PSY 212TELECOURSE

CHILD DEVELOPMENT:STEPPING STONES

Instructor:

Dr. Cindy Hutman

Telecourse information packet.

Fall Semester, 2006

WELCOME

Dear PSY212 Telecourse Student:

As your instructor, I will be assisting you through this course.

The course is structured in 20 lessons each covering a different topic in the field of child psychology. I have tried to design the course to make your self-study easier. The telecourse student guide outlines learning objectives for each lesson and I have given you guidance on studying the textbook material and the videos.

Please read the syllabus that accompanies this letter. In many ways, the syllabus is the most important document in the whole course. You will want to refer to it often during the semester, also.

Of course, keeping up with studying, essays and tests is vital but let me stress the importance of communication. If you are having problems, fall behind in coursework or just need some additional feedback, please contact me. If you fall too far behind and need to withdraw, please note that you MUST WITHDRAW BEFORE 8th WEEK WITHDRAWAL DATE. You’re withdrawal date is printed on your telecourse ID.

I hope you will enjoy the course. Please contact me if you need further course information or assistance. E-mail is the most efficient way of reaching me but all my contact information is provided on my web page. Please identify yourself in your e-mails and remind me that you are a telecourse student. I promise to return e-mails within 24 hours. You are also welcome to drop by my office anytime during my office hours (also posted on my web page) or call to make an appointment.

Good luck.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cindy HutmanProfessor of PsychologyElgin Community College

Elgin Community College

Summer, 2006

Psychology 212 (700) Cindy HutmanChild Psychology Room ICT 107Telecourse (847) 214-7535

E-mail – chutman@elgin.edu ALWAYS identify yourself in e-mails—full name and “telecourse student.”

Course Materials:What you need to buy:

textbook—The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, by Kathleen Berger

study guide—the Telecourse Student Guide for the Stepping Stones telecourse (be sure you have the telecourse study guide. You may want to buy the study guide for the textbook but you MUST buy the telecourse study guide)

What I have provided for each lesson: guide to lessons—

my comments that give you an overview of the reading and also tell you what is important in the reading and what parts of the textbook material you will not be tested on.

my comments that give you an overview of the videos for each lesson and what is most important from those videos

student study guide—if I found errors in the student study guide or there are parts of the guide you do not need to work on, I have noted them for you.

These materials can be found on my webpage. Here’s how to get to my webpage and to the materials for this course—

www.elgin.eduon the ECC home page click on “Faculty” on the navigation

buttons on the bottom of the home pagesearch for “Lucinda Hutman” either by last name or on the list in

the drop-down menu on the upper left portion of the faculty screen

click on “PSY212—telecourse” this will get you to the page for our course and from there you can choose the lesson you need and the particular document you are looking for

OR—you can get to my webpage directly at:http://faculty,elgin.edu/chutman

If you do not have access to the internet at home, we have several computer labs on campus or you can use the Psychology Lab computers in ICT 118. If you are having difficulty getting to these documents, ask a lab assistant to help you or come in during my office hours (posted on my webpage) and I will be happy to help you.

Goals of this course: In PSY 212, Child Development: Stepping Stones, you will be learning about the

research and theories in the area of Child Psychology. With the help of thetextbook, videos and study guide, you will come to understand how children think, feel and learn. The many biological and environmental factors that affect development will also be explored.

You will be viewing twenty, 30 minute videotapes, answering questions in the study guide and reading the textbook. Grades are based on multiple choice exams and essays. We do not have set class meetings. You need to work on your own and ask my assistance when you need it.

Summer students have 12 weeks (48 days). Check your telecourse ID for your completion date.

Course Requirements: Your grade is determined by performance on 5 tests and 10 essays (see list of

essays at the end of this syllabus). Test one— Lesson 1: Introduction: Theories of Development (video 101) Lesson 2: Developmental Study as a Science (video 102) Lesson 3: The Beginnings: Heredity and Environment (video 103) Lesson 4: The Beginnings: Prenatal Development (video 104)

answer two essays related to this materialTest two— Lesson 6: The First Two Years: Biosocial Development (video 106) Lesson 7: The First Two Years: Cognitive Development (video 107) Lesson 8: The First Two Years: Psychosocial Development (video 108) Lesson 9: The First Two Years: Summary (video 109)

