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-Syllabus -

According to the College catalog,  Students must be self-disciplined and motivated to succeed in online learning. A sound computer and Internet browser are necessary to successfully navigate the course management system utilized for online courses. Current versions of Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer, an e-mail account provided by the College, Windows 95 or newer version, and virus-checking software are all essential components for students to enroll in online courses. For additional information, visit the Distance Learning Web page at http://www.distancelearning.org/ or call 904 632-3116.

Instructor: Faye Wisner   
Office:  A 20ll  Downtown Campus   
Telephone: 904 633 8412   
Fax number: 904 633 8420
email: ewisner@fccj.edu
Web Page: http://www1.fccj.edu/ewisner

TEXTBOOK

 Textbook Online Learning Center:

    There is a Companion Web Site for our textbook at:  http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_feldman_developmen_3  The online study guide is designed to help you master concepts by guiding you through a series of quizzes for each chapter.  Each chapter starts with elementary quizzes and increase in difficulty as you progress through the chapter and are exposed to more concepts, culminating in a Chapter Quiz.
Choose any chapter from the drop-down box at the top of the web page and explore the components of the Learning Center:

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

    The development of the person is an exciting process, beginning with the rapid metamorphoses of cells at conception and continuing through intricate changes of growth and aging. The study of development is also intriguing because each of us, and everyone we care about, is constantly developing. This course therefore embraces both scientific discoveries and personal insights.

   We will study human development from the prenatal period through old age (or as some like to say, from the womb to the tomb!). This will include how human beings grow physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In addition, we will examine major psychological theories about human development, such as those of Freud, Piaget, and Erikson. You will explore, in your reflective journals, your own views of human development as they pertain to your own life or the lives of people you know. Ultimately, this class will enable you to relate knowledge about how humans grow and develop to careers in psychology, teaching, nursing, law enforcement, human services, and parenthood.

    It is important to remember that each of us analyzing the developing individual is only human, and thus our interpretation of behavior and change is filtered through our own biases. So that you may identify biases where they occur, we will spend time becoming familiar with the major theories of human development and the terms these theories use, paying special attention to the research that supports or contradicts each perspective. Critical thinking, as well as mastery of the material, is a goal of this course.

    Probably no other field of study more abounds with free advice than child rearing, yet much of this advice has been handed out in ignorance of the available experimental data and/or established techniques for objective testing. We will work to develop skills for evaluating the views and advice you will continue to hear long after you close your books.

College Catalog Description:

This course consists of the study of development of the individual throughout the life cycle, including child, adolescent, and adult patterns of behavior with attention to physical, intellectual, cognitive, personality and social development.  Three credit hours.  Three contact hours.  (CBE) 

Objectives:

At the end of the term, you should be able to:

• Describe development - including biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial - as an ongoing set of processes, involving both continuity and change, by giving examples from the literature.
• Analyze different developmental events from the perspectives of four major theories of development - psychoanalytic, learning, cognitive, sociocultural - and recognize those theories when used by others to analyze events.
• Explain how research contributes to the understanding of development and evaluate and use research finding to investigate a topic of interest to you.
• Recall important developmental concepts and be able to recognize and apply these concepts in various situations.
• Formulate relevant questions about developmental processes and events and use standardized techniques for gathering objective answers to these questions.
• To foster a deep appreciation of people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds.
• To strengthen the students’ awareness of how changes in individuals over the life span and the knowledge of these changes can be applied in real life situations, i.e., their chosen fields of study or careers.

Chapter Objectives:

    There are objectives for each topic studied in class.  Use the objectives to get a sense of what it is the textbook will cover and what you should know when you are finished studying the topic.  In a very real sense, this is much like skimming the headlines of a newspaper before you delve into a particular story.  The objectives provide you with a basic framework for learning and understanding.  They are also located at http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_feldman_developmen_3   however; don't limit your knowledge or interest to the objectives.

