Fall 2025
Lifespan Growth & Development
Lifespan Growth and Development (PSYC 2314_2B1) INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Don Knox Email: dknox@lit.edu Office Phone: TBD Office Location: TBD Office Hours: The instructor will respond to email within 24 hours or 48 hours on a weekend. Assignment grades will be published within 1 week of the assignment due date. The instructor will log on to the course and have online office hours from periodically Monday through Thursday; ways of contact during office hours are by email. There will be no face-to-face meetings in the office this semester. CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) LIT MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: TSI Reading complete COURSE DESCRIPTION Life-Span Growth and Development is a study of social, emotional, cognitive and physical factors and influences of a developing human from conception to death. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1.) Describe the stages of the developing person at different periods of the life span from birth to death. 2.) Discuss the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that affect the development process of the individual. 3.) Identify factors of responsible personal behavior with regard to issues such as sexual activity, substance abuse, marriage and parenting. 4.) Explain the biosocial, cognitive and psychological influences throughout the lifespan as an ongoing set of processes, involving both continuity and change. 5). Describe the different developmental perspectives of the major theories of development (i.e. cognitive, learning, humanistic and psychodynamic). 6.) Identify examples of some of the cultural and ethnic differences that influence development throughout the lifespan. 7.) Discuss the various causes or reasons for disturbances in the developmental process. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Required Text: The class will utilize the OER etext which is in the Blackboard course. LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT- Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine - French ATTENDANCE POLICY Participation is mandatory. The only excused absence is an official LIT sponsored event that prevents accessing the class. Students should log into the course each day and check emails and announcements. You should expect to spend 8 – 12 hours per work actively engaged within this course. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session or 18 – 20 or 15 – 20 hours in a 5-week course. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time in this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE CALENDAR Assignment Schedule (subject to change with or without notice) Week Assignment Name Due Date Location 1 Introduction and Orientation Discussion 8/29 Module 1 Folder 2 Module 1 Chapters 1 and 2 Discussion Quiz 1 Discussion 9/3 and 9/5 Quiz 1 9/5 Module 1 Folder 3 Module 1 Chapters 3 and 4 Discussion Quiz 2 Discussion 9/10 and 9/12 Quiz 2 9/12 Module 1 Folder 4 Exam 1 Exam 1 9/19 Module 1 Folder 5 Module 2 Chapters 5 and 6 Discussion Quiz 3 Discussion 9/24 and 9/26 Quiz 3 9/26 Module 2 Folder 6 Module 2 Chapters 7 and 8 Discussion Quiz 4 Discussion 10/1 and 10/3 Quiz 4 10/3 Module 2 Folder 7 Exam 2 Exam 2 10/10 Module 2 Folder 8 Journal Review Journal Review 10/17 Module 2 Folder 9 Module 3 Chapters 9 and 10 Discussion Quiz 5 Discussion 10/22 and 10/24 Quiz 5 10/24 Module 3 Folder 10 Module 3 Chapter 11 Discussion Quiz 6 Discussion 10/29 and 10/31 Quiz 6 10/31 Module 3 Folder 11 Exam 3 Exam 3 11/7 Module 3 Folder 12 Module 4 Chapters 12 and 13 Discussion Quiz 7 Discussion 11/12 and 11/14 Quiz 7 11/14 Module 4 Folder 13 Module 4 Chapters 14 and 15 Discussion Quiz 8 Discussion 11/19 and 11/21 Quiz 8 11/21 Module 4 Folder 14 Core Assessment Project Core Assessment Project 11/26 Module 4 Folder 15 Discussion Discussion 12/3 Module 4 Folder 16 Exam 4 12/10 Module 4 Folder COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • The number of items answered correctly on each of the chapter tests • Journal critical analysis • Weekly chapter exercises and online case studies • Core Assessment Each test may also include questions on chapter materials not covered by the text. Final grades will be determined by a breakdown of class scores after all tests have been taken using point totals. Requirements: Weight Weekly Discussions (10) 10% Unit Quizzes (8) 15% Unit Exams (4) 50% Core Assessment Assignment 20% Journal Review 5% Total 100% GRADING SCALE 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 60-69 D 0-59 F LIT does not use +/- grading scales ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students found to be committing academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) may receive disciplinary action. Students need to familiarize themselves with the institution’s Academic Dishonesty Policy available in the Student Catalog & Handbook at: http://catalog.lit.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=80#academic-dishonesty. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. The use of any AI is NOT allowed in this course. This includes “Grammerly”. LIT has tutors and you should utilize this service. