Developmental Psychology

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

MAC Critical Thinking in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (MAC CTI-SBS) learning objectives

• Critically analyze claims, arguments, artifacts or information. You will practice SLO-1 through class discussions, participation/attendance check ins, and discussion boards. SLO-1 will be assessed through class exams and the final project.
• Construct coherent evidence-based arguments. You will practice SLO-2 through class discussions and discussion boards. SLO-2 will be assessed through the final project.

Additional course learning outcomes

• An appreciation of psychology as a science that can be used to study child development
• An understanding of key developmental theories and processes that are important for future interactions with children (e.g., future parents, teachers, service providers)
• An awareness and appreciation of individual differences in development
• Preparation for a research assistant position in a developmental psychology lab

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Attendance/Participation check ins	10%
Discussion board posts	15%
Exams	50%
Final project	25%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
93% or higher	A
90-92%	A-
87-89%	B+
83-86%	B
80-82%	B-
77-79%	C+
73-76%	C
70-72%	C-
67-69%	D+
63-66%	D
60-62%	D-
Under 60%	F

Attendance/Participation:

To encourage engagement with course material, periodic in-class attendance and participation checks will be administered. These activities may include brief quizzes, polls, reflections, or content questions and can only be completed during class. Because attendance checks occur at various points throughout the semester, students are expected to attend class regularly and arrive on time. To allow for occasional absences, the lowest three attendance scores will be dropped. Make-up attendance checks will not be offered.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

How Children Develop (by Robert S. Siegler; Jenny Saffran; Nancy Eisenberg; Elizabeth Gershoff, 7th edition). ISBN-13: 978-1319339425 (Hardcover) / 978-1319543204 (Digital eTextbook).