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ENROLLMENT

To enroll in the course you must have:

	* Regular access to a computer running Windows 95 or higher, or a Macintosh.
	* Access to the Internet.  You may use a commercial provider such as AOL, BellSouth or ATT Broadband.  You may also use FCCJ as your Internet Service Provider.  For more information go to FCCJ Internet Dialup Service.
	* An E-mail address and the ability to send and receive E-mail.  FCCJ provides Student Accounts Some courses require the ability to send and receive attachments.
	* A Web browser
	* A virus-checking program on your personal computer.

    For additional information, visit the Distance Learning Web page at http://www.distancelearning.org/ or call 633-8480 or 633-8416.
    The course will require that you read the text assignments and the materials available on the course Website as well as activities at the text book companion web site. You will also need to correspond with the instructor and other students through E-Mail. You will not need to visit any physical location at any time. Each chapter of the text will have reading and written assignments.
Once you enroll, send an e-mail message the following information as soon as possible to your Professor with:

• With the course name/reference# of the course in the subject line:
• Your name
• Your e-mail address
• Your student number

Delivery Method - WebCT:

    The Course management tool, WebCT, is used to deliver the course materials.  You no longer need to contact your instructor to get into your course.  You can log into your course beginning on the first day of class from Artemis or through the direct link listed below.  Every student will have an FCCJ e-mail account and should use this account for any correspondence with the Professor outside of WebCT.  WebCT has an internal email for communication with classmates, Instructor, about course related material and assignments.  If you do not have an FCCJ e-mail account, go to https://artemis.fccj.edu/ and log on with your social security number and pin.  The click on the button that says “Get a Student User ID”.  If you are not familiar with WebCT take a look at the following:

• Read about WebCT at the WebCT Student Guide.  You may want to bookmark the links for easy return later.

Webpage:

WebCT has a web page function.  You are expected introduce yourself to the class within the WebCT Bulletin Board during the first week as well as create a web page within WebCT.  You may include a picture of yourself, or if you would like, of a movie star or famous person who may have characteristics like yours.   A brief Bio may help you to find students with likes and dislikes similar to yours. This will help when working with the members of the class for the rest of the term especially with the group project.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

It is Important to Remember That Successful Distance Learning Students are:

          *Self-motivated
            *Able to work independently
            *Able to follow directions
            *Have good time-management skills
            *Have some experience using a computer

Online Class Attendance:

    Attendance in an on-line class is accomplished by:

1.  Regularly visiting the class Web site.
2. Reading the materials and assignments found on the class Web site,
3. Reading email, received from the instructor and other class members,
4. Sending email to the instructor and other class members,
5. Participating in class discussions
6. Active participation in group projects.
7. Turning in assignments on time. 
 
 You are expected to participate in the above activities on a weekly basis, just as you would in an on campus class.  

   The common research finding is that students who attend class regularly make better grades than those who don't attend regularly. Attending class provides the student with direct information on what materials should be emphasized. Attending class communicates interest in the subject matter to your instructor.
 
    Each student is responsible for getting any information from classes, making up work when available, making up tests and any information concerning schedule changes, assignments, etc.

    FCCJ requires that the "NA" grade will be administratively assigned when instructors report students who have not attended class by the second week of the term.  You must check in with me via email after you have registered and paid your fees. During the first week of class which begins August 30, 2004 you are expected to enter the class in WebCT and complete the orientation and quiz.   An "NA" will be assigned if you if not completed the assignment by the second week of class September 18, 2004.
    The assignments for the course include readings in the text, written commentary on the reading, written exercises assigned on the Web pages and gathering of information from the Internet. Due dates and chapters for the related assignments are indicated on assignment and schedule pages.  Topic assignments are accepted for credit no later than the end of their assignment week, midnight Sunday, unless otherwise noted.

