a topic and a partner. By January 26, 2011, you need to inform me of a
topic from the textbook that you would like to cover in greater detail and the
name of your partner. You may inform me in person or via e-mail.
b. Prepare. Read the textbook material related to your topic, then look for outside
illustrations or materials to assist you in teaching your classmates. Be sure to include an
in-class activity that helps to illustrate the lecture. Feel free to ask me questions if they
arise while you are preparing your presentation.
c. Submit your presentation materials. In order to keep the presented material
consistent across class sections, I will present whatever materials you create to the other
section of this course. Consequently, I will need a copy of any materials that you present
to the class (such as PowerPoint slides, links to video clips, articles, and activities). At
least 5 days prior to your presentation submit any materials that you will be
presenting so that I may review them and give you feedback if necessary. Submit
the materials via e-mail at ejordan@uwf.edu. If there is any material that cannot be emailed, please bring it to my office in Building 41, Room 206. Let me know if you have
questions or need special accommodations to fulfill this requirement.
d. Present your topic to the class. Be there on your assigned date. Be sure that you
provide thorough coverage of your topic while also remaining within the 25-minute time
constraint. Be creative and involve your classmates as much as possible.
***When preparing your presentation, please keep these two important points in mind. First, keep
your topic narrow so that you can thoroughly discuss your topic within the time period. Second, rely
upon peer-reviewed sources or sources from credible agencies. Specifically, reference scholarly
journal articles from the library databases (PsycInfo, Academic Search, PsychArticles, PubMed, etc.).
You may also refer to credible websites such as the government NIH (National Institutes of Health)
website, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website, websites ending in .gov, and websites from
academic institutions ending in .edu. Some organization websites ending in .org might also be
appropriate, but you need to clear these with me first.***
Course Grading and Assignments:
Your final grade will consist of 4 exam grades and a variable number of in-class assignment grades. The
distribution of the grades can be found below:
Assignment
Proportion of final grade
In-Class Assignments
20%
Exam 1
15%
Exam 2
15%
Exam 3
15%
Final Exam (Exam 4)
15%
Team Teaching
20%
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Late Assignment Policy:
In-class quizzes and assignments cannot be accepted late and are not available for makeup. Exams
cannot be taken late or for makeup unless you have received an official university excuse, have
previously received permission from the instructor, or have a documented emergency situation such as a
severe illness, hospital stay, court date, death of a family member, or other situation to be determined at
the discretion of the instructor. In any event, some form of documentation will be required. After
receiving permission from the instructor, you can take a makeup exam on the exam makeup day at
the end of the semester.
Extra credit opportunity: Psychology Research Pool (PRP) Participation
Extra Credit: This course is included in the Psychology Research Pool (PRP) at UWF. Through the PRP,
you will have the opportunity to earn ArgoPoints for extra credit in this class by participating in research
activities. These activities are designed to enhance your understanding regarding the use of current
psychological research. ArgoPoints are research participation credits that will be translated into extra
credit at the end of the semester. There are 2 options for earning ArgoPoints through the PRP:
Option 1: Participating in research studies. You can earn ArgoPoints by being a participant in a
research study through the PRP. You can find a list of current studies on the PRP student webpage.
You may also check the departmental bulletin board located on the 1st floor of the SPBS building
(Building 41). You can then select the study that you find interesting and read the sign-up instructions.
You will earn 1 ArgoPoint for every hour of participation. These points are rounded up to the next
hour. (If the study takes 45 minutes, you will receive 1 ArgoPoint.)
 Your Rights & Responsibilities as a Research Participant. The website will provide you
with information about what you will be asked to do as a part of each study. During the
course of participation, you reserve the right to discontinue your participation at any time
without penalty. Should you choose to participate in research, you have a responsibility to
show up at your scheduled time and to follow the directions of the researcher to the best of
your ability. If you have to cancel an appointment, please do so as early as possible. Each
student who fails to attend a scheduled appointment takes the place of a student that could
have attended.
 At the time of research participation, you must indicate that you want the ArgoPoints
you earn to be applied to this specific course. This decision may not be changed at a
later date. The course instructor will not keep track of the ArgoPoints that you apply to this
course. The ArgoPoints you earn will be reported to the instructor at the end of the semester.
