Human Growth & Development

Psychology 201

Rather than focusing on a single period of human experience, the Human Growth & Development course is designed to help you understand and gain an appreciation of an entire human lifespan. Together we will analyze various theories that have influenced the field of human development—physical, cognitive, emotional, and social—at each stage of growth. We will also examine the challenges faced at each stage of human life, stretching all the way from birth to death.

This course involves large amounts of reading, and is designed to meet the BYU-I University expectation that students spend 3–4 hours each week for every credit; therefore, for this course, you will need to commit 9–12 hours each week. If you are unable to commit to the time demands this semester, please consider taking this course some other time when you will be able to commit the time necessary for the workload.

Also, even though this course is online, it is not an independent study course. It is structured so that you can interact with classmates weekly in order to teach and learn from one another.Participating in Teach One Another activities is where some of the most powerful learning experiences can occur.

Syllabus

Learning Outcomes

In this course you will learn to:

Identify various theories that have impacted the field of human development
Understand theory and research in human growth and development to allow students to appreciate an entire human lifespan
Examine the challenge that faces each stage of human life
Give examples of how biology and environmental factors interact in development
Highlight physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development factors in each stage of development: infancy & toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood
Describe lifespan challenges faced in each stage of development

Course Architecture

This course runs in fourteen one-week lessons with Lesson 01 at the beginning and Lesson 14 to wrap up.

Each lesson:

Will open one week early in order to accommodate students who want to get started or need some flexibility in their schedules.
Will have all its due dates located in the Calendar

Content

Lesson 01	Online and course-specific orientation, getting acquainted
Lesson 02	Foundations of Development
Lesson 03	Foundations of Development
Lesson 04	Infancy and Toddlerhood: (0–1 Years)
Lesson 05	Infancy and Toddlerhood: (0–1 Years)
Lesson 06	Early Childhood: (2–6 Years)
Lesson 07	Middle Childhood: (7–11 Years)
Lesson 08	Middle Childhood: (7–11 Years)
Lesson 09	Adolescence: The Transition to Adulthood: (12–17 Years)
Lesson 10	Early Adulthood: (18–40 Years)
Lesson 11	Early Adulthood: (18–40 Years)
Lesson 12	Middle Adulthood: (41–64 Years)
Lesson 13	Late Adulthood: (65+ Years)
Lesson 14	End of Life

Recurring Activities

Readings, Reading Reflections, and Check for Understanding

Reading: Complete the weekly reading. This will come predominately from the text book “Development Through the Lifespan” by Laura E. Berk, 6^thEdition. Reading assignments are posted on each week’s Lesson Plan page.
Reading Reflections: This assessment will test your knowledge and understanding of what you have read to prepare you for participating in the rest of the assignments posted on each week’s Lesson Plan page.
Reading Reflection Insights: This page is a discussion board where you can discuss the reading with your classmates. The purpose of this discussion board is to give you an opportunity to share what you’ve learned, thus increasing your retention of the material. It is also an opportunity to receive answers to questions you may have, and to prepare for the exam. This discussion board will not be graded.
Check for Understanding: This quick check will help you become familiar with the kind of information that will be on the test and provide extra practice to help you prepare.

Homework

Further Research: This is an opportunity to extend your understanding of the weekly reading(s) by researching and responding to question(s) connected to the reading. When you’re ready, find someone outside of class who could benefit from your knowledge and teach him or her what you are learning. The Further Researchactivity is due Wednesday. Further enhance your understanding in the “Share Your Learning Discussion Board.”
Share Your Learning Discussion Board: This is also known as the “Class DB.” Here you can share what you learned from the Further Research activity. This assignment will require an original post that will be due on Wednesday, and response posts which will be due on Saturday. Sharing insights/new thoughts you have acquired will help everyone to better understand the course material.

Assessments

Weekly Reports: This short report will allow you to give important feedback about your experiences in completing the course assignments. Because the reports are about what you have completed each week, they will not open with the rest of the lesson. Rather, they will open each Wednesday of the week they are due and will be available until Saturday.
Unit Exams: This course has five examinations that covers the material in your textbook. All exams open at the beginning of the week they are due. These exams are closed book tests that will be proctored. If you live within 30 miles of the BYU-Idaho campus, you will use the BYU-I Testing Center. For those more than 30 miles away from campus, you will have to make arrangements for a proctor. Specific proctoring information and a related quiz are found in the Instructions for Testing Arrangements page in Lesson 01. All students must take the quiz of Lesson 02 by the due date in the calendar, regardless of whether you are on or off campus. For off-campus students, you must have filled out a Proctor Request Form prior to taking the quiz, so it is imperative that you get started on finding a proctor right away. Depending upon whom you select as your proctor, it is possible that you will be charged a fee by the proctor for each of the five exams. There will be five unit tests, each varying in length, from 60 questions to 100. Each question will be worth two points. The examinations together are worth 760 points. If you have a disability requiring you to take exams under different circumstances, let your instructor know as soon as possible so that fair, alternative arrangements can be made.