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STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

I expect each student to:

• attend class regularly. See Online Class Attendance section above
• complete assignments according to directions and by due date
• read assigned material by dates shown on schedule
• take part in class discussions, cooperative learning activities, and activities designed to apply to knowledge to the students own life
• All students are expected to be considerate of both the instructor and other students; any form of disruptive behavior will not be tolerated including typing in caps.
• Follow the rules of Netiquette

Academic Integrity:

We expect all students to be honest and to behave with integrity. There will be no questions asked nor explanations accepted for plagiarism, cheating, or any other acts that suggest that you have not fulfilled your responsibilities. During most of our lives, our behavior is not under careful scrutiny of an instructor or supervisor. You are the only person who can demand integrity out of yourself during the class and later in your professional and personal lives. In addition, you should help to establish honesty as a value that characterizes the education of all students at FCCJ. Each and every student determines the academic climate at universities and colleges. We ask you to do your part in making honesty an important value for the education of students.
    See Student Academic Dishonesty Procedure in the College Catalog:
    (http://www.fccj.edu/resources/catalogs/2003_2004/rules/expectations.html#dishonesty

Student Learning:

    I believe that learning is an ongoing process that requires a logical thinking process and the mental discipline to actively discover new knowledge. It requires motivation and hard work, and takes place in the classroom, online or on campus, when communication is established between all members of the class and the instructor. It is progressive and builds upon already learned experiences and knowledge.

    If you have special needs due to physical limitations or learning disabilities, please let the college know and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.

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COURSE ACTIVITIES

    The class and course activities will depend upon the term and specific sections.

    Remember Murphy's Law! Computers go phffifft. Printers run out of ink. Servers go down. Be prepared!! It is your responsibility to get your assignments to me on time (see the Assignments page for due dates.) If you wait to do your work at the last minute, have an alternate plan for getting materials to me. My fax numbers and mailing address are listed. Please keep a printout of these in case of emergency. Remember your ultimate grade depends on your finishing all required assignments in the time allotted. If any of this might be a problem for you, contact me about your concerns. The students who do poorly or fail this type of course do so because they fail to turn assignments in on time! If you think this might be your style, you may prefer the extra time of a traditional class on campus.

Discussion Forum

    This is an important part of the course and one of the major differences between this course and traditional courses or telecourses. This is where your responses to class discussion questions will be posted. The discussion questions will be provided on the individual topic or chapter page. Posted here will also be your response to exercises that may appear on the topic pages. In addition to answering the question, you are expected to post at least one thoughtful reply to other student answers to the topics in the Bulletin Board or Discussion Group.
 
These online discussions will take the place of discussions that you would typically have in the classroom.  We would like you to think about the material and submit replies that are intelligent and clear.  Spend some time thinking about the topics and how they might relate to your own life before you formulate your replies.  All of the threads will work as follows:

You must submit minimum of two entries for each topic.  Each entry should consist of approximately 50 words, unless you reply more than twice.  Your first entry should be a reply to the posted question. Your second entry should be a reply to another student's response.  Your grade will depend on how much thought you put into your replies and whether or not you submit your replies on time.  You will not receive credit for late replies. Grading scale: 2 = complete assignment:  1 = unsatisfactory or partially completed assignment: and 0 = incomplete assignment.

You should read through your classmates’ replies and answer any questions that other students pose.  At times follow-up questions will be posted, and you are required to respond to these follow-up questions.  This means that you will be required to post at least 3 replies for some discussion topics. There is a Discussion group called "CyberCafe”. This is a cyber-bulletin board for the posting of informal personal accounts, information about social events, announcements, casual conversations, meetings, seminars, and information that the rest of the class might be interested in.  You may want to login a couple of times a week to see what is happening. Class participants are assigned to one of four groups.  Each group has its own discussion forum and chat room to facilitate the group project. What should your reply to a discussion topic be like?  It should be.......... Well focused Well organized Well supported Well package (grammatically correct) These characteristics are described in "What is a well written answer to an essay question?" from the Online Writing Laboratory at Purdue University (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/) The document also describes different organizational patterns for replies to essay question; definitions, analysis, cause and effect, comparison-contrast, process, thesis and support.

