ASTL 5703

Knowledge of the Learner

This course addresses the areas of child and adolescent psychological development. The focus is on the science of individual human development. In addition, infant development is covered briefly to provide an understanding of the sequential and hierarchical nature of development. The majority of assignments will deal with children in the kindergarten to eighth grade. However, early childhood and teen assignments will be included to understand the precursors and aftereffects childhood and middle childhood. The course emphasizes an understanding of the important methods, terms, theories, and findings in the field of developmental psychology. The primary focus of the class is the cognitive, socio-emotional and physical changes associated with child and adolescent development. The course is organized in a topical format, exploring the basic theories and tracing development across the pre-adult years for each psychological topic covered. The course requires both independent reading, interaction with online modules, field observations and Berks text. It is strongly recommended that you have passed an introductory Developmental Psychology course before taking this class.

Units: 3.0