Syllabus for Developmental Psychology
 
1 Title: Developmental Psychology
2 Instructor: Dr Eric Durbrow
3 Textbook: Crain, W. (2000) Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. Fourth Edition. NJ: Prentice-Hall.
4 Instructor’s Description
5 Aims (DEEP)
6 Expectations: To do well in this class, students should:
7 Class Routine
8 Policies
8.1 Attendance
8.1.1 University policy specifies that a student who misses three or more classes will not receive a satisfactory grade. Arriving late or leaving early add up to an absence. To avoid disturbing others and to get the most out of the class time, arrive on time and leave on time. Please inform me before class if you cannot reasonably make class because of an emergency. Please note that no make-ups are allowed for tests or classroom activities (but see below).
8.2 Incomplete grades
8.2.1 Students must complete two-thirds of the course work to qualify for a grade of incomplete (I). See the General Catalog “Grading System” for additional information about grading.
8.3 Technology component
8.3.1 AN EMAIL ACCOUNT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR THIS COURSE.
8.4 Plagiarism
8.4.1 Acts of academic dishonesty are a very serious offense. Please take care to give appropriate credit when you are referring to the work of others. References should be cited using the APA format. Plagiarism of written (intentional or unintentional) and/or research assignments will result in a grade of “F” (0 points) for the assignment. Repeated acts of plagiarism will result in an “F” for the course. For further information on plagiarism consult the General Catalog.
8.5 Research component
8.5.1 Students will apply research theories, methods, and findings to evaluate its usefulness. You will also be reading, analyzing, and discussing recent studies.  As a result, you will become a more critical evaluator of scientific information and recommendations.
8.6 Writing component
8.6.1 Analytical or critical writing is one of the most important skills of your professional life. You will write analytical essays weekly. As failure to write clearly and concisely will likely hurt you in your career, clear, legible, concise writing is expected of you in this course.
8.7 Ethics component
8.7.1 You will discuss ethical controversies involving developmental theories. An important skill in this component is the ability to listen well and calmly to the views of others (i.e., tolerance).
8.8 Diversity component
8.8.1 Students will examine the cultural context of developmental theories (or lack of consideration for cultural variation)
9 Short Course Schedule (Subject to Change)
10 Assessment
10.1 Your letter grade is based simply on the average scores of your short-answer quizzes, long-answer questions (short essays), and participation ratings. There are 10 quizzes, 10 long-answer questions, and 10 participation ratings. There are no midterms, final exams, research papers, or presentations.
10.2 Short-answer quizzes
10.2.1 These quizzes, usually at the beginning of class, are designed to test your knowledge of the reading and lecture material. There will be 10 quizzes, one for each class day. They usually have ten fixed-choice and short-answer questions each worth 1 point. You may use specially colored paper found in your folders to keep “crib” notes on your readings. This should encourage you to take notes on the chapter and concisely rewrite them onto your pink sheets. You may not use any other material or talk with other students. Doing so will result in a failing grade. If you miss a quiz or would like to redo your lowest scored quiz, you may do so by notifying the instructor before the last class period. Re-do’s and make-up’s can only be scheduled for the last day of the course. The last quiz requires integrating material from the entire course.
10.3 Long-answer or short-essay questions
10.3.1 Long-answer questions provide the opportunity to analyze arguments, propose solutions to problems, and apply knowledge from the readings and lectures. You will about 20 minutes to carefully craft and write a clear, concise, legible response to a question. You will be able to refer to your special notes and to peers. The last essay requires integrating material from the entire course. To evaluate your responses, I will use a modify version of the rubric enclosed. Points are allocated as:
10.3.2 SOAS Writing Standards
10.3.2.1 Written material, such as your report, must comply with the APA style guide, 5th edition. You are expected to demonstrate writing skills in describing, analyzing and evaluating ideas and experiences. Written material must follow specific standards regarding citations of authors’ work within the text and references at the end of the paper. Students are encouraged to use the services of the University’s Writing Center when preparing materials. Grades will be assigned for written material in accordance with the University catalog and the following criteria by the School of Arts and Sciences.