answer two essays related to this materialTest three— Lesson 11: The Play Years: Biosocial Development (video 111) Lesson 12: The Play Years: Cognitive Development (video 112) Lesson 13: The Play Years: Psychosocial Development (video 113) Lesson 14: The Play Years: Summary (video 114)

answer two essays related to this materialTest four— Lesson 16: The School Years: Biosocial Development (video 116) Lesson 17: The School Years: Cognitive Development (video 117) Lesson 18: The School Years: Psychosocial Development (video 118) Lesson 19: The School Years: Summary (video 119)

answer two essays related to this materialTest five— Lesson 21: Adolescence: Biosocial Development (video 121) Lesson 22: Adolescence: Cognitive Development (video 122) Lesson 23: Adolescence: Psychosocial Development (video 123) Lesson 24: Adolescence: Summary (video 124)

answer two essays related to this material

Please Note: You will NOT be responsible for the following Lessons:Lesson 5: The Beginnings: Special TopicsLesson 10: The First Two Years: Special TopicsLesson 15: The Play Years: Special TopicsLesson 20: The School Years: Special TopicsLesson 25: Adolescence: Special TopicsLesson 26: Closing: Developmental Psychopathologies

1. Read the pages assigned in the textbook for each of the lessons.My suggestion: As you start a lesson, read the learning objectives listed in the Telecourse Student Guide and the guide to the lesson for each lesson (available on my webpage) before you read the textbook. Go back over the learning objectives during or immediately after the reading to be sure you are picking up the important information.

2. View the video segments for each of the lessons. My suggestion: Read the learning objectives and guide to lesson before viewing the video. Go back over the learning objectives immediately after viewing to be sure you are picking up the important information. I also recommend you take notes on the videos so you have something to study right before you take the test.

3. Study the textbook material and go over your notes for the videos. Use the study methods you have found most helpful from other school work you have completed. Work through the telecourse student guide for each lesson.

4. As you work through the lessons, look at the essay questions for that segment of the course. Choose essays you want to write on and at least jot down thoughts from your studying to get you started on the essays.

5. Write two essays from the material for each of the tests. I recommend writing the essays as you study for the test. Writing the essays will help you study. Do not wait until the end of the course to go back and try to write all the essays.

6. Submit your first essay early in the semester and get my feedback to help you to effectively write the remaining 9 essays.

You must take AT LEAST the first test and submit the first two essays by your midterm date (listed on your telecourse ID).

Grading:Your grade is determined by points accumulated on exams and essays

Exams (75 points each) x 5 = 375

Essays (20 points each) x 10 = 200

Total = 575

Grading scale—517-575 points = A460-516 = B402-459 = C345-401 = Dless than 345 = F

Exams:Exams are 75 multiple choice questions. Exams are taken in one of the two testing centers on campus—Main Campus in

SRC 108, or Fountain Square Rm 408.Note: You must have your telecourse ID and a picture ID to take tests.Testing is currently done on a computer. If you would prefer to take the test using a printed version, please be sure to ask the staff in the testing center for a paper copy.If you want to be able to write on the test (mark off questions, circle correct answers, etc) you will need to contact me prior to taking the test.

Essays:Essays should be between 250 and 500 words. Please be sure your answers reflect material you have learned in the textbook, videos and study guide. Your answers must be IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Paraphrasing, copying or quoting from the textbook or any other source is unacceptable and will result in a ZERO for that essay. If you continue to plagiarize your essays, you will receive an F for the course. Your answers must be in full sentences and essay form. Do not just outline your answer or give a series of sentence fragments roughly covering the material. Write in a scholarly style with coherent, organized paragraphs (topic sentence, 3-5 supporting sentences, concluding sentence). Outlines, sentence fragments are frequent grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors will cost you points.

Each essay is worth 20 points.

Essays must be typewritten, double-spaced. Your name (first and last) must appear on the first page of the essay. Use font size 11 or 12. Do not bold. All pages for an essay MUST be stapled together if you are mailing or dropping off essays.

All essays must be numbered (1-10) and the number of the question you chose to answer must be included.

You can submit your essays in one of the following ways:1. mail them to my college address: Lucinda Hutman

Elgin Community College 1700 Spartan Dr. Elgin, IL 60123

2. drop them off at my office—ICT 107. If I am not there, slide it under my door. Remember, pages must be stapled together.

