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COURSE SYLLABUS

CEP705

ADVANCED STUDIES

OF HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

SUMMER, 2005


Dr. Rhoda Cummings, Professor

Counseling and Educational Psychology Department

Office: COE 3031, Phone: 775-784-6637 x2066

e-mail address: cummings@unr.edu

  • Assignment Instructions

  • Course Schedule for CEP 705


    Office hours: By Appointment

    Required Texts:

      Crain, W. (2000). Theories of development: Concepts and applications
           Boston: Allyn & Bacon

      Wadsworth, B. J. (2004). Piaget's theory of cognitive and affective
           development       (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

    Course Description:

    CEP C705 ADVANCED STUDIES OF HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
    (3+0)3 credits.  Emphasis on implications of human growth and development for educational professionals.


    Course Philosophy

    The content of this course addresses the four major goals of the College of Education, so that students enrolled in CEP C705 will:

    1. Possess a love of learning - students enrolled in CEP C705 will read, evaluate, and analyze original works of various human development theorists. These activities will provide students with increased self-awareness and a greater sensitivity to both the commonalties and the differences that exist among human beings. This increased knowledge, both about themselves and others, will create in students a desire to read and learn even more about human growth and development. This love of learning will carry over into their personal and their professional lives.

    2. Develop a strong fund of knowledge - students enrolled in CEP C705 will learn about traditional theories of development and about current research findings in areas of cognitive, identity, personality, and career development. Students will demonstrate acquisition of knowledge through summary and analyses of reading assignments, through class discussions, and through performance on examinations. All class assignments will require students to engage in cognitive processes that require them to summarize, compare and contrast, analyze, and synthesize information. By engaging in these cognitive exercises, students will gain the ability to apply what they have learned in CEP C705 in their personal and professional lives through use of their own intellectual abilities and problem-solving capabilities rather than through the use of faddish methodologies of limited usefulness.

    3. Engage in reflective practice - students enrolled in CEP C705 will gain insight about themselves personally and about other human beings with whom they coexist in their personal and professional lives. The intellectual exercises students will be required to perform throughout the semester will strengthen their cognitive capacities and provide them with intellectual resources from which they will be able to draw as they attempt to solve problems of human interactions in both their personal and professional lives. Students enrolled in CEP C705 will not be taught specific educational, counseling, and supervisory methods that may work for some but not for all. Rather, course work is designed to enhance students' thinking processes to enable them to engage in reflective practices that will be most appropriately suited to each individual student or other human being under their charge. Reflective practice is the result of good thinking abilities not canned methodology.

    4. Value democracy and multiculturalism - students enrolled in CEP C705 will learn that the basic processes of human physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development are the same regardless of culture, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Thus, the emphasis in CEP C705 is on the similarities of rather than on the differences between human beings. Students who understand that human beings are really much more like each other than they are different from one another will have gained the understanding to look beneath the facade and into the core of each human being with whom they interact. Then, once they understand the core nature of the individual, they will have gained the ability to work effectively with all individuals, regardless of their culture, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.


    Course Objectives: As a result of active participation and successful completion of course requirements, the student should be able to:

    1. Explain the relevance of theory to explain human development.
    2. Describe the sequence of changes involved in human development.
    3. Describe the physical, perceptual, and cognitive development of the infant.
    4. Describe the physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and moral development of the child.
    5. Describe the physical, cognitive, social, and moral development of the adolescent.
    6. Describe the unique characteristics of adult development.
    7. Describe the major theories of human development including those of cognitive, moral, social, personality, and career development.


    Student Performance Evaluation

    Each student will be expected to complete the following:
    1. Textbook reading assignments and chapter questions
    2. Online Discussions
    3. Piaget worksheets
    4. Reflective lecture analyses
    5. Book analyses
    6. Final project
    7. Final essay

      ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS


      *** TO PASS THE COURSE, YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL WORK ***

      ***ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 12:00 MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY OF EACH WEEK***(for example, Piaget Worksheet #1 will be due no later than midnight, Friday, May 27)

      *** DO NOT TURN WORK IN BEFORE THE WEEK IT IS DUE*** (you may complete work as early as you wish, but do not mail to me until the due date. Otherwise, my mailbox becomes too full)

      *** YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS AS WebCT E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS. DO NOT SEND TO MY PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS.

      ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SENT AS WORD OR RICH TEXT FORMAT DOCUMENTS. ***

      ALL WRITTEN WORK MUST BE TYPEWRITTEN, FREE OF MECHANICAL AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, AND TURNED IN ON TIME. 5 POINTS PER DAY LATE WILL BE DEDUCTED FOR LATE PAPERS. PAPERS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE THE ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE.