10.3.2.2 Note: Letter grades may be assigned for any or all of the following reasons:
10.3.2.2.1 A range 10 points
10.3.2.2.1.1 Outstanding achievement, significantly exceeds standards
10.3.2.2.1.2 Unique topic or unique treatment of topic, takes risk with content; fresh approach
10.3.2.2.1.3 Sophisticated/exceptional use of examples
10.3.2.2.1.4 Original and “fluid” organization; all sentences and paragraphs contribute; sophisticated transitions between paragraphs
10.3.2.2.1.5 Integration of quotations and citations is sophisticated and highlights the author’s argument
10.3.2.2.1.6 Confidence in use of Standard English, language reflects a practiced and/or refined understanding of syntax and usage
10.3.2.2.1.7 Sentences vary in structure, very few, is any mechanical errors (no serious mechanical errors)
10.3.2.2.2 B range 9 points
10.3.2.2.2.1 Commendable achievement, meets or exceeds standards for course
10.3.2.2.2.2 Specific, original focus, content well handled
10.3.2.2.2.3 Significance of content is clearly conveyed; good use of examples; sufficient support exists in all key areas
10.3.2.2.2.4 Has effective shape (organization), effective pacing between sentences or paragraphs
10.3.2.2.2.5 Quotations and citations are integrated into argument to enhance the flow of ideas
10.3.2.2.2.6 Has competent transitions between all sentences and paragraphs
10.3.2.2.2.7 Conveys a strong understanding of Standard English; the writer is clear in his/her attempt to articulate main points, but may demonstrate moments of “flat” or unrefined language
10.3.2.2.2.8 May have a few minor mechanical errors (misplaced commas, pronoun disagreement, etc.), but no serious mechanical errors (fragments, run-ons, comma-splices, etc.)
10.3.2.2.3 C range 8 points
10.3.2.2.3.1 Marginal achievement; below standards
10.3.2.2.3.2 Significance of content is unclear
10.3.2.2.3.3 Ideas lack support, elaboration
10.3.2.2.3.4 Lacks sufficient examples or relevance of examples may be unclear
10.3.2.2.3.5 Support material is not clearly incorporated into argument
10.3.2.2.3.6 Expression is frequently awkward (problematic sentence structure)
10.3.2.2.3.7 Mechanical errors may often impede clear understanding of material
10.3.2.2.3.8 May have a few serious mechanical errors, but no recurring serious mechanical errors (fragments, run-ons, comma splices, etc.)
10.3.2.2.4 D range (Note: the D grade is a passing grade; work that is not of passing quality should receive grade F.) 7 points
10.3.2.2.4.1 Unsatisfactory achievement; does not meet minimum standards
10.3.2.2.4.2 Significance of content is unclear
10.3.2.2.4.3 Ideas lack support, elaboration
10.3.2.2.4.4 Lacks sufficient examples or relevance of examples may be unclear
10.3.2.2.4.5 Support material is not clearly incorporated into argument
10.3.2.2.4.6 Expression is frequently awkward (problematic sentence structure)
10.3.2.2.4.7 Mechanical errors may often impede clear understanding of material
10.3.2.2.4.8 May have recurring serious mechanical errors (fragments, comma splices, etc.)
10.3.2.2.5 F range 5 points
10.3.2.2.5.1 Ignores assignment
10.3.2.2.5.2 Lacks significance
10.3.2.2.5.3 Lacks coherence
10.3.2.2.5.4 Includes plagiarized material (intentional or unintentional)
10.3.2.2.5.5 Lacks focus
10.3.2.2.5.6 Difficult to follow due to awkward sentence or paragraph development
10.3.2.2.5.7 Mechanical errors impede understanding
10.3.2.2.5.8 Problems with writing at the graduate level
10.3.2.3 Additional Standards for Analytical Writing
10.3.2.3.1 Although the SOAS Writing Standards are the main rubric for evaluating your writing, you should also consider the following additional standard for evaluating writing that is analytical. The following is based on the GRE Argument criteria.
