DFST 3123-020/026 on-line class
Child Development, spring 2014
Dr. Angela NievarOffice: 304 E Matthews Hall
Phone: 940-891-6800Office Hours: 1:30-3:30 pm
Email: uesday & Thursday
Wednesday 10:00-11:00am and by appointment
Required Text:
Berk, L. E. Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (7th edition).
Course Description:
Survey of physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development in early and middle childhood (3 to 11 years). Requires observation.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify physical, social-emotional, and cognitive characteristics of children ages 3-11.
- Learn how to apply information to parenting, teaching, and child service situations.
- Learn about major theories guiding research and practice in the area of child development.
- Learn how to gather information about children and evaluate that information.
- Demonstrate awareness of how families influence child development, and how family functioning is influenced by the broader context.
- Learn about social policy issues related to children and families, and link relevant research findings with policy issues that affect children’s development.
Course Requirements:
- Participation in discussions and readings. Participation in Wimba Live is optional, but you are responsible for archived material.
- Child observation at Child Development Lab or other pre-approved site and a summary of observation, including an application of theories or concepts from class materials.
- Quizzes, midterm, and final exam over readings and lectures.
Course Grading:
Grades will be determined on a basis of 100 possible points from the course requirements. Posts are worth 14 points total. The quizzes are worth 16 points total. Theobservation paper is worth 20 points. The midterm and final areworth 25 points each.
A=90-100 B= 80-89 C= 70-79 D=60-69 F= <60
Extra credit assignments should be one-two pages double-spaced with 1” margin and 12 pt. font. Each assignment can receive up to one full point added to your final grade.No one can receive more than a total of 2 points extra credit.These extra credit assignments should be posted under the assignment tab.
Academic Integrity:
It is expected that you will conform to the University of North Texas Code of Student Conduct and Discipline as outlined in the undergraduate catalog (see also the student Handbook, which can be found online at This states in part that all instances of cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism are prohibited and will be reported.
If you have a documented family emergency or serious illness, please call/email me before the exam (midterm or final). Make-up exams are given only to students with legitimate emergencies (such as serious illness with doctor’s excuse). Except in extreme circumstances (e.g., long hospitalization), make-up exams should be completed within 1 week of the exam.
E-Mail Communication:
All students should activate and regularly check their Eagle Mail (e-mail) account. Eagle Mail is used for official communication from the University to students. Many important announcements for the University and College are sent to students via Eagle Mail. For information about Eagle Mail, including how to activate an account and how to have Eagle Mail forwarded to another e-mail address, visit For the most part, I will be using blackboard mail to communicate about this course. You can have blackboard mail forwarded to another e-mail address, too.
NOTE: All communication for this course between students and Dr. Nievar or course TA-Sheila Soslow through UNT Blackboard email. Please copy both Dr. Nievar and Sheila on every email.
COURSE SCHEDULE
MODULE #1: INTRODUCTION
Remember to read on-line course content and view video clips in each module along with text assignments.
Jan 13Read “Start Here” and Course Content, Introduction (Lesson 1).If you have not had an online course at UNT, please go through the tutorial.
Jan 16Read History and Theory (Course Content).
Text: 3-29
Jan 20Read Methods of Research
Text: 29-46
Jan 22-24QUIZ #1
Jan 25Read Genetics and Individual Differences, begin genetics discussion
Text: 60-87
Jan 30Discussion Board (DB) #1-Genetics postsdue
Jan 31Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Family, read on-line materials and begin birth discussion.
Text:92-95, 102-121, 135-141, 154-157
Feb 6DB#2-Birth perspectives posts due
Feb 5-7QUIZ #2
Feb 6Notes on the Observation Paper
Live Classroom 2 p.m. on Wimba
You can access this live lecture by clicking on your Wimba link on the main page. Please prepare your computer in advance by running the Wimba Wizard. If you can’t be there then, you need to view it later in the archive. This is important information.
