Psychology 220 Fall 2011

Fall, 2011Developmental Psychology

Room: Lecture Hall 2Instructor: Dr. Alice G. Friedman Tues Thurs 1:15-2:40Place for Office Hours: Arranged with Appointment

Hours: Tues/Thurs:2:40-3:40

Contact Information for Instructor:Dr Friedman’s Email Address: Afriedm@binghamton.eduDr. Friedman’s phone (or message): 777-5570

Required Reading:

1. Berk, L.E. (2012). Infants, Children, Adolescents New York, NY: Pearson (bundled with the Developmental Lab) You will read every chapter of the text and you will be exploring every facet of the Developmental Lab. And, congratulations, you will be raising a Virtual Child!

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2. Additional articles in primary sources recommended/required throughout the course

Course Objectives and OverviewThis is a 200 level survey lecture course designed to provide an introduction to major issues related to child development. Students who enroll in this course should have already acquired a basic foundation in psychology (related theories, terms and information) consistent with that taught in a thorough introductory psychology class. The course focuses on developmental issues from the prenatal period through adolescence.

Course objectives, consistent with the text (as articulated by Berk, 2007 in her text) include:

“- Gain familiarity with major psychological theories associated with important domains within child development. Successful attainment of this goal includes an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different theories as well as the ability to compare and contrast the theories.

-Acquire understanding of the most common methodologies used to acquire information about child development and the most common paradigms used to guide information acquisition. Successful attainment

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of this goal includes ability to identify strengths and weaknesses of the major methodologies used by the field as well as the ability to use understanding of research methodology to understand research findings.

- Acquire understanding of the sequence of development and the processes presumed to underlie developmental changes. Successful attainment of this goal includes understanding of typical timetable for changes and growth as well as ability to articulate the associated relevant processes.

- Acquire understanding of the impact of context and culture on development. Successful attainment of this goal includes the ability to articulate how the physical and social world of the child impacts on specific aspects of development.

-Acquire an understanding of the extent to which biology and environment interact in complex ways to impact who and child develops. Successful attainment of this goal includes ability to articulate examples of the complex interaction and probable outcome as well as understanding the methodologies used to examine these relationships.”

-Acquire an appreciation of the complexity and breadth of development, including consideration of

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physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. Successful attainment of this goal includes the ability to articulate how development in one facet of functioning impacts that of another and to articulate how delays in one area may impede development in another.

-Acquire awareness of the interrelatedness of theory research and application. Successful attainment of this goal includes the ability to articulate how research, theory and practice are linked and to be able to discuss difficulties that can arise when they are not.”

Scope of ClassThe course covers basic theories of development and associated empirical findings of child development using a chronological approach. The course focuses on the period from ore-conception through adolescence. Students are encouraged to apply the theories to the broader field of development and to read beyond the minimal requirements to include readings on other important age ranges.

Instructor PerspectiveThis is a 200 level college course. As such, the instructor assumes that students can read the text and related material independently. We will not use class time to simply review the text since you can read that

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yourself. Students who do not understand the concepts in the text may meet with the Teaching Assistant or the Instructor to discuss specific aspects of the text that are problematic.

The course time will be used to supplement or add to the readings, video and other resources (most of which will be available through Pearson products and the library. At times the instructor will discuss certain aspects of material presented in the text. The text, additional readings, class video, My DevelopmentalLab material, course demonstrations, and other assignments combined constitute the course. This course is not designed as a review the chapters in the textbook. Students are expected to be capable of reading and understanding the textbook without needing the instructor to review the text. Please do not ask if the test will cover assigned chapters that were not reviewed in class. You are responsible for all assigned readings unless instructed otherwise.

Students should not rely on the lectures as a way to understand the textbook. Even if the lecture material lags behind the topic listed in the text, students are responsible for the readings that were assigned—unless otherwise instructed. The tests will cover the text assignments as per the syllabus even if the lectures

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have not “covered” it. Likewise, topics from the lectures and demonstrations may appear on the test. If there are aspects of the readings or the lecture material that remain unclear to you, please make an appointment with the TA. If you remain confused after reviewing the material with the TA, please see the instructor.

On a related note, students in the class should have a background sufficiently strong in psychology to understand the readings. If you do not read the assignments by the due date you will not understand the organized sequence of the course. You will be confused by the lectures and you will feel that there is nothing guiding the order of topics. It will be helpful to you to keep up with the readings.

