NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY-YUMA

EPS 580 Home Page

Human Development

Summer, 2003     3 credit hours


Instructor: Dr. Sherri McCarthy
e-mail: sherri.mccarthy@nau.edu
webpage: go to http://www.nau.edu/nauyuma and click on “faculty and staff.” Scroll down to my name in the directory, and click on the link that says “website” to the right of my name.

 

Course Description:  This 3 credit course introduces students to aspects of physical, psychological, moral, social and cognitive development during childhood, adolescence and adulthood.  Theories and research in the area of human development are explored.

Course Objectives:  Upon completion of this course, students will:
1) Accurately identify, discuss and understand major theories of human development;  
2) Use theoretical perspectives to examine human behavior;
3) Recognize, describe and analyze varying levels of cognitive, physical, psychological, social and moral development at different stages in life;
4) Effectively communicate knowledge of human development in written and oral presentations;

Required Texts:  Dacey, J. & Travers, J. (2002) Human Development Across the Lifespan. Boston: McGraw-Hill..

Evaluation Procedures:  Performance will be assessed and grades assigned based on points earned for quizzes, written assignments, class activities, presentations and debates..  Specifically, these will include:
DAILY discussion over assigned reading.                              100 points

ONE PowerPoint presentation in which you will summarize, answer questions about, analyze research and theories related to a particular developmental stage. Topics will include: Infancy; Early Childhood; Middle Childhood; Adolescence: Early Adulthood; Middle Adulthood and Late Adulthood. You will select the topic based on your interest and be assigned to a discussion group of other students who have selected the same topic. Presentations will be posted no later than July 15.                  100 points

TWO  article summaries, 2 - 5 pages in length double-spaced. Articles must come from peer-reviewed developmental psychology journals and summaries must be APA style.
                                100 points (50 each)
ONE case study, in which you interview a person over 65 years of age about their life history. Include relevant information from your text as you do this, and integrate appropriate theories, concepts and terms from lifespan development literature and class discussion. This paper should be APA style and is due by August 1.
                                                                                             200 points

Extra Credit:                            up to 50 points
You have the option of earning extra credit by writing questions and responses to answers based on the material you read for class discussion in our class web discussion group.  Questions you write with correct and complete answers are worth two points each. You may submit a maximum of 3 questions per chapter. These should be posted to the discussion group.

Grades:
Grades will be based on points obtained from the above activities, according to the following scale:  450+ =A   400-449 = B  350-399 = C  300-349 = D < 300 = F.
As this is a graduate seminar and you are all good, highly motivated students, I don’t foresee that grades other than A’s and B’s will be assigned in this course.

Course policies:
 Because we will be addressing several personal issues throughout the class, I ask that you are especially careful to be sensitive to the needs of your classmates.  Keep sensitive issues that are shared confidential.  Be supportive of each other as you explore your individual psyches together.  Your input on the course is always welcome. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with me.  It is my hope that we will have a rewarding, enjoyable course together which will provide you with useful information to apply in life for years to come. I want you to learn from this course, and realize that, for many of you, the reviews in APA style may be a new experience. I encourage you to get feedback from Lila before submitting your papers. Also, after you have submitted them, you will have the opportunity to correct and resubmit them in order to earn back up to one-half of the points you lost on the first submission. See the schedule for submission deadlines. I expect each of you to complete assignments on time, but as this course is relatively self-paced, you can adjust your work pace to your own schedule and needs within reasonable limits. Consider the schedule guidelines as deadlines; you may always work ahead of schedule, but grading and feedback will be completed according to the posted calendar.  

Class Schedule:
MODULE 1: Getting Started                   Weeks one and two
    Complete all introductory tutorial activities
    Preview your textbook and read chapters one through four
Post a message to our class discussion group introducing yourself
Post messages and questions related to chapter readings
Visit the library resource page; locate two articles and E-mail me the bibliographic information on each for my approval and obtain them

MODULE 2:                             Week three
         Review APA Style
                        Read Chapters five & six
 Post information about your chapters to discussion
Select and obtain my approval for the person you will write your final paper about and for the lifespan topic you will prepare your PowerPoint presentation on.
        
MODULE 3:                             Week four
Read Chapters seven and eight
 Post information about your chapters to discussion
        E-mail me your first article review

MODULE 4:                             Week five
Read Chapters nine and ten
 Post information about your chapters to discussion
Work on PowerPoint and case study projects
Work on second article review
    

MODULE 5:                                      Week six
Read Chapters eleven and twelve
 Post information about your  chapters to discussion
        E-mail me your second article review
    

MODULE 6:                                                      Weeks seven and eight
        Deadline to resubmit article reviews for credit
        Read Chapters thirteen and fourteen
                       Post information related to your reading
                       Work on presentation and case study

MODULE 7: Read Chapters fifteen and sixteen            Weeks nine and ten                                                
        Post PowerPoint Presentation on your selected topic
                       Post information related to  reading


MODULE 8: Read Chapters seventeen through nineteen     Weeks eleven & twelve                                 
                       Post information related to your  reading
                        Submit your final case study paper

CASE STUDY PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO ME AND TO LILA VIA E-MAIL NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT, AUGUST 1. ALL ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED THROUGH WEB CT AND COPIED TO ME AND TO LILA AT OUR INDIVIDUAL EMAILS ADDRESSES TO INSURE APPROPRIATE CREDIT!
        



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For problems or questions regarding this web page contact Dr. Sherri McCarthy .