EDPY 303 Human Growth and Development
Overview
Welcome to Psychological Foundations 303 - Human Growth and Development! This course offers a broad overview of perspectives, principles, theories, and research findings associated with the field of human life-span development. The aim of the course is to provide a foundation of knowledge that will help you become a more effective practitioner, critical decision-maker, and compassionate human being. Concretely, the purpose of this course is to provide experiences that will help you
- acquire a basic, working knowledge of contemporary theories and principles of human development through the lifespan,
- identify and define key concepts and terms employed by specialists in the field to describe the phenomena they study,
- examine some of the ways in which knowledge of human development is produced, evaluated, applied, and modified by scientists, scholars, and practitioners, the media and the public,
- interpret individual and group differences from multiple points of view, employing perspectives that consider psychological and biological principles as well as the broader social, cultural, political, and historical context, and
- articulate and critically evaluate implications of developmental theory and research for educational practice, parenting, social policy formation, and self-understanding.
Course readings and textbook
These vary each semester. The course will be offered online Spring, 2011. Two required texts: Annual Editions: Human Development (Karen Freiberg, editor) and Experiencing the Lifespan (Janet Belsky). Check with UNM Bookstore for specific edition to purchase for this semester.
Course handouts and background information are available in Web CT, with supplementary materials in the Human Growth and Development Archive
For additional information contact: Jan Armstrong (505-277-6427, jka@unm.edu)
