Psychology 3215-B Development in Infancy & Early Childhood ...

Psychology 3215-B Development in Infancy & Early Childhood 

Distance Education 

Course Syllabus 

Instructor Information: 

Professor: Ilse DeKoeyer-Laros 

Department of Psychology 

ilse.dekoeyerlaros@utah.edu 

Phone: (801) 581-2233 

Office Hours: Office hours will be set by appointment. Also please feel free to ask questions 

via email and I will try and get back to you in a timely manner. My email address and phone 

number are listed on the top of this syllabus; however, I would prefer being contacted via e-mail. 

You are encouraged to read, reread and understand this entire syllabus prior to beginning the 

first lesson. In addition, please explore and become familiar with the entire course site. 

Course Overview: 

This class offers an in-depth examination of development through the prenatal period, infancy, 

and early childhood. This will be done from different perspectives, including theory, research, 

and first-person experience. We will consider different aspects of development (physical, 

cognitive, social, and emotional) and various contexts of development (incl., family, community, 

and culture). The experiential world of infants and young children is much more defined by 

their direct bodily experiences, emotions, and relationships than for us as adults. In order to 

understand what it may be like to be in an infant’s or young child’s state of mind, you will be 

asked to engage in experiential exercises that mimic young children’s experiences (see Fogel, p. 

xxiv-xxv and throughout the book). 

In short the objectives for this course are: 

1. Acquire knowledge about development and growth from the prenatal period through 

infancy and early childhood that is based on theory, research, and experiential 

assignments. 

2. Appreciate how development is embedded within physical, social and cultural 

environments. 

3. Develop skills in written expression through papers and essay assignments. 

4. Exploring a fist-person experience of what it may be like to be an infant or young child, 

by engaging in experiential exercises. 

University of Utah 1 

Psych 3215 © Nov 2010

Psych 3215 


Required Readings: 

TEXT: 

1. Fogel, A. (2009). Infancy: Infant, Family, and Society (5 th Edition). Sloan Publishing (see 

http://www.sloanpublishing.com/chronological_infant_development). ISBN 978-1- 

59738-016-4 

2. Chapter 9: Early Childhood Thought, from Cole, M., Cole, S.R., & Lightfoot, C. 

(2005, 5 th Edition), The Development of Children. New York, Worth Publishers. (posted 

on E-Reserve) 

3. Chapter 10: Early Childhood: Psychosocial Development, from Berger, K.S. (2009), The 

Developing Person through childhood and adolescence, 8 th ed.). Worth Publishers. (posted 

on E-Reserve) 

This textbook may be obtained from the textbook publisher (see above), or other online retailers 

such as Amazon (http://www.amazon.com). 

E-Reserve: Students can access course reserves by selecting the course reserves tab in the 

Marriott Library catalog, http://search.library.utah.edu. When a student is off campus, log on to 

Course Reserves through the student portal https://gate.acs.utah.edu and click on Library 

Research Tools. 

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED MATERIALS: 

1. Audio files (Located in each lesson): These audio files (in MP3) contain the experiential 

exercises that you will be asked to do several times over the duration of the course. 

2. Video clips of developmental concepts and issues will be available through YouTube 

links (posted in each lesson) but mostly via Worth Publisher’s Video Tool Kit that 

belongs to the text by Berger, The Developing Person Through Childhood & Adolescence 8e. 

The stand-alone version of the Video Toolkit costs $18.95 if purchased online. To 

purchase access: 

a. Go to http://www.worthpublishers.com/devTK 

b. Under “Don’t have an account?,” click “Purchase Access.” 

c. A new window will display on screen. Follow the prompts and fill in the requested 

information. Then, click “Next.” 

d. Enter an email address and password, and register for a specific class as described in 

the Activation Code instructions above. 

e. Enter payment information including your name (as it appears on your credit card), 

credit card number, expiration date, and billing address. Click “Next.” After 

confirming your information, click “Place Your Order.” 

f. Once the system has confirmed payment, a thank you screen will display that 

confirms your name, email address, username, and password. You will also receive a 

confirmation email. 

g. Once you have successfully set up your account, you will use your email address and 

password to log in to the site. At any time, you can click “Update Profile” at the top 

of the screen to change your password or Email notification preferences. 