3. drop them off at the Testing Centers (make sure pages are stapled together)

preferred-- 4. e-mail them to me (chutman@elgin.edu). E-mailed essays must be in Microsoft Office Word. Attach the word file to your e-mail. Your name—first and last—must appear IN THE FILE itself so when I print out your essay, I know who submitted it. You must also number your essay (1-10) and give the number of the question you chose to answer. Please be sure to identify yourself in the e-mail itself. For security reasons, I will not open files attached to e-mails if the sender does not identify him/herself. Give your first and last name and say you are a telecourse student.

If you do not have Word on your home computer, you can use computers in the open labs on campus or in the Psychology Lab (ICT 118). Also, most public libraries have word processing available to their patrons.

If you don’t know how to send files as attachments to your e-mail, consult your e-mail provider.

Feedback on your performance:I will make every effort to give you feedback on tests and essays within one week of submission of the materials. E-mail is the most efficient means of communication. If I have to type out a letter and put it in the mail, feedback takes much longer. I strongly recommend that you e-mail me right away and Identify yourself—first and last name—and tell me you are a telecourse student. Then I will have your e-mail address on file and can give you prompt feedback via e-mail.

Tests—You will simply learn how many questions you got correct on each test. I encourage students, however, to come into my office and look over the exam after you have received a grade. Going back over exams not only increases learning but also helps you prepare for future exams. Check my office hours. If those are not convenient times for you, let me know and we will try to arrange another time to meet at my office.

Essays—On the first few essays I will give you written feedback designed to help you write future essays. If you procrastinate and turn in several essays altogether, you will not receive thoughtful feedback on those essays. If you need more help with essays, again, please come in and talk to me. I am happy to go over essays in detail with students to improve learning and future performance. Your essays will NOT be returned to you. If you want copies of your essays, be sure to keep your files or make copies of the papers.

Plagiarism--Plagiarism on essays will result in a zero for that essay at minimum. The essay questions are purposely worded to reflect information and discussion unique to this course. Consequently, it would be very difficult to find an essay from an online paper mill that would adequately answer any of the essays. I am very familiar with these services and how to track a student's essay to one of these sources.

As I always tell students...If your goal is to get a good grade without really learning anything, you don't belong in this course!!

Withdrawal from the course—Class withdrawals are processed in the Registration Center. The college encourages students to discuss their intent to withdraw with their instructor(s).

Students who have attended their classes and withdraw during the time periods designated below receive a  grade of "W" (Withdrawal), which carries no academic penalty and is not used in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.

It is the responsibility of every student to calculate the final date for formal withdrawal for each class in which he or she is enrolled according to the schedule below.

Withdrawal Schedule

Class length in weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16Number of weeks to withdraw with a 3 6 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 10

"W" days weeks

Count weeks from the first week of the session in which a class begins. Count days Mon.-Fri. from the first day of the session, not the first day a class meets. Do not count Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

A student who withdraws from a class early in a semester may be eligible for a refund. A student who withdraws from a class may register for that class again if he or she wishes, but cannot take a proficiency test for it until two years after the date the class terminated.

Administrative Withdrawal

Students may not withdraw themselves from class after the designated withdrawal deadlines. Students must see the instructor about withdrawing after this point.

Students who will be absent for an extended period of time (illness, military call up) are encouraged to contact the registrar and their instructors. Under such conditions students must supply documentation to be administratively withdrawn for the semester. These students receive a grade of "AW"   (Administrative Withdrawal) which carries no academic penalty and is not used in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.

Instructor and the division dean approve a student’s request to withdraw after the official withdrawal deadline but before the last day of the semester, term, or session for documented extenuating circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, serious illness, death in immediate family, involuntary transfer by one’s employer, involuntary change of working hours, or assignment to active duty in the armed services.

Instructors reserve the right to withdraw students from their classes with a failing grade at any point in the semester due to plagiarism or other gross infractions.

In other words…after the 8th week of YOUR semester, you cannot withdraw and I cannot withdraw you from the course. If you just procrastinate and then decide to withdraw, you will be stuck with an “F” in the course.Work Toward Success:

Each student has his/her own style and time-constraints but the students who complete telecourses successfully keep themselves on a regular schedule of watching the videos, reading the text and answering the study guide questions. They make it like a classroom course in the sense that they make sure they complete a segment of the work EVERY WEEK. Cramming the entire course into the last couple weeks will not work.