Notes about using dated textbooks, previous editions and alternative text/readingsStudents can use the bound version, electronic or the notebook version. The course instructor will assume that students are reading/using/have access to the assigned textbooks. Textbooks are expensive so some students choose to find alternatives. If you choose to use a different text, a dated edition, alternative readings or other people’s notes you assume the risks involved in doing so. All students are responsible for all assignments and for answering quiz questions that

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may be based on the most recent text-including material that might be absent from previous editions or alternative texts. The instructor cannot advise you about the extent to which an alternative text will cover material similar to the assigned text.

It is recommended that you buy the book bundled with the Developmental Lab. The Developmental Lab is intended as an additional way to better understand the concepts covered by the text. You will use every aspect of the text and the tools provided by My Developmental Lab and Virtual Child. You will make good use out of the money spent on the course materials.

By design, the instructor uses the most current material she can find because it is hard to justify teaching dated work. Learning current material in a given field is a primary goal of college. Because new information is acquired at a rapid rate in this field compared to some others, the instructor chooses the newest editions of text possible.

Course RequirementsThe course requirements include attending class, adhering to this syllabus, completing readings on time, completing the online material on time, raising a Virtual Child, and completing 5 tests. The tests will be

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based on the required readings and any material or information presented during the class period (including discussions, films, video clips, and anything else that took place/was discussed/was presented during the class periods). Anything from the text or class (discussion, videos etc) may be on the tests. Regular attendance is strongly advised. The Binghamton University Bulletin includes the following information pertaining to attendance:

"Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and laboratories. An instructor may deny a student the privilege of taking the final examination or of receiving credit for the course, or may prescribe other academic penalties, if the student misses more than 25 percent of the total class sessions. Excessive tardiness may count as absence. In cases of excessive absence, the instructor may request the appropriate dean's office or the Academic Advising Office to investigate." (Binghamton University Bulletin).

Factors used to Determine Final Grade:75% of the grade: 5 Tests (each is worth 15% of the final grade. All 5 constitute 75% of the grade25% or the grade: Assignments from My Developmental Lab and Virtual Child-25% of the grade

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Final Grade is based on: 5 Tests (Total=75%), Completion of Assignments on My Developmental Lab/Virtual Child (Total=25%)

Students are expected to complete the Virtual Child by designated dates. The instructor/TA will randomly check the assignments. To get credit for the assignment, it must meet the following conditions: 1. Completed On Time and 2. Completed Reasonably. Completed on Time means just that. Completed Reasonably means that the assignment appeared to be completed with effort. Factors that could interfere with an assignment appearing to be completed with effort include: random or many incorrect responses suggesting that the student did not complete the assignment with care; evidence that the answers were not written by the student (copied, taken from others, downloaded). Do not expect warning for when the assignments will be checked. Students will be assigned 3 points for each checked assignment that fulfills criteria. Students need a total of 8 acceptable assignments (1 point will be awarded as a bonus to those who reach 8). The assignments will be checked at least 10 times throughout the semester. That means that students can still earn the full 25% (or an A) if they fail to get credit for 2 of the assignments. Please be aware that there will be no discussion about the assignments that do not earn credit. Students wishing

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to grieve the decision should follow the university policy governing grade disputes.

Full instructions and dates for the assignments associated with My DevelopmmentalLab and Virtual Child will be discussed more fully in the 2nd or 3rd class.

There will be 5 multiple choice (may include T/F. matching) tests. Regardless of the length of the test, the 5 tests are weighted the same. Students will not get more or less credit based on the pattern of scores. In other words, starting off with low scores and getting better with each test, or starting out strong and getting weaker with each test will not be considered as a basis for extra points or curving up-please do not make such requests.

Each test will consist of 50-100 questions to be completed in an 80 minute session-leaving 10 minutes for distribution. The instructions ask students to choose the best (not the only) correct response from a set of 4-5 alternatives. Once the test is administered and scored, the instructor reviews the psychometric properties of the test to identify any questions that may be problematic. The problematic questions (usually 2-5) are left out and the test is rescored. Credit is not

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given for false answers to poor questions. The resulting new scores are compared to the old scores for each student. The higher of the 2 grades is entered into Blackboard.Scoring process: Scoring will take at least a week and will usually be initiated after the make up.