If you experience difficulties with this registration process, please call Worth’s toll-free technical support 

number (800) 936-6899. You may also reach them via e-mail: techsupport@bfwpub.com 

Before you can begin your lessons you must first pass the Introduction Quiz. This quiz is 

designed to help you understand important information regarding the course. The quiz will refer 

to material located in the syllabus and pages located in the Start Here folder in Blackboard. Feel 

free to use these references while taking the quiz. You must pass the quiz with a 100% in 

order to open your lessons. You may take it as many times as needed. The quiz will not 

count towards your grade. 

Grading/Assignments: 

The assignments in this class are mostly written assignments in which you can show your 

understanding of the course materials by providing. 

Assignment Points Due 

11 out of 13 study questions 11 x 20 = 220 After each lesson 

2 essay exams 2 x 200 = 400 Exam 1: after lesson 7 

Exam 2: after lesson 13 

1 Paper 300 After lesson 10 

4 experiential exercises 4 x 20 = 80 After lessons 3, 6, 8, and 12 

Total 1000 

A 93-100 C 73-76 

A- 90-92 C- 70-72 

B+ 87-89 D+ 67-69 

B 83-86 D 63-66 

B- 80-82 D- 60-62 

C+ 77-79 E 59 and below 

STUDY QUESTIONS: 

For 11 out of the 13 lessons, you will need to answer a short essay question about the materials 

studied in that lesson (assigned readings, PowerPoint lecture, and videos). Your answer will need 

to be about 1/2 to 1 page long (single-spaced). For every lesson, you will be able to choose 

between several essay questions. 

EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES: 

 

Four times over the course of this class, you will be asked to engage in an experiential exercise 

related to infant and early childhood development. Instructions are in MP3 format (available 

in the lessons) and you may listen to them via your computer or other compatible device. 

There are several to choose from for each time they are due. These exercises are narrated by 

Ryan Nagy, MA, a certified Feldenkrais practitioner. 





 

 

 

 

 

 

These activities are best done at a quiet location with no distractions, where you can relax 

and focus on the assignment. Please wear comfortable clothes in which you can move freely. 

Most of these exercises are done lying down on your back, preferably on the floor (on a 

blanket, towel, or yoga mat). Each exploration will last between 20 and 50 minutes. 

IMPORTANT: always consider your own level of comfort and physical needs as you are 

doing these exercises. If you have some physical condition that would prevent you from 

doing these lessons, or if experience discomfort or pain, please contact the instructor. 

After doing each experiential lesson, you will write field notes on your experiences during the 

experiential lessons lesson and then submit them via the Assignments tool. Your answers are 

only read by the instructor and are confidential so please be open and honest about your 

experiences, both positive and negative. Instructions include: 

Describe the sensations, movements, thoughts and emotions – or lack thereof – that occurred 

to you during the lesson. Report on any awareness you might have about prenatal, infant, or 

early childhood learning. Your description should have sufficient detail so that the reader can 

re-construct what you did during the lesson. 

Describe some potential meanings of this lesson. Each lesson carries different meanings and 

different significances to participants – even to the same participant at different points in 

time. Such things as current mood, life history and attitude, can affect your experience. How 

you were affected (or not) by the lesson? What factors could have influenced your response? 

Which of those factors are in your control and can be changed? Who might benefit (or not) 

from a lesson such as this? 

Further explorations outside of class may give you additional insights into developmental 

processes. Thus, they are recommended, but not required. Additional lessons can be found at 

the end of most chapters in the textbook (“Awareness through Movement” sections). The 

more you practice, the more aware you may become aware of yourself and the process of 

learning experientially. 

NOTE: It is required that each assignment be submitted through the Blackboard assignment 

tool. Assignments not submitted correctly will not be accepted. In addition, all assignments 

are to be in Word format ( .doc or .docx) or an .rtf file if using other word processing 

software (other format types will not be accepted unless prior arrangements with the 

instructor have been made). 

PAPER: 

The paper will be a case study on a question of your choice, related to development in the 

prenatal, infancy, or early childhood periods. This case study can be about an infant or young 

child that you know (ages 0 to 6 years), about your own infancy or early childhood, or about the 

prenatal period. Examples of topics are attachment, temperament, day care, development of a 

sense of self, cognitive development, TV, etc. You will be required to do an interview (e.g., with 

your parent(s) and/or siblings; with a parent of a young child, with a pregnant woman) or an 

observation (e.g., of an infant or young child; of a daycare center). Integrate materials from class 

and at least two additional research articles with your findings. The paper should be between 3 

and 6 pages long (single-spaced to save paper), including references. You can find more detailed 





instructions at the end of lesson 10. Submit this assignment using Turnitin located on the course 

homepage labeled as “Paper.” 