MODULE #2
EARLY CHILDHOOD: TWO TO SIX YEARS
Feb 8Temperament and Attachment readings, on-line and in book
Physical Development in Early Childhood, begin physical developmentposts
Text: Chapter 8
Feb 20 DB #3- Physical Development Post due
Feb 19-21QUIZ #3
Feb 24 Cognitive Development: Behaviorism, imitation--Bandura, and Piaget
Text: 317-329
Feb 27Vygotsky
Text: 329-338
March 5-7Midterm
March 10-16Spring Break
March 17IQ, child care, and language, begin language posts
Text: 338-360
March 20DB #4- Language posts due
March 19-21QUIZ #4
March 24Emotional and Social Development
Text: 363-377
March 27Morality/Gender Differences in the Early Years
Text: 378-405
March 26-28QUIZ #5
MODULE # 3
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD: SIX TO ELEVEN YEARS
March 29Physical Development in Middle Childhood
Text: Chapter 11, begin sports posts
April 3OBSERVATION PAPERS DUE TODAY
April 10DB #5 - Sports posts due
April 9-11QUIZ #6
April 11Read Cognitive Development, start discussion on academics and IQ
Text: 437-449
April 17DB #6-Academics and IQ posts due
April 21Read Academic learning/Intelligence
Text: 450-461
April 24DB#7-ADHD postsdue
Read Language/Education/Schools
Text: 462-477
April 23-25QUIZ # 7
April 28Social and Emotional Development
Text: 482-505
May 1Family Influences, problems of development, resilience
Text: 506-522
Apr 30-May 2QUIZ #8
May 5-7FINAL EXAM
DISCUSSIONS (DB)
Discussion Board posts should be at least a paragraph long, meaning 4-5 sentences. Only your first two posts will be considered in grading, but these topics are often controversial and allow for additional discussion. You are welcome to join in the discussion at any time, but be sure to post at least once before the deadline listed on the syllabus. You may post your own post, or respond to someone else’s post. Late posts are not accepted, so you are encouraged to post early. This will make our discussion better than if everyone posts on the last day possible. Even though you probably have your own opinion about some of these topics, it would be best to read your book and on-line materials before posting on each topic. When we get everyone to fill out the survey about where you live, we will assign discussion groups. For people who live really far away and cannot use the Child Development Lab, you can complete an alternative observation assignment. Discussion groups also make it easier to have conversations through posts because they are much smaller than the whole class.
QUIZZES
Quizzes are about 10-15 questions each. You will need to read and study the materials before the quiz, because you only get one try. There is a time limit on the quiz of around 10 minutes, depending on the number of questions. If there is a problem with the quiz, such as your computer shutting down when you are only halfway finished, please call the student helpdesk immediately. They can provide you with a number that will help you negotiate retaking the quiz. Sometimes they can troubleshoot the problem for you. There are no make-up days for quizzes, because each quiz countsas only a small part of your grade. It is really important that you do the quizzes and the posts, because a zero can affect your grade much more negatively than an F (50% is better than 0%).
CHILD OBSERVATION
Objectives:
- To refine your observational skills.
- To take careful notes without comments, judgment, or personal bias.
- To review behaviors and relate them to class materials.
- To identify the typical characteristics of a child.
- To write a college level case study according to a specific format.
Procedure:
If you live within 50 miles of the University of North Texas, you should observe at the Child Development Lab. (The entrance is between Matthews and Stovall.) You may sign in there and then be directed to the observation booth. Some children attend only in the mornings, so you may not be able to observe that child in the afternoon on a second visit. For more information, go to http:
All students will need to fill out the survey linkson the main page to be assigned to groups for discussion. It should be up within the first week of class. These groups will also help students who live too far away to attend the lab. For those of you who will be attending the lab, please follow these directions:
- Select a target child at the Child Development Lab.
- For each area of development (physical, social-emotional, cognitive/language), observe and record two types of developmental behavior for each area of development. (2 for physical development, 2 for social-emotional development, 2 for cognitive/language development). Complete a running record of the observation. Include date and time. You will probably need to observe the child more than once.
- Write a 4-5 page case study, using 1-inch margins and Times New Roman 12 pt. font. Use spell-check and grammar-check functions. Grammar will be 5% of the total grade. Use Word (.doc or .docx). The paper should be double-spaced.
- In your introduction, discuss the site and provide a brief description of your target child (such as age, ethnicity, and approximateheight/weight). Refer to the child by initial rather than name, for example, “R” instead of Robert.
- SUMMARIZE observational notes. You must discuss two relevant concepts, theories, or developmental milestones covered in class or in the text for each area of development.
- Once you have analyzed the data, write your final conclusion. State whether the child is performing at age level expectations. Be sure and remain unbiased and base your opinion on facts about early childhood development.
- Turn in the paper on time via the link to turnitin.com on our course main page.
The Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness (SETE) is a requirement for all organized classes at UNT. This short survey will be made available to you at the end of the semester, providing you a chance to comment on how this class is taught. I am very interested in the feedback I get from students, as I work to continually improve my teaching. I consider the SETE to be an important part of your participation in this class.
ADA Compliance:
The University of North Texas College Of Education does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by federal laws and regulations. Copies of the College of Education ADA Compliance Document are available in the Dean’s Office, Matthews Hall 214. The student has the responsibility of informing the course instructor of any disabling condition to confirm that modifications will be required in order to avoid discrimination. Student must provide a letter from UNT Office of disability Accommodation.
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