Additional Activities

My Virtual Child (MVC): This online simulation gives students the opportunity to make parenting decisions in various stages of a “Virtual Child’s” life. You will be meeting onlineweekly with others (via Adobe Connect) to discuss the choices you made, the questions you had, and the dilemmas in different situations you were presented with at each stage of your child’s life. This activity will continue until around midterm.
(My Virtual Child) Virtual Classroom Sign-Up: Use this weekly discussion board to sign up for your group meeting each week. Your instructor will assign several students to be Student Leads for each week that you participate in the MVC activity. Student Leads will post a thread on the discussion board indicating a time to meet and 2–3 things stemming from his MVC activity that he would like to discuss in the group meeting as soon as possible. The rest of the class will then be able to choose which discussion group they would like to attend, and post 2–3 additional things to discuss at the meeting. All students will be asked to be a Student Lead at least once during the semester. If you cannot fulfill the Student Lead requirements a particular week, let your instructor know as soon as possible so that you don’t hamper your classmates’ ability to complete this activity.
Adobe Connect (Virtual Classroom): Each week, online discussion groups will meet via Adobe Connect to discuss questions, dilemmas, concerns, and/or insights associated with raising a (virtual) child. In this group setting, each member should be prepared to discuss the issues brought up in the discussion board posts.
Interview Project: Throughout the course you will be conducting interviews with people in various life stages to gain insight about their experiences. Those age ranges will correspond with the things you are studying. In 500–800 words, report on what you have learned after each interview.

Note: Some lessons have additional assessment activities such as Midterm Feedback, Midterm, or Final Tests.

Course Requirements

Course Texts

“Development Through the Lifespan” by Laura E. Berk, 6^th Edition. ISBN: 978-0205957606
“My Virtual Child” 2nd edition by Frank Manis. ISBN: 978-0205690336

Option #1: “ Three-Hole Punch + My Development Lab” ISBN: 978-0205969609
Option #2: “ Standalone My Development Lab w/e-text” ISBN: 978-0205958719

Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.

Grading Policies

Final Grade Distribution

A= 93+; 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 = below 60

Grade Components

Grades will be determined as follows:

Introduction Activities: 5 points each (3 Assignments = 15 points total)
Reading Reflections: 5 points each (14 Assignments = 70 points total)
Gospel Application: 5 points each (3 Assignments = 15 points total)
Interview Projects: 20 points each (7 Assignments = 140 points total)
Weekly Reports: 20 or 35 points (14 Weekly Reports = 385 points total)
Exams: Range from 120-200 points each (5 Exams = 760 points total)
Miscellaneous: 5 or 10 points (4 assignments = 25 points total)
TOTAL POINTS = 1410

Class Policies

Course Questions, Problems, and/or Concerns

In the Course folder on the left-hand menu is a Course Discussion Board, where you are encouraged to post general questions, problems, concerns, etc. Using this board will inform other class members, the instructor, and Online Course Improvement of the issues you find, which will allow the proper people to correct them for everyone. Unless your instructor indicates otherwise,please check this board throughout the semester. If you are experiencing the same problem as another student who has posted on the Course Discussion Board, you can post as well to alert others of the seriousness of the problem. If you know the answer to a problem, you are encouraged to post solutions. Helping to solve your classmates’ problems is another way to teach one another. Additionally, your instructor is monitoring this board and will inform you of fixes and solutions here.

Note: You should only email your instructor directly if the problem is of a personal nature OR your instructor says that is the way he or she would like to be informed of questions, problems, concerns, etc.

Microphones

Throughout the course, you will be required to participate in Group Meetings with other classmates. In order to participate fully in these meetings, you will need a microphone for your computer. Many computers come with microphones built in, but if you do not have this feature, you will need to buy one. You can make sure that your microphone works properly in the Virtual Classroom meeting with your instructor in the Introduction week.

Late Work Policy

Late work hampers your ability to fully participate in the course and will be accepted only at the instructor’s discretion. Any late work that is accepted is subject to a penalty determined by your instructor. Two exceptions exist where the late work policy is not at the discretion of the instructor:

Discussion board posts will not be accepted late. One of the purposes of those boards is to discuss things together with your classmates, and if your work is late, your classmates will already be on new assignments. Thus, points for the discussion boards cannot be made up once the pertinent week is over.
Exams must be taken during the specified exam dates. I-Learn will not allow the late submission of an exam.

Each lesson opens several days in advance to allow flexibility. Do not expect an instructor to bend the course due dates to accommodate your personal scheduling conflicts, including weddings and vacations. However, if you know you will be unable to meet a due date for any particular assignment, an instructor may be able to work with you if you make prior arrangements to submit your work.

Preparation

This course is designed to engage both your mind and your heart. Thus, it is important to prepare both intellectually and spiritually each week. Consistent personal prayer, scripture study, and attention to your covenants will provide a great support to your academic studies. While this is not a religion course, what you study here will help you grow spiritually. When you are prepared, the Holy Spirit can provide guidance and direction that will make a difference in your life. As you interact with others in various assignments, please remember to be kind, considerate, and respectful of differing viewpoints. You can differ in opinions (sometimes the best learning comes when others challenge your thinking) but still be civil. Any violation of basic common courtesy—including interaction with the instructor—will negatively impact your grade.

PACING YOURSELF

Your ability to pace yourself will be essential to your success in this course. If you organize your time well, you will be able to complete all of the assignments without becoming overwhelmed. Below is a suggestion of one way that you could organize your time throughout a typical week:

The first half of the week:

Reading (1 hour 30 minutes)Reading Reflections (1 hour)Further Research (30 minutes) Share Your Learning - Original Post (10 minutes)Check for understanding (15 minutes)

Total (2 hours 45 minutes)

The second half of the week:

MVC Activity (30 minutes)Virtual Classroom Sign-up/Meeting (45 minutes)Share Your Learning - Response Posts (20 minutes)Weekly Report (15 minutes)Exam (if applicable) (45 minutes)

Total (3 hours 15 minutes)

Disclaimers

The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus any time during the semester in order to adapt to changing course needs. You will be notified prior to any changes that may take place.

Once you have read through and understood the course requirements, take the Syllabus Quiz to complete the activity.