 

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Internet Activity

    This is another important part of the course. Each week there is one or more Internet activities. The assignment will include a reference site or searching for information on the Internet.  You are to read the documents and answer questions concerning the topic. These answers are to be submitted to your professor via WebCT email. An example of an internet activity:

You are a student teacher for Ms. Masterson, who teaches tenth grade English. She is trying to capitalize on the vast store of information on the web by helping students integrate web resources into their papers. Knowing that it is important to think critically when gleaning information from the web, Ms. Masterson asks you to help her formulate guidelines students can use to evaluate web sites. What clues will you suggest Ms. Masterson provide her classes to help the students evaluate web site information?

Check the following URLs for suggestions for evaluating internet sites:

http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/evalwebstu.html

http://www.lesley.edu/library/guides/research/evaluating_web.html

Send your suggestions to your professor at [insert email address]

Homework Assignments

    You are required to complete one homework assignment for each of the topic chapters of the textbook covered in class. You will need to answer questions for each assignment in no more than one paragraph per question.  You should send to your professor the assignments by midnight Sunday of the scheduled week. If you are having problems please do not hesitate to discuss problems with me ewisner@fccj.edu

An example of a homework assignment follows:

Chapter 8 - Early Childhood: Emotional and Social Development Answer the following questions. Send your responses to your professor within WebCT email:

1. How much of your sense of gender identification comes from external factors? How much from biological factors?
2. What are the implications of family and different parenting styles on self-concept and self-esteem?
3. On the basis of Baumrind's research, list a number of effective parenting practices and attitudes, and define scaffolding.
4. Describe the goals of the Harvard Child-Rearing study conducted in the 1950s by Sears, Maccoby, and Levin.

Reflective Journal

    You will be responsible for keeping an ongoing reflective journal. The activity requires you to apply what you learn about development to your own life. These will be submitted to the professor via WebCT email. Any journal material is strictly confidential and will only be read by the instructor.

    Grading will be based on completeness and not content (Did you answer questions designed to cover a particular topic?). You may include creative way to express your reflections about your own development.

An illustration of a reflective activity follows:

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL EXERCISE. How do you imagine you will handle your own successful aging after age 65? Will you gradually withdraw from the world to enjoy peace and solitude to do the things you want to do, like read or relax, according to the DISENGAGEMENT THEORY OF SUCCESSFUL AGING? Or do you imagine you will want to continue an active life full to socializing, volunteer work, being with family, going on trips, etc., according to the ACTIVITY THEORY OF SUCCESSFUL AGING? Tie your speculations into how you view your personality today. For example, are you a loner who prefers peace and quiet leisure activities like reading or watching TV? Or, are you an extrovert who only finds real happiness out with friends and doing some activity like dancing, or taking exercise classes? Try to paint a picture of your life at 65 or older. Send your answers to the professor within WebCT.

    There will be one reflective assignment for each topic chapter studied.

Tests

    There are practice quizzes as part of your electronic study guide at the Online Learning Center supplied by the publisher of our textbook. Take these chapter quizzes and submit the scores to the instructor as assigned before taking each of the following tests.  Routing information will be at the end of the results for the practice quiz.

There will be eight (8) tests online at the WebCT course site. Each test covers two or more chapters from the textbook. See list below for chapters included in each. These tests will be timed.  The test questions will be primarily multiple-choice with some matching and short-answer essay. The focus will be on application questions and cover material from text, lectures, weekly exercises, and other assignments. Tests WILL NOT be accepted past the due date. You may use your textbook as a resource for answers however you will not have time to use it to look up the answers to every question.  This test should be prepared for just like a test where you are not able to use the text. There will be no make up tests (unless otherwise instructed). Tests will measure your acquisition of terms, principles and people.