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION Weekly Discussions: 10% of your total grade There will 10 weekly discussions. Each discussion is worth a total of 100 points. The average of your graded discussions will count as 10% of your final grade. The column labeled “Participation” is a running average of your discussion grade. You will also see each discussion as a separate grade but only the “Participation” grade is in the weighted average column. This grade will/may change every Tuesday after items are graded. Late discussions are graded as a zero. There is no partial credit for late assignments. You will be able to see the grade of each weekly discussion so that I can help you prepare for the midterm and final critical analysis papers. Make sure that you click on the grade to see comments. Journal Review: 5% total course grade; due 10/17 The instructor will provide at least 4 academic, peer-reviewed journal articles. The student will choose one (1) article to review, critique and apply. The student is expected to submit one, 500-word minimum critical thinking analysis that analyzes the article they chose to review. The journal review is a critical thinking analysis is a thoughtful analysis of the contribution that the readings provide rather than simply what the author(s) said. Avoid commentary such as “I liked this”, observations such as “this seminal work by a brilliant theorist Joe Smith”, or “the author should have done something else”. These are all examples of things to avoid in your reflection. Focus instead on the purpose of what the reading is trying to convey, what is the big picture? Things to include (this is not an absolute, the student should choose more things to cover) are topics such as “did the author prove their hypothesis” “what would you do differently” “how does this apply to you” “did you like the article – why, why not”. Make sure that you properly cite the page number that you are getting your information from in the journal article. Do not go "outside" of your journal article for this assignment. Below are a few helpful writing tips for organization and clarity in your essay. • Never use the passive when you can use the active. • Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday equivalent. • Minimal submissions will receive minimal grades. Submissions less than 500 words will be graded as a zero. For a decent (not perfect grade) I will be looking for submission greater than 800 words. All standard paper grading items (spelling, grammar, citations, staying on topic) are a part of the grading process. You do have to cite from the Journal Article by page number – for example (p. 253) when appropriate. • in Word format (no zip files, PDF, pages, gdocs or links to OneDrive or Google Docs or other forms of submission) from your computer. Do not submit a link to the file – please attach the actual file. You are responsible for your submission. • Students may NOT submit the assignment via email inside or outside of Blackboard. Students may not cut and paste essays into the assignment window - the assignment MUST be uploaded as a WORD document ONLY and MUST be in ONE file. Do NOT upload more than one written assignment document! Assignments uploaded in any format other than WORD, such as a PDF, ZIP, etc., will automatically receive a zero. Assignments submitted via email will automatically receive a zero as will assignments submitted outside of Safe Assign. In summary, you MUST submit your paper: • as one complete paper (no separate submissions of title pages or bibliographies) • With the box checked for your agreement to submit your paper to the Global Reference Database. • You are responsible for your submission (cannot be stated enough) Carefully read the Course Management Policies, “Academic Honesty Statement”, for additional guidelines for your written assignments. Any AI, cut and paste, plagiarized, or Wiki cited posts or papers will result in an automatic grade of zero for the overall assignment and possible expulsion from the course and Lamar Institute of Technology. NO late papers will be accepted including papers posted .01 seconds or more after the deadline. (All assignments in the course Blackboard system close EXACTLY at the time indicated on the Course Weekly Schedule below. Students have ONLY one chance to upload papers to Safe Assign - the version that is uploaded – and the paper that is uploaded is the paper that will be assigned a grade. Unit quizzes: 15% of your total grade For each week there are quizzes that will require you to apply the chapter material to multiple choice questions. You may take each quiz a maximum of 2 times. Late quizzes are not allowed. It is best to use one of your attempts early in the week so that you have a grade for that quiz. Your highest grade will count. These quizzes are timed at 20 minutes. All 8 quizzes will be averaged to together for a single grade worth 15% of your grade. Unit exams: 50% of your total course grade All tests are 50 questions with a 60-minute time limit. The tests cover only the material in the respective course section and are not comprehensive in nature, although some material may overlap sections. There are 4 Unit exams and they will be averaged together and count as 50% of your final grade. Core Assessment Project: 20% of total course grade Due 11/26 Students are required to submit a project that will assess: A. Critical Thinking: To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. B. Communication: To include the effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. C. Empirical and Quantitative Skills: To include the manipulation of analysis of numerical data and observable facts resulting in informed conclusions. D. Social Responsibility: To