Course Description

PSYC 2314 Human Growth and Development: Lifespan

PSYC 2314 is designed to provide an understanding of human behavior and characteristics from conception through death. It includes information on physical, intellectual, personality and psychosocial development. Theory, research, and applications are covered.

Prerequisites

Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 2301 or equivalent)

Course Goals (includes core competencies, incorporation of SCANS, etc.)

Upon completion of the course, you should be able to:

(1)  Describe development - including biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial - as an
      ongoing set of processes, involving both continuity and change.
(2)  Recall important developmental concepts and be able to recognize and apply
       these concepts in everyday life.
(3)  Analyze different developmental events from the major theoretical perspectives of
      development, and to recognize those theories when used by others to analyze events.
(4)  Develop skills for evaluating the views and advice you will continue to hear long
      after you finish the course.

Instructor Information

This course will be taught by a qualified psychology instructor. Please read the specific course syllabus for the instructor information.

Textbook Information

Berger, K.S. (2001). The Developing Person Through the Lifespan. Fifth edition. New York: Worth Publishing Company.

Bee, H. & Boyd, D. (2002). Lifespan Development. Third Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.* (Distance Education and Dr. Denise Boyd's Classes)

Lab Requirements (if any)

No lab requirements

Students with Disabilities

Students who are in need of special accommodations related to a condition or disability should contact ADA Counselor at each college to obtain the proper documentation. Special accommodations will be provided to those students who show proper documentation.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by the HCCS policy and the rules of this class. A student found guilty of the first offense will receive a grade of ?F? for that particular assignment. For the second offense, the student will receive a grade of ?F? for the course.

Attendance and Withdrawal Policies

Class attendance is required for the successful completion of the course. Following HCCS policy, a student with unexplained absences in excess of 6 class hours may be dropped from a class.

If you wish to withdraw, it is recommended that you submit the withdrawal form in the registration office. If you have ceased attending classes, some instructors may drop you from the class roll at the end of the semester, and you will receive a grade of W, even if you have not filed the official withdrawal form. However, other instructors may give a grade of F instead. Please read the syllabus for your class carefully about the attendance and withdrawal policies.

If you are on the installment plan, please remember to make payments according to schedule. Otherwise, you will be dropped from the class roll.

Grading Policy

The following are two examples of how course grade may be earned.

Four exams will be given. Each exam is worth 20% of the final grade. Make-up exams will be ESSAY tests over the same chapters. The written assignment and other course activities are worth 20% of your grade.
OR
Four exams will be given. One exam grade will be dropped (not to include the final exam). Each exam will be worth 25% of your grade. No make-up exams will be given. The written assignment and other course activities are also worth 25% of your grade.

The final score will be converted into letter grades according to the following scale:
A = 90 and up   B = 80 - 89   C = 70 -79   D = 60 -69    F  = 59 and below

Course Requirements for example: Testing, Projects, Assignments, Portfolios, Service Learning, Internships, etc.

Different instructors may use different projects, assignments, and activities in their classes. Please consult with your specific course syllabus.

Instructors are encouraged to use a variety of methods to assess students' learning. There may be objective tests and other course assignments. Students must complete a major written assignment for this course as part of their writing across the curriculum requirement. The additional assignments can be oral, class exercises or presentations, interviews,  role plays, etc.

Make-up policy

Different instructors may have different make-up policies.

Some instructors may allow make-up exams. Other instructors may not allow make-up tests, but give students the option to drop one test grade.

Course Content

Students will be given a list of learning objectives (with the corresponding page numbers from the text indicated)  for this course. All objectives are covered in the text. Most will be covered in class, but students are responsible for ALL required objectives even if they have not been covered in the class.

Course Calendar with Due Dates for Assignments and Testing

Please consult with your specific course syllabus concerning course calendar.

The following is a generic course schedule:

Other Student Information (clubs, tutoring, web resources, student services, etc.)

The Berger textbook has an accompanied website: http://www.worthpublishers.com/bergerlifespan5e/

Psi Beta is a systemwide honors organization for psychology majors in community colleges. Psi Beta - HCC chapter's website can be found at http://nwc.hccs.edu/psyc/psibeta.html. In addition, some colleges (for example, Southwest College) have Psychology Clubs.

Some useful links to web resources in psychology can be found at http://nwc.hccs.edu/psyc/LINKS.HTML.