1. Test administered2. Tests scored3. Test scores evaluated to eliminate any questions

with poor psychometric properties4. Tests rescored without the eliminated questions5. Tests posted on Blackboard

Due to the size of the class, the grading rubric must be objective and straight forward: Requests for change on the part of the class or individual students will not be honored. Expect that the class grades will be similar to a bell shaped curve. Expect there to be more grades in the B range than As and Cs. The administration of your university has strongly urged faculty to avoid grade inflation and it appears that they have developed strategies intended to embarrass faculty who whose grades appear to reflect grade inflation. Do not expect there to be curves, bonus points or extra credits. The instructor reserves the

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right to depart from this grid as long as doing so does not lower the grade assigned to any student.

Numerical cutoffs for each grade

At least a _____ yields a grade of ______

Note: Binghamton University has a very generous grading system compared to many schools. The lack of the A+ range (usually 97-100) means that a final average of 92.5 is essentially the same as getting a 100/A+. Pleading for the A to be downward extended below a 92.5 is unreasonable. As you can see from the grid above, the cutoff means that you must get a score that is at least the one listed or higher to attain the grade listed on the right

 92.50A  89.50A-  86.50B+  82.50B  79.50B-  76.50C+  72.50C  69.50C-  64.50D

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NO FINAL ExamTests Are cumulative because the material is cumulative. You may be asked to compare a Piagetian stage covered in the previous chapter with that covered in the first week of class.

Topics

The following is tentative for Fall 2011: An updated version with My Developmental Lab will be added after the first week.

Calendar for Fall Semester 2011Topics (Tentative), Readings and TestsNote: Assigned chapters include designated Resources from Develomental Lab and Virtual Child.

Please Note: Test Dates are tentative as of August 30, 2011 Due to changes that may be necessary due to student absences during the first week of class. Final Dates and Assignments will be presented in Thursday September 1.

Aug 30 Read Chapter1,2:Theory

Theory

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Sept 1 Chapter 1-2 + Associated Assignments from Developmental Lab and Virtual Child

Foundations

Sept 6 Chapter 1-2Sept 8 Chapter 2-3Sept 13 Chapter 2-3Sept 15 Chapter 3-4Sept 20 Chapter 3-4 (may introduce

Chapter 5 Topics by the 20th or 22, if possible)

Sept 22 Chapter 4Sept 27 Chapter OverviewSept 29 No ClassOct 4 First Test Test 1,1,2,3,4Oct 6 Chapter 5Oct 11 Chapter 6Oct 13 Chapter 6-7Oct 18 Chapter 6-7Oct 20 Second Test Test 2:5,6,7Oct 25 Chapter 8-9Oct 27 Chapter 9-10Nov 1 Chapter 10

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Nov 3 Third Test Test 3:8, 9,10.Nov 8 Chapter 11,12Nov 10 Chapter 12-13Nov 15 Chapter 13Nov 17 Fourth Test Test 4:11,12,13Nov 22 Chapter 14,15Nov 24 No ClassNov 29 Chapter 15Dec 1 Fifth Test Test 5:14,15,16Dec 6 A look behindDec 8

Honor. This is obvious but worth saying anyway. Students may take quizzes only for themselves without use of any assistance. Any student suspected of taking a quiz for another student and/or cheating in other ways will not be given the opportunity to take additional quizzes until the matter is resolved. The matter will be resolved in the following manner. The student taking the quiz and the student names on the quiz will be reported to the Honor Board for resolution of the problem. Students will be referred to the Honor Board if they are engaged in any behavior, which leads the instructor, or TA to believe the student is cheating. Neither the instructor nor the TA will try to make the

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determination on their own. That means that there will be no informal attempts to resolve instances of apparent or suspected cheating. Students who want to avoid being reported to the Honor Board should do so by keeping their eyes on their own tests and by covering their work so other students cannot see their answers.