include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities. This project paper is attached in the course in the Unit 4 folder with instructions. Carefully read the Course Management Policies, “Academic Honesty Statement”, for additional guidelines for your written assignments. Any cut and paste, plagiarized, or Wiki cited posts or papers will result in an automatic grade of zero for the overall assignment and possible expulsion from the course and Lamar Institute of Technology. NO late papers will be accepted including papers posted .01 seconds or more after the deadline. (All assignments in the course Blackboard system close EXACTLY at the time indicated on the Course Weekly Schedule below. Students have ONLY one chance to upload papers to Safe Assign - the version that is uploaded – and the paper that is uploaded is the paper that will be assigned a grade). Extra Credit: There will not be extra credit offered in this course. Students should not request extra credit or other types of special treatment as doing so could result in a five-point deduction in the overall course grade. MAKE-UP WORK There are no makeup opportunities. No assignments are accepted via email, only the assignment submission box in Blackboard. All assignments will have 2 and only 2 submissions in the event of an upload failure or some other event that prevents a successful first submission. Deadlines must be adhered to successfully complete this course on time. Outside activities such as vacations, weddings, etc. are not excused due to the restricted time frame. INCOMPLETE Students opting to receive an Incomplete grade are still expected to have participated in class activities, assessments, and assignments throughout the semester with something unavoidable occurring that would prevent completion of the last 25% or so of the class. COURSE EVALUATION Instruction as well as student performance is subject to evaluation. Procedures for evaluation will be provided near the end of this course via email from the Institute of Technology and also within the Resources area of the course. Please respond to the evaluation link provided in each course or each email. TESTING POLICIES Students are expected to be able to take all tests at the scheduled time online. All tests have a deadline at 11:59PM on Monday. If a student has problems during the weekend, the computers at LIT are available for test completion on Monday. There are no test makeups so plan accordingly by not waiting until the deadline. NO TEST MAKEUPS! SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Computer/Technology Requirements: Students will need regular access to Windows, MAC with a broadband Internet connection. Note: mobile devices (if you have mobile devices there are limitations) The minimum computer requirements are: • Most current version of Firefox is recommended o Please note that Blackboard may not support Internet Explorer, Safari, or Chrome. • 8 GB or more preferred • Broadband myLITion (cable modem, DSL, or other high speed) required – some courses are video intensive • 1024 x 768 or higher resolution • Strongly recommended that you have a headset with microphone. You may also use webcam, and speakers o Example: Plantronics Audio 628 USB headset • Current anti-virus software must be installed and kept up to date. • Students will need some additional free software for enhanced web browsing. Be certain to download the free versions of the software. o Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org) o Adobe Reader (https://get.adobe.com/reader/) o Adobe Flash Player (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer) o Java (http://www.java.com) o QuickTime (https://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/) o Silverlight (https://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/) • Most home computers purchased within the last 3-4 years meet or surpass these requirements. • At a minimum, students must have Microsoft Office 365 (https://my.wip.lamar.edu) click on MS Office 365). Microsoft Office 365 is available for all students. Required Skills: • Navigate websites, including downloading and reading files from them. • Use e-mail, including attaching and downloading documents/files. • Save files in commonly used word processing formats (.doc, .docx). • Copy and paste text and other items in computer documents. • Save and retrieve documents and files on your computer. • Locate information on the Internet using search engines. • Locate information in the library using the online catalog. ACADEMIC SUPPORT Academic Support via the Learning Lab can be located at https://lit.edu/onlineorientation/LearningLab.aspx Lamar Institute of Technology provides free tutoring assistance for all enrolled students in the Learning Lab/Media Lab. The lab provides a relaxed environment for studying in groups or learning one-on-one with a tutor. LIT employs peer tutors so that students can choose the person with whom they are most comfortable. The Learning Lab/Media Lab assists students in achieving their maximum level of performance in their coursework. The lab provides assistance in many areas including English, Math, Science, and Speech. Additionally, the labs have computers with numerous computerized tutorials available for student use. STUDENT SERVICES Information on Student services can be located at https://lit.edu/onlineorientation/StudentServices.aspx. The Student Services Division provides services and programs to enhance the general education and development of students, enrich the quality of student life, and support the teaching and service mission of Lamar Institute of Technology. The Office of Student Services is located in Beeson 121. ACADEMIC CONTINUITY STATEMENT In the event of an announced campus closure in excess of four days due to a hurricane or other disaster, students are expected to login to Lamar Institute of Technology’s website’s homepage (http://www.lit.edu) for instructions about continuing courses remotely. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES *Be sure to update your MyLIT Account with the most current information.* Many types of emergencies can occur on campus instructions for specific emergencies such as severe weather, active shooter, or fire can be found at: https://www.lit.edu/pdf/3277/LIT%20Emergency%20Procedures.pdf These procedures may or may not apply to you: Severe Weather: • Follow the directions of the instructor or emergency personnel • Seek shelter in an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor, putting as many walls as possible between you and the outside • If you are in a multi-story building, and you cannot get to the lowest floor, pick a hallway in the center of the building • Stay in the center of the room, away from exterior walls, windows, and doors Violence / Active Shooter (CADD): • CALL- 9-1-1 • AVOID- If possible, self-evacuate to a safe area outside the building. Follow directions of police officers. • DENY- Barricade the door with desk, chairs, bookcases or any items. Move to a place inside the room where you are not visible. Turn off the lights and remain quiet. Remain there until told by police it’s safe. • DEFEND- Use chairs, desks, cell phones or whatever is immediately available to distract and/or defend yourself and others from attack. Tips for Success: Here are some tips for success in my classes. Some students have the mindset that Internet classes are easier because you can use your book or that it is self-paced. Both of these things are untrue. Students that struggle with the time element with my tests typically do not read the chapters. There simply is not enough time to look everything up in the textbook when you take the quizzes or exams. You get the same amount of time on them that my traditional classroom students get – you get three hours of college credit just like they do – why should your tests be any different? I have deadlines and I do not allow for late work or extra credit. Same is true in my traditional classrooms. I really want each of you to succeed in this class and do well in life. In a very small way, I get to be a part of your successes and failures from here on out and that is a privilege for me. 1. Get your work done early. I will not accept late work for any reason. Unfortunately, some will test this policy and wait until one minute has passed from the deadline and then attempt to give me a myriad of excuses. I will not accept late work or more importantly, treat students differently. Early work is encouraged! Some of you will wait until late in the day something is due to complete items. That is fine but there is no instructor support. I consider this waiting until the last moment. Items are typically available the weekend before they are due for those of you that can only get work done on the weekend. I urge you not to wait. 2. Do not copy and paste information from other sources - I will do my best to get you dismissed from the college if I catch you plagiarizing. I want your opinions not "Wikipedia" or "Course Hero" and your opinions are so much more important to me. 3. I do not believe in extra credit. If you have time for extra credit assignments, then you have time to complete the needed assignments and study. Please do not ask for extra credit or special consideration. All students deserve the same opportunities and considerations. 4. I promise you that you will get the grade you earn. Those that complete all items tend to earn very good grades. Please exceed the minimum word count requirements. Assignments less than the minimum will not be graded. Just like in life, please exceed minimal expectations in college. 5. Please use your LIT student email account. While I usually reply to email within 24 business hours but please allow 48 business hours. On weekends and holidays, please do not expect a response until 24 to 48 business hours after that period ends. If you cannot access your LIT email account, then please contact the IT support people. They do a fantastic job in helping people out with their email issues. 6. I will not open any email attachments. I will not open attachments sent through the Bb message system. Please do not send them. Only use the assignment links provided. It is preferred that you attach your exams and writing assignments there. I will open those attachments. Make sure that you only use *.doc. *.docx or *.rtf files. I cannot open any other file types. Do not submit links to your assignment files. 7. If you decide that you need to use Chrome as your browser, please be aware that while the browser is compatible with Bb - your computer may not be set up in manner that allows that compatibility to be 100%. I urge you to clear out your Internet cache prior to loading assignments or taking exams. This is your responsibility. This has nothing to do with LIT or Bb - it is a problem that resides in your computer set up. There is a possibility that you will load a blank document or not have your answers saved while testing may happen if you do not follow this advice.