Psychology 2040B 650

Child Development

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

 

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

LONDON               CANADA

Department of Psychology

Winter 2023

 

Psychology 2040B    Section 650

Child Development

 

 

  • CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

 

A survey of theory and research in developmental psychology including learning, cognition, perception, personality, and social development in infancy and childhood.

 

Antirequisites: Psychology 2410A/B, Psychology 2480E, and the former Psychology 2044

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if this course has an antirequisite that you have previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in this one.

3 lecture hours; 0.5 course 

2.0 COURSE INFORMATION

 

Instructor:                                                         Dr. Graeme Haynes            

Office Hours:                                                     TBA  

Email:                                                               ghaynes@uwo.ca                           

 

Teaching assistant:                                          TBA              

Office Hours:                                                                                     

Email:                                                                        

 

Delivery Method: On-line (asynchronous)  

 

This is a fully online course that will use Western University’s learning platform, OWL (Sakai) and other educational resources based on the needs of the course. This class is designed to be asynchronous, meaning we will not have a regular, meeting time when the entire class must be online.  All exams, however, will take place synchronously on-line, and will be proctored remotely with Proctortrack.  There may also be synchronous activities that you will sign up for based on your own schedule, including office hour appointments with the professor or T.A.

 

Email is the best way to contact me, and if need be, I can be available to meet with you in person during office hours (assuming public health guidelines permit this), or over Zoom. 

 

 

When sending me an email, please make sure to use proper email etiquette (e.g., start with a greeting), and include the following information: your name, the course you are in (I’m teaching several different courses this semester), and your question.

 

Sample email:

 

Hi Prof. Haynes,

 

This is [insert name here] from your Psychology 2040a class.  After reading the lecture slides on [insert topic here], I was wondering if you could explain [insert concept here] in greater detail?

 

Sincerely,

 

[Name]

 

If you adhere to these guidelines, I promise to reply to all emails within 24 hours.

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help. 

 

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca  or 519-661-2147.

 

3.0 TEXTBOOK

 

Kail, R.V., & Barnfield, A. M. C. (2021). Children and Their Development, 5th Canadian ed. New York: Pearson.

 

4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

The goals of this course are to provide students with:

 

  1. Knowledge of the vocabulary, research findings, theories, methods, and concepts in developmental psychology;
  2. An understanding of the developmental processes from conception through childhood;
  3. Awareness of the problems and advances in the study of child development;
  4. The ability to think critically about issues in developmental psychology;

 

 

 

 

 

4.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.

Can describe the process of human development from conception through childhood and identify a wide range of factors that can promote and/or curtail human development.

 

Assigned readings and supplementary slideshows

Exams

Knowledge of Methodologies.

Can summarize their knowledge of psychological theories, empirical findings, and research methods involved in Developmental Psychology.

Assigned readings and     supplementary slideshows

Exams

Application of Knowledge.

Understand how findings from developmental research can be applied in everyday settings to promote positive development.

 

Assigned readings and     supplementary slideshows

Exams

Communication Skills.

Can discuss knowledge, ideas, and their critical insights about Developmental Psychology.

 

Participating in online discussion forums

 

 

Online discussion forums

 

 

 

5.0 EVALUATION

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.

 

  1. Exams (30%, 30%, and 30%)

 

All exams will take place synchronously on-line, and will be proctored remotely with Proctortrack. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded.  Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service.  More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca

 

Exams are closed-book, and it is expected that all students will complete the exams independently with no communication between classmates.  You will have 120 minutes to complete the exams from start to finish (plus additional time for students who have documented accommodations which allow for extra time).  The exams will be non-linear, meaning you may return to earlier questions.  Once you start, you cannot stop or pause.  You will access this exam and submit your answers through the Proctortrack tab on our OWL site.

 

Each exam is non-cumulative, will consist of multiple choice questions, and will be worth 30% of your final grade.  For each exam, you are responsible for material assigned in the textbook, as well as material covered in supplementary online lectures. 

 

The first midterm exam, covering material from Chapter 1-5, will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4th, from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

 

The second midterm exam, covering material from Chapter 6-9, will take place on Saturday, Mar. 11th, from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

 

The final examination, covering material from Chapter 10-14, will take place during the April exam period (Apr. 13 –30, specific time TBA).  

 

  1. Discussion Forums (10%)

 

Online discussions related to issues from two of the weekly topics will be held on OWL, within pre-assigned groups of 8-10 students. Please make sure that you have thoroughly read the discussion forum rules below (starting on page 5).  Each discussion thread will remain active for only one week, so it is your responsibility to know the deadlines for making your posts. 

 

Students are expected to participate in all of these discussions, both by posting their own thoughts or observations and by commenting constructively on other students’ comments. Your grade will be earned based on the quantity and quality of your contributions to these discussions. A successful student in online education is one who takes an active role in the learning process. You are therefore encouraged to participate actively in the discussions to enhance your learning experience throughout the course.

 

A substantive posting usually will reflect on a course concept or idea and will demonstrate a critical appraisal of the material or application thereof. Generally, original postings should be about 250-300 words (replies to other students may be shorter). A posting should lead the discussion in a meaningful direction. Examples of quality posts include:

 

  • providing clear, coherent responses that directly address the topic at hand;
  • presenting explanations of concepts or methods from the textbook or lecture materials to support your points;
  • presenting reasons for or against a topic in a persuasive fashion;
  • sharing your own personal experiences that relate to the topic;

 

Expect a variety of views to be expressed, and feel free to express your own view. Debates are encouraged, but please remember that your communications must be respectful to others. Note that the instructor will not respond to each point added to the discussion board. Instead the instructor will read and evaluate the posts on the discussion board, and might add comments when appropriate to keep students on track if the discussion has gone off topic.

