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 on Friday the week prior to accommodate students who want to get started or need some flexibility in their schedules.Lesson 02 will open on the Friday of week 1, etc.
- Will have all its due dates located in the Calendar. You can also see due dates in each lesson under Content and in Course Schedule
Content
Lesson 01 | Online and course-specific orientation, getting acquainted; Foundations of Development |
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, 6thEdition. 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. The Reading Reflections questions have been carefully chosen to help you prepare for the exam. If you answer these questions in depth, they will become a study guide for the exams.
- 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, but you will report on your participation in your weekly reflection and earn points for your participation.
- 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
- Share Your Learning Assignment: This is an opportunity to extend your understanding of the weekly reading(s) by researching and responding to questions connected to the reading. . After completing the Share Your Learning reading(s), find someone outside of class to discuss what you’ve read.
- Share Your Learning Write-Up: After you have discussed what you’ve read in the articles with someone outside of class, write a 1-page overview of what you’ve learned and discussed. The write-up is due Saturday.
Assessments
- Chapter Quizzes. Each chapter has a chapter quiz. You may take the quiz up to three times. You will receive the highest score of your three attempts.
- Weekly Reports: This short report will allow you to give important feedback about your experiences in completing the course assignments. The reports open with the rest of the lesson.
- Unit Exams: This course has five examinations that cover the material in your textbook. A study guide will be available the week prior to the exam. All exams open on Friday the week prior to their due date. These exams are closed book tests that will be proctored using an online service called Proctorio. 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.
- Disability accomodations: If you have 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.
Virtual Child Discussion Group
- Discussion Groups: The My Virtual Child discussion boards allow you to self-select a discussion group each week in Lessons 03-09. In your group meeting, you'll talk about the choices you made in raising your virtual child and how the development of your virtual child corresponds to what you are reading in the textbook. Your decisions in the virtual child program will determine some of the development of your virtual child, but the virtual child program will also provide you with additional challenges. The virtual child program is an important part of the course and a great opportunity to share and learn from each other.
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'll complete activities in the virtual child program, then meet via Zoom with your discussion group to discuss the dilemmas you were presented, the choices you made, and the development of your virtual child.
- (My Virtual Child) Sign-Up: You will sign up each week in Lesson 03-09 for a group meeting. Early in the week, sign up for the group you want to attend. You will also need to volunteer to be the Student Lead for your discussion group at least once. The Student Lead should post 2-3 discussion items and their Zoom room information on the group MVC Sign-Up discussion board. The Student Lead will also post a write-up of the meeting. You only need to do this write- up the week you are the Student Lead. If you sign up to be a Student Lead and are not able to fulfill the requirements that week, let your group know as soon as possible so a new Student Lead can volunteer.
- Zoom (Virtual Classroom): Each week in Lesson 03-09, you will meet with your group via Zoom. You will meet in the Zoom room of the Student Lead. You will discuss questions, dilemmas, concerns, and/or insights associated with raising a (virtual) child. Each member of the group should be prepared to discuss the issues brought up in the discussion board posts.
- Interview Project:Throughout the course, you will conduct interviews with people in various life stages. After each interview, you'll be asked to do a write up of the interview and a 1-page analysis where you compare what you are learning in the course with what you observed in your interview. Beginning in Lesson 06, you'll interview ONE individual between the ages of 2-6. You will interview ONE individual in each successive age range in Lessons 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13. You will also complete a conclusion write-up in Lesson 13. The interview questions will be provided, and you'll use the same interview questions in each interview. Follow this link for examples of the interview project write-ups: Project Examples
- Tutoring Center Quizzes: There is a new resource available to you through the BYUI Tutoring Center. These quizzes are not required, but are just another resource to help you prepare for exams. These quizzes were prepared by the professor who created the course (and chose the exam questions) and a student who had just taken the course.
- Go to iplan.byui.edu
- Press Tutoring at the top
- Click on Quizzes
- From there press Tutoring Center
- You can then search for the quizzes by course at the top
- Look up Psych 201 and all of your quizzes should pop up
How to access the Psych 201 Quizzes:
Note: Some lessons have additional assessment activities such as Midterm Feedback and Course Evaluation.
Course Requirements
Course Texts - Auto Access
The required text is “Development Through the Lifespan” by Laura E. Berk, 7th Edition.
The required textbook for this course is a low cost auto access digital textbook. Access the textbook using the link provided in the Student Resources module of this course. You will be automatically charged for the digital textbook after the “Add” deadline (the end of the 2nd week of the semester).
It is very important that you do not opt out of this option or purchase the textbook from another source. It is cheaper and includes all of the materials you will need for this course. Those materials include the Berk textbook as an ebook, access codes to the virtual child program and the My Development Lab.
You must have access to the My Development Lab resources as they will help you prepare for the unit exams and allow you access to the virtual child program.
Grading Policies
Final Grade Distribution
A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | D- | F |
93+ | 90–92 | 87–89 | 83–86 | 80–82 | 77–79 | 73–76 | 70–72 | 67–69 | 63–66 | 60–62 | below 60 |
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 Questions and Conversations Discussion Board, 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 Questions and Conversations 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.
Copyright
Materials on BYU Idaho I-Learn and related sites may be protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). These materials are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.
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 |
Share Your Learning | 30 minutes |
Weekly Report | 15 minutes |
Exam (if applicable) | 45 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 write-up | 30 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.