      * CHAT ROOM ACTIVITIES - The chat rooms are available for you to engage in discussions with other students about the previous week's lecture content or other items of interest or concern. The most effective way to use the chat room is to make arrangements before hand with any other student(s) you may wish to talk with. Names and e-mail addresses of all students enrolled in the class can be found in the mail page.

      * CLASS DISCUSSION ACTIVITIES -You will participate in four class discussion activities via the WebCt discussion board:

           1. Week of 5/16-20 - Introductory activity
           2. Week of 7/4-8     - Heinz Dilemma
           3. Week of 7/25-29 - Discussion of Dead Man Walking
           4. Week of 8/1-5     - Discussion of Career Development Theory

      Specific directions for these activities will be provided on the Weekly Activities page for each of the designated weeks. Each activity will be assigned 25 points.

      * VOLUNTARY CLASS MEETINGS - A voluntary class meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 26 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in WRB 3006 (WRB is the College of Education Building). The meeting will provide you with the opportunity to meet with your instructor and other students and to discuss issues and questions related to the course.

      * TEXTBOOK READING ASSIGNMENTS (Crain Text) - For each reading assignment in the Crain text (Theories of Development), you will hand in typewritten responses to questions about each theory covered in the chapters. These questions are included on the Weekly Activities Page, Week Three and will be used for each assignment in the Crain text.
         Textbook reading assignments are assigned 50 points each.


      * PIAGET WORKSHEETS - For each reading assignment in the Wadsworth book, you will be given a worksheet to complete. There are three worksheets. These are included on the Weekly Activities Pages (Weeks 1,2,3). Each worksheet consists of 5 questions or assignments. Each question will be worth 20 points for a possible total of 100 points per worksheet.

      For the Piaget worksheets only: If you do not receive full credit on the worksheet, you may rework your incorrect responses and return for full credit.

      * LECTURE REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS - Each week a lecture is assigned, you will read the lecture and then prepare a typewritten reflective analysis of that week's topic or lecture. The analysis will be no more than two pages in length. (If you single space, leave two spaces between paragraphs.). Points will be deducted if papers go over two pages.

        The analysis consists of two parts: (1) a brief (one paragraph) summary of lecture contents and (2) a reflective analysis of the lecture. You might reflect on the application of lecture content to your own personal and/or professional experiences; describe the impact of lecture content on your own thinking; describe specific thoughts, concerns, or questions rleated to lecture content, etc. Lecture reflections are assigned 25 points each.
           DEAD MAN WALKING VIDEO ANALYSIS: The week of 7/18-22, you are to watch the video, "Dead Man Walking." The reflective analysis for the video (Reflective Analysis #7) requires you to answer the questions that are included in WEEK TEN ACTIVITIES. Responses to these questions are due on Friday, July 29.

      * BOOK ANALYSES       - Read two books of your choice from the list provided on the Weekly Activities Page, Week Two. ("Book Analyses: Theories/Theorists). You may choose two books in the same area of development, or you may choose books in two different areas. The two books cannot be by the same author. The titles listed are only suggestions. You may choose any book written by the authors on the list. You also may choose a theorist and/or book that is not included on the list. However, if you choose a book by a theorist that is not included on the list, you must have it approved by me. Also, the chosen book must be by the theorist, not about the theorist
          For each book, you will turn in a two-page, double-spaced analysis that includes: (a) a brief summary of the contents (no more than 2-3 paragraphs - a longer summary will result in reducted points), and (b) a brief description of the major ideas or components of the theory.

         Points:          Summary =  25 points
                            Mechanics = 25 points
                         Description = 100 points
                       Total points = 150 points

      Book analyses will be assigned 150 points each. Points will be deducted for Book Analyses that are longer than two pages

      * BOOK EVALUATION PROJECT - Write a 5-7 page, double-spaced evaluation that compares and contrasts the two books described above. The project should include the following information:
      1. Each theorist's view of human development - NO MORE THAN 2-3 PARAGRAPHS PER THEORIST, NOR LONGER THAN TWO PAGES FOR ALL TWO SUMMARIES- (20 points)
      2. Similarities among the two perspectives (65 points)
      3. Differences among the two perspectives (65 points)
      4. Describe the books' effect on your view of your personal development (75 points)
      5. Describe how you might apply the books' contents in your profession (75 points).

      IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO NOTICE THE POINT DISTRIBUTION FOR EACH SEGMENT OF THE PAPER. I EXPECT THAT EQUAL CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG THEORISTS (4-5 similarities and 4-5 differences) AND THAT EQUAL CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL APPLICATIONS.

      **** FOR ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS, USE NO SMALLER THAN A 10- OR 12-POINT FONT AND NO SMALLER THAN A 1/2" MARGIN *****

      Student Performance Criteria:

                                        Possible Points

Textbook summaries                300 pts (6@50 pts ea)
Piaget worksheets                 300 pts (3@100 pts ea)
Lecture reflections               225 pts (9@25 pts ea)
Discussion activities             100 pts (4@25 pts ea)  
Book analyses                     300 pts (2@150 pts ea)
Final project                     300 pts
                Total points     1525

A = 1403-1525
B = 1235-1402
C = 1068-1234

      
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      COURSE SCHEDULE FOR CEP C705.E01


      CLASS DATE TOPIC ACTIVITIES/
      ASSIGNMENTS DUE
      1 5/16-20 DISCUSSION ROOM ACTIVITY #1
      Introductions-WebCt
      		 Read the Syllabus Activity
      2 5/23-27 Cognitive Development: Piaget

      ***VOLUNTARY CLASS MEETING***
      Thursday, May 26
      6:00-7:30 p.m.
      WRB 3006
      		Discussion Board:Introductions
      *Read: Wadsworth:Intro/ch.1-3
          Piaget wkst #1 DUE
      *Discussion Activity #1 DUE
      *Read: Crane Text, Chap. 6
        (read chap. only, no theory questions)
      3 5/30-6/3 Cognitive Development: Piaget
      *Read: Wadsworth: ch.4,5,6
        Piaget wkst #2 DUE
      4 6/6-6/10

      Cognitive Development: Piaget

      Lecture One: Theories of Development

      		 *Read: Wadsworth: ch.7-9/Appendix
         Piaget wkst #3 DUE
      *Read: Crain Text, Chap.1&2
         Text Assign #1 DUE
      5
      		 6/13-17

      Lecture Two:Three Ideologies, Educational Implications
      *Reflective Analysis #1 (lec #1) DUE
      *Read: Crain Text, Chap.3-5,10
         Text Assign #2 DUE
      6 6/20-24 Lecture Three:Three Ideologies,
      Moral Values
      *Reflective Analysis #2 (Lec. #2) DUE
      *Read: Crain Text, Chap. 8,9, & 17
         Text Assign #3 DUE
      7 6/27-7/1
      		 Lecture Four: Moral Development: Aristotle/Piaget
      *Reflective Analysis #3 (Lec. #3) DUE
      *Read: Crain Text, Chap. 7
         Text Assign #4 DUE
      8 7/4-8 DISCUSSION ROOM ACTIVITY #2
      (Heinz Dilemma)

      Lecture Five: Moral Development:
      Lawrence Kohlberg

      		 *Reflective Analysis #4 (Lec. #4) DUE

      **BOOK ANALYSIS 1 DUE**
      9
      		 7/11-15
      Lecture Six: Moral Development:
      Lawrence Kohlberg/Carol Gilligan
      *Reflective Analysis #5 (Lec. #5) DUE
      10 7/18-22 VIDEO: DEAD MAN WALKING *Read: Crain Text: Chap.11,12,13, &16
        Text Assign #5 DUE
      *Reflective Analysis #6 (Lec. #6) DUE
      11 7/25-29
      DISCUSSION ROOM ACTIVITY #3:
      Dead Man Walking
      (See Week 11 Activities/Assignments for directions)

      Lecture Seven: Psychoanalytic Theory:
      Sigmund Freud/Carl Jung
      		 *Reflective Analysis #7 DUE (Dead Man Walking: respond to videoquestions: included in Weekly Activities, Week 10)

      **BOOK ANALYSIS 2 DUE**
      12 8/1-5
      DISCUSSION ROOM ACTIVITY #4: Career Development Activity-The Party

      Lecture Eight: Career Development Theory: Holland
      *Reflective Analysis #8 (lec. #7) DUE
      *Read: Crain Text: Chap.14,15,18,&
         Epilogue
      *Text Assign #6

      13 8/8-11
      LAST WEEK OF CLASSES
      *Reflective Analysis #9 (lec #8) DUE
        (no later than Wed., Aug. 10)

      ***FINAL BOOK EVALUATION PROJECT DUE
      (5:00 p.m., Mon. Aug. 8)***

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