HD 340-01, Development in Context

Fall 2009

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Instructor Information:

Teresa Ashford
McClaskey Building, Room 227
Phone: 360-546-9718
Fax: 360-546-9076
Office Hours: M, W, 11:00-12:00 p.m., or by appointment
Email:ashfordt@vancouver.wsu.edu or ashford_wsu@comcast.net
Home page: http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/adjunct/ashford/ashford.html

Course Information:

Schedule:

Monday, Wednesday, 10:35 - 11:50 a.m.

Location:

Undergraduate Classroom Building , Room 107

Description:

This is a three credit, upper-division course focusing on the impact of the context (the various genetic and environmental circumstances that result in different paths of development) on human development from prenatal to late school age. The course focuses on how multicultural and contextual perspectives effect change as it occurs within developmental domains. The content will highlight human ecological systems theory and applied aspects with emphasis on structures of change within social contexts. The emphasis of this course is on the impact of the context on development rather than on theoretical developmental processes.

Objectives:

Students participating in this course will:

  • Analyze the impact of family, social and physical environments (contextual domain) on the developing individual using ecological theory as a template.
  • Gain an understanding of the complex relationships between developmental domains (physical, linguistic and cognitive, social, and contextual) from prenatal through school age.
  • Identify changes that occur within the developing individual and how these changes are influenced by varying (multi) cultural perspectives.
  • Acquire an understanding of traditional and emerging theoretical frameworks for understanding development within a domain framework.
  • Apply theoretical concepts through analysis of case reviews, practice evaluation, observation, and real-life conditions.

Understanding development from a domain (contextual and developmental) perspective is a complex and evolving process. This course is intended to provide experience in understanding development and its application. An overview of contextual perspectives will be presented in lecture so keeping up with the reading is essential.

Prerequisites and Other Notes:

Six hours in social sciences.

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Required Texts and Other Materials:

Required Text and Materials:

Angel Learning at http://lms.wsu.edu/

Berk, L. E. (2008). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood. (6th edition) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Important Web Links:

(a) APA

(b) Writing Center:

(c) Practice tests & more

  • http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_berk_ica_5
    This website accompanies the 5th edition of the text and covers into adolescence. The information, however, is relatively the same and the chapters match up exactly (just ignore the information on adolescence). On this website are study guides, flashcards, practice test questions, etc. Be aware that this should NOT be your only study tool and it is not a perfect website (there have been several errors noted and it is based on an earlier edition of the text).

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Classroom Requirements:

Disability Accommodation:

Accommodations may be available if you need them in order to fully participate in this class because of a disability. Accommodations may take some time to implement so it is critical that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible.  All accommodations must be approved through Disability Services, located in the Student Resource Center on the Lower Level of Student Services Center (360) 546-9138.

Inclement Weather:

When students have questions about classes being held during inclement weather, please contact the faculty support for the department.  Faculty support will have information regarding class closures and will post that information on their voice mail messages.  For Human Development, use the faculty support telephone number listed:  Lynda Dezellem, 360/546-9721.  In case of class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page and/or http://www.flashalert.net/.  Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor.  Each individual is expected to make the best decision for their personal circumstances, taking safety into account.

Student Conduct and Academic Dishonesty:

Per the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook, students are, "Expected to show due respect for ... the rights of others." Students should be familiar with the Washington State University standards of conduct. The following website for the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook provides information on student conduct and the academic integrity process: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/handbook/conduct.html.

Academic Integrity:

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university and will be strongly enforced in this course.  Any student found in violation of the academic integrity policy will be given an “F” for the assignment and/or the course (based on instructor’s discretion) and will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.  For additional information about WSU’s Academic Integrity policy/procedures please contact (360) 546-9573.

Important Dates and Deadlines :

Students are encouraged to refer to the academic calendar often to be aware of critical deadlines throughout the semester.  The academic calendar can be found at www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/AcadCal.ASPX.  Questions regarding the academic calendar can be directed to the Office of Student Affairs in VSSC 100 or call 360-546-9559.

Electronic Mail:

All students are required to be on e-mail to further communication between students and the instructor and to communicate through Angel.  As of May 2009, all students are required to use a WSU Vancouver email address. Email will no longer be sent to non-WSU email accounts, nor will it be forwarded.  You can sign up for your WSU Vancouver email account by going to my.wsu.edu. If you have any questions during this process please contact the helpdesk in Pullman at email.wsu.edu or by phone at 509-335-4357.

Emergency Notification System:

WSU has made an emergency notification system available for faculty, students and staff. Please register at myWSU with emergency contact information (cell, email, text, etc). You may have been prompted to complete emergency contact information when registering for classes on RONet. In the event of a Building Evacuation, a map at each classroom entrance shows the evacuation point for each building. Please refer to it. Finally, in case of class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page and/or http://www.flashalert.net/. Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor. Each individual is expected to make the best decision for her or his personal circumstances, taking safety into account.  Safety plan website - http://safetyplan.vancouver.wsu.edu/.