 

For each post, you will be assigned a grade out of 5 (3.5 for original post, and 1.5 for responding to another student’s post and replying to any questions asked by other students).  Grades will be assigned as follows:

0–2.5 = Unsatisfactory    Post is brief and uninformative, does not contribute any insight to the topic, the question is not answered fully.

3-3.5 = Satisfactory     Post is somewhat informative, demonstrates basic understanding of the material, but merits a more clear or further explanation.

4-4.5 = Very Good        Post is informative, demonstrates strong understanding of the material, and contributes substantial insight.

5 = Excellent                 Post goes beyond basic requirements, demonstrates excellent critical appraisal, shows evidence of considerable reading beyond course text (e.g., citing sources beyond textbook).

To earn the full five points, you must demonstrate that you have given the topic serious thought, resulting in interesting observations and/or questions. You don’t have to be right (in fact frequently there won’t be a “right” answer) but you do have to demonstrate that you have thought in depth about the issue.

 

The Discussion Forum Rules

 

There will be two week-long periods during which a discussion forum will take place. Forum #1 will take place during the week of Jan. 23 – 30; Forum #2 during the week of Mar. 13 – 20.  

 

Rule #1:   I will always post the discussion forum topic on the Monday morning when a new unit begins. The discussion forums will be open for 7 days, from Monday morning until the following week’s Monday at 12:00 noon (EDT).

 

Rule #2:   In order to give students time to reply to the posts of other members, you must make your first post no later than Thursday night – any first posts made later than this will be given a late penalty of 0.5 per day. I recommend setting aside a specific block of time each Tuesday or Wednesday to compose your post.

 

Rule #3:   Your first post should be at least 250–300 words. You can go over this, but try your best to be concise. Subsequent posts (e.g., responding to a fellow group member’s post) do not need to be as long as this, but their quality will still be factored into your grade.

 

Sun.

Mon.

Tues.

Wed.

Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

 

Forum opens;

 

 

Make first post

Make first post

First post due by 11:59 P.M.

Respond to other member’s post

Respond to other member’s post

Respond to other member’s post

Forum closes at noon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: If you don’t provide feedback to another group member’s post, your maximum possible grade will be 3.5 / 5.  If another student asks you a question about your original post before Sunday at 12:00 noon, you need to answer the question, or you will receive a 0.5 point penalty.  If another student does not ask you a follow-up question, you won’t be penalized.

 

5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK

 

Make-Up Exams:  Tests must be written on the scheduled dates unless you have a legitimate excuse recognized by the university administration.  Valid reasons include medical or compassionate reasons, internet access issues (in the case that exams are on-line), and religious holidays, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, which will be verified by the Office of the Dean).  A student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a 0 for the exam.  Students with approved absences for either midterm must write a makeup exam, which will be scheduled by your prof or T.A. 

 

Discussion Forums:  Students who are unable to submit a discussion forum post by the due dates specified in this syllabus must contact their professor explaining the circumstances.  It is at the discretion of the professor to decide whether the due date will be extended and/or a late penalty will apply.

 

***Please refer to Section 11.0 for the full policy regarding make-up exams.***

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

70%   1000-level to 2099-level courses
72%   2100-2999 level courses
75%   3000-level courses
80%   4000-level courses

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf)

 

A+       90-100            One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level

A          80-89              Superior work that is clearly above average

B          70-79              Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory

C          60-69              Competent work, meeting requirements

D         50-59              Fair work, minimally acceptable

F          below 50        Fail

 

Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.

 

To ensure fairness, please be aware that final grades in this course are based exclusively on students’ performance on the exams, and discussion forums noted above. None of these components may be rewritten, nor will they be reweighted in calculating final grades.

 

6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

 

Date

Material covered

Value

Midterm #1

Sat. Feb. 4th, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

Chapters 1-5*

30%

Midterm #2

Sat. Mar. 11th, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

Chapters 6-9*

30%

Final exams

Apr. 13 – 30 (Time TBA)

Chapters 10-14*

30%

            *and all related supplementary material

 

  • CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Week of

Topic

Read

Jan. 9

Introduction: Science of Child Development

 

Chapter 1

Jan. 16

Genetic Bases of Child Development

Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn

 

Chapter 2

 

Chapter 3

Jan. 23

Growth & Health

 

Discussion Forum #1 active from Jan. 23 – 30 @ 12:00 P.M.

 

Chapter 4

Jan. 30

Perceptual & Motor Development

 

Chapter 5

Sat. Feb. 4

Midterm #1

Chapter 1-5

Feb. 6

Theories of Cognitive Development

Chapter 6

Feb. 13

Cognitive Processes;

 

Intelligence

Chapter 7 (7.1 & 7.2 only)

Chapter 8

Feb. 20

Winter Reading Week –

no class

 

Feb. 27

Language & Communication

 

Chapter 9

Mar. 6

Study for midterm #2

 

Sat. Mar. 11

Midterm #2

Chapter 6-9

Mar. 13

Emotional Development

 

Discussion Forum #2 active from Mar. 13 – 20 @ 12:00 P.M.

 

Chapter 10

Mar. 20

Understanding Self & Others

 

Chapter 11

Mar. 27

Moral Understanding & Behaviour

Gender & Development

 

Chapter 12

 

Chapter 13

Apr. 3

Social Influences

Chapter 14

Apr. 13-30

FINAL EXAM

Chapter

10-14

 

 

8.0 Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

 

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

 

9.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

10.0    POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE

If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. In the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf

 

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us  

11.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  2. For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation.

https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

12.0    Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.

 

13.0    STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

14.0    OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf

Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.