Online/Virtual
This course focuses on the changes which occur in normal development between conception and death in the areas of cognitive, physical, and social development. Some sections of this course are taught in the computer lab; computer literacy skills are recommended.
Course Alignment
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Critical Thinking
Faculty Contact Information
I am here to support you on your educational journey in the classroom and beyond. I am available to respond to questions or concerns by email, Zoom, or in person appointment. To schedule an appointment outside of class hours, please email me directly at mpfeifer@kcc.edu
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand how children/adolescents/adults construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind
- Analyze how demographic and economic changes in the USA are impacting the family unit, child rearing in the home and at school.
- Contrast child-rearing practices and parenting styles in different ethnic groups.
- Understand basic research methods and able to identify methodological flaws in research studies as well as interpret correlations in research.
- Describe early childhood education programs that enhance cognitive and social skills.
- Understand attachment/bonding theory and its impact on development for later years.
- Identify age characteristics described in the stage theories: Freud, Erikson, and Piaget.
- Understand that children’s/adolescents’/adults’ physical, social, emotional, ethical, cognitive and language development influences learning
- Understand human developmental concepts, learning theory, neural science, and the ranges of individual variation within each domain
- Understand that differences in approaches to learning and performance interact with development
- Understand the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning and communication processes
- Understand the areas of exceptionality in learning as defined in the Individual with Disabilities Act
- Understand how cultural and gender differences can affect communication
- Understand the benefits, barriers, and techniques involved in parent/family relationships
- Compare and contrast the basic assumptions of four main theories of development: psychoanalytical, Piagetian, Vygotskyian, and behavioral.
- Prenatal Development and Birth
- Physical, Cognitive, and Socioemotional Development During:
- Infancy
- Early Childhood
- Middle and Late Childhood
- Adolescence
- Early Adulthood
- Middle Adulthood
- Late Adulthood
- Dying and Grief
Textbook(s):
Fuligni, A., Fuligni, A., & Bayne, J. (2023). Scientific American: Life-Span Development. Macmillan Publishers.
*PLEASE NOTE: Achieve will be required for this course. If you purchase the book from the bookstore, be sure to save the code that comes with your book – you will need it to access Achieve. If you purchase Achieve directly through Macmillan, but sure you ae purchasing the Achieve program, not the Read and Practice. The Achieve program will come with an eBook.
Grading Scale
A 90% 369-410 points
B 80% 328-368 points
C 70% 287-327 points
D 60% 246-286 points
F <60% 0-245 points
Graded criteria
“Developing Lives” Achieve Activity & Reflect 100 points
Discussion Posts (10 points each) 80 points
Exams (50 points each) 150 points
Chapter Quizzes (10 points each) 80 points
_________________
410 points
Description of each criterion.
Developing Lives Achieve Activity & Reflect (100 points): Developing Lives is an interactive, research-based simulation that allows you to apply the developmental theories from course materials to a "real-world" scenario. In this activity, you will navigate the journey of parenthood by raising a virtual child from conception through adolescence. To ensure you are connecting the simulation experience to our course learning objectives, an activity will follow the developmental module. The goal of the activity is to show that you thought critically about the simulation and can connect it to real-world human development.
Discussion Posts: (80 Points): You will be assigned one discussion post to complete each week. The discussion question(s) will be based on course materials, content from your assigned readings, or a combination of both. You do not need to reply to your peers unless you would like to do so. Due dates will be provided on Canvas.
Exams (150 points): Three exams (questions including multiple choice, true or false, fill in the blank, or short answer) will be given through the course of the semester. Though most of the exam will focus on the chapters covered during that point of the term, due to the cumulative nature of course, some questions may draw upon information learned earlier in the course. These will be taken online using Canvas. Each exam must be taken within a specified time period.
Chapter Quizzes (80 points): You will be assigned a total of 8 chapter quizzes on Achieve. There are 17 total chapters in our text, allowing you to choose which chapter quizzes you want to take. Links to each quiz will be provided on our Canvas page. I will keep your best 8 scores. Scoring will be completed at the end of term.
Participation & Engagement
Because this is an online course, participation is measured through your engagement with course materials and activities rather than physical attendance.
- Active Participation: Students are expected to engage regularly with the course by completing readings, watching lectures slides, or instructional materials, participating in discussions, and submitting assignments on time. Simply logging into Canvas is not considered participation.
- Week One Participation Requirement: Kankakee Community College requires instructors to verify that students are actively participating in their courses. To be considered actively enrolled in this course, students must complete at least one academic activity during the first week of class. Examples include submitting an assignment, completing a discussion post, taking a quiz, or otherwise engaging in a course activity that demonstrates participation. Students who do not complete a qualifying activity during the first week may be reported as non-attending and may be administratively withdrawn in accordance with college policies.
- Online Attendance: While there are no required in-person class meetings, students are expected to access the course regularly throughout the week. Extended periods of inactivity may negatively impact your success in the course and could affect your ability to complete assignments on time.
Please be aware that Canvas tracks student activity, including course access, participation in discussions, assignment submissions, and time spent engaging with course materials. Consistent engagement is an important component of success in an accelerated online course.
*If you require additional time for assignments or exams due to an accommodation through the Office of Disability Services, please contact me at the beginning of the semester so that I can make alternative arrangements.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Course Policies
Plagiarism, is defined in section 16.2 of the Code of Conduct: “Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else.” All instances of “intentional plagiarism” on any major assignment for this course will lead to the immediate failure of the course with no opportunity for the student to withdraw. The instance of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of Student Development. If the student has a second instance of plagiarism reported to the Dean of Student Development, the student may be suspended from the institution.
Academic Integrity: Students are expected to submit honest, original work. Examples of
cheating include copying another students’ work, using another’s work without appropriate
references, or submitting your own work that has already been used in another class. The college
regards cheating as a very serious offense and may result in failure of the class.
Late Assignments: You will learn early on that communication is key in my class. All assignments and papers are expected on the due date assigned. However, should unusual circumstances arise that delay your work, please communicate with me so we can make a plan that works for you without negatively impacting your grade. My goal is to help you succeed and pass my course. Keep me in the loop, do the best you can do complete your work and show me you are trying, and I can promise you a successful term.
Writing style: All coursework must be typed. Abbreviations such as those use when texting (i.e., “u” instead of “you”) is NOT appropriate and work containing such abbreviations will not be graded. Papers should be in APA format (see course home page in Canvas for more info on APA formatting).
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College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.