Developmental Psychology (Fall and Spring)

• Description

  The purpose of the course is to help students appreciate the assumptions, theories, and methods of a developmental approach to psychology.

• Objectives

  • Understand the differences between developmental psychology and other sub-disciplines of psychology.

  • Understand the role theoretical assumptions play developmental research methods.

  • Understand the general roles biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development play in human development, from infancy to late adulthood.

• Highlights

  • Using developmental approaches to offer explanations for current events or to contribute to broader discussions of those events.

  • Encouraging students to view developmental psychology as an interdisciplinary sub-field of psychology, with particular emphasis on its relations to sociology, philosophy, health sciences, and athletic studies.

  • Learning students’ preferred age groups to learn more about and why.

  • Seeing students bring in personal experiences to illustrate certain theories, concepts, and processes.

  • Polling students’ views on various matters related to development, learning of their justifications, and comparing their responses to other (or previous) classes.

• Relevance

  As a course covering the lifespan, it is relevant for understanding various facets and phases of life. A few areas of particular relevance that come to mind include parenting/child rearing, teaching/education, counseling/therapy, health sciences/medicine, vocation, law, and ministry.

• Considerations

  • Using a different required text, whether in the form of a course reader or a different textbook.

  • Using the various polls and results more creatively to enhance learning.

  • Providing students with more varied opportunities to demonstrate and share their understanding of the material in class.

Core Activities