NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:	Lifespan Growth & Development
Course Prefix & Number:		PSYC2314	Section Number:	0691	Semester/Year:	Spring20
Semester Credit Hours:		3	Lecture Hours:	3	Lab Hours:
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): Life-Span Growth and Development is a study of social, emotional, cognitive and physical factors and influences of a developing human from conception to death.
Course Prerequisite(s):
Required or Recommended Course Materials: Santrock. A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development. 9th Edition. McGraw Hill.  Access code

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Rene Hernandez
Campus/Office Location:	Corinth
Office Hours:	Before & after class. Other times by appointment
E-mail Address:	rhernandez@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
		7:30 AM
		After Class
Other times available by appointment

 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
	Describe the stages of the developing person at different periods of the life span from birth to death.
	Discuss the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that affect the development process of the individual.
	Identify factors of responsible personal behavior with regard to issues such as sexual activity, substance abuse, marriage and parenting.
	Explain the biosocial, cognitive and psychological influences throughout the lifespan as an ongoing set of processes, involving both continuity and change.
	Describe the different developmental perspectives of the major theories of development (i.e. cognitive, learning, humanistic and psychodynamic).
	Identify examples of some of the cultural and ethnic differences that influence development throughout the lifespan.
	Discuss the various causes or reasons for disturbances in the developmental process.

 

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
1	Midterm	20
1	Final Exam	20
10	Learn Smart Activities (10 Best of 14, 2 Points Each)	20
5	Weekly Assignments (Best 5 of 8, 3 points each)	15
-	Attendance (See Below)	15
-	Department Paper	10

 

Total Score	Letter Grade
100-90.0	A
89.99-80.0	B
79.99-70.0	C
69.99-60.0	D
≤59.99	F

Note: I do NOT round grades. There is plenty of extra credit in the class.

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

 

Week of…	Class on…	Topic (Come Prepared for...)	due by 7:30 AM on Class Day…
01/20/2020	01/22/2020	Chapter 1 & Chapter 2	-
01/27/2020	01/29/2020	Chapter 3 & Chapter 4	Assignments 1 & 2 Self Care 1
02/03/2020	02/05/2020	Chapter 5 & Chapter 6	Assignment 3
02/10/2020	02/12/2020	Chapter 8 & Midterm Review	Assignment 4 Learn smarts Self Care 2
02/17/2020	02/19/2020	Chapter 17 & Chapter 9	Midterm Assignment 5
02/24/2020	02/26/2020	Chapter 10 & Chapter 12	Assignment 6 Self Care 3
03/02/2020	03/04/2020	Chapter 14 & Chapter 15	Assignment 7
03/09/2020	03/11/2020	Chapter 15 & Final Exam Review	Assignment 8 Learn smarts Department Research paper Self Care 4

 

Thirteen (14) Learn Smart Activities will be assigned this semester. However, only your top ten (10) scores will count toward your grade. This will help you to be able to better adapt to the Learn Smart program. Learn Smart activities may be completed in any order, and do not have individual due dates.

Learn Smart Assignments for the first half of the class (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8) will be due by 7:30 AM on February 12^th. Learn Smart assignments for the second half of the class will be due by 7:30 AM on March 11^th. Learn Smart activities for the second half of class will be available beginning February 13^th. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED!

 

 

Eight (8) weekly assignments will be available this semester. However, only your top five (5) scores will count towards your grade. These assignments are generally composed of watching a short video and answering questions about the video that was watched. These assignments are due every week by 7:30 AM (right before class starts).

 

 

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is 2-21-2020.  

Attendance is a vital part of your classroom experience. However, I also understand that things happen and are often outside of our control.

 

Every student will begin the class with 15 attendance points. Additionally, you will be given one "free" absence. This is intended to help you get through an emergency situation. Every absence from class after your first one (2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, etc.) will result in 5 points being taken from your attendance points. Please Note, this point deduction can take your Attendance points into the negative range. Please see example 2 below.

 

Example 1: A student who misses 3 class periods throughout the entire semester will receive an attendance grade of 5.

 

Example 2: A student who misses 6 class periods throughout the entire semester will receive an attendance grade of -10.

Attendance will be taken before the end of class. If you arrive late it is your responsibility to meet with the instructor after class (or during breaks) to get yourself marked as present. I will keep this score, but it will not be posted to Canvas. I expect that you will keep track of this for your own records and ease of reference.

 

Tests for this course will occur online. Your midterm will be available from the end of class on February 12^th and must be completed by 7:30 AM on February 19^th. Your Final Exam will be available from the end of class on March 4^th until 11:59 PM on March 12^th. The exam period for your final exam is particularly narrow due to grades being due the next morning. Please make appropriate arrangements to complete the exam.

This formal research paper should be Research based, Not opinion-based! If you merely write your opinion on the topic, you will receive a 0 for this assignment. This assignment is a formal research paper. You should write in 3rd person focusing on what academic sources have reported in their research (e.g., “Blashfield et al. (2014) conducted a review…”), and not in 1st person (“I think that…”; “I enjoyed…”; “It seems to me…”; et cetera). You should also be sure to use academic terminology from our course materials.

 

This paper will be submitted via Canvas. You will write a 3-5 page, typed & double-spaced, 12-point font paper. Please include a cover page and reference page in APA format. Cover page and reference page DO NOT count toward the 3-4 page requirement. Please DO NOT INCLUDE AN ABSTRACT for this assignment. Directly after your cover page, begin writing your paper. Reviews are to be typewritten, and most importantly CITED in APA format throughout the body of your paper. Please Google OWL Purdue APA format for a good resource on how to use APA formatting. At least three reliable, academic sources should be used to support your writing (one must be from a primary source).  

 

For this assignment, please write about the death, dying and grieving process. Using academic articles, at least one primary reference and your text, carefully address the following topics:

1. Describe stages of the developing person at different periods of the life span from birth to death in relationship to the death, dying and grieving process (a grieving child, teenager, adult, etc).
2. Discuss the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that affect the death, dying and grieving process.
3. Identify factors of responsible personal behavior with regard to issues of sexual activity, substance abuse, marriage / parenting, in relationship to the death, dying and grieving process.
4. Explain the biosocial, cognitive and psychological influences relating to the death, dying and grieving process, including both continuity and changes.
5. Describe different developmental perspectives of the major theories of development (i.e. cognitive, learning, humanistic and psychodynamic) in relationship to the death, dying and grieving process.
6. Identify examples of some cultural and ethnic differences relating to the death, dying and grieving process.
7. Discuss the various causes or reasons for disturbances in the death, dying and grieving process.
8. Evaluate empirical / quantitative research findings from at least one of your primary references (such as statistics, data, charts, etc) relating to the death, dying and grieving process

 

A rubric for the grading of this assignment will be placed in Canvas under “Files” for your reference.  This grade is 10 points of your overall grade in the class. However, failure to complete a paper will result in an automatic grade of "F" in the course. You should not write more than five pages, and no extra credit will be given for doing so. As with all other assignments, no late papers will be accepted.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321.  Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

 

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)_______       

o         Communication

o         Mathematics              

o         Life and Physical Science

o         Language, Philosophy & Culture

o         Creative Arts

 

o         Government/Political Science

X         Social and Behavioral Sciences

o         Component Area Option

o         American History

 

X             Critical Thinking

X              Communication

X              Empirical and Quantitative

 

o           Teamwork

o           Personal Responsibility

X              Social Responsibility