For students who cannot easily attend a classroom course, the telecourse is a valuable way to earn college credit. However, the openness and flexibility of the telecourse format can spell disaster for the unmotivated, undisciplined student.

Communication is important. Contact me, if you need help.

Good Luck.

Essay Questions Each essay is worth a possible 20 points. Make sure you answer the question thoroughly and your answer reflects material you learned from the textbook and videos. Essays will require AT LEAST 250-500 words to answer them thoroughly. Drawing on personal experience in your answers is acceptable but should supplement, not replace, substantive information from the course. (Note: some questions specifically ask you to draw on your own experience. In those cases, writing on personal experience is, of course, required.)

These are to be college-level essays. You must write in complete sentences and organize your thoughts into coherent paragraphs. Paragraphs should include a topic sentence and 3-5 supporting sentences. They should be focused around a single topic—do not switch topics inside a paragraph. Proofread your essays before submitting them. Make sure you have no typographical, grammatical or punctuation errors.

Use a scholarly style. Do not make essays too conversational or personal. Avoid using the second person (“you” or “your”). Do not refer to children as “kids” and avoid slang.

Essays must be typed, double-spaced using font size 11 or 12. E-mailing essays is the most efficient way to submit them. In that case, essays must be attached to an e-mail as a Microsoft Office Word document. You must identify yourself in your e-mail (first and last name and say you are a telecourse student). You must include your name (first and last), the number of the essay (1-10) and the number of the question you are answering in the file.

Lessons 1-4

Answer 2 of these essays. I strongly suggest that you write these essays as you are studying this material. Writing the essays will help you master material that will be covered on the first exam.

Please note the question number on your essay.

1. Give a general statement of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. Contrast this theory with others discussed in Lesson 1. Why is Bronfenbrenner’s unique? In your answer be sure you have outlined the five ecological systems Brofenbrenner emphasizes.

2. Explain what the correlation coefficient does and does not tell us about the relationship between two variables. Give an example of two variables that you believe would be positively correlated and two variables you believe would be negatively correlated.

3. Suppose you want to investigate how abuse in early childhood affects personality development in middle childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Which of the following methods might you use to study this (justify your choice or choices):

experimentcase studysurveyscientific observation

Discuss the cross-sectional and longitudinal methods and explain the advantages/disadvantages of using each of these for this study.

4. Explain how Piaget believes we adapt cognitively to the world around us and how this process promotes cognitive development in childhood. Give an overview of his four stages of cognitive development including approximate ages for each.

5. By first grade, Esta has become a disruptively aggressive student in the classroom. From the learning theory perspective, explain her pattern of behavior. From the learning theory perspective, what could her teacher and parents do to change her disruptive behavior?

6. Why is the study of genetics important in a psychology course on child development? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of knowing your own genetic profile prior to having children?

7. What can infants sense in the womb? How might knowing this change the behavior of expectant parents? How might knowing this change the behavior of parents after the baby is born?

8. What is a teratogen? What is a behavioral teratogen? What are the factors that determine the amount and type of effect a teratogen will have on an unborn fetus?

Lessons 6-9

Answer 2 of these essays. I strongly suggest that you write these essays as you are studying this material. Writing the essays will help you master material that will be covered on the first exam.

Please note the question number on your essay.

9. In your own words, explain the three theories of language development presented in your textbook. In your answer, be sure to discuss how the three differ. You do not have to include specific research evidence for each theory in your answer.

10. Summarize Ainsworth’s research on attachment. Describe her method of measuring attachment, her findings regarding parental care and attachment and concerns about children with insecure attachments.

11. Summarize the changes that occur in the brain during the first two years of life. What experiences does a child need to properly “grow” the brain. In your answer discuss experience-dependent and experience-expectant brain functions.

12. Discuss concerns about proper nutrition in the first two years of life. What are the effects of undernutrition and malnutrition. Include information about breast feeding in your answer.

13. Summarize the psychosocial challenges that Erikson believes children face in the first two years of development. What can parents do to assure their child successfully meets these challenges?

14. Summarize the data on the effects of day care on development in the first two years. Given this information, what advice would you give new parents as they approach the issue of alternate care for their baby?

15. Discuss the cognitive development of infants from Piaget’s perspective. Include the concepts of circular reactions and object permanence in your answer. How might a parent test for object permanence?

