Bunker Hill Community College

2019SP-PSY-213-WB1
HUMAN GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT
Spring Semester, January 22 - May 20, 2019

Instructor: Clayton Ryan

Email: rtclayto@bhcc.mass.edu
Phone: 508-736-0025
Office Hours: 8:00am- 8:00pm any day-via email or by phone. In-person meetings are
by appointment only.

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to our Human Growth and Development course for Nursing, Education, and
Human Service Students.

Human Growth and Development is an ever-evolving field that encompasses the study of
development across the lifespan. Human Growth and Development is also
interdisciplinary, drawing on many fields for multiple perspectives.

In this course we will be looking at Human Growth and Development through multiple
domains of development, meaning we will be looking at ourselves in 3 areas of our own
functioning; The Physical Domain, The Cognitive Domain, and the Psychosocial Domain
(also including emotionality). We’ll also be covering the continuous interplay and
influence heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) have on our development. And
finally, within each stage of development we’ll be looking at what medically related
issues and concerns may arise and how they can be treated, both from a preventative and
responsive approach to treatment.

This is an Online Course and is COMPLETELY ONLINE, meaning I will NEVER ask
you to be on campus for what’s required in this course. There are some other things about
the course that you should keep in mind.

The course content is broken down into weekly blocks, starting on Sundays, with all of
the chapter resources, materials, and assignments for that week listed within each block.
So, as long as you do what’s required for each week (typically an Assignment and a
Discussion Board Postings) it really doesn’t matter when you’re online, accessing the
course.

I’m a firm believer that online courses are most interesting and fun when everyone
contributes to the process of learning. To support this theme our course schedule will
always have weekly, thought-evoking Discussion Board Questions that everyone needs to
respond to. In addition to posting your response in the Discussion Board Questions I ask,
I ask that you read and respond to at least 2 of classmate’s responses. This part of the
course accounts for 25% of your Final Course Grade, so my advice is that you take it
seriously.
Back to what’s required of you in terms of time for this course. You should be prepared
to dedicate and spend a considerable amount of time each week working on this course.
The course content is rather substantial and for most weeks we’ll be reading/covering at
least one, if not two chapters. My advice: develop a behavioral habit of doing the
assigned readings, activities, and forum postings each week. For example, whenever I’m
teaching an online course I dedicate a chunk of time each morning and afternoon, every
day, to creating assignments, checking and responding to email, and checking in with
students. This becomes part of my daily routine. You should do the same in a manner that
works for you. To wait to the last minute to start or complete an assignment, especially
when technology can be so unpredictable, is a recipe for disaster.

And finally, please, please, please contact me if you’re going to be LATE on any
assignments or NOT going to be able to access the course for any reason. I’m a very fair
and understanding person when it comes to ‘life’ getting in the way of obligations. I say
this from my own experience of being married and having 3 daughters. If you don’t
contact me and we work out an arrangement, LATE Assignments will be reduced by 10
points every day they are late.

Course Description
PSY-213, Human Growth and Development, 3 Credits.
This course examines the theories of the biological, social, and psychological
development of human beings throughout the life span. This course may be taken either
as a prerequisite course for the pre-nursing program, or as an elective by non-Psychology
majors. The course does not satisfy the requirements of the A.A. Psychology
Concentration program. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in Principles of Psychology
(PSY101).

COURSE OBJECTIVES
After completion of this course, the student should have:
1. An overall knowledge of developmental processes.
2. A thorough understanding of the many factors that contribute to an individual’s
development, including but not limited to the impact of environment and genetics.
3. Knowledge of major approaches and theorists in the field.
4. Ability to examine and determine what factors are the most important to the
individual at each stage of development: i.e., the three domains--cognitive,
psychosocial/emotional and physical.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The following core topics are required of all sections of this course offered by the
department:
1. A review of the methodologies applicable to research and data gathering in the field of
human development
2. A review of major theorists contributing to the field
3. An examination of genetics and conception and the influencing variables
4. An examination of each of the following age groups according to the cognitive
 domain, social/emotional domain, and physical domains: (i) infancy; (ii) early childhood;
(iii) middle childhood; (iv) adolescence; (v) early adulthood; (vi) middle adulthood; and
(vii) late adulthood

Course Competencies
After successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. demonstrate an overall knowledge of developmental processes;
2. demonstrate curiosity about the factors that contribute to an individual’s
development;
3. demonstrate knowledge of the major approaches and theorists in the field;
4. and examine and determine the most important physical, cognitive and social/
emotional factors that impact the individual at each stage of development.