You are responsible for knowing how many ArgoPoints you have applied to each specific
course that offers ArgoPoints.
 For more about your rights and responsibilities, as well as to learn more about the
responsibilities of the researcher, please consult the PRP student website.
Option 2: Reading Psychological Research. You can also earn ArgoPoints by reading and
summarizing empirical journal articles. You can find a list of approved journal articles on the PRP
student website. To earn credit, you must read one of the journal articles and write a brief paper
about the article. Guidelines for the paper may also be found on the PRP website. The guidelines
require you to describe the purpose of the study and focus on the role of the participants in the study.
After you have read two (2) research articles and submitted a paper for each of the two articles, you
will receive one (1) ArgoPoint. The two papers should be submitted together, at the same time, to
ensure that you receive credit. All articles must be turned in by 5 pm on April 6. Be sure that you
maintain your academic integrity when writing your papers. If it is determined that you have
plagiarized (either intentionally or unintentionally), you will receive no credit for the assignment and
the offense will be forwarded to the Dean of Students following the procedures of the Academic
Misconduct Policy. Each student is encouraged to access the online Plagiarism Tutorial offered by
the library.
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You may choose to earn ArgoPoints by completing only Option 1, only Option 2, or any combination of
both options 1 and 2. For each ArgoPoint you earn for this course, you will receive 1 point of extra credit
added to your final course average. You can earn a maximum total of 3 ArgoPoints for this course from
the PRP, for a total of 3 extra credit points added to your final grade. Toward the end of the semester
after the participation deadline, the course instructor will receive a list of the number of ArgoPoints that
you have earned for this specific course. This list will not include the specific studies or writing
assignments that you completed to earn the ArgoPoints. It is your responsibility to keep track of that
information. After receiving this list, the course instructor will apply the extra credit to your grade.
There will be no PRP studies available for ArgoPoints after the participation deadline. If you want to
participate in the PRP, be sure to do so before the deadline. The participation deadline for this semester
is 5:00 p.m. on April 13. You may participate in a research study after this deadline, but you may not
earn ArgoPoints at that time. Some studies may offer another small incentive for participation after this
deadline, but it will not be ArgoPoints. You may not carryover ArgoPoints to a new semester. For
additional information about the guidelines for earning ArgoPoints, you are strongly encouraged to review
the information on the PRP student website before participating in a research study or completing an
article review. It is your responsibility to be aware of the ArgoPoint guidelines. If you have any questions
about the guidelines, please contact the PRP coordinator at spbsprp@uwf.edu.
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HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
DEP 2004 0511 TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Building 58A, Room 106
Date
1/10
1/12
1/17
1/19
1/24
1/26
1/31
2/2
2/7
2/9
2/14
2/16
2/21
2/23
2/28
3/1
3/6
3/8
3/13
3/15
3/27
3/29
4/3
4/5
4/10
4/12
4/17
4/19
4/24
4/26
5/1
Topic
Course Overview
The Study of Human Development
The Study of Human Development
The Study of Human Development
Biological Foundations
Biological Foundations
Tools for Exploring the World
Tools for Exploring the World
The Emergence of Language and Thought
The Emergence of Language and Thought
Exam 1
Entering the Social World
Off to School
Expanding Social Horizons
Rites of Passage
Rites of Passage
Exam 2
Moving into the Adult Social World
Becoming an Adult
Becoming an Adult
Being with Others
Work and Leisure
Exam 3
Making it in Midlife
Documentary Critique
Documentary Critique
The Personal Context of Later Life
Social Aspects of Later Life
Social Aspects of Later Life
The Final Passage
FINAL EXAM (EXAM 4) at 11:30 a.m.
Exam Makeup Day for students with preapproved, documented excuses
Reading Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Bring your ID & #2 pencil!
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Bring your ID & #2 pencil!
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Bring your ID & #2 pencil!
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Bring ID & #2 pencil!
Note: All items on this schedule are subject to change, but you will be given reasonable notice
in such cases. Additional reading assignments from outside materials may also be assigned
and this material will be covered on exams.
Holidays (Classes Suspended):
Jan. 16 (Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday)
Mar. 19 - 24 (Spring Break)
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