PSYCH 326 : Life Span Development
Science
2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course focuses on human development across the lifespan. This course will describe key milestones of human social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development from birth through death. Although this course will include topics that cover the entire lifespan, the lecturers who are involved in this course each have their own specialty in the field of developmental psychology and thus, will often focus on their areas (and age range) of expertise. We will examine the underlying causes and processes that produce stability and change in people's development over time. Consideration will be given to biological, societal, and family influences. When relevant, attention will be given to development within the New Zealand context.
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Describe and evaluate classic and modern theories of human development across the lifespan. (Capability 1 and 2)
- Review Review and critically assess the current state of key research findings in relation to key themes in the field of developmental psychology. As part of this, students should be able to draw implications for future research, professional practice, and other applied settings. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
- Systhesize key theories and research findings from the topics covered throughout the course into a complete understanding of the stability and change experienced by humans across their lifespan. (Capability 1, 2, 3 and 4)
- Apply theory and current research findings to explain everyday human behaviour (within New Zealand and across the globe). (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Test | 30% | Individual Test |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
| Essay | ||||||||||
| Test | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Key Topics
Learning Resources
Special Requirements
No special requirements except participation in labs.
- There will be 4 tutorials throughout the semester roughly held every other week (beginning Week 4). Please check SSO to confirm your lab time and location.
- Tutorials provide an opportunity to discuss the main themes of the course, critically examine relevant issues, and prepare for class assessments.
- Tutorials will cover material that is directly related to coursework.
- Attendance is compulsory and will be recorded. Please pay special attention to the schedule and be sure to attend the labs when they are offered. Students will not be eligible for plussage if they miss more than one lab.
- Please consult your Student Centre (Arts/Science) for assistance with making a permanent change to your laboratory/tutorial time.
Workload Expectations
Following University workload guidelines, a standard 15 point course represents approximately 150 hours of study.
• During a typical teaching week there will be 3 hours of lectures and 2 hours of tutorials (4 weeks). For the 12 teaching weeks, this totals to 44 hours. Since the course as a whole represents approximately 150 hours of study, that leaves a total of 106 hours across the entire semester for independent study, e.g. reading, reflection, preparing for assessments/exams, etc.
Other Information
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Copyright
The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.
You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.
At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.
Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.
Based on student feedback, we have made some changes and improvements to the course. We have changed the word count and criteria for the essay. We also increased the amount of lecture time devoted to discussing the essay and included FAQs in the syllabus. The essay prep lab will take place before the mid-semester break to allow students time to prepare for the essay during the break. We have increased the mid-term test time and made the test slightly shorter. GTAs will be paid an additional 4 hours each to address student questions on the Discussion Board.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.