PSYC 2553 Lifespan Developmental Psychology Syllabus W03 Fall 2026

Credit Hours 3.00 Lecture Hours 3 Clinical/Lab Hours 0
Type of Credit
CIP Code
42.2703
Course Meeting Time

Online - Self Paced

Course Description

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

IAI Number
S6-902
IAI Title
Lifespan Developmental Psychology
General Education Outcomes

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:

  1. Critical Thinking
Explanation of Course Alignment

Course Description: 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. IAI: S6 902.

Prerequisite Narrative: Appropriate assessment score or ENGL 0964 with a grade of C or better - Must be completed prior to taking this course.

General Education Outcomes:

Communication

Critical Thinking

Responsibility

Topical Outline:

1. Prenatal Development and Birth
2. Physical, Cognitive, and Socioemotional Development During:
a. Infancy
b. Early Childhood
c. Middle and Late Childhood
d. Adolescence
e. Early Adulthood
f. Middle Adulthood
g. Late Adulthood
3. Dying and Grief

Outcomes

  • 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/theorists of development: psychoanalytical, PiagetVygotsky, and behavioral

Faculty Contact Information

Faculty Name
Christina Halawa
Faculty Email
Faculty Phone
Division Office – 815-802-8800
Faculty Student Support Hours

Message through Canvas

Faculty Information

Professor Christina Halawa

chalawa@kcc.edu

Course Information

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Understand how children/adolescents/adults construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind
  2. Analyze how demographic and economic changes in the USA are impacting the family unit, child rearing in the home and at school.
  3. Contrast child-rearing practices and parenting styles in different ethnic groups.
  4. Understand basic research methods and able to identify methodological flaws in research studies as well as interpret correlations in research.
  5. Describe early childhood education programs that enhance cognitive and social skills.
  6. Understand attachment/bonding theory and its impact on development for later years.
  7. Identify age characteristics described in the stage theories: Freud, Erikson, and Piaget.
  8. Understand that children’s/adolescents’/adults’ physical, social, emotional, ethical, cognitive and language development influences learning
  9. Understand human developmental concepts, learning theory, neural science, and the ranges of individual variation within each domain
  10. Understand that differences in approaches to learning and performance interact with development
  11. Understand the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning and communication processes
  12. Understand the areas of exceptionality in learning as defined in the Individual with Disabilities Act
  13. Understand how cultural and gender differences can affect communication
  14. Understand the benefits, barriers, and techniques involved in parent/family relationships
  15. Compare and contrast the basic assumptions of four main theories of development: psychoanalytical, Piagetian, Vygotskyian, and behavioral.
Topical Outline
  1. Prenatal Development and Birth
  2. Physical, Cognitive, and Socioemotional Development During:
    1. Infancy
    2. Early Childhood
    3. Middle and Late Childhood
    4. Adolescence
    5. Early Adulthood
    6. Middle Adulthood
    7. Late Adulthood
  3. Dying and Grief
Textbook/s and Course Materials

Fuligni & Bayne, Scientific American: Lifespan Development, 1e. We will be using Macmillan Achieve.

NOTE: The textbook is already integrated into the Canvas course. You will need to purchase this from the bookstore and give them the course number and section number.

Methods of Evaluation

Description of each criterion.

Discussions (70 points)
Although we will not be meeting face-to-face, class discussion is still a very important part of this class. Each week’s discussion will be conducted via discussion board in Canvas. . You are responsible for posting your own answer or ideas to all of the discussion questions. It is important that all postings show an understanding of the assigned readings and the psychological theories, as well as your personal opinion. You can earn up to 20 points for each response based on the depth of your answer.

There are 3 Extra Credit discussions posted in various weekly modules.

Module Assignments (70 points)

Consist of various interactive activities that are listed under a weekly module; case studies, matching, research and writing assignments. You can You an earn 10–20 points.