Extra Credit Curves, Dropping the Lowest Grade and Related matters.The final grade in this class reflects level of mastery of material from the start to the finish of the semester. Mastery is achieved by a combination of effort and ability. Some students may find the material fairly easy and will require little effort to attain top grades. Some students may put forth consistent effort without attaining the grade that they desire. The grade will not be modified to reflect more or less "effort” or "ability". In other words, all students will be graded using the same criteria. Further, the instructor will not discuss, curves, dropping the lowest grade and/or related matters. The standards for this college level class are listed above (to the left): examine how the quiz grades will be converted to letter grades. Please drop the class if the conversion does not suit you. This course is offered multiple times during the year. Another class may suit you better. Class time will not be taken up with discussions about grades, curves, averages or the

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conversion of numerical to letter grades. The lowest test/quiz grade will not be dropped. It is highly unlikely that grades will be curved or modified in any way. The instructor retains the right to make modifications of the grading policy if there appear to be compelling factors that could not be predicted at the start of the course. In the event that any changes are made, students will have a choice of retaining the original grading method or the altered one. However, the instructor will not be influenced (favorably) by students exerting pressure or making requests. Students who would like to discuss changes in the grade policy for themselves or the class should address their concerns to the appropriate university administrators.

BlackboardThe instructor will use blackboard to communicate with the class. It is each student’s responsibility to check blackboard for any announcements, assignments and/or other communications directed to the class. Unless stated otherwise, when/if given, assignments should be submitted in electronic form via Turnitin. Students are responsible for knowing how to use Blackboard. If you are unfamiliar with Blackboard consult the Computer Center Help Desk.

E-Mail

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E-mail is the most efficient form of communication outside class. The instructor will assume that students use/read/check the official university e-mail address listed on Blackboard. Any e-mail that arrive with odd/unusual addresses or ones that differ from those listed, as the official university e-mail may not be open by the instructor. The turn around time for e-mails requiring a reply is generally two business days or less.

Audio-Visual EquipmentStudents may not use audiovisual equipment during the class. No electronic devices, no recording devices and no cell phones by students in this class at any time. They may not be used for purposes involving the class or not involving the class. Students do not have permission to record (audio and/or visual) the lectures or to transfer them to other sources/locations. Cell phones must remain off during the class. The instructor does not give permission to audiotape or otherwise record any aspects of the course. Students must not audio record any presented material, lecture material and/or class discussion. Student’s who disregard this section of the syllabus and record material (in any way-video, audio and/or pictorial) will have violated the rights of the instructor and class members. In the event of such a violation, the

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instructor will avail any/all available legal and academic recourse.

Course Use of EquipmentThe instructor will use various forms of audio-visual equipment throughout the semester. The equipment in the lecture hall is very outdated. Minor equipment failures/glitches or difficulties are inevitable. Although the instructor is experienced with the full range of equipment available in the lecture hall, settings that have been change, dead batteries and Murphy’s Law can make using the equipment difficult. Students with expertise should feel free to volunteer to help if such a situation arises. Alternatively, feel free to sit quietly or review notes until the problem is resolved. Also, if you cannot hear the instructor or audio-visual equipment, consider whether there is an equipment failure or whether you are in a particularly noisy section of the hall. Please advise the instructor if you suspect an equipment failure.

AttendanceAttendance is mandatory (as stated above). Students who are absent are responsible for the material covered in the missed class. The best way to ensure that you can access the material is to exchange contact information with someone else in the class at the beginning of the semester. If you must miss a class,

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contact that person to fill you in on anything missed. Please do not ask the instructor for information about missed material. The instructor does not loan out films, CDs or videos. Due to the size of the class and logistical problems, any films, presentations, clips, etc will not be made available at times other than the single class presentation. Please do not request to borrow the instructor’s supplies, videos or tapes. It is expected that most students will have one or two unavoidable absences. There is no need to inform the instructor about your absence. Arriving late or leaving early is not considered attending the class. Attendance refers to being in the class for the entire period. Students unable to attend class do not need to inform the instructor about the reasons for their absence. Students may take 1 make up test instead of the original without getting permission or documentation about the absence. For a 2nd make up or more, students will need to provide documentation showing that they were either ill or had an emergency that precluded taking the test on the scheduled date.