16 Explain how advances in cognitive development and memory can account for a young child's need for familiarity and attachment. Discuss the emergence of stranger wariness and separation anxiety and the value of attachment and social referencing.

Lessons 11-14

Answer 2 of these essays. I strongly suggest that you write these essays as you are studying this material. Writing the essays will help you master material that will be covered on the first exam.

Please note the question number on your essay.

17. Discuss the forms of child maltreatment, their effects on children and interventions that might prevent or reduce the effects of maltreatment.

18. Give an overview of brain development in the play years and discuss how each major area of brain development helps prepare the child for formal education at about age 5 or 6.

19. Contrast Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in the play years with Vygotsky’s theory.

20. Explain the concept of theory of mind. Give examples of children’s behavior that you have observed or that were discussed in the text and video that indicate a child has a theory of mind. How does the development of theory of mind help young children overcome their egocentric views?

21. Give an overview of the development of gender role and gender behavior during the play years. Do you believe that the sex differences evident in behavior are primarily biologically or socially determined? Defend your choice.

22. Explain Baumrind’s research and the three major parenting styles she discusses. Discuss your own upbringing and which style you feel your parents used. How do you think your parents’ style benefited you? How do you think your parents’ style harmed you?

23. Francie is frustrated trying to tie her shoes. According to Vygotsky, how should her parents react to this? Explain how this situation demonstrates the interaction of the three domains of development (biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial).

24. Pick one of the children depicted in the video for Lesson 14. Discuss thischild's development in both the cognitive and psychosocial domains. How is this child normal for his/her age?

Lessons 16-19

Answer 2 of these essays. I strongly suggest that you write these essays as you are studying this material. Writing the essays will help you master material that will be covered on the first exam.

Please note the question number on your essay.

25. Explain the term “learning disability” and how academic testing can help determine whether a child is mentally retarded or learning disabled. What are some recommendations for educating learning disabled children?

26. What are the major causes of childhood obesity? What are some concerns parents, teachers and counselors should keep in mind in trying to work with an obese child?

27. Explain the difference between tests of aptitude and tests of achievement. How would schools use each of these tests? Explain the difference between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests. Give an argument for using criterion-referenced tests in schools.

28. Give an overview of the development of moral reasoning according to Kohlberg’s theory (discuss levels but not stages). How does moral reasoning relate to moral behavior?

29. What do psychologists mean by "control processes?" Discuss the improvements in these over the school years. What can we expect of school-aged children that we could not expect of preschool children as a result of improvements in control processes?

30. Discuss the importance of family to children in the school years. What must families do to help children be successful in school, with peers and in the future?

31. What is bullying and why is it such a serious problem in the school years? Be sure to discuss the research on bullying and discuss the concerns for both the bully and the victim.

32. Explain the importance of family to the development of a school-aged child. How can families help children in the important task of learning how to cope with life's stress?

Lessons 21-24

Answer 2 of these essays. I strongly suggest that you write these essays as you are studying this material. Writing the essays will help you master material that will be covered on the first exam.

Please note the question number on your essay.

33. Discuss the effects of pregnancy during adolescence on female adolescents. Be sure to include the possibility of long-term effects on their life.

34. Discuss the factors that affect the onset and progress of physical changes in adolescence. Include in your answer some of the psychological consequences of these factors, as well.

35. Discuss the changes in cognitive abilities that occur in adolescence. Give examples of how using these abilities might make the adolescent appear to be rebellious. Be sure you explain why your examples are related to the new cognitive abilities.

36. Contrast intuitive, emotional thought with hypothetical reasoning. When would each be most helpful in an adolescent’s life (be specific).

37. Explain adolescent egocentrism and the consequences of this egocentrism. Give some typical examples of adolescent behavior that appear immature to adults but can be explained by this egocentrism.

38. Pick one of the adolescents featured in the video for lesson 24. Describe this child’s situation. Using information about adolescence you have learned from this course, discuss how the child you chose is a typical adolescent. In what ways is this child different from most adolescents in this country?

39. Explain the four identity statuses of achievement, moratorium, diffusion and foreclosure. Given what you have learned about the process of identity formation, how might you help an adolescent who had foreclosed on his/her identity?

40. You have an adolescent friend who says he has thought about suicide recently. Given what you learned in Chapter 16 about mood disorders and suicidal behavior in adolescence, explain your concerns about your friend and how you might help him.