10.3.2.3.1.1 10 points Outstanding
10.3.2.3.1.1.1 An outstanding paper presents a cogent, well-articulated critique of the argument and demonstrates mastery of the elements of effective writing. A typical paper in this category:
10.3.2.3.1.1.1.1 clearly identifies important features of the argument and analyzes them insightfully
10.3.2.3.1.1.1.2 develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and connects them with clear transitions
10.3.2.3.1.1.1.3 effectively supports the main points of the critique
10.3.2.3.1.1.1.4 demonstrates control of language, including diction, syntactic variety and APA format
10.3.2.3.1.1.1.5 demonstrates facility with the conventions of standard written English but may have minor flaws
10.3.2.3.1.2 9 points Strong
10.3.2.3.1.2.1 A strong paper presents a well-developed critique of the argument and demonstrates good control of the elements of effective writing. A typical paper in this category:
10.3.2.3.1.2.1.1 clearly identifies important features of the argument and analyzes them in a generally thoughtful way
10.3.2.3.1.2.1.2 develops ideas clearly, organizes them logically, and connects them with the appropriate transitions
10.3.2.3.1.2.1.3 sensibly supports the main points of the critique
10.3.2.3.1.2.1.4 demonstrates control of language, including diction, syntactic variety and APA format
10.3.2.3.1.3 8 points Adequate
10.3.2.3.1.3.1 An adequate paper presents a competent critique of the argument and demonstrates adequate control of the elements of writing. A typical paper:
10.3.2.3.1.3.1.1 identifies and analyzes important features of the argument
10.3.2.3.1.3.1.2 develops and organizes ideas satisfactorily but may not connect them with transitions
10.3.2.3.1.3.1.3 supports the main points of the critique
10.3.2.3.1.3.1.4 demonstrates sufficient control of language to convey ideas with reasonable clarity
10.3.2.3.1.3.1.5 generally follows the conventions of standard written English but may have flaws
10.3.2.3.1.4 7 points Limited
10.3.2.3.1.4.1 A limited paper in this category demonstrates some competence in analytical writing skills and in its control of the elements of writing but is plainly flawed. A typical paper:
10.3.2.3.1.4.1.1 does not identify or analyze most of the important features of the argument, although some analysis of the argument is present
10.3.2.3.1.4.1.2 mainly analyzes tangential or irrelevant matters or reasons poorly
10.3.2.3.1.4.1.3 is limited in the logical development and organization of ideas
10.3.2.3.1.4.1.4 offers support of little relevance and value for points of the critique
10.3.2.3.1.4.1.5 does not convey meaning clearly
10.3.2.3.1.4.1.6 contains occasional major errors or frequent minor errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics
10.3.2.3.1.5 6 points Seriously Flawed
10.3.2.3.1.5.1 A seriously flawed paper demonstrates serious weakness in analytical writing skills. A typical paper in this category has one or more of the following:
10.3.2.3.1.5.1.1 does not present a critique based on logical analysis but may instead present the writer’s own views on the subjects
10.3.2.3.1.5.1.2 does not develop ideas or is disorganized and illogical
10.3.2.3.1.5.1.3 provides little, if any, relevant or reasonable support
10.3.2.3.1.5.1.4 has serious and frequent problems in the use of language and in sentence structure
10.3.2.3.1.5.1.5 contains numerous errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that interfere with meaning
10.3.2.3.1.6 5 points Fundamentally Deficient
10.3.2.3.1.6.1 A fundamentally deficient paper demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in analytical writing skills. A typical paper has more than one of the following:
10.3.2.3.1.6.1.1 provides little evidence of the ability to understand and analyze the argument
10.3.2.3.1.6.1.2 provides little evidence of the ability to develop an organized response
10.3.2.3.1.6.1.3 has severe and persistent errors in language and sentence structure
10.3.2.3.1.6.1.4 contains a pervasive pattern of errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that results in incoherence
10.4 Participation ratings
10.4.1 Because of a previous experience in another graduate seminar, I need to evaluate your punctuality, contribution to class discussion, and your ability to listen. I’ll use the following rubric
10.4.1.1 10 points: Punctual. Contributes extensively to the discussion. Listens well to peers.
10.4.1.2 9 points: Punctual, contributes extensively to the discussion, but fails to listen to peers.
10.4.1.3 8 points: Punctual but does not contribute to the discussion and fails to listen to peers.
10.4.1.4 5 points: Not punctual (Arrives 10 minutes or more late, tardy from breaks, and leaves before class dismissal)
10.4.1.5 0 points: Absent
10.4.2 You will be rated on this for each of the ten classes. Please note that university policy requires that a student will not receive a passing grade if she or he has three absences or six or more late arrivals/early leavings.
10.5 Letter Grades
10.5.1 95 or more: A
10.5.2 90 to 94: A-
10.5.3 87 or 89: B+
10.5.4 84 to 86: B
10.5.5 80 to 83: B-
10.5.6 77 to 79: C+
10.5.7 74 to 76: C
10.5.8 70 to 73: C-
10.5.9 60 to 69: D
10.5.10 59 and below: F