CLINTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Plattsburgh, N.Y. 12901

Course Description:

This course provides a general introduction to the area of Developmental Psychology and a survey of developmental processes that influence the growth of the physical, intellectual, and socio-emotional aspects of the person throughout the lifespan.

 Course Objectives:

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to think critically about issues relevant to human development.

2. Students will demonstrate the ability to make connections between theories in human development and actual child and adult behavior.

3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the health-related and intellectual activities associated with lifelong physical and intellectual health.

4. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic processes of growth and physical change in each era of the lifespan, including factors that support positive growth and minimize health problems.

5. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic processes of learning as they effect the individual in each era of the lifespan.

6. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic processes of thought, and how thought changes in each era of the lifespan, including factors that support positive change.

7.  Students will demonstrate knowledge of basic emotional development including factors that influence individual differences and support positive change.

8. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the how the individual's interaction with society changes with age and how these changes influence the individual.

Text:

Santrock, John (2007) A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development, 3rd ed..  McGraw Hill. Boston. 

Attendance:

Regular class attendance and participation are essential for success in this course. Students are expected to attend all classes and to be prepared to discuss assigned reading. It is College policy that if a student misses 15% of class sessions s/he may be withdrawn from the course. I adhere to College policy. Students will be marked present if they are present at the time roll is taken in the first minutes of class. Late arrivals are disruptive to the class. Please make every effort to arrive on time.

College Policies

Students are expected to follow the College policies outlined in the College Catalog, pages 23-27.  These policies govern grading, standards for academic progress, attendance, and academic honesty.  It is important that you are aware of your rights and responsibilities according to these policies.

Evaluation and Grading:

Exams will be combination multiple choice and essays. Question follow directly from Learning Objectives and Class Discussions. You may drop the lowest test grade. Make-up Exams will be give with written documentation from the doctor, hospital, police, funeral home...only. Exams may be taken early.

Papers Papers are due at the beginning of class on the date due. Papers will lose 5 points the first day they are late, and 5 point per class period after that.  The late penalty will be waived for students who attend class on the day the paper is due and hand it in by midnight.  Papers may be submitted via e-mail as attachments in Microsoft Word or as .rtf documents only.

Coming to class prepared

Most days classroom activities will consist of discussion of assigned reading material. This allows students to check their understanding of materials read, reflect on that information, and share their opinions about it. In the process the material is rehearsed in a meaningful way. This has been established as among the most effective methods to learn new material. Obviously however, such a classroom is virtually useless to students who have not read the assignment. I want all my students to do well. Successful students have told me overwhelmingly that reading the book before class was vital to their success. 

Using my Office Hours

I strongly encourage students to come to see me. I am willing to answer virtually any question. I will explain confusing articles. I will review papers before they are turned in. I will review your study strategies with you to see how they could be improved. I want you to succeed in this class

 All reading and assignments are due at the beginning of class, on the date assigned.