Building Evacuation:

A map at the entrance of each classroom shows the evacuation point for each building. Please locate the information and follow the instructions if a building evacuation should occur.

Procedures for Submitting and Retrieving Papers and Assignments:

The Human Development Department maintains a student drop box for students submitting assignments to Human Development faculty. Students use the student drop box on the second floor of the McClaskey Building. Directions are located on the top of the box. The box is checked several times daily and the contents distributed according to the faculty name you have placed on the envelope. DO NOT submit assignments by putting them in the file cabinet. The file cabinet is used only for returning graded assignments to students and for students to pick up copies of non-graded class materials such as class notes, etc. All graded material will be returned in an envelope with each student's name and the course number on the outside and placed in alphabetical files by last name. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SAVE A COPY OF ALL ASSIGNMENTS TURNED IN ON A DISC AND KEEP A PAPER (HARD) COPY. All student papers will be maintained in the HD file cabinet for six weeks following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. After six weeks, all papers, tests, etc. will be shredded.

Late Assignments:

All assignments will be considered LATE (a loss of 10% of the overall earned score per day late) if they are not received by the START OF CLASS on the date specified on the syllabus. All assignments may be faxed; please put the instructor's name on your fax cover page.

A Note About Plagiarism and Cheating (Adapted from University of Iowa):

Plagiarism and Cheating are serious offenses that may be penalized severely. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you:

  • present someone else's words or ideas as your own, in writing or in speaking
  • present ideas without citing the source
  • paraphrase without crediting the source
  • use direct quotes with no quotation marks
  • use direct quotes without footnotes or other textual citation of the source
  • present work in a group project that is not your own or the work of the group
  • submit the same paper for credit in more than one course without discussing this option with the instructors involved
  • submit material written by someone else as your own (this includes purchasing a term or research paper)
  • submit a paper or assignment for which you have received so much help that it is no longer your own work
  • do not do an equal part of the work on a group project
  • copy someone else's exam or graded homework
  • purposefully allow another student to copy your work or submit work you have written as his/her own

Missing Exams:

Students who are (or plan on being) absent when an exam is given will ONLY be permitted to make up the exam if contact is made IN ADVANCE of the absence. It is then expected that we will work together to make a plan regarding the timely completion of said exam. I am MUCH more likely to be flexible and understanding when advance notice is given outside of class, via office hours, a phone call, or email.

Student Responsibilities:

  • Record and keep all of your completed assignments in the event of a grade discrepancy.
  • Review and abide by the classroom conduct information sheet.
  • Be prepared to turn in all assignments at the beginning of class.
  • Check Angel Learning frequently (at least TWICE a week at minimum) for course updates/changes.
  • Ask plenty of questions!

Extra Credit:

It is not to be assumed that extra credit will be offered within this course. We will see how the semester plays out, and I will make a decision based upon group performance and overall need.

Grade Appeals:

All grade appeals must be submitted to the instructor by e-mail within five working days after the return of the assignment.  The appeal should describe in detail what your concerns are, state how many points you feel should be added to the grade, and provide justification for the grade change.  Appeals will be evaluated as much on the justification in the appeal as on the original assignment.  Grades will not be changed based on verbal appeals.  Final course grades must be appealed within 5 working days after receipt of the grade.

Other Class Policies:

  • If an assignment is emailed to the instructor, it is the student’s responsibility to confirm receipt. If the student does not receive a “confirmation email” from the instructor, the student is to assume the instructor did not receive said assignment.
  • If severe, inclement weather and/or school cancellation occurs during the week of final examinations (as occurred Fall semester 2008), the instructor reserves the right to take the average of the first three exam scores to represent the student’s final exam score.
  • I am always available to answer students’ questions, however, it is my policy to not answer any questions the day of an assignment or exam due date. This means that you should start planning ahead for completing these assignments/exams so that you can ensure you have enough time to ask questions as needed.

Required Assignments:

Exams:

Four exams (including the final exam) will be given in class. Exams will be worth 50 points each. Exams will be comprised of multiple-choice questions. A study guide will be provided generally one week in advance of the exam..

Reaction Papers:

TWO reaction papers will be required; each worth 25 points. The reaction papers are designed to help you think critically about, and react to, course material and experiences. Your critical thinking skills will be strengthened as you will have time to research, analyze, reflect, and write well thought-out responses.  My sense of your engagement with the course will come, in part, from reading your reaction papers.  Your instructor will post a reaction paper topic on Angel designed to foster critical thinking skills and engagement in course material. Each unit’s discussion question(s) will be posted at the start of the readings for each unit. Due dates can be found on the course schedule/outline. You must have submitted at least ONE reaction paper by the end of Unit 4!


