Lifespan and Human Development

SC 604

Syllabus

Course Description

This course is designed to inform educators about the major perspectives of the different human developmental theories and the implications they have on education.  The goal is for educators to understand human developmental and use this information to improve instructional strategies, determine appropriate curriculum, identify potential developmental delays and develop an optimal learning environment for all students.  This course will focus on leading theorists such as Piaget, Kohlberg, Gesell, Montessori, Skinner, Bandura, Freud, Erikson, and a host of other theorists who have made significant contributions to the study of human development and education.  As the student examines different developmental theories, the course topics will include: stages of human development, leading developmental theorists and their theories, intelligence, personal and moral development, behavioral cognitive perspectives of teaching and learning, motivation, language, exceptionalities, motivation, and the standards movement.   

Objectives 

1. Discuss the stages of human development across the life span, citing issues appropriate to different developmental stages.
2. Understand the science, social and cultural factor, and the domains of human development.
3. Explain the role of theories in understanding human development, and describe three basic issues on which major theories take a stand and the research methods commonly used to study human development.
4. Describe the biological, cognitive, emotional, psychological, and social aspects of development at different life stages.
5. Identify the early theories of human development based on Preformationism, Locke, and Rousseau, and understand the influence that John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau played on the contemporary theories of human development.
6. Identify key concepts of the Maturation and Ethological theories of child development and understand their applications to real life situations.
7. Recognize the characteristics of the four attachment styles, and the impact the quality of care received by an infant may have on attachment styles.
8. Understand theMontessori approach to education.
9. Understand and identify differences in approaches to learning and performances, including multiple intelligences.
10. Understand the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning.
11. Examine Piaget’s comprehensive theory of intellectual development.
12. Analyze the six stages of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral development and understand the implication of the theory for education and the applications for the classroom.
13. Understand the basic concepts of Behaviorism.
14. Understand motivation and its impact on education and identify effective strategies to motivate students.
15. Analyze Freud’s and Erikson’s theories of development.
16. Analyze different theories of intelligence development.
17. Evaluate the role of intelligence for the identification of exceptional students.
18. Apply the principles of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences to a classroom setting.
19. Analyze the stages and characteristics of language development.
20. Identify common language delays, characteristics of delays, and reasons for the delays.
21. Examine the standards movement from a developmental perspective and the impact it has on education

Time Requirements

This course will be offered over a 15-week period and is a 45 hour 3 credit graduate course. Thirteen modules plus an introduction will be completed over the 15-week period. 

Hardware and Computer Skill Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

The required textbook for this course is Theories of Development Concepts and Application 5^th ed. (2005) written by William Crain and published by Pearson Education, Inc. In addition, other readings will be assigned during the course to enhance learning. The textbook, course materials, and an extensive Recommended Reading List will be provided for all students. In addition, online readings and Web site reviews (including journal articles and best practices from the body of educational research) will be assigned during the course to enhance learning. These readings will be presented as annotated Web sites within the course content.

Session Outline

Module 1: Theory and Research Strategies Of Human Development

Objectives:

1. Explain the role of theories in understanding human development, and describe three basic issues on which major theories take a stand.
2. Describe the research methods commonly used to study human development.

Module 2: Stages of Growth Development

Objective:

1. Compare and contrast the stages of human growth from birth to adulthood.

Module 3:  Early Theories

Objectives:

1. Identify the early theories of human development based on Preformationism, Locke, and Rousseau.
2. Trace historical influences on modern theories of human development.
3. Understand the influence that John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau played on the contemporary theories of human development.

Module 4: Maturation and Ethological Theories

Objectives:

1. Identify key concepts of the Maturation and Ethological theories of child development and understand their applications to real life situations.

2. Analyze the work of Gesell, Darwin, Lorenz and Tinbergen, and Bowly and Ainsworth
3. Recognize the characteristics of the four attachment styles, and the impact the quality of care received by an infant may have on attachment styles.

Module 5: The Montessori Method

Objectives:

1. Understand theMontessori approach to education.
2. Examine the focus of the Montessori approach as it meets the needs of the “whole child” and maintains a high level of motivation..

Module 6: Piaget

Objectives:

1. Examine Piaget’s comprehensive theory of intellectual development.
2. Analyze the four periods of Piaget’s cognitive development theory.
3. Understand the implication of the theory for education and the applications for the classroom.
4. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s cognitive development theory.

Module 7: Moral Development

Objective:

1. Analyze the six stages of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral development.
2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development theory.
3. Understand the implication of the theory for education and the applications for the classroom.
4. Compare and contrast Kohlberg’s and Piaget’s theories on moral reasoning.

Module 8: Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, and Bandura

Objectives:

1. Understand the basic concepts of Behaviorism.
2. Investigate the theories by Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, and Bandura.

Module 9: Theories of Motivation

Objectives:

1. Understand motivation and its impact on education.
2. Analyze motivational theories and identify effective strategies to motivate students.

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Module 10: Psychoanalysts

Objectives:

1. Understand the psychoanalytic point of view of development.
2. Analyze Freud’s and Erikson’s theories of development.

Module 11: Intelligence

Objectives:

1. Understand the definition of intelligence and the implications it has on learning.
2. Review intelligence tests and the role of IQ.
3. Evaluate the role of intelligence for the identification of exceptional students.
4. Apply the principles of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences to a classroom setting.

Module 12: Developing Language for Life

Objective:

1. Understand the main theories that influence the way practitioners in early childhood education and care settings think about language development.
2. Analyze the stages and characteristics of language development.
3. Identify common language delays, characteristics of delays, and reasons for the delays.

Module 13: The Standards Movement

Objective:

1. Examine the standards movement from a developmental perspective and the impact it has on education.

Student Requirements 

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Grading

100-93 = A

92-86 = B

85-78 = C

77-70 = D

69-0 = F

Student Academic Integrity 

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.