 

All tests will be worth 50 points and scored according to the following scale:

90% correct	45 - 50 points	A
80% correct	40 - 45 points	B
70% correct	35 - 40 points	C
60% correct	30 - 35 points	D
59% and below	0 - 30 points	F

Other Activities

    The assignments may range from simple observations, portfolio writing assignments, surveys, and interviews to guided library research. Mini-assignments will be made during the term to enhance knowledge of psychological issues. These may include in-class exercises, brief essays, or reaction papers about current issues as they arise.

Submission of Assignments

    On a word processor complete your answer to the assignment or exercise and save it as an RTF or text file.  Then you will  copy and paste the assignment into the text box of the Assignment Drop Box, Discussion Board, or WebCT email as directed by your instructor.  If you send email to the instructor outside of WebCT include the following items in order:
                        Subject Line: Descriptive Subject, Your last name, Course Name and Number
                        An appropriate descriptive short topic
                        Your last name initial cap (for example, Doe) + Social Security number
                        Course information no spaces (for example, Dep2004) + Reference Number
                        Additional information last (for example, resubmission) in the body                      

All mail to the professor or the class must also have a signature at the end with this pattern in one line if possible, using the first name you would like your classmates to use when they communicate with you:
                        Last name First initial <e-mail@address> course info
                        Example: J Doe <jdoe@beach.net> DEP2004
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TENTATIVE WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS

	Topic
Week 1	Introduction to Online Courses
	Introduction, Part I - The Beginnings
Week 2	Introduction to Lifespan Development	Text Ch. 1 - Forum & Homework activity
Week 3	The Start of Life: Genetics and Prenatal Development and Birth and the Newborn Infant	Text Ch. 2 & 3 - Forum & Homework activity Test 1 Available this week
	Part II - Infancy: Forming the Foundations of Life
Week 4	Infancy: Physical & Cognitive Development	Text Ch 4 & 5 - Forum & Homework activity.
Week 5	Infancy: Social and Personality Development	Text Ch 6 - Forum & Homework activity. Test 2 Available this week
	Part III - The Preschool Years - The Play Years
Week 6	Preschool Years: Physical & Cognitive Development	Text Ch 7 - Forum & Homework activity
Week 7	Preschool Years: Social & Personality Development	Text Ch 8 - Forum & Homework activity Test 3 Available this week
	Part IV - Middle Childhood - The School Years
Week 8	Middle Childhood: Physical & Cognitive Development	Text Ch 9 - Forum & Homework activity
Week 9	Middle Childhood: Social and Personality Development	Text Ch 10 - Forum & Homework activity Test 4 Available this week
	Part V - Adolescence
Week 10	Adolescence: Physical, Cognitive, Social and Personality Development	Text Ch 11 & 12- Forum & Homework activity - Test 5 available this week
	Part VI - Early Adulthood
Week 11	Early Adulthood: Physical & Cognitive Development	Text Ch 13 - Forum & Homework activity
Week 12	Early Adulthood: Social and Personality Development	Text Ch 14 - Forum & Homework activity Test 6 available this week
	Part VII - Middle Adulthood
Week 13	Middle Adulthood: Physical & Cognitive Development	Text Ch 15 - Forum & Homework activity
Week 14	Middle Adulthood: Social and Personality Development	Text Ch 16 - Forum & Homework activity Test 7 available this week
	Part VIII - Late Adulthood
Week 15	Late Adulthood: Physical & Cognitive Development	Text Ch 17 - Forum & Homework activity
Week 16	Late Adulthood: Social and Personality Development; Death and Dying	Text Ch 18 & 19 - Forum & Homework activity Term Project due. Test 8 available this week
	All assignments completed by:

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GRADES AND GRADING

    The course is not graded on a curve. Term grades will be based on a cumulative weighted total of points earned on the regularly scheduled exams, homework, reflective journals, class assignments and participation. 

    Weight of total points earned will be based on the following scale: For example - Total points for the tests will count toward 20% of your final grade.

