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Syllabus
Schedule
 

Faculty:    Jamie C. Nekich, Ph.D.
Office: Forney Hall, Room 013
Mail Address: Psychology, Box 443043, Moscow Idaho  83843
Office Hours: T 2-3 and by appointment
Phone: (208) 885-5057 
Fax: (208) 885-7710
E-mail: nekich@Uidaho.edu

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Texts:

Development in Adulthood, Edition 4 (2006) by Barbara Hansen Lemme.
Allyn & Bacon Publishers

Tuesdays with Morrie: An old man, a young man, and life's greatest
lesson (2002) by Mitch Albom. Broadway Pulishers  (See the
description of the term paper before purchasing this text).

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Course Purpose: 

The course provides an overview of  physical, cognitive, personality, and social development  across the adult life span, from  high school graduation through death.   The course is appropriate for students entering fields where they will work closely with adults of any age.  It is also appropriate for adults interested in understanding their own lifetimes, particularly with an eye to maximizing optimal outcomes during each decade of adulthood.

In it we cover major theories and research findings in the field of adult development with an emphasis on examining how individuals progress through a series of predictable stages during their lifetime, how they cope with the challenges of each stage, and whether aging should be viewed pessimistically as a series of losses or optimistically as increasing gains in wisdom and experience. .

 

Course Learning Objectives:  (aligned with U of I learning objectives)

Learn and Integrate: Know theory and research related to adulthood and the process of growing older/ Be prepared for advanced study in the field of adult development/ Be prepared for advanced study in areas such a physical therapy, nursing, and medicine
 

Think and Create: Have explored some personal lifestyle goals/ Gain a more optimistic view of healthy aging

Clarify Purpose and Perspective: Have enough knowledge to adopt healthy lifestyle choices to enhance your own adulthood

Practice Citizenship: Be able to apply the knowledge gained in this course to understand the life course of individuals you know/ Gain a more compassionate perspective on individuals at all phases of lifespan development

Communication: Be able to express your personal views and scholarly perspective in well written, formal essay format

Requirements:  

You will read 12 chapters in the Lemme book over the course.  The course will not have on-line lectures.  You will be provided with review questions for each chapter designed to promote mastery of the course concepts.  These reviews require the student to provide answers to on-line questions after they have read and reviewed the chapter material.    All assignments must be submitted by midnight of the due date.    Late assignments are not accepted.

There will be five homework assignments.  These assignments ask you to apply the material in the course to real life activities.  Links from the schedule page provide access to the instructions and expectations for these assignments.

Three objective exams will be given during the semester (two midterms and a final).  All exams are 25-question, multiple choice exams.  You are given 50  minutes to complete the exams.  They are timed, open book exams.  You will need to know the material well (and not rely upon the open book) in order to complete the exam in the allotted time frame.  If an exam is missed, you must receive permission for a makeup.  All make-ups are scheduled one week from the date of the original exam.  You are allowed only one make-up per semester.

You will be required to read 'Tuesdays with Morrie', a book describing the progressive death of Morrie Schwartz, a popular college professor who developed ALS, and how this remarkable man approached his life's ending.  You will be asked to write a 3-5 page paper that identifies in his story at least three themes we have covered in the course. 

 

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Grading:      

You can earn a total of 700 points during the semester.   Each chapter review counts for 20 points for a total of 240.  You will be given three  exams each counting 100 points.  Homework assignments will each count for 20 points for a total of 100 points.  Your class project will count for 60 points. 

Your grades are available to view on line by clicking here.

 

Midterm Exams 200  Grading Scale -
Final Exam  100   90-100% A 630-700
Weekly Reviews 240 80-89% B,  560-629
Homework 100 70-79% C 490-559
Paper 60 60-69% D 420-489
      below 60% F  420 down
TOTAL POSSIBLE 700    

Old age is fifteen years older than I am.  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

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