!1!Developmental+Psychology+Psychology!307.501!Texas!A&M!University,!Course!Syllabus,!Fall,!2015!!Instructor:+Dr.!Brigit!van!Widenfelt!Course+Information:+M,!W!&!F;!1:50.2:40,!Room:!PSYC!106!Contact:+email:[email protected];!979.845.0232!Office+Hours:+Tues.!9:30.10:30!or!by!appointment,!PSYC!288!!TA:!Sara!Dowd!([email protected])!Office+Hours:!Fri.!12:30!–!1:30,!Room:!PSYC!228!!Course+Description+and+Goals:+This!course!is!designed!as!an!upper!level!course!on!human!development!from!conception!through!adolescence!with!an!emphasis!on!social.emotional,!cognitive,!and!physical!development.!The!central!goal!of!this!class!is!for!you!to!gain!knowledge!and!understanding!of!each!developmental!phase!and!the!many!factors!that!influence!development.!You!will!learn!about!the!research!in!the!field!of!developmental!psychology.!Topics!covered!will!include:!Infant!development,!effects!of!early!experience,!language!development,!family!and!peer!relations,!social!emotional!development!and!more.!!!Learning+outcomes:!• !think!critically!about!the!numerous!factors!–!including!biology,!environment,!and!cultural!diversity!–!that!interact!to!influence!development!• understand!theories!and!research!that!explain!and!predict!the!changes!people!experience!as!they!develop!• critically!analyze!and!evaluate!developmental!research!and!popular!media!• apply!research!knowledge!to!personal!and!societal!issues!!Required+Course+Textbook:+Child&Development!by!Robert!Feldman!(7th!Edition;!Pearson,!2016).!Order!REVEL!digital!version!with!loose.leaf!color!print!copy!through!TAMU!BN!bookstore:!!ISBN.10:!0134174070!ISBN.13:!9780134174075!Child!Development,!Books!a!la!Carte!Edition!Plus!REVEL!..!Access!Card!Package,!7/E!!Course+Website:+The!TAMU!eCampus!website!(http://ecampus.tamu.edu)!will!be!used!for!this+course.!Use!your!University!Net.ID!and!password!to!log.in.!Outlines!for!note!taking!and!additional!materials!will!be!uploaded!to!eCampus,!as!well!as!test!grades!and!EC!assignment!points.!E.campus!‘journal’!section!will!be!used!for!students!to!upload!assignments.+For!questions!about!using!ecampus!please!contact!the!CIS!Central!Help!Desk!at!(979)[email protected].!!How+to+get+the+most+out+of+this+course:!Students!should!be!aware!that!time!and!effort!will!be!required!for!this!course.!Please!review!the!course!overview!and!plan!ahead.!Three!chapters!of!reading!per!unit!are!required.!Reading!the!assigned!chapters!and!viewing!extra!materials!(ie!videos),!attending!and!participating!in!class,!and!taking!notes!is!the!best!way!to!learn!the!material!and!to!prepare!for!tests.!!In!addition!to!lecture!!2!material!and!film!clips,!a!number!of!class!debates!and!discussions,!writing!assignments,!and!test!reviews!will!be!part!of!class!time.!Asking!questions!and!discussing!materials!with!your!classmates!also!enhances!learning.!Finally,!make!the!learning!materials!relevant!to!your!life.!!Try!to!seek!out!opportunities!to!interact!wit h!pa rent s!and!children!during!the!course!!Try!to!recall!your!own!development!as!you!learn!about!each!phase!(ask!family!to!help!you.)!I!want!you!all!to!get!as!much!as!you!can!out!of!this!course!and!succeed.!Human!Development!is!fascinating!!I!hope!for!a!stimulating!summer!of!learning!together!!!How+you+will+be+evaluated:+Students!will!be!tested!at!the!end!of!each!unit!!to!evaluate!students’!mastery!of!unit!content!for!a!total!of!5!tests!(see!calendar!schedule).!!All!tests!will!cover!readings!and!lecture!material!covered!since!the!previous!test.!Test!items!will!be!multiple.choice!or!true.false!questions.!Each!test!will!have!40!items!worth!a!½!point!each!for!a!total!of!20!course!points!per!test.!++Please!bring!your!ID,!a!#2!pencil!and!scantron!(regular!paper!size,!8.5”!x!11”,!usually!gray!or!tan!in!color)!with!you!to!the!tests.!Grades!will!be!posted!on!eCampus!as!soon!as!possible!after!the!test.!!+Additionally!there!will!be!an!optional!extra!credit!assignment!for!each!unit!to!engage!you!in!the!topic!for!a!total!of!5!assignments!(see!calendar!schedule!for!due!dates).!!Assignments!will!be!worth!up!to!4!points!each!for!a!total!of!20!course!points.!!Do!not!ignore!the!importance!of!assignments,!as!these!can!make!a!letter!grade!difference!in!your!final!grade.!+!Add!all!your!points!to!calculate!your!course!grade:!90.100!A!80.89!B!70.79!C!60.69!D!59!and!lower!F!!TA/grader:+The!TA/grader!will!grade!and!upload!test!grades!and!assignment!points!onto!Ecampus!as!soon!as!possible!after!test!administration!or!assignment!due!date.!The!TA!will!hold!office!hours.!You!can!stop!by!or!schedule!an!office!appointment!by!emailing!the!TA.!If!you!have!an!interest!in!reviewing!your!test,!please!do!so!within!a!week!of!test!administration!by!making!an!appointment!with!the!TA.+!If!you!have!a!grading!dispute,!this!must!be!addressed!within!one!week!of!the!posted!grade.!I!will!enforce!this!policy!because!1)!issues!can!be!more!accurately!identified!and!resolved!when!the!test!or!assignment!is!fresh!in!both!my!mind!and!yours!and!2)!the!end!of!the!semester!gets!as!hectic!for!me!and!for!you,!and!I!will!not!have!time!to!reassess!and!change!grades!that!were!earned!in!an!earlier!portion!of!the!semester.!!!!What+to+do+if+you+are+having+difficulties+Make.Up!test!policy:!Missing!a!test!is!a!serious!event.!!To!be!excused,!you!must!provide!written!documentation!of!your!visit!to!a!health!care!professional,!signed!by!that!health!care!professional,!affirming!the!date!and!time!of!your!visit.!Besides!personal!illness!requiring!a!physician’s!care,!a!few!other!a ccep