Academic Honesty: Do not copy from the book or other readings! If there is a long section 

from the book or any other reading, please paraphrase it (i.e., use your own words). Short quotes 

are fine, as long as quoted and referenced with the authors, year, and page number. Literal 

copying of materials without proper referencing will be treated as plagiarism. See U of U Code 

of Student Rights and Responsibilities (www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-10.html). 

ESSAY EXAMS: 

There will be two essay exams in this class. The first will cover Lessons 1 through 7 and the 

second covers Lessons 8 through 13. Exam 1 will be an open-book, but it will need to be 

completed under supervision of a proctor. Exam 2 will be closed to books and notes. Exam 

questions will be very similar to the weekly study questions but they will include more details. 

Exam questions will ask for integration and application of the study questions. You will be able 

to answer two out of four possible essay questions on each exam. Each question will 

consist of several sub questions. 

Note: As this course is offered in an online format, exams will be proctored through 

Distance Education. Go to the Exam Request link located in the Start Here folder to 

understand how to make arrangements for proctored exams. You must pass the final exam 

in order to pass the course. If you fail the final exam you will fail the course. This is a 

requirement of all U of U Distance Education courses. 

Planning Time: 

Successful students (those that get A’s, B’s, and C’s) use their time wisely. Just like a face-to-face 

course, the standard formula for college coursework is that for every one hour of class time will 

result in three to six hours (and sometimes more) of homework; so a three-unit course will 

require an average of 9 or more hours of homework (reading, research, studying) per lesson. As a 

result, successful students plan their time wisely so that they keep up with assignments by 

maintaining a pace that fits the course schedule. They also communicate with the instructor 

often so that they can receive much needed feedback on their work. 

Online Course Responsibilities: 

This course requires significant self-motivation. Some lessons take a considerable amount of time 

to complete. Please note that not all lessons are created equal. Some may take a bit more time 

than others. Some students believe this to be a much easier way to study this subject than in the 

on-campus frame work. Others may feel very intimidated at first. Be patient as you work your 

way through the first few lessons. If you are serious about the material, you will learn as much, if 

not more, than most on-campus students about this subject and develop reading and 

communication skills that are vital to the workforce of the 21st century. 

The following is a list of general notes as they relate to the course: 





 

 

All course communication with the instructor should be completed using the instructors 

email address listed on the first page of this syllabus. 

Assignments are to be submitted in Word format ( .doc or .docx) or an .rtf file if using 

other word processing software. 

Online Courtesy & Communication Policy: 

Extreme consideration for the feelings of others is expected. People cannot see you smile and 

may not know when you are joking. Do not tell people they are stupid or wrong. Do explain 

why you believe differently. If someone has the facts wrong, direct them to the source of 

accurate information or politely offer your alternative “facts.” Use of profanity or direct/indirect 

insults which defame a person’s character, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. are inappropriate and will 

not be tolerated. 

Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism: 

Cheating will not be tolerated in this course. Anyone caught cheating will fail the course and 

will be reported to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, in accordance with the 

Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. 

Successful students always make sure that their work is original. This is important because the 

instructor must be able to gauge what the student has learned. Therefore, copying the work of 

another person, whether an essay, answers on your assignments or during a test, is considered 

plagiarism. 

Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Any time a student uses someone else’s work and does not give 

that person credit, it is plagiarism. Anyone who plagiarizes will receive a failing grade on the 

assignment. If this is repeated, the student will fail the course and can be expelled from the 

university. If you are “suspected” of plagiarism, you will bear the burden of proof. You must be 

able to present rough drafts or related materials and discuss the topic intelligently. Refer to the 

University of Utah Plagiarism Policy for more details and/or the University of Utah - Policy and 

Procedures Manual. 

General Information: 

The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for 

people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice 

needs to be given to the instructor and to the Center for Disability Services, 

http://disability.utah.edu/ 162 Olpin Union Building, 581–5020 (V/TDD) to make 

arrangements for accommodations. This information is available in alternative format with prior 

notification. Please provide the instructor with a letter from the Center for Disability Services as 

soon as possible. 

All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior 

notification to the Center for Disabilities. 





THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE/MODIFY 

THE CONTENTS OF THIS SYLLABUS 

COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION 

Copyright notice to students taking online courses: 

Notice to students that materials used in connection with the course may be subject to copyright 

protection. 

TEACH Act Copyright Notice 

The materials on this course Web site are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for 

purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

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