Achieve Assignments (200)

Consist of various interactive activities; videos, concept practice, learning curve, scientific and spotlight. These activities are under each weekly module. You can earn 5-15 points for each activity.

Chapter Exams (180 points)

Weekly exams consist of chapter quizzes and discovering lives quizzes. Each quiz is worth 10 points.

Grading Scale
A 90 - 100% 
B 80 - 89% 
C 70 - 79% 
D 60 - 69% 
F <60%

Graded criteria

Discussions 95

Module Assignments 50

Achieve Assignments 200

Chapter Exams 180

Total Points 525 points

Academic Division

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700

Course Policies

Late Assignments: Late Assignments and Discussion Questions are NOT accepted.

Writing style: All coursework must be typed and completed in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: Sixth Edition (APA style). Abbreviations such as those used when texting (i.e., “u” instead of “you”) is NOT appropriate and work containing such abbreviations will not be accepted. No late assignments will be accepted. Review the rubric for additional grading information.

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.

Expectations for Classroom and Online Behavior

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.

Title IX: Students sometimes choose to share private information with their professors. We appreciate your trust! Nonetheless, students need to be aware that KCC faculty and certain staff are required to report any incidents of sexual harassment and/or violence that we may hear about. Specifically, we will contact KCC’s Title IX Coordinator, the Dean of Student Development and Services. Please don’t feel like you can’t reach out but be aware of our requirement to report. If you want to speak with someone who is not required to report, please know that you are very welcome to call the county’s confidential sexual assault hotline (no referral is necessary, and your anonymity is guaranteed unless you choose to share your name): 815-932-3322 (Kankakee) or 815-432-0420 (Iroquois).

Course Calendar
WeekDue DateChaptersAssignments 

1

 

9/7

Welcome to Class!

Introductions

Chapter 1& 2

Review everything under the Start Here Module

Register for Macmillan Achieve

Read & Review Weekly Module

Discussion: Introduction

Achieve Assignment: Culture & Family
Chapter Quizzes

 
29/15Chapter 3

Read & Review Weekly Module

Module Assignment: Prenatal Development

Chapter Quiz

 
39/22Chapter 4

Read & Review Weekly Module
Module Assignment: Infancy & Toddlerhood

Chapter Quiz

 
49/29Chapter 5

Read & Review Weekly Module

Discussion: Infancy Cognitive Development
Achieve Assignment: Piaget

Chapter Quiz

 
510/5Chapter 6

Read & Review Weekly Module

Module Assignment: Body Growth/Brain

Achieve Assignments

Chapter Quiz

 
610/12Chapter 7

Read & Review Weekly Module
Achieve Assignments: Children at Play

Chapter Quiz

 
710/19Chapter 8

Read & Review Weekly Module

Extra Credit Discussion: Diversity
Achieve Assignments

Chapter Quiz

 
810/26Chapter 9

Read & Review Weekly Module

Discussion: Parenting Styles 
Achieve Assignments

Chapter Quiz

 
911/2Chapter 10 & 11

Read & Review Weekly Module 
Achieve Assignments: Who Am I?

Chapter Quizzes

 
1011/9Chapter 12 & 13

Read & Review Weekly Module

Achieve Assignments

Chapter Quizzes

 
1111/16Chapter 14

Read & Review Weekly Module

Module Assignment: Cognitive Development

Chapter Quiz

 
1211/23Chapter 14

Read & Review Weekly Module

Discussion Assignment: Marriage in Adulthood
Achieve Assignments

Chapter Quiz

 
1311/30Chapter 16

Read & Review Weekly Module 
Achieve Assignments

Chapter Quiz

 
1412/7Chapter 17

Read & Review Weekly Module

Extra Credit Discussion: Confronting Death
Achieve Assignments

Chapter Quiz

 
DUE 12/11FINAL EXAM

Writing Assignment

Epilogue Quiz

Extra Credit

 
      

College Policies, Resources and Supports

College Policies

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. 

Resources

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.