Unit information: Developmental Psychology in 2022/23

Unit name	Developmental Psychology
Unit code	EDUCM5411
Credit points	10
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Tsapali
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	School of Education
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

In this unit, students will engage with classic and contemporary research and theory in developmental psychology. The focus is for students to bring their critical knowledge of developmental psychology, learned through this course and across other complementary units, to address key psychological issues and how these apply to educational settings. Students will also refine their critical analysis skills and ability to evaluate experimental methods.

The core concepts to be investigated (indicative content) include: symbolic understanding of words and pictures, theory of mind development, atypical development and approaches for studying cognitive development, and play and the development of peer relationships.

Aims:

• To develop an understanding and critical appreciation of current approaches of developmental and educational psychology;
• To examine theoretical accounts of development.
• To develop a critical awareness of experimental methodology in developmental research.
• To explore implications of developmental psychological research and theory for educational settings.

Your learning on this unit

Upon successful completion of the unit students will demonstrate that they:

1. understand key concepts in current study of developmental psychology.
2. have developed skills in evaluation and interpretation of the psychology of emotional, moral, social, and cognitive development.
3. understand the importance of social and psychological factors in development.
4. have explored the way in which different approaches to developmental psychology relate to and complement each other.
5. can evaluate different methodological approaches for studying young children.
6. can critically interrogate claims about development in the psychological and educational literature.
7. understand the implication of recent research in developmental psychology for educational settings.

How you will learn

The course will be delivered through whole group lectures and discussion.

How you will be assessed

This unit is assessed by 100% coursework in the form of a 2000-word critical review. (ILOs 1-7)

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EDUCM5411).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.