COURSE GOAL
Human Growth & Development introduces nursing students, pre-service educators,
human service professionals, and others to the theme of lifespan development. During the
semester students will become knowledgeable with the major theories of human growth
and development that have been empirically studied. Within each chapter we’ll be
looking at 3 different domains of development; Physical, Cognitive, and Psychosocial.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Office of Disability Support Services is a student-focused department dedicated to
assisting members of the BHCC community with documented physical and/or learning
disabilities. Students may be eligible for services that include tutoring, testing and other
classroom accommodations. To get more information or request an accommodation,
contact the Disability Support Services Office at 617-228-2327. Students are encouraged
to request accommodations as early as possible and ideally before the start of the
semester. Please contact me with a confidential email and I can assist you in this area. I
can not make any accommodations for you unless you’ve contacted the office of
Disability Support Services first and documented the nature of your disability.
For information about programs and services please visit:
http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/disabilitysupportservices

STUDENT ABSENCES DUE TO RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The statement below supports your need for time off from the course for observing
Religious Holidays. It is essential that you contact me and let me know of your need
BEFORE your absence from the course.
“Absence Due to Religious Beliefs- 1985 Regular Session
Chapter 375 - AN ACT EXCUSING THE ABSENCE OF STUDENTS FOR THEIR
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in
General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Chapter 151C of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2A the
following section:
Section 2B. Any student in an educational or vocational training institution, other than a
religious or denominational educational or vocational training institution, who is unable,
because of his religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination,
study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such
examination or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to
make up such examination, study, or work requirement which he may have missed
because of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup
examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school- No fees
of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student
such an opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because
of his availing himself of the provisions of this section. (A copy of this section shall be
published by each institution of higher education in the catalog of such institution
containing the list of available courses. Approved October 8, 1985)”

COURSE TEXTBOOK
Human Development by Diane E. Papalia, Ruth Duskin Feldman, Edition: 10th, 11th,
12th, or 13th edition. ISBN: 9780078035142. McGraw Hill, Hardcover. You can purchase
this book through the college bookstore, or you can check out some of these online sites
for cheaper prices (Shhhhh, I didn’t say that!). Here’s the 11th Edition at Amazon with
the lowest used price of approximately $13.95 cents + shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0073370169/sr=8-
2/qid=1483277806/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1483277806
&sr=8-2
Or here at Valore Books, used at the outrageously HIGH PRICE of 47 cents + $4.00
shipping.
https://www.valorebooks.com/textbooks/human-development-11th-
edition/9780073370163

GRADED ACTIVITIES

ONLINE QUIZZES (20% of Final Grade)

There will be 4 quizzes in total. The average of the 4 quizzes will be counted toward the
final grade of 20%. A combination of 10 True/False, Multiple Choice questions taken
directly from the chapters covered.

FINAL EXAM (30% of Final Grade) One exam, the Final, and it’s worth
30% of your final course grade. The Final Exam contains true/false, multiple choice, and
2 essay questions. We’ll have a review the week before the Exam, towards the end of the
semester.

ASSIGNMENTS (30% of your Final Grade) Each week I’ll post the
Assignment for the week. The Assignments are typically due on or before the following
Sunday. What I look for in Assignment Submissions isn’t a regurgitation of facts, but
your opinion, thoughts, and how you feel the themes and concepts we cover are woven
into real-life. I ask that your submissions are usually no more than a page in length,
maximum. Please see the Grading Rubric I’ve included for more details.

CLASS PARTICIPATION- (20% of Final Grade) Discussion Board Forum

Postings

This aspect is important, as it connects you with the course and your classmates. The
course structure has weekly “Discussion Forums” which will allow you to post
messages, questions, comments and suggestions to others (including me) in the class. My
expectation is that you make use of these Discussion Forums as a way of adding your
own voice to the course. By “adding your own voice,” I mean that you post a response to
my initial prompt/question and at least 2 comments or questions to your classmates. In
addition to reading all of the comments made during the semester, I track the frequency
with which comments are made through an instructor’s setting in Moodle. This frequency
(number of posts each week) is what I use to determine your class participation grade.

