Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies: Min Yth Dev in Urbn Ctx

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced graduate-level understanding of developmental processes and behavioral outcomes among adolescents, and how context shapes these processes.
• Evaluate primary empirical sources to understand developmental issues in identifying their etiology, associated risk/protective factors, and evidence-based interventions.
• Translate developmental theory and research into practical implications for prevention, intervention, or policy, including the ability to identify gaps between research and current program practices.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Attendance and Online Discussions	30%
Integrative Essays	30%
Intervention or Policy Assessment	40%

Grades will be assigned in accordance with the University’s established grading scale. Students may receive a grade of “Incomplete” (I) only by arrangement with the instructor. Failure to make such arrangements will lead to an assigned grade based on the work completed at the end of the grading period for the current term.

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
93-100%	A
90-92%	A-
87-89%	B+
83-86%	B
80-82%	B-
70-79%	C
<70%	E

Attendance/Participation:

As a seminar utilizing experiential learning, the course structure demands regular, consistent attendance and active participation. Critical reflection and discussion on course readings is central. Active involvement in class includes raising questions and contributing to discussions on points and issues raised from the readings and class activities.

You are also expected to contribute to an online discussion board, for six of the weeks with assigned readings, on issues from across two or more readings with at least one for each topic section. The posting should reflect issues of particular interest to your understanding. Individual postings should not exceed 200 words per posting and should be submitted no later than 24 hours before class. Appropriate in-text references should be included when writing the responses. The discussion responses are expected to raise issues that facilitate an understanding of development, research protocols, or application of the readings for that week, demonstrating the ability to integrate and apply the readings.

A grade reduction penalty will be applied to assessments received after a scheduled submission deadline.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.