Units:

  • Unit 1: Chapter 1
  • Unit 2: Chapters 2 to 4
  • Unit 3: Chapters 5 to 7
  • Unit 4: Chapters 8 to 10
  • Unit 5: Chapters 11 to 13

Requirements:

  • (a) Your reaction papers should be two to three FULL pages (no more than 3 FULL
    pages).
    (b) Your name, the date, and course title should be indented on the top, right side of the page and single-spaced.  A heading should be utilized to indicate which question is being answered. A cover/title page is not required.
    (c) Your paper must be word-processed with a standard font (12 point) and double-spaced using proper APA format. Useful APA links are included on page one of the syllabus. I HIGHLY recommend you review APA prior to and during the course of writing your reaction papers.
    (d) When answering the questions, you MUST CITE THE TEXT, using examples from the readings as support for your answers.
    (e) All entries must be spell-checked and edited for proper grammar.
    (f) A quality reaction paper should:
    • demonstrate critical thinking skills, rather than a summary of information.
    • incorporate supporting evidence from the assigned readings.
    • be thoughtful, and analyze the content or question asked.
    • make connections to other content and real-world situations.
    • be logically reasoned and supported.
    • demonstrate a thoughtful approach to the content.

Annotated Bibliography:

An annotated bibliography is also required. The intent of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to learn more about an issue you are interested in that relates to current or historical contexts in children’s lives. Choose a topic related to the course content that you would like to explore further. The annotated bibliography, topic submission, and initial list of resources are worth 100 points, with the final project being due on November 18, 2009. The annotated bibliography topic proposal is due September 16, 2009; the list of at least 5 professional resources is due on October 14, 2009.

In-class Assignments:

There will be 25 points of in-class work that will NOT be announced. These may include small group exercises, pop quizzes, in-class writing, and/or short essays. You will be given time to complete these assignments in class. In-class assignments MAY NOT be made up regardless of circumstance.

Requirement Summary:

Assignment Points Total Points Grade Percentage
Exams 4 @ 50 200 53%
Reaction Papers 2 @ 25 50 13%
Annotated Bibliography 1 @ 100 100 27%
In-class Assignments Total of 25 25 7%

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Grading:

Grading Scale:

The standard Human Development grading scale:

Grade Percent
A 100-94
A- 93-90
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79-77
C 76-73
C- 72-70
D+ 69-67
D 66-60
F 59 or below

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Schedule:

Tentative Course Outline
Subject to change with advance notice

Week Date Readings/Assignments
1 Aug 24 Introduction
  Aug 26 History, Theory, and Research Strategies
Chapter 1
2 Aug 31 History, Theory, and Research Strategies, continued
  Sept 2 Biological and Environmental Foundations
Chapter 2
Unit 1 Reaction Paper(s) Due
3 Sept 7 NO CLASS - University Holiday
  Sept 9 Prenatal Development
Chapter 3
4 Sept 14 NO CLASS MEETING - Research Day
  Sept 16

Prenatal Development, continued
Annotated Bibliography Topic Due
5 Sept 21 Birth and the Newborn Baby
Chapter 4
  Sept 23 Birth and the Newborn Baby, continued
6 Sept 28 EXAM #1
  Sept 30 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Chapter 5
Unit 2 Reaction Paper(s) Due
7 Oct 5 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood, continued
  Oct 7 Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Chapter 6
8
 Oct 12 Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood, continued
  Oct 14 Social-Emotional Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Chapter 7
List of 5 Professional References Due
9
 Oct 19 EXAM #2
  Oct 21 Physical Development in Early Childhood
Chapter 8
Unit 3 Reaction Paper(s) Due
10
 Oct 26 Physical Development in Early Childhood, continued
  Oct 28 Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Chapter 9
11
 Nov 2 Cognitive Development in Early Childhood, continued
  Nov 4

Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood
Chapter 10

12
 Nov 9 Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood, continued
  Nov 11 NO CLASS - University Holiday
13
 Nov 16 EXAM #3
  Nov 18 Physical Development in Middle Childhood
Chapter 11
Unit 4 Reaction Paper(s) Due
Annotated Bibliography Due
  Nov 23-27 NO SCHOOL ALL WEEK
14
 Nov 30 Physical Development in Middle Childhood, continued
  Dec 2 Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Chapter 12
15
 Dec 7 Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood, continued
  Dec 9 Social-Emotional Development in Middle Childhood
Chapter 13
Unit 5 Reaction Paper(s) Due

16

 Finals Week
Dec 14-18 		Final Exam Date: TBA

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Useful Links:

You may find some useful information at web sites listed on the department resources page.