Advanced Developmental Psychology

and Educational Processes

ED 422/PSCH 422, Fall 2008

Thursdays 5:00-8:00, BSB 140

Instructor: Dr. Theresa (Terri) Thorkildsen

Office: 3549 EPASW

Hours: Thursdays before class or by appointment.

E-mail: thork@uic.edu, Phone: 312-996-8138, Web: http://tigger.uic.edu/~thork/fair/

Purpose

Adopting a life-span approach to development, we will review general developmental paradigms, and study examples of how findings related to the resulting theories might play a role in education. Specifically, we will review the basic assumptions held by behaviorists, constructivists, developmental systems theorists, and nativists; and consider how these paradigms influence knowledge about human functioning. We will also consider the educational ramifications of current knowledge about development.

Objectives

Course activities will help students achieve the following goals:

Students will be able to compare and contrast the general paradigms that have been historically used to understand human development.
Students will be able to offer examples of how each paradigm has been used to understand and influence individuals’ affective, cognitive, physical, and social development in educational settings.
Students will be able to identify ways in which developmental theories are used to strengthen educational practices.

Readings

The readings will come primarily from journals and book chapters. Most articles can be found online. Students will be expected to take advantage of on-line journal services and to master the technology needed to find course readings. Those articles that are not online will be distributed using a listserv that is dedicated to students enrolled in this course. For those students who do not have their own computer connections to the library, the ETL on the second floor of EPASW is available along with other labs on campus. Students who are not directly affiliated with the College of Education may need to indicate that they are enrolled in ED/PSCH 422, and may need to alert ETL personnel to the fact that this course is cross-listed with Psychology.

Format

Students are expected to read and critique all assigned readings before coming to class. Class time will be spent clarifying misunderstandings and/or controversies associated with the material and drawing connections between theory and empirical research. We will also compare research findings with common myths about different age groups, and generate conclusions about how to build nurturing environments. Needless to say, these forms of knowledge cannot be generated if students come to class unprepared or fail to collect and study the appropriate readings. This is a course in which procrastination often leads to failure.

Assignments

To remain responsive to the ebb and flow of the discussion, assignments will not require a fixed set of readings and students are encouraged to share suitable materials that they read for this and other courses in their conversations. The syllabus is posted online and changes may occur across the semester. To comply with programmatic needs, a predetermined set of topics has been established and are listed in the tentative schedule. Those topics are sufficiently broad to cover the requirements established for this course, but students will be encouraged to tailor their thinking to consider the age group they are most likely to work with in the future.

Assignments measure the degree to which students are able to construct general relationships between topics and back up their conclusions with research and practical evidence. Tasks fall into three categories: assessment of group discussions, a conceptual mid-term, and a final application-focused project. The assignments will focus on three sources of evidence (research findings, media representations, and details of lives in progress) although these will be weighted differently in various segments of the course.

Group discussions. Students will be assigned to small groups based on their interests and reasons for exploring human development. Each week, groups will meet during class time to discuss the readings and imagine ways to use the information in practice. Group members will take turns documenting the details of each discussion. The note-takers of the week will be responsible for recording the content of the discussion as well as who offered each contribution. (Some groups may prefer to record the discussion and transcribe their conversation, but an accurate gist is also acceptable.) The notes should be typed up for critique by group members in the following class. Members may edit these notes, add amendments, or delete any material they do not feel is accurate. Group discussions, in other words, will include a critique of the accuracy of the transcript from the previous week as well as a new conversation. Once notes are approved by the group, a set of the final notes should be placed in a log book that will be collected and evaluated at several points over the course of the semester. Because individuals will probably want to keep a personal copy to track the readings and their progress, it is suggested that each group member generate their own copy of the log and that someone be designated the keeper of the log that will be turned in for evaluation.

On the rare occasion when students find themselves unable to attend class, they will be responsible for contributing a thought paper to the log book to represent their contribution. Individuals who miss class will also be responsible for obtaining any assigned readings and procedural information from their group members. When log books are evaluated, I will look for signs of students’ intellectual growth over time and the degree to which individuals are coordinating information from research, media sources, and lives in progress. Labeling the contributions of each group member to each conversation ensures that students’ grades are not caused by variation in group dynamics. Group logs also offer each note taker practice listening to the views of others in a careful manner—and essential skill for anyone who wants to understand human development.

Mid-term exam. A conceptual mid-term exam will evaluate the degree to which students are able to see the forest through the trees. This take-home exam will focus primarily on relationships between particular theories of development, research findings, and age-appropriate practice. The ability to draw these connections will be essential to the successful design of a final class project. Mistakes made on the mid-term can be revised without penalty, but all revisions should be turned in before the final project is due.

Final project. A final project consisting of a written paper and a group presentation will be used to determine if students have coordinated the information necessary for understanding common features of the various developmental theories and how that information might be used to influence practice. After the mid-term examination, the details of these projects will be negotiated with the instructor and other group members. However, students can begin thinking about how they will find at least one person in their target-age group who would be willing to share opinions about educational issues.

Accessibility

UIC strives to ensure the accessibility of programs, classes, and services to students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations can be arranged for students with various types of disabilities, such as documented learning disabilities, vision or hearing impairments, and emotional or physical disabilities. If you need accommodations for this class, be sure to register with the Office of Disability Services, 1190 SSB, 312-413-2183 (phone), and let your instructor know your needs.

Tentative Schedule

Dates	Major Topic	Age Groups
Aug. 28^th	What is development?	Development as a pan-contextual, life-long process (Guiding questions)
Sept. 4^th	When does age matter?	Basic paradigms (Guiding questions)
Sept. 11^th	A dynamic system	All ages (Guiding questions)
Sept. 18^th	Social changes	Puberty to old age (Guiding questions)
Sept. 25^th	Social changes	Birth to the onset of puberty (Guiding questions) *Film: It’s Elementary*
Oct. 2^nd	Physical changes	Birth to the onset of puberty (Guiding questions) *Group Logs Due*
Oct. 9^th	Physical changes	Puberty to old age
Oct. 16^th	Cognitive changes	Birth to the onset of puberty
Oct. 23^rd	Cognitive changes	Puberty to old age *Midterms Due*
Oct. 30^th	Affective changes	Birth to the onset of puberty
Nov. 6^th	Affective changes	Puberty to old age
Nov. 13^th	The whole system	All ages
Nov. 20^th	Group presentations	*Final Logs Due*
Nov. 27^th	Thanksgivings	*No Class*
Dec. 4^th	Group presentations
Dec. 11^th		*Final Papers Due*