Psychology 2040A-650
WESTERN UNIVERSITYLONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
Summer 2026
Psychology 2040A Section 650
Child Development
1.0 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
Delivery Method: On-line (asynchronous)
This is an online course that will use Western University’s learning platform, Brightspace,
and other educational resources based on the needs of the course. As such, all students
must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online
learning system requirements. Supplementary online Powerpoint slideshows (which
correspond with the assigned weekly chapter readings) will be posted on Brightspace
every Monday morning and will remain available for the rest of the course. This class is
designed to be asynchronous, meaning we will not have a regular, mandatory time when
the entire class must be online. However, both the midterm and the final exam will be
written in person, on campus.
Email is the best way to contact me, and if need be, I can be available to meet with you in
person on campus, 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.
3.0 Course Materials
Status: Required
Kail, R.V., & Barnfield, A. M. C. (2025). Children and Their Development, 6th Canadian ed.
New York: Pearson. $67.99
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
Quizzes & Exams
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.
a) Online chapter quizzes
For each chapter in the Kail & Barnfield E-textbook, there is a short quiz (approx. 5
multiple choice questions) at the end of the chapter. These quizzes are open book and may
be completed collaboratively with other students in the course. The quizzes are timed (15
minutes to answer the 5 questions), and need to be completed by the date specified on
Brightspace. Quizzes will be active for the week that corresponds with the chapter(s) being
covered in a module (see Schedule in Section 7.0), until the Sunday at 11:59 PM. You only
need to complete ten of the 14 quizzes (meaning you can skip a quiz here and there and not
lose any marks, as long as you complete 10 by the end of the semester). It is your
responsibility to stay up to date with the chapter readings and complete the quizzes by the
dates specified.
b) Exams (30% and 40%)
Both exams will take place in person on campus at Western (rooms TBA). Exams will
consist of approximately 65-70 multiple choice and true/false questions, and you will have
two hours to complete the exams from start to finish (plus additional time for students who
have documented accommodations which allow for extra time).
For each exam, you are responsible for all material assigned in the textbook, as well as
material covered in supplementary online lectures.
Knowledge of Methodologies.
Can summarize their knowledge of
psychological theories, empirical
findings, and research methods
involved in Developmental
Psychology.
Assigned readings and
supplementary slideshows
Quizzes & 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
Discussion forums
The midterm exam, covering material from Chapter 1-6, will take place on Saturday, June
6th, from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
[Makeup exam: Friday, June 12th, time TBA]
The final examination, covering material from Chapter 7-14, will take place during the
Summer Distance exam period (July 28 - 31, specific time TBA; makeup exam TBA).
c) Discussion Forums (10%).
Six of the weekly lessons will have a discussion question (see Student Assessment table and
Schedule on page 6/7 for due dates), which you will access on Brightspace via the
Assignments tab. You only need to complete five of the six discussions (meaning you can
skip one week and not lose any marks). You may also choose to do all six discussion posts,
in which case your lowest grade of the six will be dropped. For each discussion you
complete, you will be required to submit a post of a minimum of 200 words by Sunday at
11:59 P.M. of the week in which a discussion occurs (there is no maximum word count, but
try to be concise in your posts). The rubric below is meant to act as a general guideline,
illustrating expectations for both the quantity and quality of participation. If, at any point in
the term, you have questions about how you are doing in terms of your participation,
please feel free to ask the professor via email. Each post is worth 3% of your final course
grade (3% x 5 discussions = 15% of final grade). Late discussions will not be graded, so
make sure that you give yourself time to construct your post and submit it in a timely
fashion (i.e., don’t leave it until 11:47 P.M. on the day that it’s due.)
Discussion rubric:
Activity Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Points
Discussion Post The post displays little or
no understanding of the
course material, or is off
topic
The post displays excellent
understanding of the
course material, connects
the course material to
personal experiences,
current events in the
media, other literature
(and in the case of media
or literature,
provides references, web
links, etc.)
__ / 1
Quality of writing,
netiquette, and
proof-reading
The post is unorganized or
contains inappropriate
content or is �illed with
spelling errors, poor
sentence structure, etc.
The post is very well
written. The post is clear,
concise, comments are
easy to read and
understand, free of
grammatical or spelling
errors.
__ / 1
5.1 Policy on Missing Coursework
Make-Up Exams: Exams 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 any of the exams must
write a makeup exam on the days and times noted above.
***Please refer to Section 10.0 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 quizzes, exams, and discussion posts.
None of these components may be rewritten, nor will they be reweighted in calculating
final grades.
6.0 Assessment & Examination Schedule
Date Material
covered Value
Chapter quizzes Weekly, to be completed no
later than Sundays at 11:59
PM
10%
Midterm #1 Sat. June 6th, 10:00 AM –
12:00 P.M.
Chapters
1-6*
35%
Final exam July 27 – 30 (Time TBA) Chapters
7-14*
40%
Discussion
questions
Modules marked with a * (in
Section 7.0); to be completed
by Sundays at 11:59 PM
15%
*and all related supplementary material
7.0 Class Schedule
Week of Topic Read
May 4-10 Introduction: Science of
Child Development
Chapter 1
May 11-17* Genetic Bases of Child
Development;
Prenatal Development,
Birth, and the Newborn
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
May 18-24* Growth & Health Chapter 4
May 25-31 Perceptual & Motor
Development
Chapter 5
June 1-7 Theories of Cognitive
Development
Chapter 6
(Saturday) June 6 Midterm Chapters 1-6
June 8-14 Cognitive Processes;
Intelligence
Chapter 7 & 8
June 15-21* Language &
Communication
Chapter 9
June 22-28 Emotional Development Chapter 10
June 29-July 5* Understanding Self &
Others
Chapter 11
July 6-12 Moral Understanding &
Behaviour
Chapter 12
July 13-19* Gender & Development Chapter 13
July 20-26* Social Influences Chapter 14
July 27 – 30 FINAL EXAM Chapter
7-14
*indicates there is a discussion forum during this module, due on the last day at 11:59 PM
8.0 Academic Integrity
Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate
policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following
Web site:
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_under
grad.pdf.
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.
Statement on Use of Electronic Devices
Electronic devices (all types) may not be used during examinations.
Multiple Choice Exams
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.
Exam Proctoring Software
Tests and examinations for online courses may be conducted using a remote proctoring
service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical
requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at:
https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.
9.0 Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education
View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this
link.
Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at
Western. If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized
in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information. Email: aew@uwo.ca
Phone: 519 661-2147
10.0 Absence & Academic Consideration
Academic Considerations:
https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html
11.0 Other Information
• Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
• Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
• Psychology Undergraduate Program:
https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
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.
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 in writing 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.