Grading Policies
Your Final Course Grades are calculated by averaging the following;
Quizzes: 20%
Final Exam: 30%
Assignments: 30%
Class Participation/Discussion Board Postings: 20%
Final Course Grade: 100% Total

Your total numerical grade will then be converted into a letter grade based on the official
BHCC grading scale (taken directly from the 2017-2018 BHCC Student Handbook) is as
follows:
Letter Grade Numerical Equivalent Grade Points
A 94-100 4.00
A- 90-93 3.70
B+ 87-89 3.30
B 83-86 3.00
B- 80-82 2.70
C+ 77-79 2.30
C
70-76 2.00
D
60-69 1.00
0- 59 0.00
F

IP Incomplete Progress
 W
Withdrawn

SEMESTER SCHEDULE, Staring January 17th (SUBJECT TO REVISION)

Reading
Assignment
Schedule Topic

About Human
Development
Week 1: Starting Introduction to
Chapters 1 Assignment #1 Discussion
January 22nd Human Growth and
&2 Prompt
and ends January Development
27th and Theory and
Research
Beginnings Forming
Week 2: Starting
a New Life, and Birth
January 27th and Chapters 3 Assignment #2 Discussion
and Physical
ends February &4 Prompt
Development during
3rd
the first 3 years
Week 3: Starting Cognitive and
February 3rd and Psycho/social Chapters 5 Assignment #3 Quiz #1 available
ends February Development for the &6 Discussion Prompt
10th first 3 years

Early Childhood
Physical & Cognitive
Week 4: Starting
Development and Chapters 7 Assignment #4 Discussion
February 10th and
Psycho/social &8 Prompt
ends February
17th Development in Early
Childhood
Middle Childhood
Week 5: Starts
Physical & Cognitive Assignment #5 Quiz #2 available
February 17th and Chapter 9
Development in Discussion Prompt
ends February
Middle Childhood
24th
Week 6: Starts Psycho/social
Chapter Assignment #6 Discussion
March 3rd and Development in
10 Prompt
ends March 10th Middle Childhood
Adolescence
Week 7: Starts
Physical & Cognitive Chapter Assignment #7 Discussion
March 10th and
Development in 11 Prompt
ends March 17th
Adolescence
Week 8: Starts Psycho/social Chapter Assignment #8 Quiz #3 available
March 24th and ends Development in 12 Discussion Prompt
March 31st Adolescence
 Emerging and
Young Adulthood
Week 9: Starts
Physical and
March 31st Chapter Assignment #9
Cognitive
and ends April 13 Discussion Prompt
Development in
7th
Emerging and Young
Adulthood
Emerging and
Week 10: Starts Young Adulthood
April 7th and Psycho/social Chapter Assignment #10
ends April Development in 14 Discussion Prompt
14th Emerging and Young
Adulthood
Middle Adulthood
Week 11: Starts Physical, Cognitive
Chapters Assignment #11 Quiz #4
April 14th and ends and Psycho/social
15 and 16 available Discussion
April 21st Development in
Middle Adulthood Prompt
Late Adulthood
Week 12: Starts Physical and
Chapter Assignment #12
April 21st and Cognitive
17 Discussion Prompt
ends April 28th Development in Late
Adulthood
Late Adulthood
Week 13: Starts
Psychosocial
April 28th and Chapter Assignment #13
Development in Late
ends May 5th 18 Discussion Prompt
Adulthood
Week 14: Starts The End of Life
Chapter Assignment #14
May 5th and ends Death, Dying, and
19 Discussion Prompt
May 12th Bereavement
Week 15: Starts Final
May 12th and Final Exam Review Exam Final Exam Review
ends May 20th and Review FINAL EXAM ONLINE
-Schedule and topic FINAL EXAM And
assignments are ONLINE FINAL
subject to change. EXAM
ONLINE
The Information in this syllabus may be changed at the discretion of the
instructor. If so, students will be updated on such changes.