For any activity:

• A = 90 % of total number of points available.
• B = 80 % of total number of points available.
• C = 70 % of total number of points available.
• D = 60 % of total number of points available.
• F = Anything below 60 percent and/or missing more than 10 class meetings.

 

   "I" grade:  The student should check with their instructor regarding this grade.    According to the FCCJ College Catalog, 2004-2005, the primary use of the "I" grade is to permit a student to complete academic work that he/she was unable to complete during an academic term, due to reasonable non-academic grounds.  The issuance of the "I" grade is the decision of the course instructor.  The instructor is not obligated to issue an "I" grade.  In order to be eligible for an  "I", the student must be passing the course at the time of the request, have completed a minimum of 70% of the course work and submit a written request to the Instructor.  The Instructor is not obligated to issue an I.

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Being Successful In This Or Any Other Class:

• Attend class sessions, as mentioned above in the Online Class Attendance section - Attendance is the best predictor of success in college.
• Read chapters in text before that topic is covered - This will help you understand the material and participate during discussions.
• Participate in discussions - The more participation, the more fun the class is.
• Study several hours every week - Putting time in outside class is important, it is best to study a little every night, not to cram it all in at the end. E. L. Thorndike's Law of Practice/Repetition.
• Participate in group activities.
• Turn in assignments on time.
• Take all exams - If you miss an exam you put yourself at a major disadvantage.
• Recognize if you need help and contact the Instructor.

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Useful Information

Citations of references used in reports for psychology classes should follow the American Psychological Association (APA) format.  See:

• Using the American Psychological Association Format from Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html
• APA Format at http://www.apa.org/

If you are citing a computer generated source, the citation should follow the APA guidelines for referencing online documents. See: Land, T. [a.k.a. Beads] (1997, May 2). Web Extension to American Psychological Association Style (WEAPAS) (Rev 1.4) [WWW document]. URL: http://www.beadsland.com/weapas/.

You may also want to take a look at:
Reference Materials for Writing Process from Colorado State University at http://writing.colostate.edu/references/
and an Overview:  Writing Academic Evaluations at http://writing.colostate.edu/references/

Online Distance Learning at FCCJ is located at http://www.distancelearning.org/Online.htm

Tips and Resources for Students Getting Started with their Online Course can be found at: http://www.distancelearning.org/tipsresources.html

Glossary of Online Learning Terms at http://www.distancelearning.org/glossary.html

FCCJ Distance Learning Student Handbook at http://www.distancelearning.org/dlhandbook.html

The FCCJ Open Campus Library Services - Online Library Databases http://www.fccj.org/library/opencampus Here you can use the LINCC Search Library Catalog and the LINCC Electronic Resources where you can access a large number of databases. This is an excellent place to begin your quest for information.

The Florida Distance Learning Library Initiative (http://www.oclc.org/oclc/man/10256dis/madaus.htm) is the library component of the emerging distance education programs in higher education in Florida. It is a cooperative effort of Florida’s public state universities and community colleges, as well as public libraries through the State Library of Florida.

A list of Instruction & Online Tutorials from the University of South Florida <http://www.lib.usf.edu/services/guides.html>
You may want to check their Evaluating Sources <http://www.lib.usf.edu/ref/instruction/eval.html>  by Mark Dibble, Reference Librarian.  The document contains information about evaluating online documents.

McGraw-Hill Internet Primer at http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/devel/common/primer.htm

For some suggestions and information to help you get through a busy semester go to Dushkin Online at  http://dushkin.com/online/  Explore the site. You may want to especially take a look at How to Study Strategies  http://www.dushkin.com/online/study/dgen4.mhtml and Tools for Studying and Learning, http://www.dushkin.com/online/study/studymain.html

You may email me at : ewisner@fccj.edu

I will respond to your email within  48 hours.

Portions of this syllabus are subject to change. Any additions and/or deletions will be mentioned in the Announcement section of our web site.

Disclaimer

 
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July 2004