CheatingGrades for this class are based on scores from multiple-choice tests/quizzes. Due to the size of the class, this is the only practical form of evaluation. The fact that students take tests in close proximity has been a problem for Binghamton University students. . Any

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student giving the appearance of cheating will be reported to the appropriate Honor board. Please read the following very carefully:a. Students are responsible for preventing situations that give the appearance of cheating. The appearance of cheating usually occurs when students’ eyes stray from their own test onto or near the test of another student (even briefly) or when students appear to be communicating with each other during the test/quiz. Action will be taken against any individual who gives the appearance of seeking information from another student and any individual who allows another student to glance at his/her quiz and/or who communicates with another student. Someone who does not prevent cheating from his/her paper is as culpable as the one who is seeking the information. To avoid giving the appearance of cheating, students are expected to do/consider the following:

a. Avoid sitting with friends or acquaintances during class. Sitting with friends/roomates/suitmates/acquaintances increases the chance of chatting during class and makes sitting next to each other during tests more likely.b. You are responsible for protecting your answers from the eyes of others. If you suspect that someone is glancing at your work, shield your paper and/or report the instance to the instructor. If you fail to do

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so, you risk being reported for cheating along with the individual who initiated the situation.c. Electronic equipment of any kind is prohibited during class. If you carry a cell phone or a laptop, make sure it is turned off and out of sight throughout the class.d. If a quiz is about to be administered and you happen to be sitting next to a friend/acquaintance, you should move to another seat.

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Early or Extended Vacations, Unofficial Breaks, Absences without documentation of illnessCollege students sometimes make plans that interfere with class attendance. This may include extending a break, a longer holiday vacation or an extended weekend in order to go on a trip, spend time with family members or simply relax. Students sometimes state that they have a family reunion, special trip to far off lands, a family vacation planned years ago or other obligation that necessitates that they be away. Any student who decides to miss class for whatever reason has a right to do so and the instructor does not need (or want) a justification. However, in instances that absence for any reason (except illness that is documented with a practitioner’s letter, religious observance-of that day only, or a Binghamton university sanctioned event that one make up will be

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allowed without any justification.) More than one missed test will require documentation and strong justification.

Accommodation for Disability. Students who suspect or know that they experience a disability requiring accommodation during this course are strongly urged to contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) for testing and/or registration, as appropriate. Accommodation for disability must be made prior to exams or assignments that may be impacted by the disability or that may require accommodation. Every effort will be made to ensure appropriate accommodation of students who have registered with the office. However, accommodations will not be made retrospectively for completed exams or assignments.

Religious Observances. Students should check their schedules against the calendar to identify any potential conflicts between course requirements and religious observances. If you identify a conflict, please inform the instructor so that appropriate accommodations can be made.

Academic Integrity and Honesty. The instructor will adhere to the guidelines and procedures regarding academic honesty that have been developed by Binghamton University. The guidelines and associated

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procedures can be found in the student handbook, and include the following statement:

“The faculty assumes that themes, term papers, studio work, results of laboratory experiments, examinations, and computer-generated material submitted by the student represent the student's own work. The presentation for academic credit of the same work in more than one course is prohibited, unless a joint project receives the express and prior consent of the instructors involved. “

To ensure no misunderstandings/problems: During a quiz, put away (turn off), cell phones, beepers, pagers, text or related books, papers or notes.

Classroom Etiquette: Please observe the following rules/guidelines regarding classroom conduct:

-Please sit in the closest available seat to the lectern. If there are available seats in the front, please sit in them. If there are rows of seats that are mostly empty, I will provide a sufficient amount of time at the start of the class so people can move from the higher rows to those closer to the lectern.

-No recording, videoing, phoning, text messaging, photographing, and or/ use of any other recording or other electronic device (/s) during the class period without the explicit consent of the instructor.

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-No talking or whispering during class. It is assumed that any discussion during the lecture period is intended to be heard by everyone in the lecture hall. The instructor reserves the right to ask anyone who is talking to speak louder in the event that the verbalizations were not fully audible to the entire class.

-Turn off any cell phones, recorders, etc prior to the start of the class and put the equipment out of sight/away. Beeps and other noises associated with cell phones are disruptive and will not be tolerated.

-Treat the professor and other students, as you would want to be treated. Most students would be unhappy to have others snickering and whispering while they were trying to deliver a presentation or ask a question. The other students and the instructor feel the same way.

A last note: Some students perceive the lecture hall format of the room and/or room size as affording them privacy or anonymity. Students sometimes whisper to each other, giggle and laugh, text and engage in other behavior that they appear to think is not apparent to the instructor. In contrast to this perception, nearly every word spoken, gesture made, paper turned is readily apparent to the instructor. Noise in the seats of the lecture hall is distraction to other students and the instructor. If the instructor becomes aware of noise from students talking to each other, giggling,

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whispering, or otherwise engaging in activities that are distracting, the instructor will ask the student to leave. There will be no warnings given.

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