Human Growth and Development

Phone: Email: [email protected]
Office: Room B-140
Office Hours: TBA

DESCRIPTION
Human Growth and Development is planned to acquaint you with developmental concepts in psychology and to give you an understanding of the basic dynamics, which underlie human behavior at various stages in the lifespan. You will have the opportunity to study human development from conception through childhood. Course content will include important theoretical models of human development and such specific topics as genetics, learning, intelligence, socialization, personality, sex-role identification, language acquisition, and moral development. You will be investigating these processes in relation to biological, psychological, socioeconomic and cultural factors. Your performance will be evaluated primarily by tests and the completion of two term projects. However, other criteria, such as written and oral reports, class participation and attendance, will be used as deemed appropriate by the professor.

OBJECTIVES When you have completed the course you should be able to demonstrate:

1. Knowledge of general methods of child study by identifying such procedures as longitudinal study, cross-sectional study, case study, etc.
2. Knowledge of various key concepts in the field of genetics by identifying such concepts as "genotype, "phenotype", "dominance", "recessiveness", etc.
3. Comprehension of the critical period hypothesis by defining such concepts as "imprinting", "early mothering experiences , etc.
4. Comprehension of general principles of psychoanalytic theory by identifying such concepts as "id", "ego , "identification", etc.
5. Knowledge of Freudian development theory by describing various psychosexual stages.
6. Knowledge of Erikson's developmental theory by identifying various psychosocial stages.
7. Knowledge of stages of cognitive development by identifying the general sequential stages postulated by Jean Piaget.
8. Comprehension of the terms "assimilation" and"accommodation" by comparing and contrasting these terms as defined by Piaget.
9. Knowledge of general principles of classical conditioning by identifying various scientific principles involved in eliciting reflexive responses.
10. Comprehension of general learning principles by distinguishing the classical conditioning model from the operant conditioning model
11. Knowledge of behavior modification by identifying various steps in shaping behavior according to the principles of operant conditioning.
12. Knowledge of various reinforcement schedules by defining such terms as 'fixed-interval", "variable-ratio", and "variable interval , etc.
13. Comprehension of observational learning by describing the general principles of imitative behavior.
14. Comprehension of the prenatal development of a child by identifying the periods of the ovum, embryo, and the fetus.
15. Comprehension of the maturation process by defining such concepts as "cephalo-caudal development , proximo-distal development", etc.
16. Comprehension of various reflexes present at birth by describing the "Moro Reflex", "Grasping Reflex ,"Babinski Reflex", etc.
17. Knowledge of basic concepts of perception in the infant by identifying such terms as schema, discrepancy,complexity theory, etc.
18. Knowledge of basic concepts of language development by identifying such terms as cooing, babbling, talking, etc.
19. Comprehension of self-concept by identifying factors which form and enhance self-concepts such as parental expectation, peer acceptance, etc.

SEMESTER THEME

TERM THEME
Our focus will be drug abuse awareness, prevention, and drug resistance education in the Homestead, Florida City community. This theme will be investigated by a number of exciting way. You will be trained and certified as drug prevention experts; you will then use your training to educate the community. As students you will also study the effects of drug use and exposure at all different stages of the lifespan.

RELATED OBJECTIVES
Human Growth and Development students will receive knowledge of the effects of drugs on the pre-born, adolescent, as well as the adult and aging person. The service-learners who have education and health related majors will benefit from the drug education, the ability to teach drug education curriculum and facilitate workshops. Service-learners will become trained and certified drug prevention experts The students of M-DC will receive cutting edge training and certification in drug prevention. M-DC service-learners will increase their teaching skills as they present drug prevention curriculum and build resistance skill in MDCPS students. Service-learners will increase in their autodidacy. Service-learners will increase their knowledge of the community and community agencies.

SERVICE LEARNING EXPERIENCE (20 Hr - mandatory)
The concept of service-learning connects teaching, learning and research in a vital new way, called active practice. With service- learning you will become more actively involved and engaged in your own education and learning process. The service-learning project that you will participate in will be issues oriented, interdisciplinary, and engage you in deliberate, and arduous problem-solving. As DEP 2000 students you will be trained and certified as Drug Prevention experts; then you will be sent into MDCPS classrooms in South Dade as drug prevention facilitators. The class project will be to present drug prevention and resistance education to hundreds of middle and high school students in the area. As service-learning students you will also be available to man information tables at community events such as the monthly Homestead Friday Fests, the Rodeo and the Indy 300 Motorcar Race. Students will also man information tables for weekly drug prevention literature dissemination at weekly community venues such as Walmart, the Bargaintown Flea Market, and other locations. Students will also go to community centers, YMCA, juvenile detention facilities, youth residential homes to offer drug prevention workshops. This comprehensive dissemination of anti-drug material has the goal of reaching thousands in a community-wide blitz to elevate drug prevention awareness in our area.

COURSE MATERIALS

TEXTBOOK
Papalia, D., and Olds, S. 2003, Human Development (9th Edition) McGraw-Hill

OTHER RESOURCES/MATERIALS
Four articles will be distributed in class on intriguing and current research on infant cognitive development. This will be an in-class essay writing assignment. Your in-class assignment will be a minimum of two full pages. Your report will be a synthesis these articles. The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association's Resource Manual, and other curricular resources will be distributed in class.

COURSE PROCEDURES

ATTENDANCE
Class attendance is expected. All classroom activities are heavily oriented to visual presentation and discussion, and these experiences cannot be made up at a later date. Your presence in class enables us to work together and allows you to receive credit for assignments completed in class. Attendance is based on the student arriving on time and remaining for the entire class period. Attendance will be monitored and is required for success in this course. More than two absences will result in a reduction in grade. New Federal regulations require a reporting of all attendance data.

ASSIGNMENTS
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DEP 2000 Each student is required to read and write an essay on journal articles distributed in class. These articles will be on intriguing and current research on infant cognitive development. Your report will be written in class. Your in class assignment will be a minimum of two full pages. Your report will be a synthesis these articles.

VIDEO PRESENTATION Each student will be paired with another student to do a 20 min. video presentation of a developmental stage of your choosing. This semester the focus of this project will be how drug exposure or drug use can effect the individual development (physical, cognitive, social, socioeconomic, etc.)

DROPS AND INCOMPLETES
It is the responsibility of the student to initiate and process all procedures for withdrawal from the course. The professor will not purge any student from the class rolls. Monday, Jan. 12 is the last day to withdraw with a 100% refund, and Wednesday, March 7 is the last day to withdraw from the course and receive a "W". Please remember if you wish to withdraw from the course you must initiate the process, non-compliance will result in you remaining on the class rolls and receiving a grade of "F" at the end of the semester. Please also be aware that most students who complete this course will receive an "A" (approx 95% of students).

MAKE-UP POLICIES
All examinations are mandatory. No make-up exam given. UNAVOIDABLE SITUATIONS OR EMERGENCIES WILL BE CONSIDERED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. It is the student's responsibility to contact the professor prior to the exam or as soon as Possible thereafter. Substantiating documentation will be required (Doctor's note, etc.)

OTHER COURSE PROCEDURES 
PARTICIPATION: Much of what you are expected to gain from the course will depend upon the quality of the class discussion, your ability to think critically, to analyze, your ability to interpret the reading assignments, and Your ability to answer questions. We can have no class discussion of any merit if you have not completed the reading assignment for that day. Therefore, complete all reading assignments and be prepared to ask and to answer questions.

GRADING PROCEDURES